Serie Aaaaargh!… : Ronaldinho

Milan cannot afford to continue isolating 'out of sorts' Pato

Richard Whittle — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 11:39:00 GMT

AC Milan surely couldn’t be losing that loving feeling for the Boys from Brazil, could they?

In the summer, Leonardo gave up having to bow to Silvio Berlusconi and the writing was then on the wall for Ronaldinho, who recently slipped back home leaving the corridors of Milanello no longer echoing to the Samba beat.

Thiago Silva, Robinho and Alexandre Pato are still there of course, but the latter is now feeling something of the cold shoulder from the new coaching regime.

Massimiliano Allegri has brought a more pragmatic approach after Leonardo had previously paid a romantic homage to the Brazil World Cup side of ’82 by occasionally playing four up front.

With Antonio Cassano arriving to reinforce the Italian contingent, Zlatan Ibrahimovic ploughing his own path on and off the pitch and Robinho coming to grips with life in a new league, Pato has been given the distinct feeling that he is becoming the odd man out.

He probably won’t end up like Dinho, disappearing inside a giant snood like an old woman waiting for a bus that’s just never going to come, but since the turn of the year it has been made clear to the 21-year-old that now is the time to start imposing himself on matches.

When Berlusconi met the players to give out his New Year pep talk ahead of the league game at Cagliari, he went round the gathered audience picking out faces and making a comment or two about each and when he got to 'the Duck' his opening line was 'stop getting injured'.

It wasn’t the most ringing endorsement and not the first thing that a player wants his boss to think when he claps eyes on him. Injuries, after all, are part and parcel of the game, and Pato’s set-backs have generally been minor niggles rather than season-wrecking ailments, such as those that have plagued Fabio Quagliarella, Walter Samuel or even Filippo Inzaghi’s five month lay-off.

Rino Gattuso then had a go at him as they walked off at half-time at Lecce on Sunday, lementing what the combative midfielder felt was a lack of effort from his team-mate; at least Pato answered in kind and Clarence Seedorf was forced to break up the verbal sparring.

Cassano eventually replaced the youngster who was clearly out of sorts – and ahead of this evening’s Italian Cup tie against Bari, Allegri had to deflect probing questions on whether the South American was unable to coexist with Ibra who demands passes played to his feet in tight spaces so that he can dance around with the ball for a while.

The Swede had complained earlier in the season that he was seeing less of the ball when Dinho and Pato were on the pitch and preferred to have Inzaghi as his partner upfront, but he has since toned down his comments no doubt due to the fact that he is now the big chief in the side.

Under Leonardo, Gattuso was pushed to the margins but he is just the sort of competitor most Italian coaches like to have in their side, hence he has become more vocal when the bad times threaten to raise their head – such as now with the side drawing the last two while Inter closed the gap to six points last night after their fourth win in 2011.

Pato, for his part, prefers inspiration to perspiration so it is doubtful if he will ever find common ground with a player who will run himself into the ground to patch over a lack of natural ability.

It is hard to say what affect such sniping and public displays of frustration will have on Pato – he still looks as fresh-faced as the teenager who arrived at club back in 2007 but answering back to Gattuso demonstrates there is a hardening steely resolve developing underneath those soft features.

The statistics bear out the fact that apart from the Lecce game he has been no turkey when fit – eight goals in eleven Serie A outings – ten of which he started – is more than an acceptable return.

He netted braces against Leece (on the opening day), Chievo and just recently Udinese to take his overall tally to 49 goals in 106 games for Milan - which for someone barely into their 20s is quite extraordinary.

He has already nipped any speculation that he would follow the man who brought him to Milan - and then acted like a big brother and confidant - to Inter, but there has been speculation that Europe’s heavyweights will be knocking on Milan’s door this summer: Carlo Ancelotti, wherever he may be next season, would definitely be making enquiries.

The club’s hierarchy may need to rein in any growing criticism of their prize asset from within the rank and file or face losing another Samba Boy ... Kaka, Ronaldinho and now Pato, surely not?

Robinho matures into manhood at Milan

Richard Whittle — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 12:14:00 GMT

RESULTS Sat 27 Nov Sampdoria 1-1 Milan, Juventus 1-1 Fiorentina Sun 28 Nov Internazionale 5-2 Parma, Bari 1-1 Cesena, Bologna P-P Chievo, Brescia 0-0 Genoa, Cagliari 3-2 Lecce, Lazio 1-1 Catania, Udinese 3-1 Napoli, Palermo 3-1 Roma

If a Brazilian can't settle at AC Milan, he's not really a Brazilian – more like an Argentinian.

The club has always been a home from home for Samba Boys, from Altafini and Amarildo to Cafu and Kaka, so there were expressions of puzzlement amongst the Rossoneri hierarchy back in August when it was suggested that Robinho was a risky signing.

True, there had been tantrums and walkouts at Real Madrid and Manchester City, but there has never been any suggestion that the fleet-footed South American would be storming out of Milanello.

He slipped in quietly, compared to the headlines surrounding the arrival of Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Many believed he would either play second string to Ronaldinho, who had been buzzing in pre-season training, or as a luxury substitute whenever Alexandre Pato’s fragile frame gave in. Many outside the club expected party tricks with Dinho to focus on the dance floor, but the only time Robinho was photographed away from the pitch was coming out of a Brazilian food store with a bag of rice.

Massimiliano Allegri’s initial 4-3-3 formation ensured Robinho was indeed the odd man out, but the coach's switch to a more balanced 4-3-1-2 – not to mention Pato’s injury problems and Ronaldinho’s nocturnal wanderings – has seen Robinho take a more pivotal role.

A model professional, then? Allegri certainly thinks so, putting his trust in the new Brazil captain, who has taken the pressure off his coach when the question "Are Milan too reliant on Ibra?" Saturday’s goal at Sampdoria was his fourth in the league, just three behind the big Swede who has also scored two from the penalty spot.

But for losing his bearings in front of goal at Bari the other week, he'd probably be level with the Swede in the scoring charts. Either way, it certainly looks as if he is finally fulfilling the potential he has only shown in flashes since arriving in Europe five years ago at the age of 21.

There had been question-marks over whether he was too much of an individual for the constraints of the Italian game and although his party-piece is still the pedalada – the exaggerated step-over – it is employed to turn defenders to distraction rather than infuriate his team-mates.

His licence to roam from left to right has definitely given Milan a new impetus and when Zlat is off-colour, as was the case this weekend, the nimble support striker has been on hand to energise the team.

Having taken the lead in Genoa, the league leaders might have lost their way after the opposition equalised, but it was Binho who offered the greatest threat – and it was no wonder that the other Ho was left on the bench until the last minute, seeing as a certain Scandinavian is now the untouchable one. After all, Allegri had maintained that it would be very difficult to see all three ball players on the pitch at the same time – and it was certainly a blink and miss it moment.

Just for the record, Ronaldinho has not started since the 3-1 win over Chievo on October 16 and another late night before the Fiorentina game has not helped his cause; the former World Player of the Year is now the luxury benchwarmer.

Lazio, Napoli and Juventus couldn't take advantage of the leaders dropping two points, but Inter shook off weeks of self-pity to stick five past Parma.

Sub-zero temperatures and a noon kick-off seemed just the ingredients for another sub-standard display, especially with Samuel Eto’o sitting out the first of his three-game suspension.

However, those hardy souls willing to drag themselves to the San Siro under slate-grey Milanese skies were rewarded by a vibrant display from the ailing champions – but only after it seemed that Javier Zanetti demanded that Rafa Benitez push Wesley Sneijder forward to support Goran Pandev and Jonathan Biabiany in attack.

As with the Champions League win over FC Twente in midweek, Inter enjoyed a fair share of good fortune – the lack of which the ever-more isolated Benitez had been bleating on about for the last seven days – in the shape of two deflected goals from Dejan Stankovic.

The Serbian bagged a rare hat-trick and described the win, Inter's first at home in the league in just over two months, as being like a dose of penicillin. It remains to be seen whether it's a panacea or a placebo.

Wins for Roma and Milan put smile back on the face of Italian football

Richard Whittle — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 15:50:00 GMT

Italian football has been in desperate need of a little pick-me-up in Europe for a good few months, and Tuesday evening provided it in the best possible manner – AS Roma’s fight-back from two-nil down to defeat Bayern Munich.

Serie A’s Champions League representatives had so far failed to overcome their main continental rivals so far this campaign – Roma having already in Munich, AC Milan coming up short to La Liga kingpins Real Madrid and Inter falling flat on their faces against the Premier League’s very own Tottenham Hotspur.

With the Milanese sides up against French and Dutch opposition in the penultimate round of group stage matches, the pick of the games from an Italian perspective was always going to be the Romans at home to last year’s finalists.

Of course, the Bundesliga side had already made safe their passage to the knock-out stages as group winners and were shorn of big guns Mark Van Bommel, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Arjen Robben, which does put things into perspective somewhat, but at least the final outcome provided succour in times of need.

It seemed for a time that it was more a case of suckers for punishment, as the Romans handed Bayern two quick-fire goals after their own period of sustained, but ultimately fruitless, pressure.

With Mirko Vucinic unwilling to track back and Jeremy Menez causing more problems for his own side when he did, Roma conceded wide open tracks of space to the visitors who were more than happy to populate in numbers.

The territorial advantage had been lost, which was very unlike Claudio Ranieri’s side in recent times – with their recent seven game undefeated run built around masterful possession and razor-sharp incursions into the opposition final third.

Granted, the two best passers were on the bench, but Francesco Totti and in particular David Pizarro had already missed games along the way without the team looking so disjointed and bereft of the ball.

In all honesty it could have been at least 4-1 to the Bavarians at the break and no one would have batted an eyelid, but at least Ranieri had fifteen minutes to go batty at his players and no doubt Menez felt the sharp end of the Roman’s tongue lash.

It needed a bit more of the sword and less of the sandals if there was to be the kind of epic comeback required to ensure qualification remained in Giallorossi hands going into the final group game.

The French winger could never be described as gladiatorial, but it was his stirring run and cross for Marco Borriello to score the first goal that galvanised both the home team and its supporters who certainly played their part from the stands roaring their approval at every turn.

Roma legend Bruno Conti has claimed that Menez is a better player than he ever was, but there was always one thing that the 1982 World Cup winner did right and that was the basics.

As long as he is gliding forward, Menez is indeed magical, but anywhere near his own goal he becomes mesmerising in all the wrong ways as witnessed by the air-head pass to Daniele De Rossi on the edge of the Giallorossi area which lead to Bayern’s second goal.

Ranieri pointed the former Monaco man in the right direction – down the right flank - and with Vucinic hugging the left suddenly it was wing command taking control.

With Borriello unnerving the backline, the scene was set to drive the sword home and for Totti to make the sort of entry that we will become more accustomed to – a 15-minute cameo of sublime touches and defence-splitting passes and to cap it all, the winning goal.

Local Roman newspaper il Messaggero summed up a evening that Ranieri described as “historic” perfectly: “It was a virtuoso performance from the soloists that demands a standing ovation from the whole of Italy.”

Also playing the happy beat were AC Milan, who secured their runners-up spot behind Real with a routine 2-0 win at Auxerre. Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s absolute blinding strike and Ronaldinho’s own cameo performance rounded off with a perfectly-placed curler also helped put the smile back on the face of Italian football – well until Inter play at least.

Pippo strikes again but Mou's Madrid mug meek Milan

Richard Whittle — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 11:28:00 GMT

It was fitting that Filippo Inzaghi’s record-setting goal would come from his favourite position – offside – even if SuperPippo was pipped at the post in his moment of glory by the Special One.

AC Milan looked home and dry against Real Madrid thanks to Pip’s two-goal burst, only for that old Jose Mourinho jinx to strike again when Pedro Leon made it 2-2 with just about the last kick of the game.

Grabbing the record as the top goalscorer in European club competitions overall, the veteran striker had already whipped out two commemorative shirts emblazoned with the number 69 and 70 – but it was the Portuguese who was whipping down the touchline in final celebration.

Still, Inzaghi has now moved ahead of Gerd Muller and Raul in European goals scored – and in front of Marco van Basten’s 184 goals in the Rossoneri goalscoring charts, an amazing achievement for the 37-year-old whose career looked to be over five years ago.

It was one of those rip-roaring evenings at the San Siro and Mourinho was primed to play the pantomime villain when greeted by a wall of whistling and jeers, responding with a three-fingered salute reminding the red and black half of the city of his personal achievements last season.

"Yoo-hoo! I'm back!"

At least Mou’s presence had encouraged Massimiliano Allegri to smarten himself up, instead of looking like some small-town council official who had allowed his mother to cut his hair and pick out his clothes from the local Upim (cheap and not so cheerful clobber outlet for the sartorially challenged).

However, he has not yet stamped his authority on the side. Otherwise he wouldn't have given in to the obvious pressure coming from Silvio Berlusconi - not the first time someone has had to bow to the little cavalier – to play Ronaldinho in place of the in-form Robinho, who had kept his compatriot out of the side recently.

Forget the "diplomatic" injury, the club have been kidding no one – Allegri doesn’t want the boss’s favourite party guy in his side, but it's the coach who is hamstrung at the moment.

At least when the No.80 had proven that he is only in shape to hang around Milanese watering-holes, there was the oldest swinger at a loose ball ready and more than willing to seize his moment.

The first goal was a typical Inzaghi reaction to a goalkeeper making a complete hash of a routine ball played into the six-yard area. And the second, well, it made up for all the other times he hadn't been offside in his career.

Taking care of business: Pippo bags the first

Milan’s display may have lacked the slickness of the big city but there was plenty of provincial endeavour on show – although that will not serve in progressing a long way in the competition.

This is where Allegri needs to overcome his awe at coaching a club with such a rich tradition in Europe and shed the inferiority complex which makes him concentrate on nullifying the opposition rather than believing in the instincts of his own team.

Milan never used to worry about going a goal down but now their play is hampered by what-ifs. It took to some shoddy Madrid defending and a myopic referee’s assistant to get their noses ahead last night, but ultimately they lacked belief in victory.

The Rossoneri may have suffered a late sucker-punch, but AS Roma came off the ropes to produce some deft counter-attacking to down Basel and put the Giallorossi back in the box seat for the runners-up spot in their group.

It was a positive evening for another old hand, Francesco Totti, who got on the scoresheet for the first time this season in the 3-2 win – and can now put his feet up and watch the Rome derby at home, where in true Roman scaramanzia [good luck] he expects Lazio to win with a Sergio Floccari penalty.

There may be life in both old dogs yet but there is still much work to be done for all three of Italy’s Champions League representatives – and finishing second in their respective groups will only cause concern for Inter, Milan and Roma further down the line.

Milan already taking Ibra to their hearts

Richard Whittle — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 09:32:00 GMT

Ballyhoo follows bathos follows hyperbole at regular intervals throughout the world of Italian football, so it was no surprise that Zlatan Ibrahimovic would shine on a stage where he usually falls flat on his face.

The big Swede was brought to AC Milan primarily to turn the Italian government’s in-house team into an eye-catching outfit on those glittering Champions League nights despite the fact that you don’t see a lot of Zlat when it comes to European games.

Of course having rightfully laid low after last weekend’s forgettable debut at Cesena where he missed a penalty - which had Inter owner Massimo Moratti chortling as if he had stroke comic gold - it was Ibra who got up his former president’s nose last night with no one, but two goals for the team 'across town'.

Okay, it wasn’t one of those evenings where bottling it would have been fatal – but with nearly 50,000 season-tickets already sold for the Champions League group stage the San Siro public were expecting plenty of entertainment against the supporting act, Auxerre.

However, for long periods Milan looked like what many observers had been forecasting – a talented bunch of individuals that would never gel into a cohesive unit.

So Andrea Pirlo tried to find Clarence Seedorf who only had eyes for Ronaldinho who couldn’t pick out the immobile bean-pole in the centre while Pato waved frantically out on the left wing only to be ignored by all and sundry – strange really as the young Brazilian was the main threat on the rare occasions he was given the ball.

Then in a moment, it all clicked together and each of those giant egos remembered that they possessed the razzle and dazzle to banish any thoughts of vulnerability.

A shimmy from Dinho, a step-over from Clarence and a mazy run from Pato ended with a back-heel from Ibra – unfortunately to no one in particular - but the lights were suddenly going on and the opposition was caught in the glare of pure skill.

Another rapid move enable Ronaldinho to drift inside to deliver an angled cross into the area where Kevin-Prince Boateng flicked the ball on for Ibra to stab home.

The was merriment to follow with Ronaldinho in particular, irresistible and forthright in taking the ball forward – shaking off a challenge and accelerating (yes, he seems to have found some of that long-lost pace) to the edge of the area before releasing the big man for his second goal.

The self-same fans who would have derided Ibra a few weeks before were in delirium but that’s show-business – and the signs are that the Ron-Zlat duo is set to replace the Clarence and Dinho double-act as the must-see performance.

There will be more severe tests down the line against Europe’s elite but there were other positive performances to banish the negatives: Boateng or - Prince as likes to be known - was a pleasant surprise to many.

Little or nothing was known about the midfielder when he first arrived but possessing work-rate aligned to a sure touch he looks a more suitable starter than the ailing Massimo Ambrosini whom he replaced early on or the now redundant Rino Gattuso.

Robinho came on for Pato who does not seem to completely free of his injury problems and showed glimpses of his deft touch and quick passing but certainly lacked match fitness.

Of course, doubts still abound in defence and especially in both full-back positions.

Age is against Gianluca Zambrotta whose leg are beginning to go while Luca Antonini has not been converted from a second-string midfielder to anything like a consistent left-back.

In fact he is not even left-footed – while Ignazio Abate cannot even be considered as adequate cover which demonstrates how bad things are in that department.

The majestic Alessandro Nesta papers over the fragility along the backline but he is another veteran whose body could give in at any moment.

Then again it is just this sort of swashbuckling approach that the San Siro faithful have become accustomed to so it is no wonder they have already taken Ibra to their hearts.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy News * Stats
FFT.com Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Milan tighten belts, unlike Dinho

Richard Whittle — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 10:56:00 GMT

Juventus have been back in pre-season training for nearly a week; Inter and AS Roma have been going through their paces for a few days, which just leaves AC Milan to lure the television cameras to their Milanello base.

The height of the holiday season is upon us in Italy and the players generally make for an unhappy bunch as they trudge through the gates on their way to their first day “back at school.”

All eyes will be on whether Ronaldinho will be conspicuous by his absence at Milan come next Tuesday when the squad reports back although club officials are expecting his arrival from Brazil over the weekend.

Recent photographs of the step-over king enjoying the good life on the beach back home in Rio suggest he has been letting himself go somewhat - much in the same manner of his compatriot Adriano.

Speculation has been growing in direct proportion to the player’s girth that the Rossoneri are seriously considering offloading the star-turn in an attempt to ease the strain on their own financial belt.

The Ronaldinho clan are beginning to understand that the golden egg of the Silvio Berlusconi nest is no longer central to Milan’s plans.

It seems to be a case not so much of cashing in but more a matter of cutting loses – and a move back to Brazil may be the ideal answer – in the short-term anyway – for both parties.

Joining Flamengo would enable Ron to continue his life of leisure for a few months and not miss out on the Rio carnival to boot, but there have also been reports that LA is calling where he would team up with Milan part-timer David Beckham at the Galaxy.

Has Ronnie waved goodbye to Milan's fans for the last time?

Dinho’s brother and agent Roberto De Assisi is set to hit town for a meeting with Adriano Galliani; apparently to thrash out a deal that would enable Milan to cash in their chips before the striker becomes a free agent in a year’s time.

A move to another European club such as Olympiakos in Greece would probably fetch around €10 million, with the return diminishing at a club across the Atlantic.

The first problem facing Galliani will be persuading Berlusconi that he would be making a €16 million saving on salary alone over the next two years if he were to give up his favourite player.

However, the president is always willing to make an exception when it comes to the wayward South American – and there are whispers that this could cause a rift within the boardroom where the bottom line is slashing the budget.

New coach Massimiliano Allegri is all for toeing the company on this issue but even if the club’s biggest earner were to move on, viable replacements to ensure season ticket sales do not reach an all-time low are thin on the ground.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edin Dzeko are beyond the financial reach of the new slim-line Milan, Luis Fabiano could end up going the way of Ricardo Oliveira while another name that has been floated out there, Lukas Podoski, would hardly have them queuing around the block.

Hopefully talk of Robinho filling the void remains just idle chatter from those looking to fill in the long, lazy days of summer.

In fact, Gaùcho may end up enjoying an endless summer break, but it would be a shame to think that at 30 it is now the sunset of a once shining career.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy: News * Stats
FFT.com: Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact: Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Ranieri's relaxed Romans reap rewards

Richard Whittle — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 10:00:00 GMT

When in Rome... there was little option but to sit back and accept the traffic jam snaking away from the Olympic Stadium, breathing in the sweet smell of success mingled with the exhaust fumes.

It had all the makings of a long Saturday evening, no matter what the outcome of AS Roma’s top-of-the-table clash with Inter.
And considering that not one of the 70,000 inside the stadium could dare leave before the drama subsided, the trip back into the centre of the city was always going to be a laboured experience.

Of course, Roma now feel they are in the fast lane after such a pulsating win over the leaders and – never known to keep their feet firmly on the ground when flights of fancy beckon – the locals now believe that come May they will be dancing around the Circus Maximus, just as they did in 2001.

Back then, those festivities went on for months but unfortunately the revelries turned into one long hangover that has continued ever since.

So, when everyone is finally seated at the pizzeria some two hours later, the chatter takes on an ever greater air of exuberance. Even the slice of luck of Diego Milito hitting the woodwork in the dying moments is considered an omen that Roma will be champions, making it a fruitless gesture to urge caution.

It would have fallen on deaf ears anyway, or dismissed with a theatrical Roman wave of the hand – and rightly so; after all, who can argue against a team that hasn't lost a league game since October? The momentum certainly seems to be with the racy Romans and the priceless win over Jose Mourinho’s men was a test of nerve more than anything else.

While expectations are sky-high amongst the fans, tellingly the players seem as unflappable as their coach Claudio Ranieri.

Even Francesco Totti hasn't forced his comeback too soon – and he could well be the decisive factor in the run-in as Roma look to match the champions stride for stride. If one player can change a team’s fortunes for the better in an instant, then it's il capitano when he has something to play for – even if it is on one leg.

Totti and Toni: tip-top

Inter may have greater strength in depth overall, but apart from having the Champions League to occupy their thoughts, they seem to have run through their repertoire of formations, line-ups and personnel changes.

Mourinho may have played his hand once too often and there is very little else he can bring to the table – especially if he continues to leave Mario Balotelli out of the squad.

Their fractious relationship hit an all-time low just before the Champions League return leg at Chelsea when the temperamental teen apparently spoke out of turn to one of Mourinho’s assistants.

It was Gucci handbags by all accounts but when Jose got involved it became slightly feistier. The upshot was that the youngster’s prized necklace was snapped and – of greater concern – his relationship with the Portuguese rendered irreparable.

There is a touchy environment of a different kind at AC Milan where Leonardo has become increasingly peeved by Silvio Berlusconi, whose sly little digs at the team’s dip in form aren't matched by a willingness to put his money where his mouth is when it comes to reinforcements.

The first signing for next season will be Mario Yepes, the poster-boy signing for the club: a free transfer in his mid-30s who already lives in Milan.

Back in the here and now, shorn of the inventive Ronaldinho and Andrea Pirlo against Lazio the Rossoneri looked no nearer to becoming champions than Juventus – and you would have to say that Palermo, Napoli and Sampdoria are playing much more pleasing football deserving of a Champions League spot.

The title race will still come down to the current top three and Milan’s task looks the toughest over the next seven games, with Palermo, Fiorentina, Genoa and Juventus all to play.

Inter and Roma have similar run-ins, with the leaders facing Juventus on the same weekend as the Roman derby, but the Nerazzurri’s trip to Fiorentina will be crucial to their hopes.

However, no matter the opposition, this title could well come down to which side feels more composed – and for once it is the capital that looks the calmest place to be.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy: News * Stats
FFT.com: Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact: Twitter * Facebook * Forum