AC Milan vs Palermo

Mihajlovic has confirmed that the same team that started the derby will face Palermo.

Palermo have been weakened by the departures of Dybala and Belotti however they're currently flying high in the table, despite dropping points against Carpi. Vazquez remains as dangerous as ever, whilst new signing Hiljemark will be one to keep an eye on.

We've struggled to create thus far, with the fewest shots on target of any side in the league and can not expect to benefit from the same space on the counter as against Inter. There's nothing impressive about getting up for a derby. No one in the league is going to give us a free ride and we need to start grabbing games by the throat again.

smh Honda

Mexes has been left out of the squad, whilst Menez, Antonelli and Niang remain injured.

AC Milan Squad: Abbiati, Donnarumma, Diego Lopez, Abate, Alex, Calabria, De Sciglio, Ely, Romagnoli, Zapata, Bonaventura, De Jong, Josè Mauri, Kucka, Montolivo, Nocerino, Poli, Suso, Bacca, Balotelli, Cerci, Honda, Luiz Adriano

Dissapointed to hear Honda will be starting again, though I understand Sinisa must feel that's his only option.

hmm , let's not be so critical against Honda . Of course he had a bad game and probably there's good enough reason to be concerned with him starting another game straight away , but one game doesn't justify a burn .

He works hard for the team , and hard work usually stacks to reward you eventually. Let's see how it turns out .

I remember Boateng had many equally bad games behind the strikers yet it took way longer till fans begun calling him out . Final note , that's not necessarily to defend Honda , most likely you're all right to be concerned , myself isn't confident to see he will start either . I am saying , bad games can happen , giving him a chance to make up for it , seems fair enough to me .

If he doesn't , for obvious reasons .. oh well . If i was Sinisa i would probably trust Suso a lot more than he does.. He's more skillful than both Bona and Honda and in theory , if he's given the opportunities , he could become a strong player for us .

At least , i feel Suso has everything to be better than our other options atm , if Miha trusted him that is. I am sure nobody wants to see yet another Saponara case .. Maybe Saponara isn't what we needed , or to tell you what i think , i think Saponara couldn't handle the pressure at becoming important at Milan , he seems like an entirely different player ever since he left Milan .. Maybe i am wrong about this , maybe not , but Suso doesn't seem to be the same case , Suso probably just needs the games .

Having said all that , i am ok with Miha giving chances first to Honda , then maybe to Bonaventura , in case Honda isn't up to par. It's always the same , most coaches at Milan feel the pressure rising week by week , trusting in experience than youth and development. I guess we'll see , i just hope something works out afterall

Final note , completely disagree with any of our forwards playing 10 , just no. Just having them near the strikers doesn't nowhere near mean they will be doing less badly in comparison to Honda/Bona/Suso , or bring their qualities into our game easier. None of Bacca , Adriano or Balotelli should ever play 10 , simply because they aren't midfielders and they will suffer and the team will suffer when they don't have the ball at their feet.

And even then , they still don't justify the change , they won't play better than they would at their normal position . It's just not worth it. Our choices are this , Honda , Jack and Suso . At least let's hope it's this , if i see Miha trying out Menez at 10 , i will instantly jump on the sack train .

Milan lineup
                      Lopez
Abate.     Zapata.  Romagnoli.     Sciglio
         Kucka  monto.    Bona  
                        Honda
        Adriano.            Bacc
No balo

Prince was frustrating as hell but he was in a much better situation. Even if he couldn't control a game, Ibrahimovic could and it let him float around and score his stupidly amazing wonder goals every so often.

I get the feeling that Suso won't get much of a look in this season, it seems like he barely avoided being sent out on loan, but we needed the numbers in his position. It may well be that he needs to go elsewhere, to a smaller side to truly shine. I'm unsure how to judge Saponara however. Certainly, he would not have been performing as well now if he'd stayed at Milan last season, but perhaps it was just the introduction to Serie A that he needed under a proper coach. Sarri didn't even let him play for well over a month when he first arrived as he didn't consider him fit enough, which tells you all you need to know about Inzaghi's standards. When he was finally let loose though, he steadily improved with each passing game. When you've got an established international like Honda on the bench though, are you really going to show that sort of patience?

Menez is the wild card, it seems like madness but who knows. Last season, with Inzaghi building around him, it brought out all the flaws in his play and amplified them. I'm not convinced he'd start playing for others again though but who knows? Had Ibra arrived, then he'd have gotten into line but that's because when Zlatan is in the side, you play for him or you rot on the bench. With Bacca and Adriano though? They're proper forwards at least, unlike last season when he was put next to Torres and Pazzo but I don't think it would work. Everything that makes their partnership look so effective right now is pretty much everything Menez isn't interested in.

You're right about Suso i guess , i also agree Honda and maybe Bonaventura should have first chances before him , i just see in Suso the kind of technique and skill that the first two don't seem to have . Suso at least has the right mindset and skill on the ball to create , the others rely on certain occasions of the game to be dangerous , they lack imagination ,they don't really try to create opportunities outside of their comfort zone .. for example Honda , he's always so predictable when he has defenders already in position in front of him.. or Bonaventura will just try to dribble his way out , in that kind of situation , most of the time.. Suso has an eye for that defence-spliting pass , or that pass which can give the striker the chance to try and poach..

But yes , Miha probably has his reasons when it comes to Suso , i guess we will have to wait and see how it all turns out. I do think it's a real shame he hasn't been used more than that , though . Maybe he eventually gets the chances to clarify everything.

Lol about Inzaghi . Yes , Saponara was handled better Sarri , no doubt. But that much of a difference? I mean , it's not just the football , even reading statements from pre and post Milan time , you can tell. Much more confident , perhaps it was just a coach thing handling him to be consistent in Serie A as you say .

As for Menez , no matter who's around him , give that man the main responsibility to feed others and you deserve what's coming to you. I could accept Menez as 10 only in strict counter attack plans . Only there , where you know he would utilise his strengths for a very specific reason and even then , you can just wait for him not to do the most obvious thing any other player would and just don't pass what would have been probably a final pass.

I just won't be able to handle it if i see him as 10 , I KNOW he won't be nowhere near what a 10 has to be . He'll play just like a striker behind other 2 strikers and try to score on his own , much like Balotelli was doing in 13-14 when he found himself in attacking midfield . I will believe he will start playing for others only when i see it , a player doesn't just erase a playstyle / mindset , whatever drives him to be so solo focused. If this could change and also his passing could also improve a few fkloads , then sure , why not (:

Just out of respect for De Jong and his work I dont like how he is not a starter. But i understand after Monty's game last week. Also, it nice to see we're fielding (or what feels like, according to Sinisa) our strongest team atm. Didn't it take Inzaghi 3-4 months to field the same team twice or something? constantly changing the defence, midfield etc.

OFFICIAL #ACMilan Xl vs. Palermo:
Diego Lopez; Abate, Zapata, Romagnoli, De Sciglio; Bonaventura, Montolivo, Kucka; Honda; Bacca, L.Adriano.

Palermo Xl: Sorrentino; Struna, Gonzalez, El Kaoutari, Lazaar; Hiljemark, Jajalo, Chochev; Vazquez, Quaison; Djurdjevic.

Same starting lineup as the last game.. I hope Honda can repay Miha's faith in him after that abysmal showing against Inter.

Calabria replaces an injured Abate


Seeing shades of Rinus Michels Ajax in this Palermo, the press is well organized

WGAT A CROSS BY CALABRIA, WHAT A TOUCH BBONAVERNTUR WHAT AFICO GOAL BY BACCAAAA

1-0

Stream pls

TV :/

I have a shitty SD stream which can't go fullscreen without disabling adblock.

Kucka has been playing quite well. Calabria with better crossing than Abate already

Bacca's finish https://streamable.com/tm1v

Palermo 1-1

Very poor from DL and MDS

Disgraceful defending. WTF

Lopez Need Antonelli back ASAP because MDS has been a disaster.

Smh, Bacca needs diving lessons from Menez

BONAVENTURA WHAT A *bleep* FREE KICK, HOW CAN ANYONE NOT LOVE THIS PLAYER?

2-1

JACK FFS

No use for Honda in the squad now if Allegri takes free kicks like this.

JACKK YOU *bleep* BEAUTYY!!

De Sciglio with cross of the season so far.

That cross gave me physical pain