Davy & Chin Talk A.C Milan Weekly
Davy & Chin Talk A.C Milan Weekly
From Ecstasy to Agony: A Deep Dive into AC Milan's 2023 Year of Drama
Join the Christmas celebration and AC Milan's season scrutiny with our special guest Leo, as we unpack a rollercoaster year for AC Milan. Together, we relive the ecstasy of clinching the top 4, making it to the Uefa Champions League Semifinals, and the summer shopping spree. And we also dissect the fluctuating form that’s kept fans on the edge of their seats. From the commanding win over Monza to defensive woes and the nail-biting draw against Salernitana, we leave no stone unturned. This episode is a treasure trove for Rossoneri enthusiasts looking to understand the intricate dance of tactics and player management that shaped the team's tumultuous season.
Have you ever wondered how a high-intensity play can take its toll on a squad? We're breaking down the consequences of Stefano Pioli's strategies on our beloved players, with an eye on the recent injury to Tomori and the roles of essential players like Rafa Leão. Leo offers expert insights on the potential for tactical adjustments that might safeguard our stars from further strains. If you're keen to hear a candid assessment of Pioli's formation choices and how the likes of Pulisic could be better utilized, tune in for an episode that's as tactical as it is heartfelt.
But it's not just about the gameplay; it's about the journey and the people steering the ship. We confront the hard questions about Pioli's future, debate the management's decision-making, and even dive into the impacts of Arab investment in football. Chin and Leo share their take on the best and worst signings, the emotional highs of standout matches, and the fierce determination required as we look ahead to challenges like the match against Sassuolo. This isn't just a recap; it's a deep exploration of what it means to bleed red and black in a time of glory and uncertainty.
The Rossoneri Renaissance is complete After 11 years.
Speaker 2:Once again, milan are the champions of Italy. It's they who wear the crown for the 2021-22 season. Hello everyone, this is Dave and Chin Talk Milan, we are back for our final episode of 2023 and we are back on board with our special guest, leo. What's up, brothers? How are you feeling?
Speaker 1:Yeah, Merry Christmas.
Speaker 3:Yeah, Merry Christmas to you all.
Speaker 2:Up to you all, not just in a party, but in this party. You guys party this Christmas, because the moment I hopped on this Zoom, that was Chin's first comment.
Speaker 3:Well, I avoided everything that you talked this weekend so that I could enjoy my Christmas. I don't know about you, Leo.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I just had to put it like repress it, like when you have a traumatic experience and you don't want to keep living it, you just put it somewhere in your subconscious, like shift it back. When I saw Dave's message for the podcast today I was like, okay, what even happened? I remember they gave that.
Speaker 2:We almost got to Salernitane. Yes, guys, yes, this is the situation here, the news that I've been popping up on my timeline the last few days. I've written about Konte or Mota or Dizabi.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they're basically selecting a new release. That's few days. He's done, he's done, he's done.
Speaker 2:Like to be honest, though, before we go ahead, guys, welcome onboard again. We are so excited actually to be together. We're going to recap our 2023 because that's one of my, that's my favorite part of this podcast tonight. But yeah, in between, we beat Monza 3-0 and celebrated our 124th birthday last week, I guess, and you know we all me personally I was excited. I was happy. Then I just had this sort of deja vu about Salernitane. He didn't want to have me there. These people were coming and spoiled the party again.
Speaker 2:There's something bad was going to happen for Enagie, to be honest, and I think he happened, and we drew 2-2. And, to be honest, what really concerned me about that game is not just the fact that we're dragging Salernitane, to be honest. What really concerned me the most is the manner in which we drew that game. Do you know? We had to wait until the 90th minute for Luka Djilvic to equalize 90th minute. We were chasing the game all through. But anyways, like again after the game, like if you look into, you know everything about that game was everything just was just wrong, completely wrong. And this is Salernitane that is bottom of the table played 17 games before playing Milan had 8 points. So they won 1 and drew 5, technically, and I'm like there's no excuse for us, to be honest, there's no excuse in drawing this game or maybe it's just me that's like. I'll start with you, chain, am I too? Is it too much? No?
Speaker 3:No, I'm just kind of quiet because you know, like you know, when they say you know they will vindicate you finally, right. So I don't know what, I don't know what else to tell you, so I'm not surprised. I'm not surprised because, to be honest with you, the problem with Milan is exactly what you just mentioned Is you come into games versus a team like Salernitane where, the honest truth be told, if it was other teams, they're probably coming with half their squad and still get the 3 points and walk away. But Milan can't actually do that. Because, guess what, even with your starting 11, your best 11, because the starting lineup was not a problem, right, like I can tell you that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I texted the lineup, remember, I was so excited. Yes, for the first time. I was a little shocked because Chain's response to the lineup was very shocking, like he turns up and put up. Like Chain you.
Speaker 3:I know again for once. But then again, the problem is, what we always forget is forget about the lineup. You can put a bunch of players on the field and all the best players you can think of in this world, right, and if you don't have a formula or a structure to how they're going to play, they will all look disjointed and they look bad. And that's technically what happened to Milan. The first half was not bad. They looked a little bit more like you know, they looked a little bit more in control. But the reality of it is, like I've said multiple times, milan plays well when all the players are on top form, right, it's a lot of good players. When all the players start playing and joking and becoming less, having less pain, less attention to detail, you can see Rafael Lear and other players just doing whatever they want. All of a sudden, the team looks disjointed, right, and they look like they look out of sorts. I'm not going to harp on the coach.
Speaker 2:No, no, no, Chain, chain, chain. We're going to talk about him anyways.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, so the.
Speaker 2:But before we go into the in-depth analysis, let's just I want to ask Leo, because I know, I know when I ask there were Chain reasons these days about Milan. If you ask him to make predictions, he's going to tell you that every game Milan would lose.
Speaker 3:No, no, no, no no no, let's be clear, I'm not telling you Milan should be losing to Le Selenitana, even if you put me, leo yourself and a few other people, which you get is not the way for me. Everybody has been doing that, but then until they meet the Milan. And then they somehow they realize that they can outmaneuver Milan. Right, and that's where it happens.
Speaker 2:Leo, leo, what was your expectation before you came to Milan? To be honest, like and I know that. What did I lack about you is, if there's any sort of like, if there's any sort of like, you know, negative vibe in the game, you probably tell right off. You know what I mean. What were you expecting? Yeah, were you expecting us to encounter these sort of difficulties?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think Pio Li has in the past also struggled each time he went to that stadium. That's the new stadium.
Speaker 2:I know last season too.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he struggled last season, you know this isn't the same thing happened again. So I had that deja vu feeling, you know, like just before the game started, you know. But if you remember, after the Monza game I wasn't so excited. I was like Monza could have easily hurt us, you know, if they took their chances too.
Speaker 2:You know, I just kind of find it very like, strange, the fact that you know when a very Like Pio Li is in a very bad situation. You know what I mean. You find us having a very bad situation where, like every move, you make every result, every game. You know he's been judged, he's been scrutinized on the highest level and you know, when you go to Game Stack Saladin in Santa Ana, you have no reasons to draw it. I don't see any reason. And now let's go into the in-depth of this game. So I find it very weird that I'm actually Maybe it's just me overreacting right to Pio Li's election in the defense. Let's start with that first, because we're playing a team that is bottom of the table, a team that cannot score and a team that can't see a lot of goals. They're like minus 22 already. That's how bad they are. You know what I mean. And when you look at it it seems like that. You know definitely that we should be controlling possession in these sort of games in such a way that the only thing that Saladin and I will be relying upon is probably going to be what Set piece exactly.
Speaker 2:Yeah, now, when we started the game chain, I don't see us Like. I don't see any time in that period Now, even in the first half that you're talking about, that we really had a total control over the game. I don't say it and I will start with the defense first. Again, like I said, tomorrow shouldn't play that game. It should be Simun, kea and Simic that's starting the game, maybe it's. Am I overreacting Chain? You know what I think.
Speaker 3:Your first comment about control, right? I think last broadcast I was saying that control for most teams, you know, like you think possession would be control, but in my own opinion, possession is not really control. It's about controlling the flow of the game, forcing your opponent to do what you want them to do. You just, you know, detecting the pace of the game. And that comes from, again, coordination in terms of where players, what players do when they are in possession, what kind of passes you make options for pass.
Speaker 3:That's why I was so happy that Benase was there because, to be honest with you, he's usually the guy that gives Milan a lot of that control. My problem is, if everybody else decides to do whatever they want so, for instance, you give Raphael out the ball and now he wants to do Raphael outings then that goes your control. And secondly, as for whether or not you should play tomorrow, do you honestly be told let's not play, let's not do the 2020 hindsight game? Okay, the honest truth is this Milan are in a defensive crisis because we don't have anybody left to play. You and I know purely okay, and I've said it multiple times you don't trust people.
Speaker 1:yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah. So it doesn't trust anyone. If it's a normal coach, you would have said what's the worst that can happen? You're playing Celentana, you have structure and control. Then it doesn't matter if you play Simic and let's say what's his name, and Simon Kier. But because purely does not trust Simic you know what I mean. He doesn't trust the kid, even though he told you three weeks ago that he trusted the kid, which is just like lies. He's lying to all of you. He doesn't trust the kid. He wouldn't play the kid against Celentana. Yeah, but Celentana is the worst team in probably the whole of I think, before there's a team in Spain that might be worse than them in the whole of Europe and yet you can't trust the kid that you know played against Real Madrid and you get to play him against other teams that are better. So that's your coach for you. Now. Tomori got injured in that game. I was watching the game and I was thinking. I think Lio was telling you my fear is that Gianni renders himself one day.
Speaker 1:He's next. He's next, he might be he's next.
Speaker 3:Okay. So the other question too is when we talk about injuries and players and someone like say, tomori getting hot, it's not even about Tomori getting hot. It's about the fact that the way Milan plays exposes all these guys to unnecessary sprints. How did he get hot? He was sprinting to go cover somebody. Your players are the returner for crisis. You can control the ball where you don't even you limit the amount of sprints you have in the game. Literally all you do is mostly jog. I've seen a lot of players jog half the game right and they don't get hot when they jog. It's when you start doing those a lot of sprinting. Why do Milan players sprint a lot in games? It's that chaos.
Speaker 2:So you know what? That's a very interesting question actually, to start with, because I think again, everything is about everything boils into what we talked about a few minutes ago control. I feel like Peoli always tried to play this sort of style of football where, like he has the intensity, he moves the ball around very quick and, at the same time, he tried to attack his opponents using his biggest weapon, which is basically Rafa Liao. Like, most of Milan's attacks come from the left right and if you notice there's a structure in where there's a way Milan plays last season Maybe towards that, like even the Scudetto season, scudetto season and after the post-Sudetto season you notice that he depends on Ramírez a lot in moving the ball and connecting to the attack. That's why it's sometimes when Deez is out of form, milan struggles a lot all through last season. If you notice Milan struggles with goals when Deez is out of form, it's because he always prefer to have this sort of player that can help him create that space or connect with the ball, pick up the ball and walk the ball like move the ball around a lot. Like you know, someone that can move like maybe what 3, 4, 5 meters with the ball in his feet without losing the ball to try to create some spaces and stuff.
Speaker 2:Now I find it very weird, like this season right, when I started making all those signings and we know that Deez obviously went back to Madrid, I'm not sure why Peoli refused to keep the same formation that he's been using. That's working for him. Now that he has the budget in his back, try to like sample that fit into that position, for example, replacing Deez with a very technical player with the same style of football. Let me start with you, leo. Why do you think he didn't do that? Why did he decide to go to 4-3-3? Well, like he has a lot of midfielder, a mobile with the ball, but again, they're not really so defensively.
Speaker 1:Yeah, thanks, dave. So I've always said that I just didn't understand how Peoli switched from 4-3-1. Very weird, that was working well for him. You know, I just switched to about 4-3-3. I think he started playing his 4-3-3 from the beginning of the season, from preseason, yeah, from preseason I just felt like, oh, okay, preseason is trying something new, right.
Speaker 1:But then the actual season started, he stopped to 4-3-3. And like even up to that select tie game yesterday, on Tuesday, he was still playing for it. Because I was a bit confused. I thought he had gone back to 4-3-3, and I thought, oh, this is a nice good formation. But when I watched the team dynamics I saw it was 4-3-3, because the way Love II's cheeks are positioned, I was thinking it was the attacking midfielder, you know, that would drive forward with the ball and I was like, oh, this isn't a good decision to play Love II's cheeks as attacking midfielder, you know. But then I now looked at it closely, I saw it was 4-3-3. So that's the thing, why 4-3-3?
Speaker 1:And you've tried it several games it doesn't always work for you. It's a very difficult formation to play and it doesn't suit the kind of players you have. So why not go back to 4-2-3-1? Tj can play that AMF role Because he can. Yeah, he can. I think he can do. He's not going to be any worse than Diaz was Right, if not better, because he can progress with the ball.
Speaker 2:To be honest, leo, you know what I was thinking before, right, maybe I'm wrong, because when the police was signed, right, you know how the police would like to play for the middle, right when it was at Chelsea. So my mind I was like maybe police would be a better replacement for Bram Diaz Exactly Even police age, and we're better safe in terms of you know because, again, police age and playing police age at the right wing.
Speaker 1:do you guys notice that he's just useless?
Speaker 2:Yeah, like he's getting a lot of things wrong that I wasn't expecting him to do. Like you know what, if your travel we're talking about right now and he fails and he tried to result to, like you know, this sort of remember Chin and I think that was like was it the Scudetto season or the season before when we were in the Europa League I got kicked up by him Is it.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, yeah, they played for three, three hours, Remember?
Speaker 2:yeah, like he has tried this for me from before and he didn't work for him. He didn't work for him, so I find it very strong. I'm not sure why he's doing. Is it like maybe the management is just telling him that this is how I want you to play, or because I don't? It doesn't make any sense to me at all.
Speaker 1:Management cannot do that to him, so really so, dave so, dave, let me tell you right.
Speaker 3:So this is again in that group. I made it. I made a sarcastic comment about how Milan wants to play on the right with a left footed player. My question was we don't have anybody on the team that is left footed, and what is Shukwese? Shukwese is just there on the bench. Again, this is a question.
Speaker 3:So you want to do that formation, you as a coach. You look around and you're like, oh, I'm going to force Pulisic into a position that might not be his preferred, just so that I can get him on the field, which is fair enough. But then again, if you look at the rankings of Pulisic's positions right, number one that he wants to do he wants to play, if you'd like to play, on the left hand side, right, cutting into the right, right To this right foot, or he doesn't mind playing as an attacking midfielder. And yet you play Ruben Loschik as an attacking midfielder, and then Ruben Loschik becomes like a third midfielder. And I get the point. Purely, this is what you guys don't understand. He's very scared of what could happen and if you go talk to him he would tell you well, I was right in my fear. But what purely does not understand is your imbalance, and the approach to the game leads to all those. He makes your fears come true. So what do I mean by that? You approach a game against the Nintendo as though they are like prime prime Barcelona or whatever. Right, this is a team that will become prime. Exactly, and then they can sense it. Yeah, exactly, because then, all of a sudden, you're looking at Milan. The midfield is flat, there's no drive through the middle. Ruben Loschik wants to drift to the right hand side and play as a third midfielder rather than an attacking midfielder. Then everybody's just doing like.
Speaker 3:If I watch Milan match, it just to me is just like you're torturing me in terms of watching very bad football, because all I see is like everybody in random positions. There's no, nothing about it that makes me go, oh my God. So what am I getting at? You have a left the natural left footer on your team. You would prefer to play left footer on your right side, and yet you put that guy on the bench so that you can play right footer on your right side. To do what? To cross the ball in, when ideally you don't want him crossing the ball in. Then now you have that guy that could play attacking midfielder and then you put him on the right side so you can play midfielder on the attacking midfield position.
Speaker 3:Milan Loschik is not an attacking midfielder. He doesn't even know what it means to pick the ball up and drive through the middle. So if you're going to play that formation, why not try to play the people that can play there against Salah Netana? Listen carefully Salah Netana, it doesn't matter, because the reality of it is the result is going to be the result. It's against him. What's the league? So, anyway, all I'm trying to say is your boy, your coach, when I have been saying that his lack of consistency in his approach to anything he's doing, that has been his undoing. He doesn't he, he, he, he, somehow, somehow. I actually cannot sit back and understand. Like, when you look at the formation on paper, you think, oh, my God, this makes sense, oh, he's trying to do something. But then you start thinking deeper. You're like but why not play pooling in the middle? Why not play to crazy? Why not try these other things? Why are you going? But why not play somebody like Simeon?
Speaker 1:The issue was not the formation. I think the issue is the personnel.
Speaker 3:No, but this is my point If the formation looks good, but then the personnel, the personnel and the, the team comes to think of it.
Speaker 1:He watches these guys. He should know that is not fully back, like they are, they actually be starting talking about exactly, yeah, starting games. Nowhere, he's not ready. Like you could, you could see it, you know, like he is not fit and he's struggling, he's not fit. So if, if police, which is fit, police, police in his natural left wing bench, they are right, like it's not, like you're benching him, like you, you, you, there's a way you talk to him Like hey, I'm not benching you for benching sake. Like, obviously you're coming back from the injury, I want to ease you back in. Like he will get the message that, okay, he's not going to start this game Right, just from the last game I watched you you don't seem like you are. You know you are up to 100%. I'm going to bring you in, but I'll bring you in later on.
Speaker 1:Police is in his natural position where he's confident. You know, police, he doesn't really give you that 90 minutes performance, but you know what? He starts the game in his natural position and to crazy starts on the right side, right, and then you have somebody like you know, tj, progressing with the ball. For you not just love to shake, even if you even choose to play the flat three midfield, but having the right people in the right places, right. And then you rude Come on. Like Joe, which has been showing promise that he's you know he's coming in, he's getting the girls, he's making the efforts. Why don't you start him? Like is this type of coach that he feels like it is only the setting people that are his favourites that should be starting games, but that is not. That is not coaching.
Speaker 1:He's all about every week, every day, every game. You're watching these guys and you're making decisions. Leo taking notes.
Speaker 2:Can I, can I, can, I, can I ask you this question? I'm not sure what he's trying to achieve, though, regarding Jovic, because this is a here. When Jovic was bad at the beginning of the season right, he kept playing him. He kept playing him, I kept playing him to the guy woke up and started scoring and started becoming consistent. I know, helping me learn to like assist, create, create chances and start scoring goals and stuff.
Speaker 2:Now I see Giroud very struggling. He's not informed. Giroud is not informed. To be honest, people just think he's informed. You know, I know when Giroud is informed. You see, whenever you watch him play a full game and he's losing the ball, like his hold up plays not sharp enough. He's making wrong passes. You know. Sometimes, like you know, he make wrong passes in wrong area where, like you know, get countered. He did a couple of times in that Salah, he's done a game as well. You know, I don't expect him to be playing. I expect him to be seated in the bench. He means his flicks. You know what I mean. Now, that's what he finds his flicks. So why is Puyo, this guy, playing him when he sees that everybody sees that this is Jovic's time to shine, like he's playing well. Like put him on, let him start games.
Speaker 2:Jovic is more mobile than Giroud. To be honest, the only thing I think Giroud can do way better than Jovic. That I think he can do better is two things. Number one is obviously on the air. Like Giroud is going to be Giroud, I don't think there's any other striker, apart from Bezema in this whole wonderful ball, that can't challenge you on the air. Now, again, he does this sort of like, you know, last thought passes, like with his head, like he knew when he laid those balls. Those are the two functions that I think he's offering. That, I think, is women better. And even again, jovic is doing better too when it comes to like. He's very good at head of the ball.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, he hit the bar against Topman and he set up Tomori.
Speaker 2:Remember that? Good, I said Tomori up on yeah, he's to be the complete striker. Why don't you play him? Why do you think I don't know what do you think Piolli's trying to achieve, though that is not giving this guy a chance. Maybe you can answer this. I don't know.
Speaker 3:What are you asking me to explain purely to you, when I've been telling you that I cannot explain purely? So so let me again. I've said it.
Speaker 2:Why do you think? Why do you think? Why do you? Okay, let me say this way why do you think a coach, can you know, make this sort of decision?
Speaker 3:Well, because the coach does not know what he wants. It's a simple thing, because coaches like Leo just said, you watch them in practice, you know what they are doing. You, you, you expect certain things. So this is why, whenever I watch Milan, I keep telling you that they are not well coached, because I can see a lot of players going rogue and doing whatever they want.
Speaker 3:Piolli is a kind of coach, in my own opinion, right, not to, not to kind of lambor steam or anything. There are coaches that you build your team around, right? You say, oh my God, we're going to have a project that would last us for a decade, right, where, every year, we all come in, we know who our coach is. You know we've had those coaches at Milan. You know what they are going to be. In fact, a lot of clubs these days, if you look well, they do have those coaches, a couple of teams, not everybody has them.
Speaker 3:Piolli is not a guy. Okay, to me, piolli is the guy that you bring in. You know you kind of stop gap, right, you're leaking water. You bring somebody into your plumber to come and fix your this thing and whatever. Then you go call the engineers to come and do long term fix If you. This is why it's almost like this year to me. I almost turned on him simply because he's not a project guy.
Speaker 3:There's a reason why Milan wanted to drive Frank Nick. There's a reason why Maldini wanted to get rid of Piolli multiple times. He's tried because for him, when you think about the future of Milan and where Milan would be years from now, I said this this is not the guy you need. You need someone who is consistent, like a crazy person, that knows fully well that whatever they are doing, they can see the bigger picture, they can see the future of where this is headed. You don't need someone that is cooking and then they just toss something in the fire. It comes up and you're like, oh my God. And they keep tossing it and they don't even know why that thing is bringing flame, but they keep tossing it until it stops. They're like, okay, let's toss it next thing.
Speaker 3:So what I'm getting at is he does not know what he wants, he does not know who he is, he does not know what he stands for. That's why, even when good things are in front of him, he doesn't see it Like. For instance, he plays Siemich. Siemich calls the goal, the kid is confident, he's feeling good. Then you go play Saturday night. What do you do? You bench the kid now.
Speaker 3:And then you have to bring it in me when someone tears their hamstring. That again, like I need to do, dave. But again, why is? Why is Tomori playing that match? Because he doesn't trust Siemich, the same Siemich that just showed you that he's trustworthy. And guess what? Funny enough, he brings on the Siemich and for the remaining 30, 40 minutes.
Speaker 1:So you're fine, you're fine, you're fine, you're fine Solid performance.
Speaker 2:Okay. So here's the problem now, because, look, let's talk about the problem that we have right after this. So Tomori is out until the end of February, so come back until mid-February. Thank you, kallulu. We will not come back until March. You see, now we only left with Pellegrino. Thank God, we actually trained with the rest of the team today. So that's fine. Siemich and Siemunkia Wow, you have them for the week In our next video.
Speaker 1:now we'll finish it. If it's not Pellegrino that I watched and he's not police, please.
Speaker 2:We are facing, we are facing, we are facing Saswolu. I know Saswolu Whenever the cops are zero they always come to us.
Speaker 1:When is the winter, when the gates are closed? I think January 1st.
Speaker 3:So in the next six days. At this point, I'll take Longleys, by the way, since you guys made fun of Longleys. He has been playing regularly now for Asom Village.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I watched it today. And he's not an assist. He's not an assist, at least for this guy to score the game.
Speaker 3:So Gabya is coming back to save you.
Speaker 1:Yes, gabya, oh man, yeah, please, anybody who can get, please. I don't want to see Pellegrino, okay, so this is Leo and Dave.
Speaker 3:This is the question I have. Think about it. This is the same thing I said about Rafael Leal and I said about all Milan players. Did you know, monitor this people's level of fatigue to know that someone like Tomori, that, oh my God, the guy has made so many sprints, he's kind of getting to the point where you need to.
Speaker 1:Do you know that? With Tomori, I knew it was going to happen.
Speaker 3:But we talked about it. I just knew it was going to happen. And Dave was saying that Tomori has been good, he has not been injured, and I said, wait for it, because it is normal.
Speaker 1:It is exactly what he was just doing too much work. He's not over the place. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:Right right, it's not playing the way he.
Speaker 1:Ryan Daz is doing the same thing though he's defensive and game he's not very. I don't like how he runs up and down.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, he gets Because he's been getting close now, but you know why, though, I don't like it. Okay, but Leo, leo, leo.
Speaker 3:The reality of this is, all of this is because of I'm not joking, I keep saying it is because of the way Milan plays. So Dave likes Tomori for his aggressiveness. Dave likes that Tomori can cover a lot of ground, which is good. But if you're a smart coach, you need these guys to play long and play for the long season that you know you have. You have to manage, you have to be able to manage their energy level and manage their body, and how do you help them is by making sure that we Literally there's nothing that actually says in the book of football that you cannot actually take a way, setting attack in place just so that you can reduce the danger. Because you keep asking me how does Milan? So?
Speaker 3:Milan considered against Alenetana 19 shots 19 one and nine against this team. They had a 1.56 goals was expected goals first of Milan, right, and they scored two. The other one is called against Mike Minyan. Shouldn't have been a goal, but that's behind. That's the side the case. The point I'm trying to make is I can guarantee you that when you watch certain teams play, you can literally pretend, tell yourself, going into this game, that what we don't want, we don't want this high intensity game today. Right, you know what I mean you said it before you said it before, though.
Speaker 3:Yeah, remember last season there should be no need for tomorrow to be sprinting against Alenetana, don't you guys understand what I'm saying?
Speaker 2:He has said it before. That's why I find it so weird that he's actually not doing like you know, trying to like find solution to his problem. Remember last season, right when we went on this bad run of form and we're losing games and he had to like find a solution. Like he realized that high intensity wasn't paying him anymore at that time because Amit Figg wasn't good enough, right, and he reverted to like what? 352 or 343.
Speaker 2:I remember then that we actually started with 343 against Inter and I was even commanding them that, oh wow, we're like we did very well because we're able to absorb a lot of pressure, but we're in attack him, we're very careful, we're not running all over the whole place like. I just feel like he lost his way this season because of many things, most especially maybe the amount of it. I don't think he's used to this this amount of resources at his disposal, which I find very weird because this is kind of person that he's always been starved with. Again, players you know what I mean. But this season, like he's, he has a lot of good players, especially in the midfield like I don't feel like.
Speaker 3:Dave, let me tell you, yeah, at the age of 50, something a coach is, a coach is. At this point, let me ask you my question. My question is very simple who do you think purely is as a coach? Like the question I, because I remember the earlier last he said he's the late bloomer. Right, there's a reason why he called him late, because he's not a young. He's not a young man right.
Speaker 1:So think about something I could have said no, I know. So he's a lead bloomer so think about it right.
Speaker 3:The guy has been fired from multiple jobs. The highest job he has gotten was in Tamil and he didn't last a year with Inter Milan. One thing I can tell you that he is not the coach that you give a lot of resources, because the reality of it is not disrespect to him. There's a reason why a lot of people haven't given him that many resources in the past. There's a reason why a little bit is a late bloomer.
Speaker 2:It's because but can I be real with you guys, though? Can I be with you guys? I'm gonna be real. I just kind of feel like I've I I find love with purely projects because of the progressiveness I saw in Milan the last couple years, and I won't lie, I've seen it, you know hold on hold on his first season.
Speaker 1:I was also. I jumped on that backdoor gun because this first season I put his Saudi lights. I checked out.
Speaker 2:Hold on you, hold on you. You know his first season he came second right. Then following season he won the scudetto. Then, season after I was your last season he actually helped us to the semifinal of the champions league. Now, what I really felt in love about finish fifth, hold on, hold on, hold on.
Speaker 2:What I really love about purely is the fact that when I see the what Malden was trying to do the last couple years before he got fired right, I see that he's bringing up a team in such a way that he's using the most you know minimum cost, you know minimum cost strategy to actually build that team, which I think really makes a lot of sense. Remember, like all them, alexi Salaman cast all those like low cost players that he will bring out, like Kalu Lu, for example, from Leon's um, you know Academy and stuff like that, and brought him back again. See all those growth right, malik tell, for example. I see all the things that they're doing. Well, this sort of project is a hit or miss because you sign some players to work out well for you. You sign some players, they won't work out well for you. But I kind of feel like I feel purely pain, some point because I realized that when you know he relies on a particular player right for success and he tried to build a team around them or maybe depend on that player for again a particular role, I feel like they take that player or the Milan feet to secure that player and again he has to come up with another strategy. It started from Akansh and Anulu when Milan refused to renew him purely depending on how. On how can a lot, a lot, which kind of pull out, put a lot of pressure on how can as well. Again they didn't renew him right.
Speaker 2:When Milan won this Kudeto, both on that, kesi was in center, was central to to Kudeto. Again I felt like Milan should have done enough to actually hold Kesi for him at least. And see, you know what will give you this? Because you borrowed Kudeto right, but again they couldn't do it. When Kesi left, purely have to rely again on brandy ass. And don't forget that. All these players, I saw them grow in Milan and I can tell you how interested half on the project is. Unfortunately, again, whenever there's a shift, sometimes the shift might be for good of Milan, which is growth. I feel like Milan is ready to transcend to the next level, obviously, yes, but purely not doing enough to show that he's the man for the job. To be honest, and I think the criticism on purely is it's way too harsh I won't let you guys, is we too harsh? Yes, he might not be, might not be the fit for the job right now, but I feel like at least he deserves some accolade for what he has done for Milan yes.
Speaker 3:So again, like I said to you before, when Milan Milan nearly save you purely, was that stable and that came in? But the truth of the matter is we have to be honest maybe, maybe just me I feel like Milan has come to the banter era, right? If you look at the team that we have now, you look at those players. To me they are in Syria. Milan has one of the top three, four best teams in Syria. So what that means is we're not ready to go compete against a lot of the Italian teams. What I mean by compete, I mean regularly, in year out, we go into the season believing that, yes, this Milan team can confidently be their top two, top three. Right, I'm not talking about Europe as a whole, because you, that's a different discussion. But the thing is, when I look at how Milan approaches things from a coaching perspective to me doesn't give me that confidence. So that's my only issue. That's why I've been making these comments. It's been four years, almost four years.
Speaker 3:At some point you have to start asking yourself okay, tell me, when do you think purely will leave Milan? Because the reality is it just sounds like let's just manage it, let's keep managing. But I'm not the kind of guy that wants to keep managing something that I know that is not leading anywhere, because the reality is I don't see this leading anywhere. All I see is exactly what we're doing. We go there, we go.
Speaker 3:Left you bench Jovic, one week. The next week is now your starter, the next week. Krunic is now up. The best player in the world, the next minute is now no longer part of the squad. Before you know, simic was good one week.
Speaker 3:That's a point. What I want is wake up every day, know what I expect from Milan and then get it. What are? We win, we lose, I know that's the point anyway. So my point is just like Inter fans are able to wake up every day knowing that they have something consistent. That's more or less what I expect out of Milan at this point.
Speaker 3:Right, and to be honest with you, dave, like I am kind of tired of talking about purely in a negative way, because, regardless of what I think, or what I think he is, or who he is, he did help Milan win a Scudetto Daito and took them to the semifinal of the Champions League. So in order not to, you know, to tarnish his image and make it seem like he all of a sudden he was bad for Milan. Let's just, you know, let's just let it be right, like, let it play out. If he gets fired, then he gets fired the less. The less, to be honest with you, the less. The earlier they do it, the better for his image and his whatever legacy he has left at Milan, you know, because, to be honest, the longer these drags out, the more likely you are to see people forget that he had actually won a league with Milan, right, okay?
Speaker 2:Chin Chin Chin, look it's. I know what you're trying to do, bro. That's fine. My question, please. I have the question, like. I want to talk about more important stuff, about purely the Ascendant around, purely as well. I think it's what talking about.
Speaker 3:To be honest, it's the last game for purely if he gets, if he loses that game, I can imagine that. But the big problem Milan has right now you want to know the truth there's not a lot of available coaches. That, to be honest with you, me I'm excited about, right like there's not a lot. So that means you might end up getting someone that might be a temporary person, just like purely was, and then, before you know it, you're not having to deal with the person and fire but is that?
Speaker 2:is that Leo? Is that the solution, though a temporary coach?
Speaker 1:well, I don't even believe it's gonna happen purely could lose against Asono and Milan management will still keep dragging their feet right. These guys should have been sacked a long time. See how Napoli just sacked their coach, like when you identify the problem, you fix it. You don't. You don't you know. Start putting the problem. Which is the best coach you want?
Speaker 2:we don't want to see all those news are you understand that came, there was a new person to continue hold on hold on who you look at Napoli, then trouble.
Speaker 1:I understand they're in trouble, but at least they've made a decision. They were not still trying to like, oh, with you guys. They've decided like this guy is not working, but it's not. That is not good that we've been talking about purely, purely, purely.
Speaker 1:But the truth is that purely is not the only problem at Milan. Milan management has been a very big problem and if you look at this whole thing it feels like, oh, it's all, only up, you'll be. But no, it's not, because if you look at things deeply, right, how did we come to a point? Purely, at the first place, a management decided they were going for an interim, you know, caretaker to manage the team in the time of crisis and they got purely, for some reason, they forgot whatever their plan or intention for the team was and they decided to stick with Puyoli Right, I think it was a good idea.
Speaker 2:But I think it was a good decision.
Speaker 1:Puyoli won the Scudetto right and then they said let us stick with him. So what happens to your original plan? Which plan did you even have If you would just keep sticking to the code just like that?
Speaker 2:But I think it's fair for them to renew him based on that.
Speaker 1:From the performances last season, it was clear that they were supposed to make a decision to let him go, if they were actually serious about it, but that's what Maldini wanted to do About things.
Speaker 2:That's what Maldini wanted to do, but I don't think that was the reason why Maldini would go for fire.
Speaker 1:I don't think he stayed this long and even keeping him up till now, because the truth is that you can see the damage. He just keeps piling up and piling up. If we lose to Mori, maybe against us, we will lose to Rangias, and we just keep piling up and piling up. And this guy doesn't really. He's lost the team. Even Liao Theo, those guys are not performing. He's lost it.
Speaker 2:He needs to go Chain. I have a question for you. You know, sometimes there could be some reasons why some coaches make some decisions in terms of their selections and sometimes I feel, like some coaches, they rely on loyalty a lot. I'm not sure if I'm just maybe thinking it differently, right? I'm just saying, for example, like Oliver Jules, for example, playing games when each of us should be playing you know what I mean. I feel like maybe that has a lot to do with you know him maintaining loyalty to players like Jules, for example, right?
Speaker 2:Or again, there are some situations. For example, maybe see how Liao is playing and see how Liao is struggling the last few games, you can tell that Liao is not 100%. Leo was talking about early. Like that, maybe he should find a way to communicate with Liao. Do you think these are the things that purely is lacking the confidence in doing in terms of approaching these players and letting them know what he wants from them, like, for example, theo, for example, could be like you know, theo could just go on a bad run or form for like three, four, five games and purely will seek to play him because obviously he doesn't have a choice, right? He doesn't have other options apart from Batissagi. Now, do you think he's because of his loyalty to this player?
Speaker 1:That's the reason why he's doing all this, why can't Batissagi be an option?
Speaker 3:Okay, no sorry, let me answer Dave, right? So this is the reality is simple. Purely has always been that coach that he's kind of like a man manager kind of coach. Right? His greatest strength is the ability to convince a group of people to you know, go fight and do whatever, and he wants to be friends with them and kissy, kissy and lovey, lovey, right? So when you're that kind of coach, your ability to ensure that, like you talked about, trust and loyalty becomes a big deal. Right? Because instead of you just coming in and saying, hey, I don't think you're doing what I asked you to do, so therefore I'm going to bench you. You're going to try to encourage them, try to put your hand around their shoulders and try to make them feel like, oh, purely still loves you, even when things are going bad for you. Right? Because imagine if you're Olivier Giroux and the coach comes in and benches you because you're out of form, guess what you're going to do? Well, fall out with the coach because you're not. You know that, please. And again, because purely that kind of coach that doesn't want guys to fall out with him, he's going to try to play Olivier Giroux through good and bad times, right?
Speaker 3:Now, why am I saying all this? The thing is, this is exactly why a lot of times he feels like players are out of form and he keeps playing them. But that's actually not a good thing for him, because then those guys take him for granted a little bit. What I mean take him for granted a little bit is the fact that he's not holding them accountable for their poor performance or whatever they do. If you look at Milan, a lot of players get like Giroux almost got a red card in this last game I think I'm going to myself he's doing.
Speaker 3:One of these is rubbish where things are going wrong and then everybody behaves anyhow. Did you see Florence fighting somebody on the sideline? Like that's exactly what you get when the team is to be honest with you, losing respect for whatever the processes that they have, and that goes down to a coach that they basically look at. There's a reason why Brian Movic is at Milan. Think about it. All the top coaches you know in this world, think about what I'm about to say, the people that you call good coaches. How many of them would they go sign X players to come and sit in their bench and sit at their back to watch them, because that's not his responsibility. Sorry what that's not his responsibility.
Speaker 2:That's not what he's job. That's not the job. You see, why are you guys like this now?
Speaker 1:Because for me I thought he came in as a extra danger to motivate.
Speaker 3:You're the one that said he came in to whip up the boys and get them all excited. So what I'm getting at is because people understand that this Milan team, as it's currently constituted, with the head coach and the way the team is built, it's mostly about the emotion. I used to say that Milan is a very emotional team. It's because of that. It's because when everybody's feeling good, people are happy, they play well, they do well, they look good. But when people are not feeling good, then that's when you start going into these rots. That's why it looks like every win and every loss comes with emotional happiness. Every win and every loss comes with emotional high and emotional low, because that's who Milan and Puyoli is.
Speaker 3:So when you ask me that question, the reason why Puyoli cannot make those decisions is because in his mind he believes that doing that will break loyalty and break trust in those guys and, as a result, he will play guys through bad times. You see what I mean. Because he knows what he wants. He starts to pull the switch Again on the wrong side of the field when there's a natural player on there, because for him, if he doesn't start to pull the switch, it's going to be a problem. He's going to be like Puyoli's switch is going to be pissed off that he's not playing. But the reality is, if you know what you want to accomplish, it doesn't matter if it's Puyoli's switch or Ronaldo or whatever. In fact I'm going too far, because those guys are world best players. No, it doesn't matter if it's Puyoli's switch or whatever, then you actually get to play who you want to do the job for you, right, but it's your coach. But anyways.
Speaker 2:anyways, we had enough in this 2023, right, let's do some recap, said I want to hear you. Let's have some fun. At least we have the David and Chene first award going out to all the AC Milan players, and so on and so forth. So, yeah, I think I'll start with you, leo. 2023 has brought us a lot of good memories and also has robbed quite a few doctor's faces as Milan fans. But, however, though, there's still a lot of good memories and people to actually recognize, basically. So I'll start with you, leo. Who's your Milan best player in 2023?
Speaker 1:I'm struggling to think of a good memory for 2023, because this has been a hard year.
Speaker 2:Don't forget that we're ready to semi-final.
Speaker 1:We're ready to semi-final with Champions League, but then the way we wound loss out of the home competition. It's a bitter point.
Speaker 2:Overall. Who do you think is your best player in 2023? Overall.
Speaker 1:Overall. I'll just give it to Mike Manea. Mike has been exceptional. I don't know he did have some period where he was out due to the injury, but he's been somebody we could call dependable when he's there and he saved us a lot of times. Do you think you should?
Speaker 2:do more though. Look, chene, do you think Mike should do more?
Speaker 1:I know you are having a form of recency by us, because you're thinking of that goal you considered against the Netherlands.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, it's part of it. I think he won against Dortmund as well.
Speaker 1:He won't have made up for it. In the same game, right Even against Dortmund, he made very crucial saves, even before he goes. That's the thing when you keep put keepers under pressure like that, even the best keepers. Before that looked at Onana in man United. It's not the same Onana we knew from Inter. Right, he's just receiving goals, making wick out, but it's because the team is bad.
Speaker 2:What do you think of Mike Manea?
Speaker 3:No, I think to me like best players for the year. I had him on the list, Mike Manea, Leal and Tomori, Because if we talk about the year 2023, we have to start from the beginning of this season. So Tomori, Leal had a good run for Milan towards the end of last season in the Champions League and I know he hasn't hit those heights again. Mike Manea has been one of the most consistent players for Milan, even though he has his moment where he makes errors. The thing I think the biggest thing for me is, weirdly enough, I know, apart from the Pulisic assist, I actually feel like Mike's distribution has been one of the kind of things that I don't think he's been that good at this year. Maybe I'm just wrong.
Speaker 2:No, I think he's been good this year though.
Speaker 3:Well, again he's just improved a lot, Because last year I can actually see him making those crossfield passes to Theo a lot.
Speaker 1:At least I don't know what it is For Chen, that is a goalkeeper going up over Pion, yeah.
Speaker 3:I know right, you can't use that to really goalkeeper.
Speaker 2:How many goalkeepers in the?
Speaker 1:world has that passing his goal with personal abilities? Yeah, even if he's given you that even once, this is it, then that should be enough reason for you to give him even more credit.
Speaker 3:No, he's one of my better players this year. So, to be honest with you, milan has not been that good this year. Like Leo said Exactly, I sent a start that said Milan considered 63 goals in 2023 in all competition, with a negative record for this one. Originally a history in the current IA, but the first time since 1929-30, right that Milan considered that amount of goals.
Speaker 1:This was Banta era level. Yeah, and again, if you take it, across multiple seasons.
Speaker 3:Well, you have to be careful with that. Third that you're talking about. Milan are 11 points behind Inter Milan and they've only played 17 games.
Speaker 1:So I kept saying that these guys are coming.
Speaker 3:So, at the end of the day, my best players this year overall Mike Minyan, Leo and tomorrow.
Speaker 2:I think we can all agree on that one. Definitely me too. Tomorrow is on the first of my list because again it's good.
Speaker 3:Because tomorrow is the top five.
Speaker 2:To finish, Europe on his day. I will say it On his day, oh my God, on his day. Tomorrow is top five, top five, oh my God. Well, anyways, okay, guys, I think you all agree on the best players, right? Who do you think is our signing, though? Like this year?
Speaker 3:I would let Leo go first. Leo Our signing.
Speaker 1:From this last transfer window.
Speaker 2:I'll give you the names if you want no, all through 2023. There from January window. Remember we met some time in January. Oh did you sign in January again? Oh, January.
Speaker 1:Now on is simple now what's the name? What was that defender's name you were calling?
Speaker 2:Pellegrino Pellegrino. Oh no, no, I'm talking about January, January 2023, right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we did sign Pellegrino in January. I think it came this summer.
Speaker 2:No, it came this summer.
Speaker 3:So who was it? No, wait, was it Franks? No, there was, franks, there was.
Speaker 2:Vasquez. Oh my God. Yeah, your friend, that's your best. I want to give you guys some hints. That's your best. Who else came? I remember that time. Siddiq came too.
Speaker 3:Yeah, but Siddiq did not come January. Siddiq came in summer last year.
Speaker 2:But all through.
Speaker 3:January.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Siddiq came in summer, yeah.
Speaker 3:So okay, let me tell you right. I know who you want to talk about Chukwazi, isn't it?
Speaker 1:To me, Chukwazi is not a bad sign.
Speaker 3:No, no, I want to know, because Chukwazi is a good though.
Speaker 2:I think my worst sign, my worst, my worst, is Saju's best. Oh my God.
Speaker 1:Okay, what about this, this transfer window? We have a worst sign in it Pellegrino?
Speaker 2:No, no, pellegrino is not bad though. No, no we can't just throw him under the bus like that Pellegrino? I have not seen him.
Speaker 3:I have thrown him under the bus. I have thrown him. The bus climbed over him and came back around, because that guy I watched against Napoli.
Speaker 1:He was so shaky.
Speaker 2:I just feel like we're just nervous. That's why Well again blame it.
Speaker 3:I think he's a better player. He's a better player than that. Okay, we'll see him at some point. So for me to be honest with you, I think Milan had a good summer signing season. We have a lot of good players. Everybody will look not good in a team that looks chaotic, and that's the truth. Milan this year has looked very like utter sorts, and all these things started when Milan played Inter. Inter, no, where was it that there was.
Speaker 3:This was after the intergame where we lost five more. No, but this is this season. You're talking about this season. We're talking about last year. Last year, January last year, there was a game Milan played. I can't remember if it was. Was this the Franks game? Remember the Franks?
Speaker 1:game, the Roma game. The Roma game, the game we.
Speaker 3:I couldn't tell where we were. Where we were, two, nothing open and five minutes to go. Good, since that game, milan has not been the same, because literally since then we went on that five or six game losing streak, and then they went to the semi-finals, the Champions League, and then it's like the season started.
Speaker 2:Everybody was good, you know that I think we were six points behind Napoli For that game.
Speaker 3:So, anyway, the point is this right, the year has not been a good year for Milan overall, but I'm sure there are exciting things that happen this year.
Speaker 2:Okay, so, for example, though, let's start Olaf, who was the most exciting player to watch that you watched for Milan in 2023? Can I go, yeah?
Speaker 3:I never get tired of watching Benaseh play. That's trust me, but anyway.
Speaker 2:I'm not. Mine was Mike Minyan. Mike Minyan was fun to watch and yet he's not one of your better players in the year. No, he is. He was just fun. Like in terms of Mike Minyan and Rafael Leal, I think Rafael Leal did a lot of good things in 2023. Most especially at the end of last season.
Speaker 3:For me. If he asked me who was the most frustrating player to watch, I mean I would name Rafael Leal, so I'm just telling you mine. But Benaseh, what about?
Speaker 1:you.
Speaker 2:What about you, leo? What about you Leo?
Speaker 1:Well, I'd say Benaseh, but I don't feel like we got to watch him for a whole lot because of the injury crisis. But if you ask me, I would say TJ. Tj Nirengers. He gives me this spark, his confidence moving with the ball. To be honest with you, I think if you can get him feet, benaseh feet, at the same time will exclude the damage field I feel bad for TJ Nirengers, to be honest, like I feel bad because I can't.
Speaker 3:He needs it.
Speaker 1:Because he needs it, yeah, you just know that he needs somebody that will just take what he has and channel it. Well, he has a loaded gun, but he's just shooting aimlessly. So I'm watching the guy.
Speaker 2:That is the one that would direct him, Say aim like this. You know it would have been fun to actually watch him and Bremjia's play.
Speaker 3:So well, this is the thing, though. Right, I'm watching TJ Nirengers and I'm seeing a guy, that man on the team that understands what they are doing. That guy would be incredible, because sometimes he makes some moves and I'm thinking to myself man, he just needs the option, he needs the option, but there's nobody. Because that's him, nobody. Milan you guys don't understand how, apart from someone like Benaseh, most of the other guys at Milan they are like you pass the ball and you watch the ball and they're like ball off.
Speaker 3:You pass the ball, you watch the ball, and then you wait for your body boy, your own turn to come, and then you can dribble.
Speaker 2:And then pass the ball. I think, I think, I think, I think police, he just also has that sort of Pass and go, pass and go.
Speaker 3:No too, police is good, yeah, but he's on the right hand side when he should be on the left hand side, Anyway. So yeah, no, you're 100% correct. I enjoy watching Tijani renders.
Speaker 2:Okay, so what's your best game in 2023? Aliyo can answer that one. No, you also have to answer.
Speaker 3:Why are you putting me on the spot? Okay, I can answer, let me answer. So, for me, the best game for Milan was the win against Napoli in the semifinal. So I'll tell you why. Because the first one, the league one, yeah, the first one no no, no because we played them two times in like less than a week.
Speaker 3:right, we did them for nothing, that was a good game. But then we went to the Champions League again and beat them and that won. That won't suit me because everybody in Europe were expecting Napoli to just outrun Milan, but they didn't. I don't know if they didn't watch the league, the league game before Milan came in, and you know like they went. Okay, milan did things that, to be honest with you, I didn't expect. That purely actually had in his cup, cup, cup, cup board, which is packed the bus somehow, and play on the counter attack and beat the team like Napoli. That doesn't.
Speaker 1:Yeah, looking out that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, they were prepared for that and that. To be honest with you, that was a good, a good, beautiful win, because it just felt good. Now that's for me. I'll tell you what my biggest losses are. Some part of but Leo what about you?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I would say mine was the Tottenham game in the Champions League. Yeah, that was a good one. I really enjoyed that one because, oh you know, you know how I hate the English pundits, oh man remember, before that game I was the judge. They drive me nuts. It doesn't matter which channel you want to watch the game Once it's an English commentator. They just say stuff Like you. Just know that this wouldn't even watch it.
Speaker 2:They're not watching it.
Speaker 3:They're not even watching it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so, and it was, you know. They kept feeling like, oh, tottenham is going to bury Milan in that second leg and you know they're going to go through. Harry Kenney is going to, you know. But somehow we went there and we showed nerves Like we didn't show any nerves, sorry. We, you know, controlled the game, we got the draw we needed and, yeah, we progressed. So that was a very good one. I think I also enjoyed that that much. Had us into the semifinal. That got me to dream oh, like, can we can purely inspire.
Speaker 3:You know we must enjoy the, the what's it called the left bloomer.
Speaker 1:Unfortunately, that was when the extinguisher got me. Okay, what?
Speaker 2:about the? What about the Milan biggest L to what's game Milan ever, I can go first.
Speaker 3:Ah, we're on the worst game. We're on the worst game. So, ah, Leo, Mia, I don't know which one you have in mind. Okay, go ahead.
Speaker 1:Obviously now the second Inter 5-5-1.
Speaker 2:That's five oh, that trashy, that was a big one. Okay, so we are happy I have it here as all the losses to Inter Milan in 2023.
Speaker 3:So they are like four to five of them. Oh my God, all of them.
Speaker 1:Like they were all. They were all bad, but you see, this, this last one, this last one was just. That was when.
Speaker 2:I, I was like, I think, the last game, I think I think he just got to this guy, this guy out of my club right now. I don't think those guys were expecting what they, what they got from the WTBMS.
Speaker 1:That's what I think so it's like purely does not understand what the Debbie means.
Speaker 3:Like he doesn't really understand the damage.
Speaker 1:Sometimes though.
Speaker 2:Ah God, he has won. He has won the WTBMS. A couple of times, I think, wanted about, wanted about purely an Izagi's baton is one, always lets the other know that, look, I mean the better position that you, so you have to take it, and that just the way it is, to be honest, because I don't think Milan is there yet to be able to go to the two with Inter. Let's just be real, they are. They just signed things, dave, but these are all the excuses you're making, Dave.
Speaker 1:Dave, what you're saying. If we sign a good coach, I'll make you into your. I'll bring all these your words and I'll be feeding it to you Like you're making this him as Inter Milan.
Speaker 3:Like you see how he beating.
Speaker 1:Inter, like you see how he beating Inter convincingly. I'm just saying and I'll figure out what's to you. Puglia is beating Inter. We have a coaching problem. Inter has a. They have a good manager, they have a coach. See how they play. I understand. It doesn't matter who plays, they play the same way, Liu.
Speaker 2:I'm just saying that is a coach, Liu, I know I agree with you and I'm just saying there are purely has beaten Inter a couple of times.
Speaker 3:You are, he has lost five. He has lost five in a row. But for them, milan has called one go, one go in five games against Inter Milan. In fact, if Milan wake up tomorrow, in fact, well, tomorrow is unfair, because nobody will play the match. Half of the team is in, do you know?
Speaker 1:that it now seems like there's so much gap between us and Inter. But let me play you a scenario. What is going?
Speaker 2:on.
Speaker 1:Imagine, imagine, wait, let me let me just play a scenario so that you see that there's not so much gap. Let us see that gap. Imagine if we had beaten Inter yeah, and went to that final. I don't care what happened in the final, but we beat Inter, went to the final, yeah, right, and you come. This is now you beat them again. Will you keep telling me that there's a gap? Yeah, that there's so many, so they have more, better players.
Speaker 3:Okay, so think about it. Right, just think about it. It's Miquitarian and Hakan and those guys. It's not like they are like the next coming of our Lord and Savior. Right Again, if you do start in the level, bet both teams, milan will get some players in there, so why are you making this image? Though? This is like Inter Milan is on another planet and the Milan is on a planet Mars or something.
Speaker 2:The reality is that quality wise Inter has no quality.
Speaker 3:No, they look that way. You know why they look that way. You know why they look that way. You see, here you talk about inconsistencies of Theo Hernandez and Rafael Lea or whatever. Whatever those guys will play for Inter Milan any day, but somehow when they play for Milan they look bad. I joked about it. Someone was saying Milan should go sign Zexi and this one and that one. And I said to Dave I said the reality is anybody that shows up to Milan all of a sudden, you have a problem with that player, because the truth of the matter is Before somebody says that he talks about the players.
Speaker 3:It's the same system. That's not what Tell me that the Generinders cannot play for Inter Milan in midfield ahead of probably Miquitarian or something he will play on that team. But because he's a Milan, all of a sudden he does not look like a world bitter it's. Sometimes it's about coaching. But again.
Speaker 2:I understand Chin. Look, I don't do it the day right. He's not only Rangers that's going to make a difference. There's a lot of players.
Speaker 3:Rappeléo Mike Mian, your boy tomorrow, your boy tomorrow that you call the best player you know.
Speaker 2:There's a way, the patch of that team, the patch of that team, such a way that the players they bring in fits into the project easily. There's no like.
Speaker 3:Well, that's because they have a, you also have good players.
Speaker 1:Chin is just telling you the players you have and how they can easily fit into Inter's team.
Speaker 2:Well, you don't want to. You know, no, you feel like no, no, no, no, I'm not saying, look, I'm not saying, tell you, hernandez, tomorrow is.
Speaker 3:Mike Mian Rappeléo, of course.
Speaker 1:But it's a siege. I'm just calling it a day To say, but not say, like good players, come on, we can.
Speaker 3:We are playing there for you. Yes, okay, for those guys that are not bad players, another of which, for goodness sake, plays for a time in life yeah, this is not bad, even on a good day.
Speaker 1:if you In Zagid, you will see a difference.
Speaker 3:Even in Zid. You know, make it that way, let's not, let's, let's not.
Speaker 2:Not like 35 years old. Let's get back on board, please. Let's get back on board, At least. I still have one more question what's your Christmas wishes for Milan Nesses in 2024. I have two.
Speaker 3:Number one. I know Leo would say his own, but let me tell you mine is. Mine is I have two Health, health, health, right. I wish them good health, which comes with the idea of I also wish tactical growth for Piolli. I wish that Piolli can just grow tactically, like if you say wishes, right, so it's not. If my wish is that he will understand how to better utilize all this talent that he has in front of him, and then I wish that they can find health somehow, because the reality of it is I can blame the coach for the situation of overusing players and leading to injury, but, to be honest with you, they still get injured, right, regardless. So yeah, health and tactical growth for Piolli. Now you can go ahead.
Speaker 2:Can I ask you a question though? Do you think this whole injury problem can be solved in Milan? Because this is not just yes, this is one season thing Like do you see anything? Do you see anything just happening in 2024?
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 3:There's a strong positive correlation between the coach and the injury situation. Think about it Before Piolli came to Milan did we have all these problems? I'm not again. I'm just being frank with you. I don't seem to remember it being this bad. So I told you before that when there's consistency in the type of injury, it's all soft tissue injury, muscular injuries. Yeah, it's because of the style of play, it's because of the overuse of players, it's so on and so forth, and also the training regimen.
Speaker 3:One thing that you forget is that when a coach comes in, he comes in with his own group of his team, right, and part of that team is the fitness coach and the conditioning coach. If the players are not ready to play the style of football that the coach wants to play, if the conditioning coach is not doing the job. I think a month ago they talked about the axe Piolli to fire his conditioning coach. He said, no, there's a reason. So it's all the coaching staff that prepares the player. It's all Piolli that goes and tells them to run around. Right, it's someone that does that and you and that person have to work together the medical team, the staff that looks at statistics of sprints and number of fatigue, and blah, blah, blah, 20, 20, 23, 24. They have all those information, so that's all onto the coaching staff. So when they fire the coach, they'll fire the coaching staff and everybody probably. Okay. So that will bring in a new people. That will change the whole complexity in terms of injury for Milan. That's just my own thing.
Speaker 2:Leo, what's the Christmas wishes for Milan in 2024?
Speaker 1:Well, my first wish. I think it's going to take care of everything people talk about.
Speaker 1:And my first wish will be for Milan to get the ideal management, like the ideal owners you know that are willing to invest in the club. You know, like I heard there's a lot of talk between Kajinari and some Saudi investors. Yes, so I just wish those guys had the ideal Berlis Koneesk. You know, those kind of owners where you know they don't really care if they lose money, they just want to see the club succeeding on the field, right? Yeah, so that's my first wish, because if you have owners like that, they will make sure they get to the right coach, they will make sure they get to the right fitness trainer, like if things like this that people are having injuries and I think that's been the problem.
Speaker 1:They will solve the problem and so that the coach can try.
Speaker 2:And I think that's been the Arab money money philosophies. Whenever they buy clubs, they always try like putting money, you know pumping money, yes, like pumping money Because they are playing the long game.
Speaker 3:They're not playing the?
Speaker 1:yeah, they're not playing the, those guys they just want to win the stop.
Speaker 1:Those guys are thinking ahead. Right, they want to build something with that club. So that would be my first one, and then the second one would just be for me. Then to you know, have that. You know, have that good fortune. You know, every football team needs good fortune. To win trophies, right? Yeah, Like even Manchester City, they want Champions League last season. You know they will tell you that, oh, that Lukaku chance that he missed was probably the moment of good fortune, because that was supposed to be a goal, right, Exactly, but he fluffed it, right. So when we get to that position where we need to have that good fortune, Leo, let me ask you a quick question, please.
Speaker 2:Do you see Milan winning the Europa League though?
Speaker 1:If Piori is still there?
Speaker 1:no, what do you think? That might be? No, if Piori is still there, because usually I don't even see this management sacking Piori. Our management is one of our biggest problems, even though when Milan fans get there, we talk about Piori. We talk about Piori, and that's why I tend to resonate with you. Know one of our friends on the other group that he's also saying hey, we give Piori all these you know knocks, but nobody's talking about management. I understand, I know where he's coming from and I've always understood that right, but the truth is that two things can be before and through at the same time. I will can speak about those two things at the same time.
Speaker 1:Management is a big problem. It's like we have owners that they don't really know what it means to want to be a club like Milan. They just they're just winging things and they're just letting things flow. But actually you should have a project and you should have a solid vision or plan for how you want to achieve it, and money shouldn't be an issue. If you have a project, then you should be. How do you need to build this project? You don't just build projects by which food they can. You need to spend money, right. So that's what I wish for Milan getting good, serious investors, that would take us there. But for winning the Europa League, we purely no, it's not going to happen. Anyway, it's a lot of inconsistent. We don't even know what's going to happen in the next game, not to talk of all the way to Europa League. Oh my God, that's a stretch.
Speaker 2:Anyway, let me see my wish for Milan in 2024. My wish is that all this situation that we find ourselves in with injuries get resolved and players are back again and fit and we're able to get the team together. That's number one and number two, and I think also my wish is that if Puyoli is going to finish the season with us, we should just understand how to make decisions that will really affect the game, because some decisions that he makes so that's called tactical growth Exactly, for example, tactical growth, for example, I just feel like there's some certain things that he does in games these days that impact the game, or some things that he does out of emergency that work and people question him that. Why are you not doing this? Why do we have to run into these sort of situations before you make these sort of decisions? Those are my wishes.
Speaker 2:Thirdly, my wish is that Milan at least get a silverware in 2024. If it's the Europa League or I know, obviously the league looks like it's going out of our reach now, but at least look at the Italian Cup Like the big teams are getting kicked out. So this is our opportunity. Hopefully, again, we finish 2024 with a silverware.
Speaker 3:So, dave, you remember a few weeks ago you asked when will the players come back healthy and fit? And I told you that's never going to happen. It's never going to happen because as soon as not-person is coming back or not-person is going out for two months Because that's exactly the reality we all joke about the generators probably bringing the next one, because the only reason is there are only seven players right now at Milan that have not gotten injured this season. Seven, only seven. And there's going to come a time of those seven.
Speaker 3:Let's wait for it Because they didn't get the two weeks break that they usually get in Italy. So Milan are playing on the 29th the next game, and then they will play again a few days later, and so on. Before I know it, you're back into the whole Europa League. Somebody is going to get hurt very soon, because this is exactly what it is. The thing that can change about this Milan is again what I've said they need to take a two pill and relax and play different styles of football to reduce the amount of injuries. But it's not going to happen.
Speaker 2:Before we talk about the rest of the team, I just want you guys to make a prediction for Sassuolo Chin. What's your prediction against Sassuolo?
Speaker 3:I think they will beat AC Milan, because I said that, because I don't know by how much, but I just think they will because I'm ready with score. So it doesn't matter what is going on at Milan, whether they are in good form, they are not in good form.
Speaker 2:Sassuolo always. That's what I've always been.
Speaker 3:The only time that I've seen Milan categorically going and beat Sassuolo was the day, the last day of the season, when they won the league that I was like, oh my God. And they had to do that because they had to know if they had given those people a chance. Remember the first 45 minutes they ended the game. If they had given them a chance, those people would have ruined the party. For Milan, Of course, Good. So Sassuolo always has Milan's number. Let it load now that you don't have your, according to you, world best defender, and you're probably going to be playing what's his name? Simic and Simon Kier. Simon Kier against Sassuolo, when you could have played him against Salientana and then saved tomorrow. But anyway, that's beside the case. What about you, Leo? Leo, what's your prediction? So they are going to beat Milan.
Speaker 1:Well, we all know the team that Sassuolo is. They are a boogie team, so. But I would always give Milan the win, it doesn't matter how we get it. So I would say maybe 2-1 is Milan.
Speaker 2:I think Milan would give 2-1.
Speaker 3:I'm the only person that is too real to tell you that Milan is going to lose Sassuolo. Okay, you know why?
Speaker 1:I can't fault you right now, jin, but you are predicting with your head. Me, I'm predicting with my heart.
Speaker 2:Anyway, anyways, guys, anyways, guys, let's look about the rest of the team in the league. Is Inter running the league already, or what?
Speaker 1:No, they're not running the league, I won't say they are running the league because Juve is right on their tail. So, but I don't know. I think I'll prefer Juve to win in Scudetto again than in that league. No way, juve to win, I don't want them to get. I don't want them to get to the league, forget it. At this point now it's too really bad option. Is there any hope?
Speaker 2:for us Jin.
Speaker 3:How can there be hope for you, Dave? How can there be hope for you when you draw points against teams like Salenitana and any other team at the bottom of the table that you go through.
Speaker 2:This could be a rough bottom. Purely my wake-up again. Now I just go on a serious runoff.
Speaker 3:You know what your problem is. Your problem is that you cannot be true to yourself deep down. So next week, camila will play Salsolo and beat Salsolo, and you start shouting purely his back, his back, forgetting the fact that, literally like nothing has changed about anything. Right, it's just that you get results and a team like Milan, because they have good enough players on some good days they'll get results, yeah, some days they'll get results yeah. But that is not the problem. That is not the problem. It's not about the results. My problem is about the process of how we are going about doing things. Like, literally, that's what it is.
Speaker 3:So, if you're going to actually win the league, you're hoping that Nzagi and Inter Milan will fall off at some point, but they don't look like they will. Even if they will, maybe to be later on, but then they already have like 18 points ahead of you. And what are you going to do? How are you going to be consistent enough to make up 18 points Right now, even if, let's say, milan is consistent? You know the rest of the year. How are they going to make up the 11 points, 11 or points? Meanwhile, they still need to make up how many points on Juventus about eight points on Juve or something like that, but Inter bottle 12 points At the point you have to talk about that.
Speaker 2:Inter bottle 12 points and we won the league.
Speaker 3:And you won the league and you were this okay, well, let's. And Juventus. Where was Juventus that period? Because one thing you forget is that Allegri is back on. This is not Pino's Juventus. This is. Allegri, this is Allegri. Juventus. Just, we were locking down to win the league, and with guys it was not about the football and with guys.
Speaker 2:Oh sorry.
Speaker 3:One of my big surprise. To be honest with you, I thought at the beginning of the season that Napoli would take a step back. I didn't know they were going to take this this fast step back because I thought, like I remember, when I said that Rudi Garcia is the only problem with Napoli, I did not know they would end up being seventh right now.
Speaker 2:Let's talk about that, let's podcast. It's been a pleasure talking to you guys about Milan. Hopefully we get to get after the Sassolo game and talk more and maybe, hopefully, milan win as well, and we'll see you guys next week. Forza Milan, forza Milan.
Speaker 3:Forza.
Speaker 1:Milan. Merry Christmas everyone. Yeah, Merry.
Speaker 3:Christmas, merry Christmas and happy holidays. Take care, okay, enjoy your Christmas.
