Davy & Chin Talk A.C Milan Weekly
Davy & Chin Talk A.C Milan Weekly
Davy & Chin Discuss Milan's Toothless Attack vs Pisa, and Preview AC Milan vs Atalanta
San Siro felt warm again as Pioli returned to applause, but the glow faded fast once the football started telling the truth. We break down a nervy win over Fiorentina and a costly draw with Pisa to reveal a simple, stubborn reality: Milan controls games without turning that control into clean, repeatable chances. The biggest fault line runs through the No. 9—Leão’s two recent goals help, yet playing him centrally mutes the very chaos that makes him elite on the wing. Meanwhile, Santi Gimenez’s drought is now a tactical and psychological problem, not just a cold streak.
We get specific on profiles and partnerships. Leão thrives wide with space to burst; he struggles as a back-to-goal reference against compact blocks. Pairing him with a true striker or second forward (Nkunku deserves a start) restores width, penalty-box presence, and better spacing for late runners. Creativity remains thin without Pulisic and an often-absent Loftus-Cheek, and the midfield loses its balance when Rabiot sits: Modric can’t conduct if Fofana is forced to progress instead of protecting. Saelemaekers wins praise for availability and work rate—incremental growth matters—but the final third still needs a sharper edge.
We also look ahead. Atalanta in Bergamo is precisely the kind of match where selection clarity matters: choose profiles that create one more clean chance than the low block concedes. January should be precise, not busy—one efficient box striker who attacks crosses and second balls, and a versatile defender to protect wide-central channels. Overbuilding risks minutes crunch in a World Cup year; one backup per position is the sweet spot. Turn sterile dominance into sharp chances, and the table will move.
If you’re riding this title chase with us, tap follow, share the show with a fellow Milanista, and drop your take: start Leão wide with a true 9, or keep the experiment alive? Your call could be the difference between grit and glory.
After 11 years, once again, Milan. It's great.
SPEAKER_01:Hello everyone. This is Dave and Chin Talk Milan, and we are back again. Chin, what's up, man? It's been a minute.
SPEAKER_00:How you do? Yeah, I'm good, Dave. How are you? Hope you're feeling better now.
SPEAKER_01:I feel better, man. It's so funny because after the Florentina game, I was so eager to come on board, but man.
SPEAKER_00:You were shouting, you were crying too much, that's why. Because Peoli, you were you were worried Peoli was getting fired. That's why.
SPEAKER_01:I'm just happy that he actually received the reception that he deserves in coming back to the center.
SPEAKER_00:I did not say, I did not say he doesn't deserve it, but uh he also deserves to be fired. But that's a different discussion.
SPEAKER_01:But anyways, it was joyful to actually see him to see Pioli back in San Cero for the first time against Fiorentina. But however, um Milana has actually played um one more game, which is against Pizza on Friday, and I ended up um 2-2. We're on the verge of getting defeated by Pizza, which is a newly promoted um Sri club. But um, the luck was on our side with a little bit of um fighting spirit. We were able to rescue a point in that game. Um, Chin, do you want us to quickly talk uh a little bit about the Fiorentina game first, or you want us to um um just go straight to the Pizza game?
SPEAKER_00:I think we should talk if you start with the uh Fiorentina game because it was a it was a big game. I think uh we talked about Milan. It was a big game. Sorry, what it was a big game, it was a big game.
SPEAKER_01:You know, we talked um after the gym when we did the Juventus um podcast, right? We we and Milan came back from what the international break. Yeah, there were so many injuries, by the way. And I'm not I wasn't really happy about it. Like we had like Rabio out, Poliswitch was out, even Love to Chick was out as well, like there were quite a few cuckoo as well. So the the team was kind of decimated, you know, honestly. But um, going into that game, I know like when Milan finds herself in this sort of situation, I know the kind of person that Allegra is. He was always always gonna find a way to figure out something that really works in terms of shape and and personnel as well. But going into that game, Chin, were you worried?
SPEAKER_00:Typically, I would I would be worried because after international break, all the big teams usually struggle, right? And uh all the big teams usually struggle. Um, Milan is no different, like they've always it's always been the case, especially when they send a lot of players internationally. But um, my worry was not too much simply because I I um I knew Fiorentina were in such poor form that some somehow they will magically they'll find a way they they'll find a way to lose the game. It wasn't actually going to be about Milan winning, more like Fiorentina losing, because that's what happens when you're in such a form as they are, right? You end up actually finding ways to lose, which um which they actually did technically, right? Because the game ended up being uh one of those ones where Milan struggled, but then Fiorentina gave it away with a penalty at the end. So um that's basically the gist of it. I was worried, but I was also confident because we were playing Fiorentina. That's it.
SPEAKER_01:No, my question though is because if you look at how that how the game went, right? Like we have we had a and our defense has been really solid this season, in all honesty, right? But again, that there could be some shaky moments. Like I was worried again about Moshiken going into that game because I know um if he's fit enough, it could cause us a lot of problem problems, right? But the way the game went, I think it was more of a 50-50. Again, we lack so many, we so much lack creativity in the final third, you know, honesty, because when you look at it too, right? You had like Santi Jimenez, sorry, yeah, you had like um sorry, Rafael Leal as a striker, which to me is it's something that we need to talk about because as good as Rafael Leo is, I don't think he's is he can be uh um uh number nine, you know honesty. Because I don't think he really possesses that sort of energy, greed, and a willingness to actually go and take some risk, yeah. Um in in causing some problems, like he he prefers to play from the outside, not from the inside. Like when you look at those nines, like Haaland, for example, even like our former striker Olivier Giroud, right? If you see how he plays the nine, you can tell like Rafael Leo is not that kind of cannot be that kind of striker, or no honesty.
SPEAKER_00:Like, well, the problem is not even just about Rafael Leal, too, it's about the supporting players, right? Yeah, um, I said that simply because um, you know, the coach decided to play Alexis Salamacas as like the you know what I mean? Oh bad, yeah. So that was the issue. So the exactly what he was the only available player then for for allegory to play. No, but I it's not because the reality is that he could have played Jimenez and Rafael, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I thought I think he did that against Pizza, if I'm not mistaken. He did, he did, like you, yeah, you exactly. So you didn't have to change things much. You don't have to play Rafeliao as your out and out, whatever. Just play him as your second second striker, and that was it, but that was part of the problem. He he's not that kind of guy. He he was lazy, he was pulling people back most of the time. He was uh isolated, which I don't blame him. And if he's not the natural nine and he's isolated, it can be frustrated, it can be frustrating for anybody, let alone someone like uh Rafael. Um, but that being said, he ended up scoring two goals in the game. Um so the first being the short term outside the 18, which again that has nothing to do with the position he was playing, and then um the second one being a penalty, right? Yeah, so if you ask me that whole Rafael Leao experiment as a nine, he's getting chances, and that's the one I find very interesting. Like, I don't know if we just want to combine the game against a Fiorentina and then talk about Pizza because it's been two games of him playing well, and when I mean playing well in terms of scoring, yeah, but it's it's just the whole thing about him being a number nine does not really work if you don't have other creative players behind him. And I like Alexis, I like his industriousness and hard work, but Alexis is not the that creative player, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:And I think it reflects in that Ferrina game as well, right? A lot because at some point, like people were actually like, okay, I think it's time for for Allegri to actually bring in and Santa Jimenez because the way the game was going, we're already you know behind. And when you look at it, right, there's no sort of hope that something is gonna come out you know out of nowhere until Santi Jimenez came on, then Rafael was actually able to play as again as a supporting striker, then he was able to pull that you know that that magical goal out of nowhere. But my my concern is Chin. Santi, like we've like how many games are we now? Seven?
SPEAKER_00:Okay, and Santa Jimenez has not has not registered one single goal, and yeah, but he has tried, he has helped you guys uh yeah, no, the game against you now. You were it was his semi-dive that cost that got you the goal, right?
SPEAKER_01:Chill, let's be realistic. Look, your striker needs to score goals for you to be back.
SPEAKER_00:I I I I know that part, but yeah, I get it. But then strikers too.
SPEAKER_01:And again, you know, I I've always defended him, right?
SPEAKER_00:Like, you know, honestly, like, hey, this is it here, this is and the funny thing is, I have always been the one that believes that exactly when Milan when Milan signed him. I told you, right? That I wasn't, I don't think he's that guy, right? Because I just think that uh he his his his you know when they always tell you that uh form is temporary but class is permanent. He reminds me a lot about Pion Tech. I think I said that before, where you you you have like a good season or two, and then Milan rushes in to sign you. Yeah, it's not the it's not your OC mens of this world that or Haalands of this world that you can say, oh no, they've done this so consistently year over year that you know exactly what to expect from them. It doesn't matter which league they play in, exactly, you know that they're going to find the back of the net, right? He's not a natural finisher, he struggles with like clinical. The same applies to Rafael, just don't be honest.
SPEAKER_01:I have two questions for you. Number one, do you think it's what's the formation on the tactics that allegory is playing is what's actually against is not helping, is what's not helping himself, or you think he's just on this long stretch of goal drought?
SPEAKER_00:No, I think he's he doesn't have that much confidence, to be honest. Like he, you know, strikers they feed on the goals. The goals, the goals are the reason, or they are they uh, you know, it's almost like take Moussala, for example. Everybody's now complaining about Moussala because he hasn't scored in a while, right? Now he has scored a very nice goal over the weekend, even though they ended up losing. And I can tell you now that he's going to go on a run and start scoring a lot more goals, right? Usually those players like players like those, uh like Moussala and uh people that are known for their goals, um, especially like all strikers, that's what they want. They just want to score a goal, which is why I'm always surprised when we have a penalty. I feel like you should use those things to boost morale of certain players. Um now the one against Fiorentin, I'm not the guy that says give it to a guy who's struggling for confidence. But when we're winning two, three, nothing and we have a penalty, I think they should give it to Santis just so that the guy can score a goal and feel good. Yeah, because that that would be the difference between he like you know kickstarting his season and you know, and uh having a terrible season. Because it's just uh it's just been a lack of confidence from him, and you can see that even when he gets a chance, is he's not confident at all. Yeah, so it's not just about the formation. Now, that being said, formation might also contribute to it, but he's a striker for Christ's sake. Like, if you were complaining about uh Rafael and playing playing as a lone lone striker, let alone someone that does that job for a living.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah, I agree with you. But again, the thing is like the way things are going, right? If Unkuku is back and Rafael Leao is still fit, there's possibility that Santi will start will start sitting on the bench and maybe start coming up in the second half because the way things are looking, like I mean the with the amount of points that we've been able to gather, like you know, gain this season, right? And we are now what third on the league table behind Roma and um Roma Napoleon Roma, like when I look at the the lack of goals, goal contribution from from Santi Jimenez, right? I think I I really give Milan and I'll allegory um a lot of credit, in all honesty, because so many teams sometimes might depend on their top striker for goals. And if it's not coming, again, that's where the problem is. Just like again, I was looking at I was watching Manchester City today, right? Halland has been the thing, they're their their goal scorer. And if he's not scoring, they probably they have problems. But Milan this season at least have been able to, you know.
SPEAKER_00:No, I think I think you're wrong. Milan also has problems. What are we talking about? I'm not saying we're not having problems, but again, like we're winning games, we're winning games, we're getting winning games 2-1, 1-0, barely like scoring goals, scoring goals.
SPEAKER_01:I think I said it to you scoring goals that's no no no Milan. You cannot compare Milan's problem with Manchester City's problem. Like, you have like Christian Polisic, you know, adding scoring goals. You have like Rafael Yao like coming back in what two, three games for already.
SPEAKER_00:Rafael Liao just scored two goals. He literally just scored his first two goals of the season, like the last two games. What are we talking about? Like before that, he's not been played. Yeah, oh yeah, he yeah, sure, for the five minutes here and there. So before that, um Christian Polisic was the guy scoring the goal. So basically, what we've just done is replaced uh Pulisi.
SPEAKER_01:It's not just Pulisic has been scoring the goal, there are other players that have been scoring goals too.
SPEAKER_00:Okay, please count how many people have scored a goal for Milan this season.
SPEAKER_01:Chin, mainland striker has not scored one single goal this season.
SPEAKER_00:I didn't bring I didn't know the same level in terms of the city. I didn't call Manchester City, right? So let me tell you what I'm trying to say. What I'm trying to tell you is that you cannot tell me that this Milan technically they do not they that they've been able to escape by because a lot of people are scoring goals, but that's not true because the reality is that there's a team contribution that's been helping Milan this season.
SPEAKER_01:Well, yeah, the team contribute.
SPEAKER_00:Sorry, the team the team, yes, I agree, but the team contribution, but let's be specific, there's been at least two, two, three players only, probably scoring the goals for Milan this year. So the way you make it seem is as it's as if there's a lot of people popping up here and there and scoring. Like it's one goal for me.
SPEAKER_01:I think the contribution has all is been all around. Pavlovich has scored this season. Even Gabia and all those guys are putting Atekami scored last weekend, last Friday.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, yeah, I think scored Atekami scored one goal. So this is he said, uh, where are you? We are we are game numbers eight or seven, yeah. And the Milan's highest highest goal scorers this season have been Pulisic Rafa Leo, both of them almost four goals, if I'm not mistaken, and the rest of them are like one-one goals here and there. So, who has two goals for Milan aside from Pulisic and Rafael?
SPEAKER_01:It's a team contribution that's been helping Milan. Yeah, but that doesn't count as that, it just counts at me. Either you score one goal or it's either it scored two goals at the end of the day. Your main striker that's been signed to produce goals for you is not scoring. Compared to, for example, like a team like City that has uh Haaland has been scoring the goals, like if Haaland is not scoring, nobody else contributes.
SPEAKER_00:No, that's not true, then that's what I'm trying to tell you, too, because you know why? Because if you use the same argument, Haaland scores. Man City scores more than Milan, and then Haaland scores a few of the goals. But I know for a fact that Field Foden has scored goals, uh, Rinders have scored. I know that uh what's his name? Uh Doku have scored. Like people score for City, it's the same issue. Like, all I'm trying to explain to you is that you cannot then you can't say Milan is uh you know, Milan, the goals are distributed when it's only centralized around two people, except for your striker. I agree. Your striker should be scoring, don't get me wrong. So at the end of the day, let's not make it a bigger conversation. Yeah, I know.
SPEAKER_01:I'm looking at Milan's stats now. Let me just let me just wrap up wrap this up with this with this stats here. I'm looking at Milan stats now, right? Milan has like what three, I mean two defenders contributing to goals this season, two midfielders, or technically three with more with Police, right? Then we have like attacking, which is a supposed striker, um, which is um what do you call it? Uh Rafael Leao. Alex Alex Salamakas has also scored. So it's a to me, Milan hasn't scored that much goals this season, but at least the people that contributed, it's not just been it's not just been a particular area in the field, like uh the attack that's been contributing goals or whatever. It's every it's from defense to the midfield to the attack. Modric has scored this season. Anyways, the main thing is just that uh no, but I I agree.
SPEAKER_00:Okay, let me explain. It's just that you don't like statistics. So Christian Pulichis has scored four goals, yeah. Rafael has scored three goals. Every other person, which is uh Alexis, Modric, Love to Strike, uh Pavlovich, uh Sforfana and Atekami all individually one, one, one, one goal. So I can also tell you that if you look at the same distribution, it is top heavy for Man City. And now, do you want to see your top striker on the top of the list? Yes, but if you make it again, it's it's Milan has a problem scoring goals. Milan has scored 13 goals this season, Dave. 13 goals. So, what does that average out for you if you say it's uh about seven goals? Isn't that less than two goals per game? That's why I said earlier that we're winning games one won nothing, two, two, nothing, and that's it.
SPEAKER_01:My own thing, this is typical of Alec Gray anyway.
SPEAKER_00:Sorry, actually, no, I take it back. So, Milan has played eight games and scored 13 goals, so that's even less than two goals. That's at one point, something goes by the game. So, let's not even get there. See, the truth is, I'll be frank with you. In fact, I the game against Pizza, I thought we created a lot of chances. Rafaelia was wasteful against Juventus. I thought we created a lot of chances, they were wasteful, wasteful. Yeah, against Fiorentina, I don't know what it was. Maybe they were playing very low block. I mean that could lay them down.
SPEAKER_01:It's completely different conversation because again, it's a decimated team that feeds Fiorentina. For us, we actually rely on Alex Salamaka to be uh um this thing, uh go creator, like a second striker, right? To me, I feel like it's it's just it just shows that Milan were not really um well equipped for that game. So I can understand that that that game specifically, you know what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_00:I know I totally get your point. I agree with you. Uh yeah, because the truth of the matter is that somehow, if you ask me, I I don't know what it is because we are here calling out uh calling out what's his name, uh Santi Jimenez. But the reality is that as a whole, Milan is they're not really that clinical as a whole. Like, you know, you're talking about Haaland. There's a good thing about Haaland is that he gets the chance, he'll score the goal. Yeah, but Milan, I feel like even when we get the good chances, we will score the goal. See the Alexis' go uh chance, right? Yeah, how did he miss that? Rafael in that game against my mind. Okay, well, you're losing your mind for Alexis, but you forgot that Rafael Leao literally had two very good chances, and then there was one he gave to Nkunku, and you know that was a nice pass, actually, because I think I can understand that Nkunku's chance. No, but yeah, Nkunku took it one time. But the point is they create they create chances. Now, I don't know what it is. I think this might go back to what I talk about that maybe the chances are not really like set place where they know what's coming. Sometimes it's just almost like lucky chances. And but Rafael, the goal against the one that uh for Fana uh assisted him. That's a chance that a top player like him should hit the target. Now I know Gokeepa saved. I think Gokkeeper might have touched it, if I'm not mistaken. But man, the post is big enough that people score from fire. Like yourself.
SPEAKER_01:I actually wasn't expecting to actually aim that high. I was actually I was expecting a moment.
SPEAKER_00:Like, because it again, I keep telling you that it is not like when it comes to shooting, he's not really that uh yeah, like he's not that guy. But then again, if I talk, you say he's Star Boy, you're judging him. I in fact, actually, to be honest with you, I was really impressed by him because even against uh after the game, when uh my boy Alexis missed the chance that I still don't know why he took the ball or whatever, he should have just bent his body and just swiped it. No, no, he should have just passed the ball to Fofana, who is like wide open.
SPEAKER_01:No, who passes ball in the 18-yard box when they act don't know that work at the at the at the last minute, someone else should do, someone should do.
SPEAKER_00:Like, no, I don't know, Dave. Like wide open, bro. Like, I know a lot of people were wide open if somebody was running into him, everybody was running into him. But he literally was with the go keeper face to face. All he needed to do was just pick a side and finish.
SPEAKER_01:But, anyways, and I also think because it wiggled his way that we wiggled his way right to that space. I feel like he lost his balance. There was a Milan player literally standing right there with him, but was Nkuku was expecting him to actually lay the ball for him, but he only on his left wasn't cuckoo, then on his right was for Fanana, who was wide open. But, anyways, you know what?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, the reason I bring I only bring I only bring that up because at the end of the game, Rafael was the one that went and picked him up, right? Yeah, so those are the kind of little things that matter to me. It's like, oh, you know what? Like you understand. So I was laughing because in my head I'm thinking, well, you probably went to pick him up because you missed half of all the chances in the game. So you you understand where he's coming from.
SPEAKER_01:And you know that being said, you know, like I have to give props to to Alexis Alamakis, no honesty, because this season, his level of growth has really shown in all his games, even this last piece of game that he actually, you know, respond the last yeah, he played well.
SPEAKER_00:I think he made a light of a lot of nice as nice parts. Yeah, it's just that you and I already know this part, right? That his final third, it's finished. Yeah, that's his problem.
SPEAKER_01:Why he contributes honestly speaking to me, like in in in general in these games, I think it's understandable to actually cut him a slack in that part that he can. I know, and I still feel like it's something can still improve on because there's some moments that he does something very clinical in that final thought that we always criticize him about, right? And I think it's something that we need to highlight as well. That as a player, I think he has really, really improved compared to like two, three years ago. And I'm happy that he's actually back at Milan because again, his love for Milan is completely you know different compared to other places he has actually you know went to. So to me, Alex Alamakat is actually a key role, he's gonna be a key player and a key figure in this. So it took you two years to get here, eh?
SPEAKER_00:So it took a while to get here because I've been saying this now for a while that my boy Alexis will prove them wrong, and he has the rejected stone is at the cornerstone, yeah, and again it's been available to you and not in the game.
SPEAKER_01:Some players as good, like for me personally, right? If you ask me who is gonna who will I pick to play in that as a second striker between Alexa Salamakas and maybe Robert Loftus Chick, obviously I'll pick I'll pick Loftuschick, but again, how many times has Loftuschik been available for me now? How many times when we need him the most? You know what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_00:And that's what now you're admitting. Now you're admitting now you're admitting loft to chick is injury prone. Okay. Now now I thought you wasn't.
SPEAKER_01:This is why this is why I just this is why my love for Alexis has exactly grown. And again, I give him a lot of prof for what for him being available, really get injured, and even though he gets injured, like for example, on the last international duty, like he came back injured. We thought he wasn't gonna feature against Florentina, and it was available again, you know what I'm saying? And it played a key role in that game. So to me, those are the kind of players that we want to Milan. Now, I'm not saying love to chic is not up to task, but obviously, when he's available and he's healthy, he plays a different brand.
SPEAKER_00:A wise man once said your your best uh your best skill is availability, like you know. So, yeah, you have to you have to show up, right? Because you can be as talented as you you want to be. If you don't, if you're not there, then it's no value to anybody, right? So go ahead. I do appreciate that exists. So you already know this part.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I have a question for you though, because you know, going to this pizza game, right? When I heard tomorrow wasn't going to play, I had no issue. Okay, just we have like you know, some backup players that should be actually be playing against this pizza, right? It's a newly promoted team. This is the opportunity for us to actually give our you know uh set our be team players, our substitute players, the opportunity to actually grow that sort of confidence and you know be part of the rotation squad so that they can actually you know be consistent in terms of also being playing, right? But you look at the winter, you look at Atikame, you look at even Richie as well, right? How do you think these guys are actually you know stepping up to task so far this season?
SPEAKER_00:So when I I I don't think they did anything wrong with the pizza game, right? It's just that, like I said, we're not clinical enough, and then pizza were opportunistic, they took they took their chances, right? So um it's one of those things where to your point, I said it before, if these players don't get the opportunity to play often, then guess what? Then they're not going to basically improve and keep showing who they are, right? Yeah, so the more they play, the more they feel like they are part of uh they get more confident, and then everything kind of improves from there for them. So to me, whenever you get the opportunity, whenever you get the opportunity to play them, play them, right? It's just that allegory has to. I don't know how to explain it. Allegory for him, his brain cannot compete when something doesn't um doesn't line up the way he he wants it to line up from uh it's in terms of uh the guy does not like to devote pragmatics, pragmatics he doesn't know for him, it is so risk-averse that, but I'm surprised. Like he played that he now take has scored a goal, he didn't really do that poorly, if you ask me, and then uh Richie, Richie was um has been good. Like I already knew he was a good player all along, so it's just a matter of continuing playing him. Same with the with the winter, you you can't go through the whole season with um Tomori, Pavlovich, and Gabia 100% all the time. So you have to play keep playing the guy, and then he'll gain confidence, and he has a lot of potential to step up. So the truth is it's gonna be growing paint just because again, that's what happens with young players, but but that's what you have to do, literally. You have to figure out like strategic spots to take that risk and be able to give them opportunity to build capability, otherwise, you're not going to you're gonna find out. Remember who was the person that was the player that Milan tossed into the game against Napoli? That was like two years ago or so. He was a very young defender. Do you remember? Oh, yeah, yeah, like against Napoli away. Pelegrini. Yes, yeah, and then the kid struggled. Where is the kid now? I can't even remember where they sent him.
SPEAKER_01:I think he's in his in South America now. Actually, uh I came across one of his um interview that he said one day he's still willing to come back to Syria and hopefully Milan.
SPEAKER_00:That's yeah, but those are the things that break people. You toss them into like a big game for their first game, and all of a sudden the person looks like they are bad, right? Yeah, but maybe the kid is just confidence, just gets shattered. These sports that they play, this sport they're they're playing, it's all about confidence, if you ask me, right?
SPEAKER_01:So go ahead. You know, uh right at the beginning of the season, I know you and I had this conversation about like Milan maybe selling of too many players, and we'll talk about the squad depth, right? Like after this injury from the first quarter of the season, right? I'm kind of worried because there's so many players right now on an injury list, and we look at the level of the level that we are competing at, right? Like, do you think Milan should add more players in general transfer? Or you think if those guys that come those guys come back and Milan add more players, we might have too many too many players, you know, just not having enough game time.
SPEAKER_00:The truth of the matter is if you ask me, Milan, I think I said it before that Milan doesn't have that many games to go around, so you can't be bringing in players and then keeping them on the bench, especially in the World Cup here, right? Nobody wants to do that. Like you like you get it, everybody wants to shine so they can go to the World Cup, and then yet you're bringing players and just keeping them on your bench because you don't have Champions League games, you don't have other tournaments for them to play. So to me, Milan only needs at least at most, rather, like two players in January. At most, the reason is it depends on where Milan is, then right? If you're pushing for the league for the league title in January, yeah, then you just need to sign yourself a striker and maybe a center back, like a defender, because our midfield is crowded. Like if uh Rabio is fit, it seems like our leg would rather die than bench him or put him anywhere.
SPEAKER_01:Obviously, you miss anymore, actually.
SPEAKER_00:No, honestly. No, I'm just telling you, right? If Rabio is fit, he's playing. If uh Modric is has two legs that work, he's going to play. So then that leaves you one spot, right? And then you have Polisic, you have you have Rafael Leao. So the reality is that if you put too many bodies up there, you're going to have too much problems, right? Especially these players that they want to prepare for the World Cup. So my.
SPEAKER_01:And we still have some new players that we don't know where he's gonna fit there.
SPEAKER_00:Well, uh Jazari. Jazari just coming back from injury, so but he too, he will have to he would like to get some minutes because, of course, he wants to play for his national team at some point. Um, what's it called? Like Atekami gets minutes because that's one of the areas where Milan struggles. Yeah, but the Sag is doing well, in my own opinion. So a stupid will come back. Guess what? Astupinian two want to play. So the reality is that technically Milan can't go more than one uh one backup player per position. They can't do that, right? So when you're asking, can we bring in more bodies in winter? My my answer is well, if you need a prolific uh striker to help you, because winter would be like general transfer, right? And then you're now you have about four or five months to finish the season. So if you need a a strike, a person, I would say a prolific striker that will help you bring the bring it home, it depends on how close you are to. And it looks like Milan is going to be close to to uh you know being there by January, February, because at this rate, everybody in Syria is just all over the place. So you know what I mean?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I'm not sure if it's something I should be worried about, but I'm actually observing a pattern right now, basically, because we've dropped you know points against Cremonese and also against Pizza, right? Which is something that I'm not I shouldn't be like for for a court like Allegri, right? I think these are the games I expect him to actually be able to win, you know, and get like all the maximum points. Like, is this something do you think this is just a blip, or because again, because of the beginning of the season, and you know, no, because of the other thing.
SPEAKER_00:It is it is not a blip, it is not a blip, and it is not because of the beginning of the season. So, how do you win games against the pizza and the criminosis of this world? Those teams they play usually in Sierra, they play smash and grab, right? Yeah, they play smash and grab, meaning they park the bus, they wait for you to break them down and then they hit you. They they wait for one of your defenders to make a foolish mistake and run out of position or trip trip on themselves or something, and then they take advantage. Yeah, that's literally the formula. And you and I have been watching this league for a long time to know that that is exactly how it has always been. So, the way you win these games, if you notice, like even back in the day, it's usually like a moment of magic from one of your very, very good players that always almost wins you those games in Italy. You see what I mean? Yeah, so why am I saying that? The problem Milan has, especially under Allegri, is the fact that there is not a lot of spark, there's not a lot of creativity. If Fulisic was there this uh past weekends, Milan would have won this game. Yeah, I agree with you because he's that person that will pop up somewhere with the goal, like you know, that most people wouldn't, right? That's exactly what it is. You you you rarely ever see all this um you know, like when in Italy, where you're playing the small team and you wall-up them like six nothing, seven nothing. The only people that somehow magically tends to beat everybody that is useless in Sierra is in Tamilan. Yeah, because they know how to bully. Uh I don't know how, but I just know that if Inter is playing, if Inter is playing Cagliari or whatever, they will win. Like if Inter is playing any small team in Italy, I just believe that they will win. It's so hard to think of them and them losing those games, right? For Milan, weirdly enough, I don't know what it is. They can't, but I think it's because Milan doesn't Milan, to be honest, a lot of our players are not like um that individually, they don't take those things, uh they don't individually step up usually for this kind of games because you have to, right? So, anyway, that's the thing. That's why I said you have to be worried because you you think even the Fiorentina game, think about. About it, if it wasn't for that uh half penalty that they gave to us and had the death, we were also going to draw that game and you will complain too.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You're right, you're right. But again, you know, like the thing is, if you ask me though, like Chin, in all honesty, I initially thought that this team was actually equipped enough in terms of you know personnel that can make a big difference in games. But when you look at it, like when one or two, three players are out injured, then you realize that man, this team is just you know a glass half full. You know what I'm saying? So to me, I feel like again, it's one of those issues that Igatari and the rest of the management should actually address in in general window, in all honesty. First of all, we need the striker. Like, if your striker is not scoring goals after seven, eight games, has not raised that one single goal, then it's something that the entire team should be worried about. Forget the fact that it's actually contributing off the ball. But at the end of the day, like your main responsibility as a striker is to score goals. Like right now, even if it's like four or five goals that you've contributed as a striker, it will make a huge difference for your team on the league table. Because, again, for example, that PISA game, that PISA game, the the Ferrentina game, the Juventus game, like those games that you expect like a striker, your top striker should be actually registering goals, make you just making themselves known as one of the top strikers in in Italy. And if you're not doing that, then that it's gonna it's gonna come back and hunt your team. That's how I say now. We're playing Atalanta on on Tuesday. This is a big game. Like, we're going to uh Bergamo, by the way, to go face Atalanta, who's actually you know growing in confidence. Um, even though they they drew against um, I was gonna say, are they?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, but go ahead.
SPEAKER_01:Well, the look compared to how they started, right? It they actually they begin to get better. And again, when it comes to Milan, you know, you already know that it's gonna be a completely different conversation for all these teams. You know what I'm saying? But however, I feel like we should have enough players back by Tuesday. Hopefully, we have Robin and Ruben Loftusik back.
SPEAKER_00:What's your problem with Ruben Loftus? It's not the reason Milan is not scoring goals.
SPEAKER_01:No, no, but we need right now, like if Police Polish is not around, the only player that's again.
SPEAKER_00:I keep saying he's not the reason Milan is not scoring goals.
SPEAKER_01:So um around, like, he's the only close player that can at least can actually get close to what police actually provide in terms of you know being present in the attacking phase or in the midfield. So I think it's very important for him to actually be around to to to feature.
SPEAKER_00:Do you know how long Rabio is out for? No, I'm asking.
SPEAKER_01:I don't even know, but Rabio is worrisome, man. Like Rabio's absence is really troubling me, and Rabio's absence is the reason why for Fana is beginning to play nonsense, by the way. Because I was watching him because I'm like nonsense.
SPEAKER_00:So so you understand now why I was telling you that like if you ask for Fana to do things that is not comfortable for him, it's not just him, any player, they will start playing rubbish.
SPEAKER_01:I was watching, like, you this guy is back to because that's exactly what it is, right?
SPEAKER_00:Because Richie's coming in now, and then Richie has a different profile from from uh uh what is his name, Rabio Rabio. So for Fana, according to you, he says he's playing rubbish, so yeah, he's not playing rubbish.
SPEAKER_01:Um my thing is just that you know, when Rabio plays, like you can tell like his presence is always felt in that midfield, like he knows how to bust that midfield, like physically, intellectually, like he's always have, and again, he gives Modric that freedom to play, you know, the attacking football that we that we want when we have when we're in position of the ball. Like when you look at Modric when he has the ball, right? Fofana is there, but Fofana doesn't really have that sort of progressive play that you expect, you know, Milan to benefit from. Like, he's not that kind of player, unfortunately. I just have to be be realistic. But you are and Richie on the other hand on the other hand, he has his own you know value that he brings to the team, but I feel like Richie still has a long way to go to be able to actually have that sort of you know impose or have that sort of impact that we are we expect for him in from him in that midfield, you know, honesty. We're playing Atalanta, who again are not at their best, but they are also gradually gaining their confidence. Like, what do you expect from this game?
SPEAKER_00:Um, I think it's gonna be a tough game, similar to uh like as Milan and Atalanta always is a tough game. Last year they beat us at the death, right? Uh Lukeman, and you know, I still remember because it hurt. Uh so the point is it's gonna be a very difficult game for Milan. But I also expect that Milan will find a way to to either the Milan will probably draw the game because frankly, that's that's where my head always goes with Milan. Because I don't think we are like creative enough, if in my own opinion, to blow people out of the water. And the reality is that even though we've been defensively solid this season, it is it's not like you've been like you know you can't you you you you won't concede a goal against top teams, right? I feel like we will concede a goal against top teams. So I bring that up to say um it's gonna be one of those ones where there's a chance that Milan is winning and end up uh giving it up and then it ends up being a draw, or Milan will basically come back like they did uh recently this past week, right? So it's I see a draw in the game. It'll be sad, but I see a draw, and then if maybe an arrow win if Milan has to force it. Uh, if if anybody, if a lot of people come back and they can contribute. Because I look at the bench, allegory allegory only made two substitutions against Pisa. Two. Yeah, he has option for five, but he can't start bringing in like 17-year-old kids, and that's easy. That's a problem, right? So that's where Milan, like, to be honest, like it's just so hard to do with such uh number a very thin, thin bench. Uh, but it's one of those things where, like I said earlier, you can't bring everybody in and then don't have so much so many minutes for them. Um, I also think he needs to start playing Kunku more because like I say that because reality he keeps bringing him for 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes. He has to play the guy, let the guy start a match for once and see what he has to offer and see if he actually like you know, he he might be better than um honestly.
SPEAKER_01:If you if you honestly change, I'll think I'll think he's just start Rafael and Kunku in this next coming game, right?
SPEAKER_00:And just see yeah, just see what happens, right? Yeah, and then play Alexis, play Alexis on the other side, um, and then just basically a stupin will be back anyways for for that another game, so she'll be playing on the left hand side instead.
SPEAKER_01:Um ahead of Batsagi.
SPEAKER_00:I feel like we we have what it takes. Well, that's a problem. That's a problem. I wouldn't play him there.
SPEAKER_01:We'll see how it goes. I think I think Milan has what it takes.
SPEAKER_00:What do you mean you see? You see how we go. What do you what do you want to see? When I already told you how it goes, you say we'll see how it goes. So I would not play, I will not play a stupid there. Like not against Luke Man, like really. Like, is it not is it not Luke Man he'll be playing against?
SPEAKER_01:Anyways, yes, yes, but Luke Man okay has not been in its best form.
SPEAKER_00:It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter, but anyway, there are people that there are people that play people in two form, and uh uh stupignan may be one of those people that play people in two form. He play look man in two form.
SPEAKER_01:But, anyways, we are we are going into that another game uh on Tuesday, dropping from first on league table to third. Napoli is now leading Roma second, and we are third on the league table. If we win on Tuesday, we get back on top of the league table. Um hopefully that's the case for us. Um, in the meantime, I would like to see what um allegres um reaction is going to be on Tuesday and how he he uh he shapes his team. And uh hopefully Milan can at least narrowly edge Atalanta on Tuesday and again get back on the league table.
SPEAKER_00:So I think Milan, Milan, to be honest, this season, like I said, we have a good chance because uh I just saw KDB took a penalty and tore his hamstring. I don't even know how you take a penalty and injure your hamstring, but it's the same hamstring that made Man City sell him or get rid of him in the first place, right? So I feel like he's gonna be out for a while because uh that's how that's how KDB, that's how players retire, by the way. It's little things like that because he has been dealing with this hamstring for two years. Yeah, like literally, he has been dealing with this hamstring for two years. So that's um that's sad for Napoli. Uh, but then again, uh Scott McTominay is like bloody good. Like, I've I don't know how he all of a sudden got that much confidence to be doing the things he's doing.
SPEAKER_01:We'll see how it goes on Tuesday. Thank you so much, listeners. Thank you very much, everyone, for joining us again on this podcast. Thank you, Chim, for coming on board um to discuss on Milan.
SPEAKER_00:Hopefully, we'll meet back thank you, Dave.
SPEAKER_01:Uh Wednesday to to talk more about the about the Atlanta game. Thank you very much. Um, Fosa Milano, have a one time, and uh all the best to Milan.
SPEAKER_00:Hopefully, they beat Atlanta. Thank you. Bye for now. No problems. Okay, have a good one.
