Week 5: Milan vs Venezia 22/09/2021 20:45 CEST

[leaf]

Diaz has no qualities. He just shows up for a tap-in every 3rd game. That's it. That's his entire contribution. Kessie as CAM at least win duels and passes. Diaz just hides among their defenders so no one can pass him.

What?
Diaz goes to WAR all game!
You could say that he loses said wars because he's so small
But this is simply not true.

If there's another great thing I gotta give to Pioli is that he seems to encourage the boys to take on defenders.

Leao is doing it more, so is Saele....I would have so loved Andre Silva to be part of this team....he'd be the perfect striker for this setup

 

[kevin_dk]

Saele Maradona
Saele Phenomeno
Saele Messi

 

[Goodfella]

I liked us before the 1-0. We were a little toothless upfront but it never felt like we wouldn't score. The fourteen minutes between the two goals were our worst in the game where we looked disjointed and Venezia could have created something dangerous if they had a little bit more quality/energy. But three subs at the same time with two of them in the defensive line can make you look line that.

This looked nothing like the Cagliari game.

The first half looked like the Cagliari game and plenty of other home games last season.
A targetman / proper CF was sorely lacking. Diaz failed miserably as playmaker. The possession game was very slow and predictable. The team struggled way more than should be expected of a top team who are playing at home against a team as bad as Venezia.

We created more chances than against Cagliari, but Venezia were also much worse than Cagliari, who had lots of individually strong players. The way Venezia players allowed Leao and even Saelemaekers to dribble past several of them at once is stuff out of Lega Pro.

It was anything but a convincing performance, but it was understandable, considering the circumstances.
Our 2 CFs were unavailable. Our wide players didn't have chemistry because this was literally their first start together. But a draw would've been a huge blow nonetheless. I'm glad that was avoided.

 

[MilanMB]

The first half looked like the Cagliari game and plenty of other home games last season.
A targetman / proper CF was sorely lacking. Diaz failed miserably as playmaker. The possession game was very slow and predictable. The team struggled way more than should be expected of a top team who are playing at home against a team as bad as Venezia.

We created more chances than against Cagliari, but Venezia were also much worse than Cagliari, who had lots of individually strong players. The way Venezia players allowed Leao and even Saelemaekers to dribble past several of them at once is stuff out of Lega Pro.

It was anything but a convincing performance, but it was understandable, considering the circumstances.
Our 2 CFs were unavailable. Our wide players didn't have chemistry because this was literally their first start together. But a draw would've been a huge blow nonetheless. I'm glad that was avoided.

We must have watched two different games.

Let's say you're half right (wouldn't even give you that) about your assessment, you're still forgetting about the mental aspect. I saw calmness on the pitch and a team that fully controlled the game, there was no anxiety and the goal was always a question of time.

Rebic may not have been a proper target man, but the pressing he did tonight was out of this world, something our proper target men never will do.

 

[Mario]

I'm not sure what he can actually do but thankfully he was dirt cheap
- currently looking like Samu's shadow

I mean yes 500k-1m for loan but what are Florenzi wages?

One of main reasons Roma couldn?t keep him as back up at least all these years

 

[Goodfella]

We must have watched two different games.

Let's say you're half right (wouldn't even give you that) about your assessment, you're still forgetting about the mental aspect. I saw calmness on the pitch and a team that fully controlled the game, there was no anxiety and the goal was always a question of time.

Rebic may not have been a proper target man, but the pressing he did tonight was out of this world, something our proper target men never will do.

Yeah, they were calm.
Too calm if you ask me. Not enough urgency / intensity in the first half. No superior skill or cohesion to make up for it. Theo bailed them out, like in so many other Ibra-less games against minnows last season.

Your praise for Rebic is so random and off.
He's probably my favorite player in this squad, but this was a forgettable performance, as is often the case when he's asked to be a CF against teams who sit back.

 

[MilanMB]

Rebic wasn't asked to be a target man. He did what he was supposed to do very well.

Also 4 players in starting XI are subs, 6 if you don't count Bennacer and Romagnoli as starters. Don't expect champagne football.

 

[Meez]

Diaz has no qualities. He just shows up for a tap-in every 3rd game. That's it. That's his entire contribution. Kessie as CAM at least win duels and passes. Diaz just hides among their defenders so no one can pass him.

 

[Goodfella]

Rebic wasn't asked to be a target man. He did what he was supposed to do very well.

Asked or not, we needed him or Leao to be strong aerially, perform CF tasks or make up for it in some other ways.
The team has adapted a bit to Rebic's characteristics - they aren't sending as many long balls as they used to. He played an excellent game in his own way as the frontman against Cagliari.
But tonight? Not so much. He was a non-factor in the air, not good enough with the ball at his feet. Didn't score, didn't assist. Forgettable performance.

Tbf Diaz and Florenzi made it very difficult for him.

Also 4 players in starting XI are subs, 6 if you don't count Bennacer and Romagnoli as starters. Don't expect champagne football.

Yeah, like I said it was understandable considering the circumstances. But an unconvincing performance against very weak opposition nonetheless.

 

[Mr. Tea]

Asked or not, we needed him or Leao to be strong aerially, perform CF tasks or make up for it in some other ways.
The team has adapted a bit to Rebic's characteristics - they aren't sending as many long balls as they used to. He played an excellent game in his own way as the frontman against Cagliari.
But tonight? Not so much. He was a non-factor in the air, not good enough with the ball at his feet. Didn't score, didn't assist. Forgettable performance.



Yeah, like I said it was understandable considering the circumstances. But an unconvincing performance against very weak opposition nonetheless.

Eh, you can’t make a hotdog taste like a hamburger.

 

[Cloren]

Diaz is becoming one of my favourite players

 

[General]

Well, well?

guess who the best team in Italy is?

Us

 

[AC AZZA]

Gonna get games like this along our path to the title.

Though Rebic did well, I would have he had started on the bench and we give Pellegri something to do and prove himself in 90 minutes, I hope he gets that oppurtunity against Spezia as we sorely missing a big target man.

If Saelemakers plays like that on the RW ,fuck it, his first 11 material.
Theo was easily man of the match, with Bennacer and Tonali playing their part.

 

[brk]

Gonna get games like this along our path to the title.

Though Rebic did well, I would have he had started on the bench and we give Pellegri something to do and prove himself in 90 minutes, I hope he gets that oppurtunity against Spezia as we sorely missing a big target man.

If Saelemakers plays like that on the RW ,fuck it, his first 11 material.
Theo was easily man of the match, with Bennacer and Tonali playing their part.

For me it was Bennacer. Theo did great, but he only played half an hour or so. Tonali was amazing again, but Bennacer was such a welcome improvement in form. Kept getting better and better.

I always thought that Saelemaekers had it in him to keep improving and i'm glad the management believe so strongly in him. He does so much to balance our team that I usually excuse his lack of end product. It's the same reason Kessie used to fuck everything up before we restricted his role. By the time he's asked to shoot or pass, Kessie will have already sprinted 40 meters shrugging off three defenders, so he loses concentration by the end. I think it's the same with Saelemaekers. He runs so much and so fast that he ends up messing up at the moments where he needs to be lucid. It's not a coincidence that this performance came when he was subbed in and was fresh against tired legs. He can do it, it's just that we're usually asking him to be a winger and a fullback at the same time and it's not fair to judge him as just a winger.

 

[Il grande Milan]

Diaz has no qualities. He just shows up for a tap-in every 3rd game. That's it. That's his entire contribution. Kessie as CAM at least win duels and passes. Diaz just hides among their defenders so no one can pass him.

Biggest trollpost of 2021

 

[Az.]

Things I took from this game:

- The big team mentality is well cemented into this team, even when we don't have our strong first eleven, we go after results and get them.

- Leao & Diaz keep improving game after game, which is awesome to see.

- Our tactics heavily rely on a target man. I won't blame Rebic for not being good at it, cause he ain't one. Hopefully there's still one decent doctor left at Milan lab, and he manages to get Pellegri to play a full 90 minutes when needed.

 

[AC AZZA]

For me it was Bennacer. Theo did great, but he only played half an hour or so. Tonali was amazing again, but Bennacer was such a welcome improvement in form. Kept getting better and better.

I always thought that Saelemaekers had it in him to keep improving and i'm glad the management believe so strongly in him. He does so much to balance our team that I usually excuse his lack of end product. It's the same reason Kessie used to fuck everything up before we restricted his role. By the time he's asked to shoot or pass, Kessie will have already sprinted 40 meters shrugging off three defenders, so he loses concentration by the end. I think it's the same with Saelemaekers. He runs so much and so fast that he ends up messing up at the moments where he needs to be lucid. It's not a coincidence that this performance came when he was subbed in and was fresh against tired legs. He can do it, it's just that we're usually asking him to be a winger and a fullback at the same time and it's not fair to judge him as just a winger.

Yeah Saelemakers proved me wrong big time tonight. I look forward to the times when he can come off the bench of the team is dominanent enough for him to keep doing that.

Tonali is in terrific form and I hope he keeps it up

 

[Boban1982]

This game shows the growth in both the team and the quality of our squad from last season.

Without Zlatan last season we would have drawn this game. We would have been frustrated and anxious but this season you could see a belief in the players that they always felt they would score.

2nd string players started the game but we had quality players that came off the bench - Theo, Kessie and Saelemaekers who made the difference. We rarely if at all had that last season.

We have a tough week - Spezia away (they completely outplayed us last season in this game) Atletico Madrid on Tuesday and Atalanta finishing off the week. If we can win these games I won't just be believing in a substantial Scudetto run but also on getting out of this extremely tough CL group.

Forza Milan!

 

[Wild]

I really like this team.
We are showing maturity , self confidence & fearless attitude.
Most players geared up which is usually hard for a team to pull.
Special mention to Tona & Ben.
Sale & Theo changed + won us the game & both were having bad games this season.
The only player to step up is Kess if you ask me.
Tona & Ben couldnt get a better time to step putting pressure on Kess to step up his game & to know he isnt as important as he thinks.
Either renew , sold in jan or sit as a sub.

 

[Berlusconi]

Diaz has no qualities. He just shows up for a tap-in every 3rd game. That's it. That's his entire contribution. Kessie as CAM at least win duels and passes. Diaz just hides among their defenders so no one can pass him.

 

[Cloren]

What does @Wild think of Saele?s assist I wonder ;p

 

[Sheva0172]

For me this game didn’t show much. Venezia is a really really bad team.
We won, which is good and offcourse important but this wasn’t a statement for scudetto contenders.

We really need Zlatan, Giroud & Messias fit to properly rotate. After 5 games we can conclude that Florenzi should never be a RW option ever again right?