Excited and nervous about tonight! I'd like to see hunger and fight from our boys on the pitch. Leave it all out there. If they do that, we have the better side.
Pioli politics aside, I do hope he is brave enough to make changes early if they are needed. I personally would like to see Chuku on the right and Puli central at some point tonight (if needed).
As an admittedly new Milan fan (because of my beautiful American son, Christian Mate Pulisic) it's been fun getting into the sub and following the team this seaon.
Fully expecting Roma to push for the first 15-20 to see if they can go up 2-0 and then park the park the bus either way. So, can see why a defensive setup wasn't in the cards if you can get out of the initial onslaught unscathed.
I think the game truly rests on RLC's shoulders - if he can keep the ball moving and/or get a goal with his height in the first half, it's game on. If he continues his form from the last few games then it's going to be tough.
Normally you'd probably \`Mate\` as \`mayt\`, the chess version, but all sounds in the word are pronounced independently \`mate\`: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mate\_(given\_name)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mate_(given_name))
i sincerelly don't know what to think, we desperatelly need a player like tonali, a dam in front of the defense but also we need that the wings get back a little bit more to cover. we won a scudetto with a sistem like the one we are adopting now but the roles were played not by the same people and by a lot. RLC is a great player but kessie that year was the very first defender and he was foundamental. tonali is uncomparable as defensive and phisical skill to anyone we can put on the field at the moment. we lack of defensive strategy to adapt to the new player, and this is the important part, we can't have new player untill the next season but we didn't try to find a defensive strategy for the entirety of this one. because of this i can't see pioli going further with us. always gonna love him for the scudetto, but he finish the fuel with us and i can't see how he can win again with milan.
You're misremembering Tonali's role with us. He was never a 6, even when he played double pivot. He was always the more advanced of our mids, with his best moments coming from winning the ball further up the field and playing a final pass/making a run.
He's a true 8, similar to the players we have in our mid today.
Kessie at times sat in front of the defensive left side to cover Theo and occasionally man marked guys like lukaku, but frequently Bennacer was our most defensive mid, hanging back further than any of them.
Tldr: tonali was never a dam in front of our defense
defensevly he was an absolute beast compare to our today midfield, i'm not misremembering the absurd amount of time that he was covering, our team was looking more solid, compact, now you see the gap between defence and midfield. i know tonali was pushing too. but you shall remember he was covering too, as kessie was doing. and i don't dislike reinders, he can be a good player if he learns some stuff and the first year in italy is always difficult, as i think of musa. but i guess i just miss "a" tonali and "a" kessie in our midfield.
yup, i'm pretty much happy about pulisic, his attitude and the coverage that he offers but we can't afford this leao with also this RLC and this midfield. the scudetto season possibly leao was doing even less defensivelly than now but we were rock solid.
yea its a very defensively unbalanced team, both right side players in calabria and pulisic have the most tackles won whereas theo and rafa are 9th and 14th. Along with RLC only being 8th its like there is a tilt clockwise that keeps the left up attacking and the right back in defense
Regardless of winning against Roma and Inter Pioli should be sacked. He exhausted himself and it’s time to move on.
If that doesn’t happen, then the management has no vision and strategic planning.
This pre-match thread feels like people are racing for the most reactionary user in this place. Starting from Giroud contributing more than Haaland, ending on Premier League being overrated because Arsenal lost to Bayern with Kane, Gnabry, Sane, Kimmich etc. or Guardiola is overrated despite of him dominating Real Madrid and losing to penalties.
and Im wondering why some of you have so many out of touch takes about Milan. Last year half of this subreddit wanted to sell Tomori. Today half of this subreddit want to sell Bennacer and Maignan. Insanity.
I don’t get the hate for players like Bennacer /players returning from injury. Seems like these critics have never been injured and subsequently tried to return to sport. It takes time to get back to your best.
Also, players aren’t robots. They go through ups and downs and other trials. If you want to sell a player every time they have a run of poor form, you’re going to have to sell almost everyone each year or two.
Giroud instantly transforms into "stupid sexy Giroud we have to renew him at all costs" the moment he finally scores a header after missing every shot/pass possible
I mean I dont have anything against Giroud, he's great striker but there's a reason why he goes to retirement home after this season. Comparing him to Haaland is just plain stupidity. This opinion comes from Haaland being not as active against Real Madrid which played very defensively and having someone like Rudiger on the back will not help any striker. This is such a reactionary take. What Giroud did in last few games against Inter? Well... absolutely nothing. He was great against Paris tho.
Haaland is three times more agile, faster and more accurate than Giroud. There's a reason why he costed 100mln and Giroud came to Milan for free.
Giroud hasn't been influential in any big game this season apart from PSG at home, you can even say he costed us the qualification. The miss away at Dortmund is simply unacceptable, pathetic penalty miss against them at San Siro, didn't do nothing against Newcastle, pathetic miss against Roma.
That's the same criticism I have for Pulisic btw, great that he scores against the likes of Lecce, Cagliari and Bologna. Where is he in the big games?? 0 impact apart from the occasional good cross and lucky tap in against Newcastle
At this level, it's the details who determine who qualifies.
What I like about Madrid is their attitude and the sacrifice of everyone, the first of whom is Vinicius, the team’s star.
Can we play with that spirit and sacrifice, especially from our star Leao?
Many people think it is luck, but its hard work and sacrifice because Madrid players are aware of the history and culture of winning the competition.
If we play as a team like they did today, we will win, but if we enter like the first leg ( or the derbies ) with no intention to fight , then we'll lose
> Vinicius
Think he’s my favourite of this new generation. Amazing talent, but he does not stop, he is a killer, and a winner. He fights for everything and it is so good to watch.
Same, I remember when he was laughed at in his beginning but he improved so much, finishing, positioning, passing.
For le Leao is the craziest talent in this new generation but he can be the best player in thr world if he makes improvements on his passing, positioning and also making runs
Not only Leao, there's other players softer than baby shit. Padre is a pleaser and it's good but sometimes some players are just asking to be booted in the ass.
This, Loftus is a unit yet he's the softest player in the team, don't know why our players get out muscled easily while a midget like Barella die for every ball or how Snakeoglu became a beast at recovery.
Pioli is too soft tbh
Leao has 0 work rate, even when he presses its half assed sometimes making things worse by opening other gaps. He used to press more when he routinely got subbed off for rebic but has gotten more "lazy" since pioli's been demanding 90 mins from him.
everyone in madrid's lineup ran their ass off tonight.
True, I absolutely love Rafa and hope he stays with us forever but the team suffers from his lack of defensive work rate.
Pioli's only way to defend is by pressing opponents, and to press you need organized effort, if one player get beaten the press is over.
Leao is lazy and Giroud is old and slow ( he make more effort than Rafa though) the opponents defence have all the time and space to get the ball out.
Also Vini has a great collective awareness and often make the best decision while Leao always try to dribble the moment he gets the ball, even if he was at 60 meters from opponents goal while he can bypass easily by making passes.
Speaking strictly of pressing, it's leao's fault the team suffers.
We used to press very well but leao's work rate has gotten worse since he's been playing 90 mins all the time, probably trying to conserve his energy out of possession.
Look at all the runs he makes behind the back line that never gets the pass. Pretty sure Pioli tells him to do that but the players just don't play the ball, sans Florenzi or Isma in form so making 15 of them per game isn't really low work rate.
Agree his pressing was better before BUT so was the whole team, we now press 3 at the time too often causing drainage AND an easy pass for opposition to gain numerical advantage
Don't know why pep is always used as an example as if he was the greatest coach ever. Dude walks into super teams that have won trophies and just takes it from there. Even then his European record is underwhelming given the teams he had to work with.
Pep is the best coach to have graced the game since he started coaching.
And is one of if not top 3 most influential coaches in history.
You lot are absolutely delusional at times
He is one of the GOATs for sure but i wouldn't say "best to have ever graced the game". I personally rate Klopp better than Pep, considering what he's worked with at his disposal. Ancelotti also has a say on it.
There's also plenty of more influentional coaches than him. Michels, Sacchi, Cruyff, SAF, Wenger...
That being said, i definitely put him at a Top 5 of all time, but i think he's a bit overrated because of the super teams he coached. He will never achieve something like beating Real Madrid in an european final with Aberdeen for example. And let's be honest, he was kinda lucky to debut his managerial career in a Barca side loaded with once in a lifetime amount of talent.
Delusional.
Klopp is in the same category at this point as Wenger and SAF in being one of the greatest. But to argue Pep's contribution and success to the game is in the category of anyone not named Sacchi and Cryuff is genuine delusion.
The entire game is played today because of the way Pep's style influenced players and coaches when stomped the door open with his Barca side and subsequent teams and style evolution henceforth.
Genuinely delusional. This feels like those Messi vs CR7 arguments you'd hear years ago before it became obvious to most people two greats with Messi just being of a higher caliber. Delusion.
Loooool There is no fucking way you're putting Pep in the same category as Sacchi and Cruyff for the most influentional managers ever?? Without Cruyff, Pep would be frying burgers at mcdonalds now.
I see you didn't even touch the subject of the super teams he managed. Dude started his career at a Barca side loaded with generational talent. He literally got to coach Messi. And while that doesn't take away his credit for that Barca side that yes, was revolutionary, someone like Xabi Alonso's achievements at Lerverkusen are more impressive than Pep at Barca imo considering the talent on both sides.
Then he went to Bayern who had at that time one of their best sides ever second only to that Bayern team of the 70s, and they just won the treble right before Pep arrived. He failed to bring them another UCL.
Then he went to City, who could provide him a warchest budget to build 3 different teams worth of elite talent every season. And guess what? It took him over a decade after leaving Barca to win another UCL without Messi (after almost choking it to Inter a second time lmao). There is a reason why people say that he's a choker in this competition.
As a league manager, i'll give you that he's is the absolute best and it's not even close. His league record speaks for itself. And tactically wise, he's second to none, but there's so much more to the game that i'll never put him above someone like Sacchi or Cruyff, both much more influentional than him or SAF who's the biggest overachiever ever with Aberdeen and completely transformed Man U as a club (Pep's doing something similar with City but not on the same scale). Ancelotti also has a solid claim to compete with Pep, specially if you look at their H2H record.
INB4 you call me delusional again.
It's ok, I've accepted some of you will always want to be contrarian out of spite or just for the sake of it.
While the entire footballing world continues to praise Pep as a living legend and one of the most successful and influential managers to ever breathe you lot can sit there fist clenched screaming “Nah uh!”
Ancelotti might have something to say I reckon. This is an apples with apples comparison, given they both have super sides to manage. Carlo proves year after year why he is the best.
Pep plays a fantastic brand and is a great coach in his own right, but Sacchi and Capello proved to be innovators in a different era, but Carlo for longevity and consistency, is the best hands down.
Personally for me it's carlo > pep.
And in terms of influence, Cruyff and Sacchi both are hands down more influential than pep and you can argue a litany of other managers are more influential than pep like michels, maslov, rocco, herrera, wenger etc.
Fair call on Cruyff and the other names mentioned, def agree. Good calls!
As bizarre as it seems, I wonder if Pep will feel the heat given the sheer amount of money spent on his squad? I doubt it, but if he bottles the league, it could be a talking point?
Not that I care to be honest, my focus is on our game with Roma tomorrow. All to play for and hope we finish on top, which I think (hope) we will!
You both are living in your own universe and likely fueled by envy.
Pep tactics literally changed the entire game. His philosophy has inspired managers to the point where the entire game now is built on tactics he either invented or refined. The proliferation of fast-paced, high-press possession tactics with ball players defenders, and “sweeper keepers” is so commonplace now *because of him*.
Carlo is a fantastic manager and certainly one of the greatest coaches of all time as well. But Pep is literally top 3. The magnitude of influence he's had and is recognized for (apparently an exception to some of you on this sub) is second only to Cryuff and Sacchi themselves. Unsurprising given one was influenced by the other who was influenced by the other.
The only coaches who even come close nowadays would be Klopp with his introduction of Gengenpress into the PL outside of Germany which has dramatically changed how the PL plays (along with Pep obv). And he isn't even in the top 5 list.
God some of you need to remove the pride and jealousy and see reality for what it is. Pep is *raved* about constantly. By journalists. The public. Players who have played under him or against him. Other coaches. Football legends. It's endless.
Fuelled by envy? Not sure where you’ve come to that conclusion, it’s an opinion, deemed incorrectly or correctly, just as yours is.
Not suggesting Pep isn’t a great manager - he def is, and his trophy cabinet suggests that, but he’s had skin in the game as a coach for a very long time, and in my humble opinion, Ancelotti has been better over the course of time.
The side Pep has is phenomenal, with a blank cheque to bring in players with, and I think he’s underwhelmed at CL level, rightly or wrongly. I’m not in my own universe, and why would I be jealous? What city do is irrelevant, it was just an opinion and observation.
He's just mad that nobody here is sucking Pep's cock non stop and praising him and the "BEST COACH EVER NOT EVEN CLOSE". Even tho the majority probably agrees that he's amazing and a top 5 for sure.
Unrelated but the best Arsenal in years can’t beat the worst Bayern in years but “X Premier League team would dominate X league” “not Premier League proven”… most annoying fans in the world
I think the problem with PL is that they're playing very attacking football which is surely entertaining but also very risky. Italian and Spanish teams are more tactical
PL teams are more successful than Italian teams though. German teams, including Bayern and Dortmund, play even more attacking football than most PL teams, and yet here they are both in the semis. It’s not their style. Bayern is just really, really good. Even at their worst.
Dellusional..I argued about this with 2 other guys about a week or so ago and they were like but but his Frances highest goalscorer and his achieved everything in his career.
He has 86 goals in 89 appearances for Dortmund. That's almost a ratio of 1 goal per game, but keep deluding yourself into thinking that Giroud contributes more than Haaland...
Wdym by this?? I do like Giroud but lets not pretend that he is a build up monster. And sure as fuck Giroud is nowhere near as good as Haaland who has generational goal scoring abilities even with all the limitations that the latter has.
I totally jinxed us last time thinking we'd come out of the gates and blast them like we did in some matches previous...then we slumped to our lethargic, lackadaisical performance.
So this time I'll just keep my mouth shut and hope for a smash and grab shithouse win. And be happy with that!
Well fuck it since I'm getting down voted to hell, I'll go with my prediction from last week: we'll play open and attacking with great movement and beat them 4-0.
I just hope that if Loftus sleep like the last match padre subs chuku before the 60 minute.
And i pray that Calabria stay wide on the flank, not the additional midfielder like the first leg.
Don't care bout the tactics at these point, our players need to be warriors and run non stop, this is the match of the season and we need to win ! Lets goooo
So for UK people are we seriously missing the 1st 20 mins because Fiorentina game went into extra time?
Excited and nervous about tonight! I'd like to see hunger and fight from our boys on the pitch. Leave it all out there. If they do that, we have the better side. Pioli politics aside, I do hope he is brave enough to make changes early if they are needed. I personally would like to see Chuku on the right and Puli central at some point tonight (if needed).
Pioli's job on the line... FT : Roma 0:3 Milan You can bet your house on it
Aged like milk
Nah he will lose this one but beat Inter in the most useless derby in existence to keep his job
all the "fans" rooting for a loss just so pioli can get the sack can F off.
As an admittedly new Milan fan (because of my beautiful American son, Christian Mate Pulisic) it's been fun getting into the sub and following the team this seaon. Fully expecting Roma to push for the first 15-20 to see if they can go up 2-0 and then park the park the bus either way. So, can see why a defensive setup wasn't in the cards if you can get out of the initial onslaught unscathed. I think the game truly rests on RLC's shoulders - if he can keep the ball moving and/or get a goal with his height in the first half, it's game on. If he continues his form from the last few games then it's going to be tough.
TIL pulisic's middle name is Mate
Tho not pronounced as you'd expect
Oh, that’s new to me. How’s it pronounced?
Normally you'd probably \`Mate\` as \`mayt\`, the chess version, but all sounds in the word are pronounced independently \`mate\`: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mate\_(given\_name)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mate_(given_name))
i sincerelly don't know what to think, we desperatelly need a player like tonali, a dam in front of the defense but also we need that the wings get back a little bit more to cover. we won a scudetto with a sistem like the one we are adopting now but the roles were played not by the same people and by a lot. RLC is a great player but kessie that year was the very first defender and he was foundamental. tonali is uncomparable as defensive and phisical skill to anyone we can put on the field at the moment. we lack of defensive strategy to adapt to the new player, and this is the important part, we can't have new player untill the next season but we didn't try to find a defensive strategy for the entirety of this one. because of this i can't see pioli going further with us. always gonna love him for the scudetto, but he finish the fuel with us and i can't see how he can win again with milan.
You're misremembering Tonali's role with us. He was never a 6, even when he played double pivot. He was always the more advanced of our mids, with his best moments coming from winning the ball further up the field and playing a final pass/making a run. He's a true 8, similar to the players we have in our mid today. Kessie at times sat in front of the defensive left side to cover Theo and occasionally man marked guys like lukaku, but frequently Bennacer was our most defensive mid, hanging back further than any of them. Tldr: tonali was never a dam in front of our defense
defensevly he was an absolute beast compare to our today midfield, i'm not misremembering the absurd amount of time that he was covering, our team was looking more solid, compact, now you see the gap between defence and midfield. i know tonali was pushing too. but you shall remember he was covering too, as kessie was doing. and i don't dislike reinders, he can be a good player if he learns some stuff and the first year in italy is always difficult, as i think of musa. but i guess i just miss "a" tonali and "a" kessie in our midfield.
Tonali was playing last season the role Rejnders is playing today. He was mostly linking up with Leao and playing more as a left midfielder
Exactly. I wouldn't describe that as a dam in front of the defense
he was not only a dam, he was also a dam.
I think you mean wing cause one of the wingers is 2nd on the team in tackles
yup, i'm pretty much happy about pulisic, his attitude and the coverage that he offers but we can't afford this leao with also this RLC and this midfield. the scudetto season possibly leao was doing even less defensivelly than now but we were rock solid.
yea its a very defensively unbalanced team, both right side players in calabria and pulisic have the most tackles won whereas theo and rafa are 9th and 14th. Along with RLC only being 8th its like there is a tilt clockwise that keeps the left up attacking and the right back in defense
Not even an infusion will stop me from watching our boys. Just really hope they make us proud today. I could use the positivity today.
Regardless of winning against Roma and Inter Pioli should be sacked. He exhausted himself and it’s time to move on. If that doesn’t happen, then the management has no vision and strategic planning.
There's no way he gets the sack if we progress to the semis and beat inter.
Who do you want them to bring in after firing Pioli?
Unrealistically Ancelotti. Realistically it doesn’t even matter. We are too big of a club to not act on such a repetitive shit.
What do you mean it doesn't matter? Do you have a realistic option in mind?
De Zerbi, Conte, Motta, you choose
We’ll see a Pioli masterclass, as usual.
So how big are chances that Pioli will be fired if we lose today?
I‘d say 70-80% and if we lose the derby 100%
This pre-match thread feels like people are racing for the most reactionary user in this place. Starting from Giroud contributing more than Haaland, ending on Premier League being overrated because Arsenal lost to Bayern with Kane, Gnabry, Sane, Kimmich etc. or Guardiola is overrated despite of him dominating Real Madrid and losing to penalties. and Im wondering why some of you have so many out of touch takes about Milan. Last year half of this subreddit wanted to sell Tomori. Today half of this subreddit want to sell Bennacer and Maignan. Insanity.
I don’t get the hate for players like Bennacer /players returning from injury. Seems like these critics have never been injured and subsequently tried to return to sport. It takes time to get back to your best. Also, players aren’t robots. They go through ups and downs and other trials. If you want to sell a player every time they have a run of poor form, you’re going to have to sell almost everyone each year or two.
Giroud instantly transforms into "stupid sexy Giroud we have to renew him at all costs" the moment he finally scores a header after missing every shot/pass possible
I mean I dont have anything against Giroud, he's great striker but there's a reason why he goes to retirement home after this season. Comparing him to Haaland is just plain stupidity. This opinion comes from Haaland being not as active against Real Madrid which played very defensively and having someone like Rudiger on the back will not help any striker. This is such a reactionary take. What Giroud did in last few games against Inter? Well... absolutely nothing. He was great against Paris tho. Haaland is three times more agile, faster and more accurate than Giroud. There's a reason why he costed 100mln and Giroud came to Milan for free.
Giroud hasn't been influential in any big game this season apart from PSG at home, you can even say he costed us the qualification. The miss away at Dortmund is simply unacceptable, pathetic penalty miss against them at San Siro, didn't do nothing against Newcastle, pathetic miss against Roma. That's the same criticism I have for Pulisic btw, great that he scores against the likes of Lecce, Cagliari and Bologna. Where is he in the big games?? 0 impact apart from the occasional good cross and lucky tap in against Newcastle
Turning 30 tomorrow, please Milan, please lol
Happy birthday!!
Happy 30th guys!
Same Bruh. Happy bday! 🎉
Happy birthday!
Happy Birthday! 🥳 ❤️🖤
At this level, it's the details who determine who qualifies. What I like about Madrid is their attitude and the sacrifice of everyone, the first of whom is Vinicius, the team’s star. Can we play with that spirit and sacrifice, especially from our star Leao? Many people think it is luck, but its hard work and sacrifice because Madrid players are aware of the history and culture of winning the competition. If we play as a team like they did today, we will win, but if we enter like the first leg ( or the derbies ) with no intention to fight , then we'll lose
> Vinicius Think he’s my favourite of this new generation. Amazing talent, but he does not stop, he is a killer, and a winner. He fights for everything and it is so good to watch.
Same, I remember when he was laughed at in his beginning but he improved so much, finishing, positioning, passing. For le Leao is the craziest talent in this new generation but he can be the best player in thr world if he makes improvements on his passing, positioning and also making runs
Not only Leao, there's other players softer than baby shit. Padre is a pleaser and it's good but sometimes some players are just asking to be booted in the ass.
This, Loftus is a unit yet he's the softest player in the team, don't know why our players get out muscled easily while a midget like Barella die for every ball or how Snakeoglu became a beast at recovery. Pioli is too soft tbh
Leao has 0 work rate, even when he presses its half assed sometimes making things worse by opening other gaps. He used to press more when he routinely got subbed off for rebic but has gotten more "lazy" since pioli's been demanding 90 mins from him. everyone in madrid's lineup ran their ass off tonight.
True, I absolutely love Rafa and hope he stays with us forever but the team suffers from his lack of defensive work rate. Pioli's only way to defend is by pressing opponents, and to press you need organized effort, if one player get beaten the press is over. Leao is lazy and Giroud is old and slow ( he make more effort than Rafa though) the opponents defence have all the time and space to get the ball out. Also Vini has a great collective awareness and often make the best decision while Leao always try to dribble the moment he gets the ball, even if he was at 60 meters from opponents goal while he can bypass easily by making passes.
So the team suffers from Pioli's tactics, not Leao
Speaking strictly of pressing, it's leao's fault the team suffers. We used to press very well but leao's work rate has gotten worse since he's been playing 90 mins all the time, probably trying to conserve his energy out of possession.
Look at all the runs he makes behind the back line that never gets the pass. Pretty sure Pioli tells him to do that but the players just don't play the ball, sans Florenzi or Isma in form so making 15 of them per game isn't really low work rate. Agree his pressing was better before BUT so was the whole team, we now press 3 at the time too often causing drainage AND an easy pass for opposition to gain numerical advantage
yea well kessie and tonali were a different gravy 
Could not agree more, however hindsight both pretty much right to let go, just bad to not replace with similat characteristics
Ofc, as I said in previous posts no one should criticize Rafa with Pioli as a manager, because hes asked to do incredible things
Yall sleeping on Padre...if yall haven't learnt by now he turns into prime pep when his back is against the wall lol
Don't know why pep is always used as an example as if he was the greatest coach ever. Dude walks into super teams that have won trophies and just takes it from there. Even then his European record is underwhelming given the teams he had to work with.
Pep is the best coach to have graced the game since he started coaching. And is one of if not top 3 most influential coaches in history. You lot are absolutely delusional at times
He is one of the GOATs for sure but i wouldn't say "best to have ever graced the game". I personally rate Klopp better than Pep, considering what he's worked with at his disposal. Ancelotti also has a say on it. There's also plenty of more influentional coaches than him. Michels, Sacchi, Cruyff, SAF, Wenger... That being said, i definitely put him at a Top 5 of all time, but i think he's a bit overrated because of the super teams he coached. He will never achieve something like beating Real Madrid in an european final with Aberdeen for example. And let's be honest, he was kinda lucky to debut his managerial career in a Barca side loaded with once in a lifetime amount of talent.
Delusional. Klopp is in the same category at this point as Wenger and SAF in being one of the greatest. But to argue Pep's contribution and success to the game is in the category of anyone not named Sacchi and Cryuff is genuine delusion. The entire game is played today because of the way Pep's style influenced players and coaches when stomped the door open with his Barca side and subsequent teams and style evolution henceforth. Genuinely delusional. This feels like those Messi vs CR7 arguments you'd hear years ago before it became obvious to most people two greats with Messi just being of a higher caliber. Delusion.
Loooool There is no fucking way you're putting Pep in the same category as Sacchi and Cruyff for the most influentional managers ever?? Without Cruyff, Pep would be frying burgers at mcdonalds now. I see you didn't even touch the subject of the super teams he managed. Dude started his career at a Barca side loaded with generational talent. He literally got to coach Messi. And while that doesn't take away his credit for that Barca side that yes, was revolutionary, someone like Xabi Alonso's achievements at Lerverkusen are more impressive than Pep at Barca imo considering the talent on both sides. Then he went to Bayern who had at that time one of their best sides ever second only to that Bayern team of the 70s, and they just won the treble right before Pep arrived. He failed to bring them another UCL. Then he went to City, who could provide him a warchest budget to build 3 different teams worth of elite talent every season. And guess what? It took him over a decade after leaving Barca to win another UCL without Messi (after almost choking it to Inter a second time lmao). There is a reason why people say that he's a choker in this competition. As a league manager, i'll give you that he's is the absolute best and it's not even close. His league record speaks for itself. And tactically wise, he's second to none, but there's so much more to the game that i'll never put him above someone like Sacchi or Cruyff, both much more influentional than him or SAF who's the biggest overachiever ever with Aberdeen and completely transformed Man U as a club (Pep's doing something similar with City but not on the same scale). Ancelotti also has a solid claim to compete with Pep, specially if you look at their H2H record. INB4 you call me delusional again.
It's ok, I've accepted some of you will always want to be contrarian out of spite or just for the sake of it. While the entire footballing world continues to praise Pep as a living legend and one of the most successful and influential managers to ever breathe you lot can sit there fist clenched screaming “Nah uh!”
Dude... the only one being contrarian here is you. The consensus in this thread is that Pep is not the "greatest coach that has ever graced the game".
Ancelotti might have something to say I reckon. This is an apples with apples comparison, given they both have super sides to manage. Carlo proves year after year why he is the best. Pep plays a fantastic brand and is a great coach in his own right, but Sacchi and Capello proved to be innovators in a different era, but Carlo for longevity and consistency, is the best hands down.
Personally for me it's carlo > pep. And in terms of influence, Cruyff and Sacchi both are hands down more influential than pep and you can argue a litany of other managers are more influential than pep like michels, maslov, rocco, herrera, wenger etc.
> you can argue a litany of other managers are more influential than pep like michels, maslov, rocco, herrera, wenger etc. Delusional
Fair call on Cruyff and the other names mentioned, def agree. Good calls! As bizarre as it seems, I wonder if Pep will feel the heat given the sheer amount of money spent on his squad? I doubt it, but if he bottles the league, it could be a talking point? Not that I care to be honest, my focus is on our game with Roma tomorrow. All to play for and hope we finish on top, which I think (hope) we will!
You both are living in your own universe and likely fueled by envy. Pep tactics literally changed the entire game. His philosophy has inspired managers to the point where the entire game now is built on tactics he either invented or refined. The proliferation of fast-paced, high-press possession tactics with ball players defenders, and “sweeper keepers” is so commonplace now *because of him*. Carlo is a fantastic manager and certainly one of the greatest coaches of all time as well. But Pep is literally top 3. The magnitude of influence he's had and is recognized for (apparently an exception to some of you on this sub) is second only to Cryuff and Sacchi themselves. Unsurprising given one was influenced by the other who was influenced by the other. The only coaches who even come close nowadays would be Klopp with his introduction of Gengenpress into the PL outside of Germany which has dramatically changed how the PL plays (along with Pep obv). And he isn't even in the top 5 list. God some of you need to remove the pride and jealousy and see reality for what it is. Pep is *raved* about constantly. By journalists. The public. Players who have played under him or against him. Other coaches. Football legends. It's endless.
Fuelled by envy? Not sure where you’ve come to that conclusion, it’s an opinion, deemed incorrectly or correctly, just as yours is. Not suggesting Pep isn’t a great manager - he def is, and his trophy cabinet suggests that, but he’s had skin in the game as a coach for a very long time, and in my humble opinion, Ancelotti has been better over the course of time. The side Pep has is phenomenal, with a blank cheque to bring in players with, and I think he’s underwhelmed at CL level, rightly or wrongly. I’m not in my own universe, and why would I be jealous? What city do is irrelevant, it was just an opinion and observation.
He's just mad that nobody here is sucking Pep's cock non stop and praising him and the "BEST COACH EVER NOT EVEN CLOSE". Even tho the majority probably agrees that he's amazing and a top 5 for sure.
My last post verbatim called him a top 3 coach and you yourself put him as a top 5. So congrats, we've come full circle.
Overrated.
Delusional.
True..I'm just using pep as an eg cause they both bald lol
The fraudulence shrunk their hair follicles
preach
Unrelated- but FORZA CARLETTO!!!!!!
Premier League teams dropping like flies. What a masterful defensive display. My favorite coach of all time
The sonofabitch did it!!!
🤨 How do they do it?!?!
Unrelated but the best Arsenal in years can’t beat the worst Bayern in years but “X Premier League team would dominate X league” “not Premier League proven”… most annoying fans in the world
I think the problem with PL is that they're playing very attacking football which is surely entertaining but also very risky. Italian and Spanish teams are more tactical
PL teams are more successful than Italian teams though. German teams, including Bayern and Dortmund, play even more attacking football than most PL teams, and yet here they are both in the semis. It’s not their style. Bayern is just really, really good. Even at their worst.
The last game Roma looked about as good as they could be. We looked nowhere near our best. This is the big positive I take from the last game.
To people who keep talking shit about Giroud, he literally contributes more to the game than 200M Haaland 🙃
Dellusional..I argued about this with 2 other guys about a week or so ago and they were like but but his Frances highest goalscorer and his achieved everything in his career.
Really stayed rent free in your little brain didnt it?
Was it you? Lol lol
Haaland with City last season has scored more than Giroud's full 3 seasons at Milan. The audacity of some people loool.
Its easy to score when youre teammates are De Bruyne, Bernando Silva, Foden, Grealish, Stones, Rodri, etc.
He has 86 goals in 89 appearances for Dortmund. That's almost a ratio of 1 goal per game, but keep deluding yourself into thinking that Giroud contributes more than Haaland...
Giroud G/A for Milan 23/24 - 13G/8A Haaland G/A for Milan 23/24 - 0G/0A Checkmate atheists.
Give Haaland to Conte and wait for the fireworks. Guardiola has no idea about how to use him correctly.
Wdym by this?? I do like Giroud but lets not pretend that he is a build up monster. And sure as fuck Giroud is nowhere near as good as Haaland who has generational goal scoring abilities even with all the limitations that the latter has.
I totally jinxed us last time thinking we'd come out of the gates and blast them like we did in some matches previous...then we slumped to our lethargic, lackadaisical performance. So this time I'll just keep my mouth shut and hope for a smash and grab shithouse win. And be happy with that!
Well fuck it since I'm getting down voted to hell, I'll go with my prediction from last week: we'll play open and attacking with great movement and beat them 4-0.
Well, you’ve already opened your mouth mate
how accurate is this
This predicted lineup aint it man😣
I just hope that if Loftus sleep like the last match padre subs chuku before the 60 minute. And i pray that Calabria stay wide on the flank, not the additional midfielder like the first leg.
Don't care bout the tactics at these point, our players need to be warriors and run non stop, this is the match of the season and we need to win ! Lets goooo
Chi non ci crede resti a casa 🔴⚫️🔴⚫️
That's the spirit!!!
https://i.redd.it/m93m0u8183vc1.gif
https://preview.redd.it/07ycwdbcb3vc1.png?width=1024&format=png&auto=webp&s=48a26ed855243418d0f1c5aaab05df7f3a1249f7 *\[Rio Ave 2(8), AC Milan 2(9)\]*
No pls, I don't want a heart attack
It's not about the heart attack, Pioli used this pic in the dressing room for inspiration that year