MILAN v Lazio

Niang will be great once he stops trying too hard...

not ruining the mood but i thought the last 20 mins of defending was shambolic.. i mean especially bonera. gave candreva lisence to make so many dangerous crosses.

and our midfield suck in the last 20 mins. bar de jong.

but yea, great determination to win this game. and looks like poli may have injured himself, so thank god we will have Marco Van Ginkel.

with montolivo and van ginkel our midfield should be good, and our forwards were so lethal... that makes me even excited on the prospect of having torres on board.

impressed with alex and zapata but i still think alex and rami should play together...

According to BeIN (Was watching from TV) they said that Pippo told the team to invite them to our half so we can initiate counter attacks. Understandable that the defense was facing some problems, though we did get into some good counter attacks

Inzaghi showing his passion through his game plan

FFS we are going to walk the Scudetto

Match Review

Its finally good to catch wind in our sail on the first match day, i was expecting a rocky start (as per usual) but we won and got the better of Lazio. We started off great, everyone on high energy and managed to get a goal. I wasn't expecting us to get a goal this quick due to the lineup but we managed. After the first goal, possession was sinuous, but i think we had the more dangerous attacks. Time and time again we managed to get into Lazio's box and turn up with something, be it a dangerous cross, pass or shot. We managed to grab the 2nd goal a short time after HT, which resulted in the highlight of the match (Pippo running and celebrating with the players ). Finally a 3rd goal from the penalty spot. Afterwards we got a little bit complacent, we coped well throughout the match tbh. But everyone pitched in when we were in defense mode, including Menez, Honda and SES. The goal we conceded was a wistimed tackle from Alex, although i'm not worried at all as he has been a rock throughout the match. The introduction of Armero and Niang allowed us to break through on the counter, shame we could've almost got a 4th goal. They did manage to dominate us in the last 20 mins or so, but thankfully we soldiered it out. All in all, i'm pleasant with this performance, hoping for more of the same.

Defense

Already loving Diego Lopez, his distribution was fantastic, as i recall a pass where he sent SES off through to the the final 1/3. On top of that, came up with a brilliant penalty save and a deflection late in the game. Alex and Zapata worked quite well together, i was questioning the inclusion of Zapata before the game but he did fine. Alex was immense in the air, managing to negate Klose a couple of times ( bar one iirc). Bonera was doable, he got skinned by Candreva repeatedly early on but later improved, had a good pass to SES to generate the first goal. Abate had a good game also, managing to deal with Keita as well as proving width in attack. Topped it off with a great assist to Muntari.

Midfield

Was there ever a game where NDJ offered anything less than 100%? He simply bosses, despite getting booked for a rash tackle. Not only is a defensive rock, but he is also an underrated passer (inb4moal). Not to mention he'd recover the balls from the CB's and bring them out to midfield. Muntari had a decent game as well, helped Bonera and SES in defense and also bagged a goal. Has anyone checked if there's soap under Poli's shoes? It seems everytime he has the ball he slips or doesn't balance his body properly . He was great at harassing and pressuring Lazio for the ball today, never ran out of stamina.

Attack

SES is back, and he's hungry. Was full of energy today, in attack and defense. Played a brilliant ball to Honda for the first goal and another to Niang late in the game, also manage to dazzle the Lazio defense with his footwork. Menez has also impressed today, linked up well with Honda and got the better of De Vrij for the penalty. Honda has restored faith to his clan and brought honor to his family, made me forgot about his first 4 months, i hope to see more of his technical qualities. Also, all of the forwards pitched in to help out the defense today, which i liked.

Subs

Essien for Muntari made me want to close my TV and reevaluate my BeIN sports subscription. He was attacking more than he was defending in the game, and Menez sent him on goal to which he didn't manage to catch up. Armero and Niang's sub added an injection of much needed pace late in the game, them and SES managed to get the better of the Lazio defense and should've converted that chance.

Conclusion

In conclusion, i believe this essay has shed light on ho- The performance was good and the result was even better, hopefully this will energize us for Parma. With the addition of Torres and MvG (maybe even Biabiany) we should be able to mix things up. I know this write up seems a bit too optimistic for a team that finished 8th last season, but damn it , it feels good to win. It feels real good.

Great analysis ES.

Lopez - Pinpoint passing, great close range save in open play, brilliant penalty save. Can't ask for any more than that.

Abate - Played his best game in years. Nullified Keita; made a successful cross & assist; and regularly overlapped with Honda.

Zapata - Much more stable than I remember from last season. Worked well with Alex.

Alex - Gritty tackling, dominant in the air. Needs to keep his concentration up.

Bonera - Lazio got in behind him due to his lack of pace.

Muntari - Very solid game. Wish he would pass the ball faster when we attack.

NDJ - Played his role perfectly (other than the early yellow card). Tackled well, held his position and distributed effortlessly.

Poli - Looked like he was getting overrun at times early on, but grew into the game nicely. The fact that Biglia hardly got the ball for long spells of the game can be partly attributed to Poli's performance. Looking forward to seeing him develop over this season.

Honda - Played out on the wing, but moved centrally when he could to get more involved in the game. He countered with more pace than I've seen him have in the past and played with good intensity. I'm liking the Abate - Poli - Honda connection on that right wing.

Menez - Please stop hoofing to him. With the ball at his feet he was very troublesome for the Lazio defence. Used his pace to good effect.

SES - Excellent game. Gave Basta constant problems and would've scored a goal himself with a bit more support.

~~~

Niang - Held the ball up nicely on one occasion. Should've had a shot on goal when he was teed up by SES. A work in progress.

Armero - Excellent control and pace. It's early, but he looks to be the best back-up WB we've had in years.

Essien - Past it. Annoyingly slow. Doesn't really contribute much defensively either.

~~~

The 5-3-2 was very interesting late in the game. As ES said, Inzaghi was inviting pressure so that we could counter. At that stage, Lazio had to attack, so it was an interesting experiment.

MILAN- Please see below for all the post-match reaction to the rossoneri's 3-1 victory over Lazio in the opening match of the 2014/15 Serie A season:

COACH INZAGHI (TO THE MILAN CHANNEL)
“I think that Lazio are one of the best teams in Serie A. I knew it would have been a difficult match. The Milan DNA was evident today with Abbiati making a motivational speech to the team before the match. It moved me and I am really happy to have him with us. I have 5 central defenders, all really good, let’s not forget Rami and Mexes. Today I needed to play Bonera left-back and he made himself available. I thank him for this and he did really well. The coach has to make choices and the players did well. Ignazio played a good game, even though he will be disappointed about not being called up to the National Team. I saw all the players with a crazy amount of adrenaline and this is positive. We will lose some matches but it will be against who plays better not against who is more determined. Stephan is an added value to the side, he showed it today, but all 3 of the forwards showed their attachment to the shirt, they all ran after every ball, and this is the right attitude to win back the fans.

The fans will do what they believe, but they are special and when they see this desire they will come en masse to the stadium. We have to now fly low, one match is not enough, we have to have a good Serie A campaign to win back our fans. I was very sorry for Pazzini, he is one of the leaders of this team, I hope to have him back soon. He will give us a big hand. My staff is close knit, they all put their heart into it. Even on Tuesday evening, despite having a free-evening, they were with me at Milanello to look at what we did wrong in the TIM Trophy and I thank them for this. Tassotti first of all who was on his way out of Milan and it would have been a big loss for me and all of us. As with regards to Van Ginkel we will wait. There is a good possibility that he arrives. He is a wide midfielder and a has a big desire to do well. We ask our wide midfielders to run a lot and determination. Along with the wingers, they will be changed during matches and more players I have in that role the easier it will be to do so."

KEISUKE HONDA
"I expected a tough match, but we worked really hard right from the US Tour, we’ve grown and this is the result. I am convinced that we can do more and work more, but I am happy for the result. Before the match I was very nervous as we come off the back of a difficult season. I am pleased with what we have achieved. The coach told me that I had to work hard and be professional. The coach teaches me lots of tricks in how to play as an attacker. El Shaarawy gave me a perfect pass for the goal. I am really happy about this and the result. We needed this victory to start the season well."

CRISTIAN ZAPATA
"You can see this side is united and has a desire to do well. It was important to win for our confidence. We are happy. I am eager to show that I am a great player. Alex has a lot of experience and I worked really well with him. We were all focused and you can see that there is a group and that is important. The coach wants a compact group, with desire and where everybody runs. We all try and do this and try to improve.
Diego Lopez is a top goalkeeper and he did some great things. The three players upfront are phenomenal and they ran a lot. We must continue on this path. We have to fight all together and reach the top.
The visit of the President was very important, he is our leader. He gives us an extra push. To have the fans with us is fundamental and they support us. We will try and give everything for this shirt and bring happiness to our fans."

JEREMY MENEZ
"I am happy with this victory, we needed it to start well. This side suffered last year and deserved this win. It is nice to see the coach happy, we all work together at Milanello, we have a healthy dressing room and if we stay on this path we can achieve good things. I hope the President comes every week as this way we will win matches. He came before the TIM Trophy and we won and he came before the Lazio match and we won. The stadium was wonderful this evening and it was a perfect day. However, it is the first of a long season and there is a lot of work to do. Diego Lopez is a strong goalkeeper and he showed it tonight. I have joined Milan to win something, I’m not yet 100% because I had an injury this summer, but I feel ok. We’re working really hard and like I said we are a good group and can do well."

FILIPPO INZAGHI (PRESS CONFERENCE)
"I am very happy but the credit goes to my players. I had said to wait before forming opinions, but I was very calm. We achieved something extraordinary, perhaps in the final 20 minutes we should have managed possession in a different manner, but onwards like this. With humility. To see the President proud of us is a source of great satisfaction. The President kept his word and brought us Torres. We are really confident and he is in good physical shape. Then we will see who else arrives in the transfer market. I have to get the best out of the players the club gives me. We improved as the game went on and the attitude of the three forwards was very positive. We have to be more organised than the others and run more than the others. With this spirit, the fans will come back and support us.
In terms of controlling the situation, we were fantastic for 60 minutes, but this side needs confidence. Lazio’s goal discouraged us, but I liked the care-free attitude of the side. I saw the right spirit from the sidelines. Abbiati made a motivational speech today and it was wonderful. The President also told me it was a great match and the players were brilliant.
We played a good counter-attacking game today, with intensity and technique. We always looked to score and that is good. We now have to work hard but this result gives us morale. Lazio are a worthy opponent, they will make it hard for anyone. Today we put them in difficulty.
I think there are certain situations in which you have to be good at managing possession, whereas there are others where you have to use the counter-attack. It isn’t a definite that we will always play like this. I thought that Lazio would suffer with our players using their speed and it all went okay. We can’t get ahead of ourselves though and we have to stay calm and not think that we have now made it.
The club has made some very good additions. Alex had a solid match and Menez had a great game. I will have to be good at getting the best out of the players I have available.
My first match as coach was a string of wonderful emotions. More than as a player. Being a coach takes it out of you, but it leaves you with an incredible feeling of joy. It’s gratifying to see the players give their all for the shirt and for the club. The celebrations are what is beautiful about football."

Seems like Pippo wants to build a counter attacking team. We bought Biabiany, so if we are leading and need a goal we can call up that pace whore from the bench

Didn't know where else to post this, after the Bibiano deal was made official

Forza Milan! You guys actually assembled a nice team out of the mess you guys had. Hope ya'll get back in to the Champions League asap; ya'll are the only Serie A team I support

windkick wrote:Didn't know where else to post this, after the Bibiano deal was made official

Forza Milan! You guys actually assembled a nice team out of the mess you guys had. Hope ya'll get back in to the Champions League asap; ya'll are the only Serie A team I support

:)See the Mercato thread: http://www.goallegacy.net/t34614p738-mercato-rossonero-milan-transfer-activity-inside-out

Really happy with the performance (finally got a chance to watch the game now), yes the last 20 mins was more nervy than I'd like but massive improvement on last year. On top of that seeing how Inzaghi looks to want a counter attacking team the signings of Torres and Biabiany make a lot more sense.

Also De Jong
Diego Lopez
SES

Didnt see the match but the highlight was impressive.

The starting of the season is not that bad IMO

I didn't get a chance to write up my thoughts on the game after the match however ES summed it up very well. The first hour was what we all wanted to see in terms of effort, in which moments of imprecision were overcome through great physical exertion. Whenever we made mistakes, two team mates were on hand to help out and sacrifice themselves.

The decision to sit deeper naturally invited more pressure, however our failure to cope was also in part due to the alteration to our midfield, as Essien was constantly out of position, whilst fatigue became an issue as the game wore on. We got over the line in the end though importantly and certain cameos were promising, such as Armero's ability to break forward on the counter and Niang's performance in holding up the ball and bringing others into the play, even if both squandered opportunities in the final third. It was encouraging to see them make the right choices in the build up. We must become more precise in attack, however hopefully having a proper nine will aid this. Menez tried his best, however it was clear that he was uncomfortable receiving aerial balls. When delivered the ball to his feet he always produced something positive however.

We've still got a long way to go, however this was a positive first step and an excellent way to restore some belief and confidence to the team. Also an honourable mention to Alex who was immense for the first hour, particularly in the air, though each defender had poor moments in the final half an hour.