Montolivo Fan Club

Dante wrote:Montolivo obviously has shown immense skill and put on exciting performances despite all the negative results.
In both the offensive & defensive part of his game , he has been a joy to watch.

I also think Allegri should give Monty more free kick opportunities . So far , he's been taking the ones from long distance. He should take these on the left side , close or wide range as well.

El Shaarawy wrote:

Dante wrote:Montolivo obviously has shown immense skill and put on exciting performances despite all the negative results.
In both the offensive & defensive part of his game , he has been a joy to watch.

I also think Allegri should give Monty more free kick opportunities . So far , he's been taking the ones from long distance. He should take these on the left side , close or wide range as well.

Let Pato take them

Ganso wrote:I dont even miss Pirlo anymore

Ganso wrote:Anyone watching the Italy game atm?Hes great...the guy will be one of the top cms in world football if he plays like this throughout the season.Too bad Balotelli screws everything up,i hope we never sign him

Abate is playing well too.Cassano is kind of meh,losing a lot of possession

Rickinch wrote:

Xifio wrote:finally: contrary to some people in this thread, I think there's a lot to like about the setup Max chose ... sure, I wouldn't mind seeing 1 or 2 personnel changes, but Monty as DLP is an excellent tactical decision -- and I thought he thrived in that role tonight ... it would take a bold manager to play a similar setup against Barça; with Ste being able to slot straight in for Mario in the 9.5 role, I personally would like to see it happen (regardless of how admittedly unlikely that might be) ...

Highly agree there Xifio, Monty's passes as DLP tonight were delicious :F

Riccardo Montolivo says Milan’s struggles this season are down to their mentality, and discusses Mario Balotelli and Fernando Torres.

The Rossoneri are currently eighth in Serie A after a draw with Torino and a home defeat to Sassuolo since the winter break, but the Italian international doesn’t believe it’s a lack of quality which is hampering the team.

“Our problem is mental,” Montolivo explained to Gazzetta dello Sport.

“We’ve failed to stay switched on and focused for 90 minutes. That’s the difference between a great team, and one like us which has ‘only’ great players.

“We struggle a bit against those who look to sit deep and defend, because we have fast players, almost counter-attackers.

“What’s the right League position for Milan? For now, the one we have. Juve and Roma are stronger than us.

“But with the right spirit and the work we’re doing to grow from a mental point of view we can compete with everyone else.

“Tactically we can play with a classic centre-forward, or [Jeremy] Menez who makes attacking movements. That’s not what has affected our performance.

“I prefer a striker who likes to run deep, it’s easier to give them the ball. Could we play 4-2-3-1? We’d risk being ultra-attacking, because of the characteristics of our wingers, but personally I wouldn’t have problems, I played that role well for [Clarence] Seedorf and [Cesare] Prandelli.

“To me, Napoli seem the team best equipped for third place. It’s true that [Silvio] Berlusconi doesn’t think so, but that’s because the President dreams big.

“We have to deal with that reality, he has undeniable charisma and each time he visits us [at Milanello] it makes us happy and gives us a boost, talking to him is exciting.

“Inter? We hope to make third place ahead of them. This is the time for us to look in the mirror and ask what we want to be.”

The Milan captain also discussed the departures of Mario Balotelli and Fernando Torres, and gave his opinions on the struggles of the two strikers.

“Torres had problems adapting and because of Menez’s explosion in form. Torres is a great guy.

“When I think back to Balotelli, the first thing I do is laugh. Mario was fun, he’s a good guy.

“I think it’s a shame we didn’t see his talent every Sunday. Even in training we saw it in flashes. Balotelli needs to get his priorities in order.”

Milan Coach Filippo Inzaghi is reminiscent of former Italy CT Cesare Prandelli, according to Riccardo Montolivo.

The Rossoneri have struggled this season under Inzaghi’s guidance, currently sitting eighth in Serie A, but Montolivo backs the tactician to turn things around.

“He has great authority, which isn’t a guaranteed skill in someone so young,” the playmaker told Gazzetta dello Sport.

“He’s a rallying point for all of us, he has very clear ideas about the game, he reminds of me of Prandelli at Fiorentina.

“He’s still learning, he’ll make mistakes but he can become a great Coach.

“Is he nice to us? I wouldn’t say that! I can think of a couple of situations where he was really angry, against Genoa and Sassuolo for example.

“It’s in his blood, he’s very visceral. He lives and breathes the game. Maybe right now he motivates us more with the stick than the carrot.”

The 29-year-old also discussed Milan’s aims for the season, and says qualification for the Europa League would not represent success.

“I don’t have any trophies, I’m at zero but I’m still proud. I retain an affection for Atalanta, and I was captain at a great club like Fiorentina.

“I’ve played in the final of the European Champions and the European Cup, I’ve played at a World Cup and almost a second one.

“Circumstances have kept me away from winning things, maybe at the big teams there were better players than me.

“The Coppa Italia is our primary goal this season, and we demonstrated that the other night. I’d like to start [winning trophies] with that.

“Europa League? It’d be a better season than last season, but not satisfactory.”

Montolivo had an exclusive interview with #GdS today. Here are some of the highlights of what he had to say.

"I personally feel my best position in in front of the defence playing as a regista. But I play where the coach wants me to as one of my strengths is the ability to adapt."

"Third place? I do not have a magic wand."

"Our problem this year so far has been a mental issue. We closed out 2014 extremely well. However, we've been unable to stay focused for the course of 90 minutes and we've been plugged back on several occasions."

"Our main competitor for third place is definitely Napoli. They seem to be the best equipped team for it."

"The President is inspiring and has lots of charisma. He cannot solve all the problems by himself. Big purchases are welcome, but it is more vital to work on what we have currently."

"Inter's market? No, we are not scared even if they've made big purchases."

"Inzaghi has a great authoritative presence and is very good for his age. However, he's still learning and thus, he is prone to his mistakes. He reminds me of Prandelli."

"Torres is a great guy. Unfortunately, he was taking too long to acclimatize to Serie A and Menez was doing very well."

"The captain's armband was a dream for me. As a captain, I try to lead by example and do less talking."

"We have a lot of players who are from Atalanta. I'd like to see Baselli join us."

"Atalanta is always an emotional experience for me, coming from there when I was just starting my career."

"Conceding from set pieces? It's frustrating because we work on it so much."

"Balotelli is a great guy. I miss seeing his talent. Even in training, he'd show glimpses. He needs to get his priorities in order."

"El Shaarawy and De Sciglio? They are the gems of Italy. They need to be more tough both physically and mentally."