We were in control with the 3 goals, but then Rafael showed his inexperience side and resulted in them getting their 2nd goals and confidence boost to push on.. and now we're without Carrick for the 2nd leg.. quite an important player for us in Europe.

You were not the only one..
Such an unnecessary thing to do by Rafael.. His intentions was good, but safety first! I was screaming in my head telling him to pass it on to Fletcher.. but he decided to bulldoze his way past. Milan were dead buried after Rooney scored the 3rd goal. After that it was all them. Lucky too one of those chances didn't go in.. if not wasted. Having a 2 goal advantage going to OT would have been fantastic.

Job very well done. 3-1 would have been a great result considering we conceded through deflection at the start of the game. But in the end, we conceded the 2nd.. it would be a very nervy affair at OT if Milan get a goal and we have to make do without Carrick as well.

We need to defend better.. the whole side was bad at it not just the defenders. They cut us through too easily.

Seedorf.. he can do everything. Great player. I just wonder who will start in midfield now Carrick is suspended. Gibbo/Ando, or we go 442.

Maybe would be too risky if we keep defending like that. And that would unleash Pirlo where Park did a good job of keeping him quiet.

We always play 451/433 or variations of it in Europe and the big games. Only sometimes we use 442 for these type of games. And tonight it was like a 4411/433 variation. Park would stick close to Pirlo when we don't have the ball, and then run to whichever directions his brain tells him to when we have the ball..

------------Back 5
-----Scholes-Carrick-Fletcher
Nani-------Park-------------
-----------Rooney----------

If we didn't commit suicide for their 2nd goal, the game would have gone to walking pace till the end with maybe us getting another chances or two. After that the whole momentum swing back to their side pushing them on.. plus playing at home give them that nitro boost for the last stretch. We also had Carrick sent off.. Things were looking great before that. After that 2nd goal, everything went to pieces almost. Thank god they don't have Rooney. Fine form he is in.

---

Added on February 17, 2010, 5:48 pmAnd playing away in the CL is always hard. Look at Real. We just have to hope we would make a better start in the 2nd leg and not concede silly goal(s).

This post has been edited by Wan: Feb 17 2010, 05:48 PM

Nice move to be fair. Kesian the guy. Direct hit!

Happened in the first half after Evans gave the ball away.. resulted in Huntelaar chance which went just wide of the post. After that we scored can see SAF face was like going to eat him alive that time.

Everton away next. Arteta is back for them. Fellaini out rest of the season so he doesn't have to annoy us. Cahill is injured too right?

People are being a bit harsh on Nani. Sure he didn't play that well, but our attacking play didn't turn up most of the match with us on the back foot and them having all their midfielders and defenders back defending most of the time. So kinda hard to make space etc.

He changed the game with his directness, but that isn't a slight on Nani. We know Italian teams are scared of people running directly at them and they're not comfortable with it. Nani unfortunately ain't so direct. He can be at times, but he's not that type of a plyer. And they have rendered us useless going forward before leaving Ronaldo and Rooney couldn't do a thing out wide. That's what happen last night with us shitting bricks everytime they attack us which put pressure on the whole team. By the time Valencia came, we already settled down so to speak able to hold onto the game and Milan gone off the pace..

The whole side was ineffective. Wasn't just him. The defending as a group wasn't effective. The defenders look scared every time they attacked us. The midfield got holes in them letting Milan through so easily. The attackers struggled to create anything with the way Milan defended(4 defenders across and with 3 midfielders always covering them)


Last few matches shows what he's capable of when he does 'perform'. And playing against Milan ain't easy as shown in the past. Last two time we went there we couldn't even score one goal.