AC Milan - Torino FC | Serie A Matchday 22 | Feb. 1st, 2014

Venue: San Siro

Recent form:
Milan: DLWLWW
Torino: WWLDWW

Called up players:
Abbiati, Amelia, Gabriel, Abate, Bonera, Constant, De Sciglio, Mexes, Rami, Zaccardo, Cristante, Emanuelson, Essien (N. 15), De Jong, Honda, Kakà, Montolivo, Muntari, Saponara, Taarabt (N.23), Pazzini, Petagna, Robinho.

Expected lineup:


Note: Essien won't start, but will probably come off the bench later in the game according to Seedorf. Balotelli is suspended. Taarabt called up.

Prediction: Milan 2-0 Torino

Milan 0-0 Torino

Milan-Torino 3-0 (Pazzini , Honda,Kaka )

Milan 4-0 Torino (Taarabt, Taarabt, Taarabt, Taarabt)

OFFICIAL 11: MILAN: Abbiati; De Sciglio, Bonera, Rami, Urby; Muntari, Montolivo; Honda, Kaka, Robinho; Pazzini

Really not much to talk about. Our defence HAS improved on a tactical scale yet being marred by the incompetence of clowns like Urby and Bonera. Bonera for the 1st goal did not surprise me as Di Natale did the same thing to him TWICE in that 4-4 Udinese match in San Siro.

Our pressing as a whole was intelligent yet the work off the ball tired us near the end to which is a sign that Seedorf will need to up the ante on our training intensity, to which is actually being done in preparation for our intense pressing.

Kaka was wasteful yet he was the best of our front 4 given he linked the midfield with attack numerous times and created chances that would have been buried if not for poor finishing or Robinho's poor use of the offside trap.

Honda's poor performance was a product of Seedorf hammering square pegs in round holes, he will NEVER EVER succeed in a role that isolates him completely. Bringing in another old school TQ in Sapo out left was even more baffling.

Pazzo was fairly good yet needed to drop deeper at times and was not afforded movement given Torino parked a shipyard in the final minutes.

MDS was consistent as usual.

Rami as displayed by his time in Milan has been so consistent as its no wonder his side of the defence is very disciplined. His rocket of a goal capping off a perfect defensive performance.

Our system is promising yet the lack of urgency in midfield and true wide players is bothersome and will always plague us unless we change semantic to which does suit out players and does not congest Kaka.

Montolivo will not work in the pivot given his lack of pace and mobility to cover the fullbacks. Decision to play Muntari at pivot was mind-boggling; ostracization of Poli has been further puzzling given his traits are exactly what we need in midfield.

Result as a whole not so bad given Torino in scintillating form were always going to trouble a side in major work. We attacked very well despite lack of guile at times as I put this one down to bad luck.

We need to give out attack some time to gel together. There needs to be more positional switch upfront so that we confuse the opponent and be more fluid. Also, Kaka can't play for 90 mins, plus, he needs rest.

I agree with pretty much everything Arq pointed out. Overall, I think this was a positive game. We dominated the whole time, and while we should have created more chances, it was nevertheless a step forward in my opinion.

Seedorf's philosophy is slowly starting to set in and the changes are obvious, not as much in results maybe, but in the way we play as a team. Individual deficiencies are what is holding us back right now, and that is why the January transfer window was key, but Galliani failed to address any issues adequately.

Oh well, I hope he moves on in the summer and we have a much better summer transfer window. I can really see us going back to the top with a few key signings because the determination and ideas from Seedorf's side are definitely there and with each passing game, my belief that he is the man to lead us forward is only growing.

honda didn't play well by his standard, but i think he will improve. i didnt like how de sciglio muntari robinho was making very risky passes where he was already marked. and besides kaka will play AM so i doubt that honda will play as AM. having seen at honda for years, i know he can exploit the flanks too, but for japan he plays pretty much everywhere in forward role. so i hope he is little bit mobile with milan too so he can spread passes and not limit himself to right wing.

Bonera is a complete liability at the back, the fact that he fell in that 1v1 again Immobile is inexcusable. I can't wait to have Zapata back.

This game showed how much important Super Mario is. A good performance makes it more frustrating that we did not win. On the bright side, Fiorentina lost and Inter has a match with Juve so our league rivals won't be having nice days.

Arq has already done an excellent job of wrapping up the match, so I shan't go into much detail on many issues which have already been well covered.

I do however want to raise a few points, firstly in defence of Seedorf's decision to play Muntari, not from a footballing perspective but instead as a sign of his capability as a man manager. Whilst the possibility of Muntari leaving for Hull City was broached throughout the transfer window, the failure of this transfer requires Seedorf to assess Muntari's ability to play within his system.

This is to be a half-season of experimentation for Seedorf and the choice allowed Seedorf to rotate and rest De Jong, who given our injuries and suspensions will be arguably our most important player in the Champions League tie and must not be burnt out after bearing a heavy workload in the first six months. It also importantly prevents Muntari from feeling isolated or unappreciated under the new management, something that would be counter-productive when he will be with us for at least another six months.

Obviously it would have been preferable to see how Poli might adapt to such a role, however he has been unavailable for quite some time now with what seems to be an aggressive flu and was not included in the squad. Whilst I can't defend Muntari's inclusion from purely footballing perspective, I thought it was a deft touch from Seedorf, in recognition that our ability to put into place his principles and instill confidence into the greater group again takes precedence over short term results.

I also disagree with the manner in which Montolivo was dismissed from a defensive standpoint, as whilst he is not quite so physically dynamic as some others in our midfield he was the dominant presence in the match as a ball winner and will continue to improve as Seedorf tweaks our midfield structure. He is still struggling from the lack of movement in our final third and our lack of width, both when established in possession and in providing quick options on the counter.

I've liked what I have seen from Honda in his first month at Milan on an individual level, however it remains evident that a true winger is required to restore balance down the right. We are failing to play to his strengths and limiting his touches on the ball, however given that both Saponara and Birsa are equally out of place on the wing he represents the best option at this time.

All in all, this game was a continuation of greater trends. As in all of our games under Seedorf we have shown greater verve in the opening ten minutes, attempting to impose our tempo on the game and placing immediate pressure on our opposition, however much remains simply reminiscent of our entire season. A failure to stretch the opposition, frustrating decision making in the final third, the lack of a final ball, defensive frailty on the counter-attack and a crippling lack of options from the bench capable of altering our shape or affecting the tempo of the match. Our bench offers no diversity - Taarabt doesn't exist as far as I'm concerned - and we continue to wade through our second halves until the final ten minutes. A decent result and a decent performance on the whole, however.

Great Analysis Dost. I agree with most of your points.