plumetting

Leonardo Sacrimento


Palermo 3 AC Milan 1

I know, its not plumetting, but plummeting. But this post is about getting your basics right. The face that you see in this blog post is one that angers me beyond comprehension. After the game, Leo stated that he would like to end the season with honor. Considering we are facing Fiorentina, Juventus and Genoa, I hardly see that happening.

Inter beat Atalanta 3-1, and Palermo beat Milan with the same scoreline. I can see more than one similarity there. The coach states that the poor performances are due to a lack of first team players playing in these games. Yes 5-6 first team players might be missing, but is the second string so deficient in quality that we crash and burn against a team like Palermo. Take a look at the 3 goals Palermo scored. A well organized defense would not have allowed any of those goals to be scored. Absolutely catastrophic defending! Such textbook mistakes that even a rookie isn't allowed to commit. But Leonardo is a tactical noob who happens to have amassed a wealth of knowledge about the sport. Well, he certainly snoozed during the course on basics. On the first goal, who was guarding the far post? On the second goal, why was Massimo Oddo performing a ballet move. And on the third, why was the above mentioned veteran staring at Miccoli's plums instead of closing the latter down? Oddo was played at centre-back for the second game running. Whatever happened to Darmian and Albertazzi? Jankulovski's legs have gone numb and yet he gets a start. Verdi, someone? We play over the hill players, out of position, and expect to end the season in 'honor'? Leonardo has done more damage to this team, from a brand perspective, than he has helped in bringing us European football qualification places. I am shocked that he is still holding the reigns of this team.

There are talks of Tassoti and Galli handling the team next season. Not many people have warmed up to the idea. I think its a plan worth executing. Why? Tassoti has worked with Ancelloti for awhile and his level of experience surpasses that of Leonardo by miles. Yes, he doesn't have Leo's pretty face. But neither does Fabio Cappello or Alex Ferguson. What matters is that he gets the basics right, with any team he gets. We might not win, but we certainly won't plummet in this fashion.

Palermo - Bovo 9', Abel Hernandez 19', Miccoli 69'
Milan - Seedorf 55'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PS7L4YXr3uk

leo leave

Leonardo Sacrimento

Sampdoria 2 AC Milan 1

I have liked Leo in his approach, but have never condoned his genuine love for tactical retardation. Leo is everything you don't want in a coach. And when you are playing a team desperate to win the 4th spot, you never play Bonera in central defense, especially when the opposition has an explosive strike force. Even after you have committed that error, you never play a full back in the same position when you are one man down. But Leonardo has had an entire season to learn common sense and has shown no signs of learning it.

We have had an awful run of results and I dearly wish that we lose the remaining games too. It would surely disclose to the world our true quality as we have portrayed a fable of sorts deceiving many. Borriello seems to be thriving amidst this mess. Ronaldinho is still putting in endearing performances. Mancini continues to miss open goal chances. But I have one man to blame. Why would you play Mancini when you need to score goals during a drought period? Why would you play Seedorf deep in midfield? No, you wouldn't, but Leo would. Bonera's horrendous tackle will tell you volumes about his ineptness. Yet he is played. Don't we have youngsters who could and probably should be given a chance? We are out of the running for the title, we never were in it in the first place. We are struggling with our hags, then why not try out some young blood. After the defeat Leonardo has the audacity to say the team had no motivation. Mister, it is your job to see that they are motivated! I could go on and on about what a failure this novice has been, who should have quit in dignity after disgracing this team at the hands of United and Inter. But he is still warming the bench.

He has done some fair bit of good work, but that doesn't suffice. Not when he is managing AC Milan. His appointment was a big mistake, if he decides to stay on, it will be a bigger mistake. Thankfully, Milan are letting him go at the end of the season. Credit be given, the bloke did get some flukes right in Dida and Inzaghi. But if he says that Abate, Ambrosini and Antonini have been finds of the season then we all know what to expect come the new season; this obviously if he continues endorsing inappropriate role.

Sampdoria - Cassano pen. 59' , Pazzini 92'

AC Milan - Borriello 20'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNfbjqWlB6k

end of a dream

Marco Borriello


AC Milan 2 Catania 2

When you are a fan of one of the biggest football clubs in the world and you see your team go down by two goals in the first half, in your own ground, being completely outplayed by a minnow, it's a feeling equivalent to being sawed alive. Fiorentina had stalled Inter in their march towards the title, and what we needed to do was take advantage of the slip up. But we take our brotherly love a bit too seriously.

Catania took the lead from Lopez's opener. The former Barcelona man has been the signing of the January window of sorts for the Rossazzurri. AC Milan made lame attempts to equalize and the away side decided to take the game seriously. The counter attack resulted in the second goal. Ricchuiti who had assisted Lopez for the opener got onto a free header (which Antonini should have cleared) and headed home the away side's second. After the game resumed, we found ourselves back in the game as Borriello headed from close range. Favalli was replaced by Flamini as Ambrosini moved back into a centre back role. Whenever this happens, it freaks me out. Leonardo went overboard as he brought on Inzaghi and Mancini. As usual, it worked. Catania were pushed back into their own half. Abate's cross was chested down by Borriello who shot with his weaker foot past the keeper with 10 minutes to go. Ambrosini wore the clown's hat at the back and with Dida behind him, he found a mate. A series of howlers followed, but Lopez couldn't make the most of it. The game ended in a draw.

This marks the end of the dream. In the last one and half months, we had our chances to take a substantial lead over Roma and Inter. But we all know how we responded to the easy fixtures. From here on, we play Fiorentina, Juventus, Sampdoria, Palermo and Lazio. We are 3 points behind Inter and 4 points behind Roma. With due respect to the other teams in the competition, the top 2 have a much easier run in. To overtake them and win the league from here on would be preposterous. The challenge now however, is to hold onto the 3rd spot. We have a 10 point lead over 4th placed Palermo and Sampdoria. But never say never, yeah?

AC Milan - Borriello 48', 80'
Catania - Lopez 12', Ricchuiti 37'

http://www.101greatgoals.com/videodisplay/5336486/

still chasing

Davide Astori

Cagliari 2 AC Milan 3

It's a bit hard to update games as soon as they are played because I don't have net at home. Soon though, things should be back to normal. However, by the time you read this, Cagliari would have sent their coach Allegri packing. A shocking decision, I think. We could not have won this game if not for Astori, who revealed his love for the club by scoring an own goal.

Borriello opened the scoring by mocking the defense with a simple turn. Milan could have gone 2-0 up but Antonini failed to convert. Our defense without Nesta simply comprises of 4 blind men who constantly run into each other. That is what happened on the equalizer. Huntelaar some two minutes later scores a blinder, not the kind of goal you would associate with a misfiring hitman. Borriello should have made it two for himself when he combined with Ronaldinho, and the Brazilian's pass was volleyed over. Quite obviously, the miss came back to haunt us as Pirlo characteristically lost the ball in midfield causing our static defense to forgo another goal.This time it was another youth product, namely Matri who was drawing the applause reminding Galliani of another poor piece of business. We were gifted our third. Marchetti knocking Abate's cross onto Astori who turned it into the goal. After the restart, Ragatzu's effort skimmed the crossbar. Favalli was going around in circles as he embarrassingly tried to defend against the young striker in Ragatzu. It was all Cagliari in the closing stages as we tried to grind out the half. Dida had to produce a spectacular double save on Larrivey to keep Milan in the lead. The final whistle was sounded bringing relief to the away side.

Cagliari have been going through a blue patch in form, there is no denying that. Yet, we had to play our guts out to win this game. Complaining I am not, all I care about it is the result. Whether you win by a metre or a mile, winning is winning. But maybe that doesn't apply, if you are AC Milan.


Cagliari - Ragatzu 17', Matri 32'
Milan - Borriello 7', Huntelaar 19', Astori (o.g) 37'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwhKruwhPJw