AC Milan 0-0 Newcastle United (19/09/23)

[Pata]

3 minutes ago, Shadow Puppets said:

Meant to ask, what happened after the corner just before the final whistle went? For about 10 seconds it seemed like the ref was going to VAR?

 

No idea, didn't see anything on the replays but something was going. Ref probably wasn't sure who handled the ball or something. Thought it was fair to not allow the second corner, Trippier took a ridiculously long time to take the first one and I was actually scared ref would blow it before the corner due to that.

[WinstonFC]

1 hour ago, Slim said:

Did you watch the Liverpool game?

Yea its alot easier to create against ten men

[Gallowgate Toon]

I see Craig Hope is straight back on with his Bruno/Tonali hot takes again. Seems to think Bruno played poorly which is bonkers to me.

 

Grown to really dislike him. He was one of the freaks yesterday who was asking about the plane delay and what the players did on the plane.

[WinstonFC]

41 minutes ago, OCOCOL said:

yeah it’s unbelievable to read some of what’s been posted on here and elsewhere. Not just tonight btw. 
 

im not saying Howe or the team are above criticism but howay remember where we were 2 years ago to the day. 
 

to anyone whose not experienced this before enjoy it. And if you can go, go. We had already booked up for psg but have decided tonight to drive to Dortmund and booked accommodation in Bochum (ibis) a couple of us have 400 points plus but the other lads will just watch in bars. 

It was a shite performance but an unbelievable point when you factor in our first european game in 2 decades, away game etc etc. However people need to stop with 'remember where were 2 years ago' stuff ffs. Thats in the past, team should be judged, criticised or praised on performances now. Weve created this high standard so we should be held to it. For whatever reason we just havent clicked offensively last few games. Defensively we are sound and another clean sheet is a massive plus. 

[McDog]

6 minutes ago, WinstonFC said:

Yea its alot easier to create against ten men

 

Except we scored when they had 11 or do I not remember correctly?

 

Massive fuck up to lose all three points mind.

 

 

[TheBrownBottle]

4 minutes ago, Gallowgate Toon said:

I see Craig Hope is straight back on with his Bruno/Tonali hot takes again. Seems to think Bruno played poorly which is bonkers to me.

 

Grown to really dislike him. He was one of the freaks yesterday who was asking about the plane delay and what the players did on the plane.

The season’s barely a month old.  Hope is one of those hacks who hounds people out of clubs, turning the narrative and then claiming innocence afterwards

[WinstonFC]

2 minutes ago, McDog said:

 

Except we scored when they had 11 or do I not remember correctly?

 

Massive fuck up to lose all three points mind.

 

 

We didnt create the goal tho, it was a liverpool fuck up that led to it. Didnt create much up until the sending off. As i said in previous post we just arent clicking offensively since the Villa game. Not sure what it is, really annoying but im sure we will figure it out. Full confidence in these players and management. 

[timnufc22]

I don’t think Bruno & Tonali are clicking though? Don’t see anything wrong with that assessment. For me it’s as much the system as individuals; without a designated & disciplined number 6, the midfield are played through and split open as a result. Especially on the counter. 
 

if it was me I’d be telling Tonali to sit, end of. No rotating positions, he’s playing deep, getting the ball off centre backs, picking passes, being sensible and reading the play in front of him when we don’t have it. Instead he’s playing higher up and keeps getting balls played in behind in and Loftus Cheek had the pace to beat him in a race.
 

Bruno dosent have the discipline or nous to snuff out the danger and we are then left exposed. 
 

Let Bruno & Longstaff make runs to support the forwards safe in the knowledge Tonali is sitting if we lose the ball. 

[Wolfcastle]

38 minutes ago, Shadow Puppets said:

Meant to ask, what happened after the corner just before the final whistle went? For about 10 seconds it seemed like the ref was going to VAR?

Think he was questioning whether it was a corner and if the keeper got a touch because a goal-kick was given initially - if were thinking about the same incident.

[Zero]

That’s exactly the role that Tonali has failed in Milan. He is not a 6.

 

I do agree with the assessment though. 

[Gallowgate Toon]

8 minutes ago, timnufc22 said:

I don’t think Bruno & Tonali are clicking though? Don’t see anything wrong with that assessment. For me it’s as much the system as individuals; without a designated & disciplined number 6, the midfield are played through and split open as a result. Especially on the counter. 
 

if it was me I’d be telling Tonali to sit, end of. No rotating positions, he’s playing deep, getting the ball off centre backs, picking passes, being sensible and reading the play in front of him when we don’t have it. Instead he’s playing higher up and keeps getting balls played in behind in and Loftus Cheek had the pace to beat him in a race.
 

Bruno dosent have the discipline or nous to snuff out the danger and we are then left exposed. 
 

Let Bruno & Longstaff make runs to support the forwards safe in the knowledge Tonali is sitting if we lose the ball. 

He repeats the same thing each week without context. Why isn't he saying Tonali can't play with Longstaff? Or Joelinton? We play a midfield 3 yet his obsession is with 2 players who aren't similar profiles. The whole thing is designed to target the 2 most high profile names for his shitrag to stir a conversation.

 

Tonali isn't a DM so that isn't going to happen. He's played as a box-to-box mid for the last 2 seasons alongside a DM. 

 

Bruno has excellent defensive output. There's a reason we didn't concede much last year and we didn't concede many shots either with him as the main protector. Sure, he's a bit unorthodox but that works in our favour the other way. The bigger problem we have at the minute is players tucking in behind our 8s to create an overload, unless our '6' has 8 legs then he's not going to beat that outnumbering.

[cubaricho]

I’m definitely warming to the idea of a DM with Bruno and Tonali either side and both in more advanced roles. It could be a real game changer to have that option. It could also make it so we might be able to deploy Isak in a 10 behind Wilson. 

[LFEE]

2 hours ago, 54 said:

 

They riot police emptied the platform and the message was put out the metro was broke. I just ignored and walked opposite way to everyone and waited on platform once the riot police had passed and another metro turned up in 5mins ?

 

One broke on way to ground due to the fans overloading it and jumping up and down but again that was replaced quickly.

[Superior Acuña]

Where was Dubravka tonight?

[timnufc22]

38 minutes ago, Gallowgate Toon said:

He repeats the same thing each week without context. Why isn't he saying Tonali can't play with Longstaff? Or Joelinton? We play a midfield 3 yet his obsession is with 2 players who aren't similar profiles. The whole thing is designed to target the 2 most high profile names for his shitrag to stir a conversation.

 

Tonali isn't a DM so that isn't going to happen. He's played as a box-to-box mid for the last 2 seasons alongside a DM. 

 

Bruno has excellent defensive output. There's a reason we didn't concede much last year and we didn't concede many shots either with him as the main protector. Sure, he's a bit unorthodox but that works in our favour the other way. The bigger problem we have at the minute is players tucking in behind our 8s to create an overload, unless our '6' has 8 legs then he's not going to beat that outnumbering.

I agree it did work with Bruno the first half of last season and there’s definitely an upside to it in an attacking sense. But looking at the second half of last season when our defensive record declined, it may well have been due in part to teams working us out and targeting Bruno to give the ball away in dangerous positions. I do think Willock is a massive miss and I said at the start of the season he’d be in the first eleven for me. it’s not to say Bruno’s useless or anything when deeper, I know it works sometimes and he can be great in right areas but ultimately I think we’re more vulnerable than solid.

 

If Tonali can’t play as a holding 6 then I do find it a slightly strange buy. Again I agree with Hope that performances can dictate future results and when you look at the defensive record slide during second half of last season, I would have thought it pointed towards bringing in that midfielder who can suss out danger when teams break on us. 

 

it just looks an obvious vulnerability for us. We’ve done amazing the last two years and everyone deserves immense credit, I’m just talking about this aspect in isolation.
 

i think Bruno and Tonali are mentioned because they’re the star, go-to names for the starting line up, so it’s looked upon as a key combination with a +1 out of Longstaff, Joelinton, Willock & Anderson.

 

 

 

[Erikse]

I kind of feel completely clean and sober after my dopamine addiction from last season, followed by some withdrawal symptoms during our 3 losses. I now have the ability to be happy with a draw against Milan, despite them being the better team.

 

 

Edited September 20, 2023 by Erikse

[astraguy]

It's our attack that hasn't worked well since Liverpool and villa,isak needs Wilson

[ExiledGeordie]

6 hours ago, timnufc22 said:

I don’t think Bruno & Tonali are clicking though? Don’t see anything wrong with that assessment. For me it’s as much the system as individuals; without a designated & disciplined number 6, the midfield are played through and split open as a result. Especially on the counter. 
 

if it was me I’d be telling Tonali to sit, end of. No rotating positions, he’s playing deep, getting the ball off centre backs, picking passes, being sensible and reading the play in front of him when we don’t have it. Instead he’s playing higher up and keeps getting balls played in behind in and Loftus Cheek had the pace to beat him in a race.
 

Bruno dosent have the discipline or nous to snuff out the danger and we are then left exposed. 
 

Let Bruno & Longstaff make runs to support the forwards safe in the knowledge Tonali is sitting if we lose the ball. 

Agreed it’s not working that well with Tonali for the reasons you’ve highlighted. A combination of him settling further and lots of training will improve things though. In time a 6, a creative RW as left well as left back where Hall has probably been earmarked to come in will upgrade the first 11.

[The College Dropout]

I think it’s more tactical than the need for a 6.  There’s a massive gap between defence and midfield. If a team has a 10 or players to drop into the spaces they will enjoy. One pass beats our entire midfield time and again. 

[KingArthur]

Resultwise, great. A draw from a difficult game. I only saw the second half, but to be honest, we didn't offer any threat at all. We tried to play defence-breaking passes from too far, we had too few players breaking up, and when he had the numbers up, the decisions were wrong. Longstaff shot was of course close, and I understand why he didnt pass it to Trippier who was totally free, but it was just an example. 

 

I think the problem is A) our pressing does not work. We are not energetic enough, we are not brave enough and not winning the ball back high enough.

B) When we are in possession, our passing is so slow, and players don't make off the ball runs like last year. For example, Longstaff used to make long runs towards right corner flag and pull the midfielder with him, creating space for Almiron to cut in etc. Have we seen this at all this season from Longstaff or Tonali? Seems like our midfield 3 should be fluid, but actually is very rigid because the roles are not clear. Bruno steps up to press, and neither of 8s drops down to cover -> huge space infront of our back 4. That should never happen. Last night Milan's midfielders made such an easy move behind Bruno and Tonali, there was no communication and no cover -> one pass totally bypassed our midfield. 

We are forced to play to Burn and Trippier, who just launch it to channel or try to find Bruno, who plays it back to CBs. Isak, Gordon, and whoever the other winger is must make themselves more open for pass. We are too predictable.

edit. I know Eddie will not change the 4-3-3, but I would change it to 4-2-3-1. To 6s with either Bruno or Tonali allowed to go forward. Willock, Joelinton, or Anderson as the 8/10 behind striker. And when chasing, drop Isak to that position.

 

 

Edited September 20, 2023 by KingArthur

[Nucasol]

7 hours ago, Gallowgate Toon said:

I see Craig Hope is straight back on with his Bruno/Tonali hot takes again. Seems to think Bruno played poorly which is bonkers to me.

 

Grown to really dislike him. He was one of the freaks yesterday who was asking about the plane delay and what the players did on the plane.

He works for the Mail, misery and division is in his corporate DNA. I do think Hope only laughs at open graves.

[Groundhog63]

Game sounds shit. 

I was buzzing to watch it then I read on here that the shirt font was terrible and the white block, on the back, "horrific" so didn't bother. 

Glad I gave it a miss. 

[Gallowgate Toon]

Lots being made of the midfield again and there were a few passes that got in behind but that's football. Unless you sit in banks all the time then that space will exist and teams will find pockets on occasion. At one point, their RB roamed into an AM position and had a shot - that's canny hard to account for defensively.

 

Looking at the highlights, most of their best chances came from wide positions and set pieces. They put in a lot of crosses.

[Dandy Man]

As others have said. Thought it was a great result and an absolutely incredible achievement to even be involved in this fixture given where we were just 24 months ago. But there is no getting away from the fact that the performance was objectively poor, yes we showed great fighting spirit but feel like it was only down to Milan's wastefulness and some good fortune that we did not concede - I don't think there could be too many complaints had we lost 2-0 or 3-0.

 

Something seems slightly off at the moment, whether it's as simple as just the balance in midfield or something else I don't know but we are nowhere near the levels of cohesion and intensity we saw for most of last season. Again, we just got a draw with AC Milan at the San Siro in the CL and have just come off about the hardest run of fixtures realistically possible, and can be certain that Eddie will be leaving no stone unturned to find the spark again so I am not at all worried (yet), but we are definitely currently some way off the levels we played to last year to my eye

[Groundhog63]

I must be easily pleased me like. Plucky newcomers, Newcastle, caught like rabbits in a headlight but scrape a clean sheet and a point away to last season's semi finalists and annual contenders, AC Milan.

Buzzin me ✅