How will Super Mario fit in with Milan?

Is Allegri going to stick with the winger-less formation and pair him with SES upfront or move SES out wide with Balo playing the lone role?

We've been playing with a 4-3-3 this season or well over the past couple of months.

Balotelli is going to play as a lone striker in a 4-3-3.

SES will still be a LW as he was since the start of the season.

SES is already playing out wide. Balotelli is probably going to start in Pazzini's position as the lone CF with Niang/Robinho on the other wing.

Swear the one and only Milan game I watched this year had SES playing upfront.

So Robinho plays RW now?

Gil wrote:Swear the one and only Milan game I watched this year had SES playing upfront.

So Robinho plays RW now?

Niang has been used as a RW for past couple of games, seems to have made the position his own.

Yes, when he starts he mostly like starts as a RW.

Balotelli as CF with El Shaarawy next to him/at LW.

Gil wrote:Is Allegri going to stick with the winger-less formation and pair him with SES upfront or move SES out wide with Balo playing the lone role?

Milan play a modified 4-3-3 as I'll explain:

-Allegri has preferred the right side of the front three to have anyone within there a wide forward/RW as people who have played there are Pato, Robinho, Urby, Bojan and as of now, 18 year old M'baye Niang.

-Left side is different since SES's role on the left cannot be classified as a LW role since its has all the characteristics of a 'LAM' since SES has the tendency to drift in central and times, stay deep along the box and create while Kevin Constant is usually providing all the width on the left by his very attack license. Casualty of that is SES is required to track back from there.

-Balotelli knowing Allegri will switch between a False 9 role or just a plain CF to outwide at times with Niang potentially playing central.

So likely: SES(LAM)-Balo(False9 or CF)-Niang (RW/inside forward)

Hell score so many goals that Nicki minaj will ask HIM out this time.

Casciavit wrote:

Gil wrote:Swear the one and only Milan game I watched this year had SES playing upfront.

So Robinho plays RW now?

Niang has been used as a RW for past couple of games, seems to have made the position his own.

Yes, when he starts he mostly like starts as a RW.

Interesting... So Robinho will be dropped? (May have been coming for a while now, I haven't been able to watch much Serie A.)

@Arq:
Nice description. It seems like it will be something of an asymmetrical 4-3-3.

Balotelli should be able to contribute as long as he is played in the CF role. Put him anywhere else, or ask him to defend, and he will be practically useless. Mancini played him out of position on a few occasions and they might as well have had 10 men on the field. He's your typical low work-rate, poaching CF. Play him as such and he will perform. Ask something else of him and you will get neither contribution nor support from the player.

donttreadonred wrote:

Casciavit wrote:

Gil wrote:Swear the one and only Milan game I watched this year had SES playing upfront.

So Robinho plays RW now?

Niang has been used as a RW for past couple of games, seems to have made the position his own.

Yes, when he starts he mostly like starts as a RW.

Interesting... So Robinho will be dropped? (May have been coming for a while now, I haven't been able to watch much Serie A.)

@Arq:
Nice description. It seems like it will be something of an asymmetrical 4-3-3.

Balotelli should be able to contribute as long as he is played in the CF role. Put him anywhere else, or ask him to defend, and he will be practically useless. Mancini played him out of position on a few occasions and they might as well have had 10 men on the field. He's your typical low work-rate, poaching CF. Play him as such and he will perform. Ask something else of him and you will get neither contribution nor support from the player.

Actually, Robinho hasn't started since last year. He was injured for quite a while and after that there was significant transfer speculation about him returning to Santos. I suspect he will be sold at the end of the season.

First choice at the moment in the front of the 4-3-3 is:
SES (LF) - Pazzini (CF) - Niang (RF)

With Balotelli coming in, one would think that it would be a straight swap for Pazzini, who has performed well with 10 goals so far this season.

Forza Rossoneri wrote:

donttreadonred wrote:

Casciavit wrote:

Niang has been used as a RW for past couple of games, seems to have made the position his own.

Yes, when he starts he mostly like starts as a RW.

Interesting... So Robinho will be dropped? (May have been coming for a while now, I haven't been able to watch much Serie A.)

@Arq:
Nice description. It seems like it will be something of an asymmetrical 4-3-3.

Balotelli should be able to contribute as long as he is played in the CF role. Put him anywhere else, or ask him to defend, and he will be practically useless. Mancini played him out of position on a few occasions and they might as well have had 10 men on the field. He's your typical low work-rate, poaching CF. Play him as such and he will perform. Ask something else of him and you will get neither contribution nor support from the player.

Actually, Robinho hasn't started since last year. He was injured for quite a while and after that there was significant transfer speculation about him returning to Santos. I suspect he will be sold at the end of the season.

First choice at the moment in the front of the 4-3-3 is:
SES (LF) - Pazzini (CF) - Niang (RF)

With Balotelli coming in, one would think that it would be a straight swap for Pazzini, who has performed well with 10 goals so far this season.

btw didnt Allegri say he will start tomorrow? Pazzini has been in fine form and dont want to drop him yet, preferred if he comes in as sub later on

I really, really, really hope that Allegri doesn't drop Niang for this game. The kid is just gaining confidence and obviously has loads of potential.

Allegri has no fears about putting the former Manchester City forward straight into the starting line-up where he could feature alongside Giampaolo Pazzini.

"He joined on Thursday, and is in good shape physically," he told reporters.

"I will decide today [Saturday] whether he’ll start or be on the bench. It is not just a tactical choice, but also dictated by the situation.

"In my view he can be paired with Pazzini, who has done well so far this season."

Allegri also recognised the signing has benefited Milan in more ways than one, pointing to the lift the transfer has given the Rossoneri.

He added: "Balotelli’s arrival is important for the club in media terms. He has brought a strong wave of enthusiasm, although we must remain detached from that."

Milan now have a wealth of attacking options despite the loss of Alexandre Pato to Corinthians, with Stephan El Shaarawy, Bojan and M'Baye Niang already demonstrating their potential this season.

And the added firepower up front is something which suits the coach.

"I think it’s good to maintain a healthy competition for places between the players," Allegri continued.

"Things are going better, we must concentrate on tomorrow’s game which will allow us to stay in the race for a Champions League spot."

I think it's a matter of Milan fitting into Balotelli rather than vice versa.

Pedram wrote:I think it's a matter of Milan fitting into Balotelli rather than vice versa.

He is very happy here so far and is getting on well with his team mates. I think that if the goals come he will achieve a level of stability that will enable to club to use Balotelli to his full potential. I hope he understands that it is important to to screw up off the field this time. He needs to focus on the game because if he loses it here, nobody else will even consider buying him.

Watch Ballo play a MOTM performance against Barca.

The Sanchez wrote:Watch Ballo play a MOTM performance against Barca.

Cup-tied

Hate on more pls

Penotelli

Nice debut for the idiot

Lex wrote:Penotelli

Nice debut for the idiot

His 1st goal was from open play

It should've been 4 goals for Balo tbh, but the Dino Zoff factor comes back to bite Milan

Balotelli with his first match just completely cemented his position into the starting line-up. No, it has nothing to do with the goals believe it or not, but because his overall play made so much sense to what Allegri has been attempting to implement into the 4-3-3 modification.



Here is an astute attacking positions analysis made by a certain blogger, which highlights why the front three combined like pura seta. Bojan moves and combines well within the 4-3-3 in CF position yet doesn't have the physicality and direct ability to compete as of 'now'. Pazzini since the beginning I've said will NEVER ever fit this 4-3-3 modification since his penalty box tendencies and ability to allow teams to see him as a reference point will nullify SES' role and the team as a whole. Balotelli consistently dropped deep (utilizing some fine passes and link up) both sides in combining with Niang and SES while the FBs make supreme overlaps given they are providing the true width at the moment. SES had a new role vs Udinese which had him drop deeper and drift even further inside to allocate himself directly behind Balotelli and Niang while seamlessly interchanging positions and creating loads of chances as seen in the 1st half. It'll nullify SES' goalscoring chances but further allow him to create as he did similar to when he is played in Allegri's 4-2-3-1.

So Balotelli's movement and link up eliminates most of the threat of isolation and reference point measures and will also eliminate a rigid positioning of each player as depending on the fullbacks positioning, the front 3 can integrate themselves wherever they please as such was the freedom on display. Its why Allegri switched to 4-3-3, yet his only mistake was playing Pazzini as a square peg in a round hole.

Balotelli also showed far more concentration and focus then he did in City games. His work rate was below average yet you could tell when he is in his stride in helping the team and when he just wants to help himself. It was almost like Ibra never left in his role for Milan. In other words we saw the Balotelli for Italia. He is nowhere near full fitness at the moment as evidence of his bench appearances for City but it'll be interesting to see how this further develops along with Balotelli's creativity on display.

1 game is 1 game. He used to do it at City too... wow you 1 game, everyone saw the second coming of Jesus, and then... well we all know.

His problems are consistency, concentration and laziness.

sportsczy wrote:1 game is 1 game. He used to do it at City too... wow you 1 game, everyone saw the second coming of Jesus, and then... well we all know.

His problems are consistency, concentration and laziness.

1. His role was completely different at City.
2. Never remotely displayed anywhere near the attitude for City as he did in this one single match. Believe me after 2 years of seeing him for City, I can tell the difference.
3. This analysis only addresses his interesting role for Milan along with how it plays to his strengths, and not to dispel the myth of potential Balotelli-isms.
4. As evidenced by my posts about Balo pre and post signing, I have yet to give him the support I give all Milan players. As of now I'm only monitoring how he develops within this system.

I'm looking forward to Balotelli's development at Milan. Now he is at his boy hood club and the system will be built round him I think his potential will be released. Baring in mind that he wasn't even fully fit for that game I think he did well.

Arquitecto wrote:Balotelli with his first match just completely cemented his position into the starting line-up. No, it has nothing to do with the goals believe it or not, but because his overall play made so much sense to what Allegri has been attempting to implement into the 4-3-3 modification.



Here is an astute attacking positions analysis made by a certain blogger, which highlights why the front three combined like pura seta. Bojan moves and combines well within the 4-3-3 in CF position yet doesn't have the physicality and direct ability to compete as of 'now'. Pazzini since the beginning I've said will NEVER ever fit this 4-3-3 modification since his penalty box tendencies and ability to allow teams to see him as a reference point will nullify SES' role and the team as a whole. Balotelli consistently dropped deep (utilizing some fine passes and link up) both sides in combining with Niang and SES while the FBs make supreme overlaps given they are providing the true width at the moment. SES had a new role vs Udinese which had him drop deeper and drift even further inside to allocate himself directly behind Balotelli and Niang while seamlessly interchanging positions and creating loads of chances as seen in the 1st half. It'll nullify SES' goalscoring chances but further allow him to create as he did similar to when he is played in Allegri's 4-2-3-1.

So Balotelli's movement and link up eliminates most of the threat of isolation and reference point measures and will also eliminate a rigid positioning of each player as depending on the fullbacks positioning, the front 3 can integrate themselves wherever they please as such was the freedom on display. Its why Allegri switched to 4-3-3, yet his only mistake was playing Pazzini as a square peg in a round hole.

Balotelli also showed far more concentration and focus then he did in City games. His work rate was below average yet you could tell when he is in his stride in helping the team and when he just wants to help himself. It was almost like Ibra never left in his role for Milan. In other words we saw the Balotelli for Italia. He is nowhere near full fitness at the moment as evidence of his bench appearances for City but it'll be interesting to see how this further develops along with Balotelli's creativity on display.

Great analysis Arq

Pete