The Rumour Commode XXXIX: A Cardinal Sin

[Curupira]

Pioli sent a clear message to management by offering 0 minutes to CDK and Adli. They can't be relied upon by the coach currently.

I can see our boy Vlasic finally arriving to replace Diaz in the summer. Adli will go out on loan at some point and CDK needs to claim a role that benefits both him and the team collectively between now and May.

I doubt Torino would be letting him go cheaply though. It's all but likely they will pick up their option and look to sell him for around 30m.

 

[Neo'82]

I doubt Torino would be letting him go cheaply though. It's all but likely they will pick up their option and look to sell him for around 30m.

Torino will likely not take up the option to buy as they can't afford the player. Leaving the door open for Maldini to reel in on further evaluation terms. The player will obviously be open to wearing R&B.

 

[Ludwig]

I like how Napoli build their squad. I can't name any liability from their roster. I feel like their squad is complete in every position (including back-ups).

I still can't understand why we bought Ballo Toure to be Theo's deputy (different characteristics, let alone their quality) and Messias (31 y.o with no resale value, not starter materal, and not a leader like florenzi/kjaer/Giroud).

 

[Neo'82]

Charles looking happy to get away.

 

[brk]

I hope Gerry invests and MMM gets it absolutely right in the winter Mercato.
I just think there is a golden chance for a CL title this time around because of how the R16 draw went.
If we get the missing pieces (read RW, Italian back ups to fix the lists) and the misfiring signings gel in well, we are a formidable team which can beat any team on a given day.
IF.. that is still a big IF.. we beat Spurs, out of our prospective opponents, we should be confident vs anyone except Real/Liverpool, City and PSG/Bayern but there is a 57% chance that we will draw one of Napoli/Inter/Benfica/Chelsea.
Semi onwards, it can go in any direction.
There is a potential for a 2004 Porto or 2012 Chelsea kind of story here.
Istanbul venue itself makes me think it is written in the stars. We just have to fill in the rest of the puzzle.

But the Jan window should be perfect.
We may not see such a favourable draw in another 4-5 years.

#daPlan is unstoppable.

 

[brk]

Napoli marching on an incredible speed. Inter and Juve gaining momentum. We are loosing ours by the day. This break really couldn't have been timed better. If you'd ask them, they'd 100% want to play on. It's going to be more difficult to them to keep that momentum somehow going over two months than for us to not doing worse than we're doing now I have good hopes that from January onwards, we'll see a totally different campionato. I mean if we can be this "shit" by our own standards and still 2nd in the league, imagine what will happen once we have a full team back and hopefully one or even two serious upgrades from mercato.

I think (hope) that this break is going to be tough especially for Napoli. I've seen quite a lot of their last few games. They don't look that invincible at all to me. It's just that they have a lot going their way and very little against. Against Napoli they looked clueless for 70 minutes before they unlocked the game with an unlucky owngoal from Empoli who doubled up with a red card five minutes later. Then they started super strong against Udine who's somewhat on a downward spirale but let them almost comeback in the last 10 minutes of the game. And so on.

So when I write they are marching on an incredible speed I don't meant they win every game like it was a walk in the park. I mean it more in a result oriented way only. That's why I'm quite confident that the moment will arrive this season where things won't fall into place for them in every and each game. However we can only profit from that if we start to march on an even more impressive tempo than last season. That's gonna be tough, but not impossible.

The way we play (high intensity) with so little rotation, with injuries piling up and a compressed schedule. That's the explanation for why we ended the year on empty. The break will benefit us the most, no doubt.

 

[Curupira]

Torino will likely not take up the option to buy as they can't afford the player. Leaving the door open for Maldini to reel in on further evaluation terms. The player will obviously be open to wearing R&B.

[Di Marzio] Torino sign West Ham attacking midfielder Nikola Vlasic on loan with option to buy. The option to buy is €15m + €3m in bonuses.

Seems like Torino can afford that, especially if they believe they can sell him for over 20m. He is only 24 years old.

But I hope you are right; spending those numbers above on him makes more sense than 22m for Diaz

 

[Milan10]

A few random thoughts that crossed my mind, in no particular order:

- Finally the break. No other team in Serie A needed them as much as we did. No wonder: we went through another epochal, month-long injury crisis, which would have meant the premature end of all title dreams for many teams (see Liverpool two years ago, or Tottenham this year, and so many more). Somehow we managed to get out of there, again, and we did it quite unscathed if you look at results only: we're only two points behind our last seasons tally, which was one that broke the club record. In addition, we made it to the last 16 in the CL for the first time in nine years (also benefiting from an easier group than last year, though). The ship wobbled a lot more than before, true. But it's still on track.

- Napoli's season is crazy. Just crazy. They march at a pace that seems unreal. But a season consists of cycles. They, too, will sooner or later navigate through more difficult waters. We must be ready for this moment. We have almost two months to prepare for this. Not only Pioli is in demand, who probably has to reconsider some tactical and personal decisions. But also Maldini and Gerry, who absolutely have to make the urgently needed corrections on the transfer market.

- What if Napoli don't back down and just keep up their rhythm even after the World Cup as if nothing happened? Then hats off to them. Then the title would simply be deserved, even if it would hurt me to admit it. But that's the sport. Last year we were the best. This year is still open. But what Napoli have achieved so far deserves respect. And if we Milan fans could take anything positive from it, it's that Napoli openly admit that they actually just followed our blueprint and basically copied us. Seen in this way, we are absolutely on the right track, according to them.

- That's also what the numbers say: December 2020: first in the table. May 2021, second. December 2021, second. May 2022, first. December 2022, second. Say what you want: We've consistently been in the top two for years, no matter how much our own fans sometimes criticize the club and predict that its downfall soon. Well, it may come at some point, but I don't want to hear "I told you so" then, because just because some have prophesied long enough, they don't become prophets if their predictions eventually come true again after several months and years.

- There are exactly two coaches in the league that I fear: Juric and Italiano. Both of them just seem to have figured out Pioli every time we play them. We didn't just play our worst game against Torino. They were simply superior to us and Pioli in every respect. Especially tactically. We've never lost as badly to a team as we did to Torino this year (I don't accept Chelsea. We were missing more than half the team away in the first leg. In the second leg the referee declared the game over after 18 minutes). And yesterday, against Fiorentina, the game really could have gone either way. Luckily we had luck on our side for once.

So what else? Nothing I think. I look forward to seeing the long-term injured again soon. Maignan back in goal, orchestrating the offensive from the back. Calabria, the team's beating heart, back in position, allowing Kalulu and Tomori to once again field the league's best and most impenetrable central defense. Zlatan back on the field to give a kick in the ass to those who think victory will come naturally, even against small teams. Origi with a complete and decent preparation. And hopefully a CDK that comes back from the NT full of confidence and enthusiasm.

Eh, Pioli had Juric’s pants around his ankles and he was all lubed up for Rafa. The rest of the analogy is grotesque, but it would have been a different story.

I’m not afraid of anyone or anything in Italy outside of our own fitness staff, which our management and Pioli deserve some share of blame for not addressing.

 

[Neo'82]

The way we play (high intensity) with so little rotation, with injuries piling up and a compressed schedule. That's the explanation for why we ended the year on empty. The break will benefit us the most, no doubt.

The break will benefit 'every' club. We all start again in Jan.

Napoli's system runs like clockwork. With or without important starters.

It'll be great to have all players available again to the coach. Unlike Napoli, we don't know our best 11. Pioli needs to work that out with trial and error. It becomes somewhat more complicated if they add even more players into the mix.

 

[Milan10]

Charles looking happy to get away.

Hopefully, this is like when Columbus gave the Injuns smallpox and Lukaku takes it back to Lautauro in bed.

 

[Neo'82]

Seems like Torino can afford that, especially if they believe they can sell him for over 20m. He is only 24 years old.

But I hope you are right; spending those numbers above on him makes more sense than 22m for Diaz

I keep reading they can't meet the evaluation. That move would put Torino in the red.

If they do manage to take up the option. We will have no interest in the player. I also can't see Vlasic committing long-term to Torino.

Milan would acquire Vlasic for less than Diaz. That will appeal hugely to management. Especially with the player now showing promise in Serie A.

 

[brk]

CDK the only one who's enough of an outlier to get named. Leao is a bit to the left of Politano, with 2.14 succesful dribbles per 90 and 43.6% success rate. Way lower than last season (3.39 success dribbles, 60.1%). I'm not imagining it, Leao is doing a lot less than last season.

 

[papaberlu]

CDK the only one who's enough of an outlier to get named. Leao is a bit to the left of Politano, with 2.14 succesful dribbles per 90 and 43.6% success rate. Way lower than last season (3.39 success dribbles, 60.1%). I'm not imagining it, Leao is doing a lot less than last season.

Probably because he has more defensive attention this season

Think he has been better when given space until the last couple weeks anyway

 

[papaberlu]

Charles looking happy to get away.

Lukaku bringing Charles more happiness than anyone at Milanello makes me sick man

 

[brk]

Probably because he has more defensive attention this season

Think he has been better when given space until the last couple weeks anyway

They were triple teaming him at some points last season. Teams are defending a lot fiercer against us this season, since we're champions. Atalanta for example, defending more conservatively than they usually do. Maybe that's it. But it doesn't explain why CDK has a much higher success rate with the same number of dribbles, especially since that's not really a big part of his game.

 

[brk]

Lukaku bringing Charles more happiness than anyone at Milanello makes me sick man

 

[Cloren]

This manager is defending someone who is likely to have raped young people… Jesus

Pep Guardiola is scum

 

[papaberlu]

They were triple teaming him at some points last season. Teams are defending a lot fiercer against us this season, since we're champions. Atalanta for example, defending more conservatively than they usually do. Maybe that's it. But it doesn't explain why CDK has a much higher success rate with the same number of dribbles, especially since that's not really a big part of his game.

Because he's operating in the area of attack that has more space lol

You ever notice how Messias who is not a good football can take one touch past a defender and have acres of space (still manages to do nothing with it)

Defenses skew to the left vs Milan

 

[Milan10]

CDK the only one who's enough of an outlier to get named. Leao is a bit to the left of Politano, with 2.14 succesful dribbles per 90 and 43.6% success rate. Way lower than last season (3.39 success dribbles, 60.1%). I'm not imagining it, Leao is doing a lot less than last season.

Leao’s exhausted, bruh. He had several opportunities to dribble at Fiorentina 1v1 yesterday and he couldn’t blast by them the way he has done the last year and a half. Too many matches, too much pressure going back to January.

Unfortunately, we are pretty Leao dependent and our summer market did not successfully address that issue YET.

 

[Samaldinho]

Apparently our third kit next year is going to be pink.

 

[omer486]

I keep reading they can't meet the evaluation. That move would put Torino in the red.

If they do manage to take up the option. We will have no interest in the player. I also can't see Vlasic committing long-term to Torino.

Milan would acquire Vlasic for less than Diaz. That will appeal hugely to management. Especially with the player now showing promise in Serie A.

Milan could also bring in Xavi Simons and / or Luka Sucic to replace Diaz.

 

[Hitchens]

This manager is defending someone whose likely to have raped young people… Jesus

@Wild should answer for this.

 

[Hitchens]

 

[Samaldinho]

I participated in a conference call this morning that has nothing to do with me.

I hate this world cup. The only fun mid-season cup is the African Cup.

 

[Neo'82]

Milan could also bring in Xavi Simons and / or Luka Sucic to replace Diaz.

I guess they could.

Newcastle will likely Botman us again in regard to Sucic. Less risk with Vlasic as his game places him well for secondary balls. Obviously, a competent passer is also fundamental in that pos.

We need an attacking mid that can be in pos to gobble up secondary balls. Atm it's our CB's that end up in that position currently(not ideal)

Piolisimo at its core is simply Theo and Leao attacking the spaces continuously in a brutish fashion. Our attacking high press is instructed to swarm in on any secondary balls and force them home. We just don't have an AM that's managed to adapt adequately to instruction.

 

[Cloren]

@Wild should answer for this.

Thank fuck my favourite manager is Ancelotti who couldn’t possibly hurt even a fly. Rather than that bald fraud.

 

[milanator]

CDK the only one who's enough of an outlier to get named. Leao is a bit to the left of Politano, with 2.14 succesful dribbles per 90 and 43.6% success rate. Way lower than last season (3.39 success dribbles, 60.1%). I'm not imagining it, Leao is doing a lot less than last season.

Question is if Leao´s typical movement of playing the ball ahead and pacing past the defender even counts as a dribble, that's the move that defenders rarely are able to stop. There is a huge error margin if some of those moves don't fall under dribble.

 

[AC_Wesley]

Apparently our third kit next year is going to be pink.

Let it be that Palermo pink and not that candy pink Juventus had before.

 

[Samaldinho]

Let it be that Palermo pink and not that candy pink Juventus had before.

Milano Red 23-24 Third Kit Info Leaked

www.footyheadlines.com

These are the colors apparently.

Footyheadlines got in trouble with Puma it seems, so it leaks Puma stuff by calling it "cat" and not naming the clubs it is referring to lol.

 

[MilanBG]

I participated in a conference call this morning that has nothing to do with me.

I hate this world cup. The only fun mid-season cup is the African Cup.

The more I think about it, the more I like it. Solely from personal perspective though.
We are entering the worst possible season - low temperatures, raining and sun sets at 4 pm. Ski season is still not open. Not much to do after 3-4 pm. And now I will have 3 games per day to watch
And Milan will have time to get their shit together. This WC break sounds pretty good honestly.