Summer Mercato 2011

[LebRN]

I think there's a possibility of seeing a future midfield of...

---------------MvB------------------
-----Boateng--------Sweinsteiger---
---------------Ganso----------------

That is exactly the midfield i was thinking about if we get these 2 players because i think Boateng can contribute a lot in that RCM role with his energy and forward runs and agressiveness

Ganso it seems is the safest bet right now (and increasingly looking like a great bet) while Bastian is too hard/expensive to get but is potentially the best player in the world for the LCM role.

Looking at Brazil in Copa America, Ganso is playing in a 3 man midfield with 3 attacking players in front which might suggest he could work in a midfield position other than the ACM (when needed), however, i think the team will be much more balanced with him as ACM & 3 midfielders behind.

Given that Ganso is pretty sure and Bastian is expensive, I am guessing the LCM could very well be an Italian (Montolivo, Aquilani, Poli) which will all be less expensive than Bastian....and in all honesty, if we get Ganso and we cannot afford another WC player, i think Montolivo won't be a bad buy because I would rather have him starting at LCM than Seedorf who is our current option....of course i would prefer Asamoah (not sure if Udinese will want to sell more players after cashing in on so many) or De Rossi (unlikely to leave now that Roma are rebuilding and given his love to the club) but they will both be more expensive than the guys i listed so it would be a matter of how big the budget is.

However, if Ganso is coming, then Cassano will surely be leaving and in that case, instead of sending him to Fiorentina and include Montolivo in that deal, we can probably do that with Udinese and get Asamoah in return...at the same time Cassano will have the chance to play CL football with Udinese (although it is seeming less likely with all their sales) which is not an option with Fiorentina.....but again that could only happen if we get Ganso in the summer because i'm not sure we can afford to be without either until the winter mercato, unless Al Shaarawy turns out to be a phenomenon.

---

The ACM is Boateng.

- We have two most creative forwards in Ibra and Cassano.
- We also have a creative LCM in Schweinsteiger.

So behind and in front of the ACM are there always creative players.

Boateng's main job is not to create but to collect the ball and deliver it to the creative forward(s). Binho can also do this job. This system can also fit Ganso to LCM position. We'll have at least two creative players at the same time, one at LCM, one at SS.

I would much rather have a creative ACM with Boateng as RCM because that would make Ibra & Pato 10x more dangerous and as we saw last year, we were not able to capitalize on this great attacking line because we lack the creative ACM...even if we get to buy Bastian for LCM, 2 creative midfielders are better than one especially that they are different type of players

[Jay Crisp]

I think it's from years of underachieving up until last season , but I feel not confident at all that any 2 of , schweinsteiger Ganso Hamsik Pastore Fabregas will arrive feels a bit like a dream..I hope I'm 100% wrong then there is Berlu snd his fine.
I think a montolivo or Aqualani is what we'll get..what I'd love is Rossi and Pastore , replace V.Bommel and Nesta next summer , get Merkel back hopefully after a good season with Genoa..I don't think Mexes can replace Nesta , he's almost 30 anyway..when nesta like maldini retire they must be replaced by quality Silva came in for Maldini so someone else for Nesta.

Even if we make no great signing it's still not as bad as 09 when we list Maldini Ancelotti and our best player at the time in Kaka..I think spending or planned spending has hit the breaks because of the fine , and they are trying to formulate a plan we'll have to wait and see what it is.

[Aficio]

I don't like the idea using Boateng especially against big team in CL although there are creative players behind and in front of him. Boateng can bridge the midfield and the forward but he lacks the ability to keep the ball, utilize it, etc. He can only take the pass from a midfielder and then directly to the forward. We are not that optimal having such king of quality in central position like CAM.

About Schweinsteiger, I still think it is pretty impossible to get Schweinsteiger. If he does want to move to win something, he wouldn't renew his contract. There is chance to get him but still little chance. Similar with Fabregas but to Schweinsteiger is probably little more possible than Fabregas.

I don't like it either, but it worked and it wasn't really tested in CL. Tottenham played all-defense against us. The problem was not him but the lack of creativity in the center. We could control the match better with Pirlo or Seedorf in the first leg. With 3DMs, we stopped every attack easily, but the space between DMs and FWs was too large, especially for the passing skill of Rino & Flamini under heavy rain.

About Schweinsteiger:
- Bayern always have the biggest budget in Bundesliga, always have the best squad in Germany but they find it hard to win the league 2 times a row.
- With 4 CLs and 4 times runner-up, their status is not inferior to Milan, Inter or Juve, but they can't attract top players like our big three. Germany's project of investing in youth is great, but it makes Bundesliga an "Arsenal" Liga.
- Schweini has won everything in Germany, he lacks only the CL.
- If he wants to contribute more to his Nationalmanschaft, moving to another league to gain experience is a good choice.
- A fashion city like Milan is good for his girlfriend's career.
- Mino Raiola knows Bayern quite well.

Well, my reasons are not strong, but there is some hope

I wouldn't use Ganso in LCM if I'm honest, I don't think he's what we want there, and therefore would rather Boateng pulled back with Ganso in ACM. However, an interesting movement we'd see by having this shape would be Ganso often likes to come deep to pick up the ball and dictate matches, which would leave gaps higher up for our mezzala to push up into.

From the highlights I saw, Ganso can defense quite well. He is capable of stealing the ball from his opponents. He lacks the speed and stamina, but he is quick in decision making. We scored a lot of goals this season thanks to counter attack, and I think he can help to make thing even better. His natural position is ACM, but I don't think Santos have creative forwards like Ibra/Cassano in front of him.

Conflict with Ibra/Cassano is the first reason. Second is Boateng now can only play ACM, and he helps the team very well. Third is if we use him there, we still lack a LCM. Last but not least, playing deep, like you've said, is not unfamiliar to him.

I would much rather have a creative ACM with Boateng as RCM because that would make Ibra & Pato 10x more dangerous and as we saw last year, we were not able to capitalize on this great attacking line because we lack the creative ACM...even if we get to buy Bastian for LCM, 2 creative midfielders are better than one especially that they are different type of players

You are greedy. I like you

I also want Boateng to play RCM or LCM, but his defense techniques and positioning are not good enough to play effectively like Gattuso, and he doesn't have the skills to play on the left (he is right-footed).

[russo-neri]

Personally, I think we'd be in super shape if we signed Hamsik/Pastore as ACM and Asamoah at LCM and switch Boateng at RCM. We'd have hard working side midfielders allowing our FBs to join the attack, but still provide enough offense of their own.

Someone straighten me out, but my interest in Ganso has waned now that I've finally seen him play his last 4 games (libertadores final and 3 copa america matches). The last match he looked pretty talented, but he seems lethargic to me. He doesn't really move much on the pitch. My ignorance led me to think that Ganso (as an ACM) was in the kaka mold - that is, someone who had speed in addition to incredible ball control. But that doesn't seem the case.


Am I seeing the real Ganso, or is this an injured player who normally plays a LOT better?

[reza]

If these games are anything to go by Ganso is a Riquelme type player more than anything else, I would have my doubts about such a player in fast CL matches but that's just an impression based on very little.

[Aficio]

I doubt Ganso now, too.

I want to say our special system can slot an uncreative ACM and a creative LCM in, so player like Ganso can play LCM for us. But he must at first prove himself in his favorite position.

[Revolver]

@ ACMILAN1983,

I didn't write off Hamsik, Allegri and Galliani surely have a plan B, so if Montolivo comes and not Schweinsteiger, then Hamsik will be our next target and not Ganso I think.

Of course, there is an option to buy more defensively minded midfielder (De Rossi, Asamoah) and to go with Boateng in center midfield, but I'm not for this option, as in my opinion Boateng is not good enough for that role, and we're losing Gattuso's CL experience which could be crucial in our assault on CL next season.

About Schweinsteiger being too expensive and hard to get... well if we're going to buy a PROVEN classy player it will had to be expensive and hard to get. I know Berlusconi and Galliani are able to buy any player in the world bar Messi and Ronaldo if they want to. Quite some time ago people were saying that if Berlusconi wants a player it's aleady half of transfer.

[Kaka1899]

Doubting Ganso? how about this
"Ganso has already assisted 3 of Brazil's goals in the group stage of the Copa America 2011, more than any other player so far."

[Siregar]

People judge a player so easily. How many games? Three games? Fortunately we have real scout who monitors players for years not only for 1-3 games.

[Gabriel426]

This just hits me. Maybe all along the LCM role is actually a smokescreen for Milan. When you actually look at all the midfielders being link to Milan none of them play in that role. Actually they all play in a more central role.

Personally, I think the formation might be more like this.

----------Boateng-MVB----------
-------Unknown CM/ACM-------
Pato/Robinho-------------Robinho/Cassano
---------------IBRA---------------

I know this is not the formation that won the league for Milan and why would Max change a winning formation....but this formation can work and most importantly, Milan only needs to sign ONE GREAT player to upgrade the starting 11.
I also know that Max tried it last year and failed, but it was mainly due to not having a player like MVB and injuries.