By Anna Italia


   Catania - AC Milan 
                         
       Click here to watch Live Streaming online : Catania v AC Milan Live


  

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CATANIA  AC MILAN
Angelo Massimino stadium
Serie A Standing: Catania- 19th place, 9 points
                              AC Milan- 3rd place, 25 points

Hello, hello, hello, grab your snacks and cup of coffee or juice to read the declarations from AC Milan coach Leonardo on the eve of the Italian Serie A Week 14 match CATANIA - AC MILAN on Sunday, November 29, 2009 in the Angelo Massimino Stadium.

Naturally, the topic dominating the press conference was about "the declarations of midfielder Gennaro Gattuso during this week about wanting to leave AC Milan" supposedly because he was not happy to be a second choice but a starter, part of the first team. 

I must tell you that I was also surprised for his declarations and in a sense I understand him, but also understand Leonardo as coach. Having said that...  here are the declarations from Leonardo not only on Gattuso but on different topics. 

“I hope that everyone is angry with me and want to play. Then I decide.” This was coach Leonardo ahead of the Catania clash. The game plan is clear now, the consequences are choices, not failures.

MILAN – These are the declarations of coach Leonardo, this afternoon during the press conference on the eve of the clash:

ON THE MATCH AGAINST CATANIA

 “First of all we must understand how theywill play, I don’t know if it will happen against Catania too, but many other teams have changed to play against us. Sincerely I don’t know howthey will be fielded on the pitch. However, they are a quick and aggressive team, with dynamic players who press a lot. It’s a team with whom we must be very careful: their league position does not reflect alot the way they play.”

Now, guys, let me include here the video from November 26 of the declarations from AC Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso about not "waiting for someone to play bad or injure to have playing time"  then there is the response from Leonardo during the press conference today.



ON THE DECLARATIONS OF GATTUSO AND HIS NEED TO MAKE CHOICES:

 “I always speak with Gattuso: yesterday, today, in the past, always. Between us we always try to be very clear on all of our sensations. The first thing I hope is that he heals soon, only then we will be able to have other discussions.

The fundamental thing is to be fine. First let’s think about his recovery, then at the matches. I ask for full availability and absolute condition. Gattuso is little by littlegrowing in his physical work, but he still feels a bit of pain and this thing is blocking him. He has been here for the past 11 years, it’s true, and it’s normal to have moments of reflection, even I had them asa player. We just need to speak clearly like we do.

 Gattuso was astarter not because he was asking for it, but because he deserved it.If all are fine, I must choose: everyone understands the situation and respect the choices. It’s not a failure, but a choice. The same thing happened to Inzaghi, Ambrosini, Seedorf, etc...

The most important criticism that was being made to Milan, was that the team did not have identity, that there was too much turnover. Today that there is an identity, there are those who say that we are not doing any turnover,and they criticize this situation too. The truth is that everyone played, both before as well as now. I’m calm about my choices, thenit’s natural that an important player complains, but I think that in everyone there’s a conscious of what we are doing. I hope to have everyone in the right condition.

 Therefore, Gattuso, I tell you: ‘my request is that you return as soon as possible and you will see that things will be different then.’ What Gattuso said, I knew it from before. But I think that now there is something more important, that here covers, because it is the only thing that matters: playing. Then, if what he has in his head, like you are saying, is of leaving, I will tryto convince him not to do it because like he said, he’s Rino Gattuso.However, whatever will be decided, it will be done in a very calm way.I was not surprised by his declarations, which arrived right at the moment of his injury, because I know him well: the same grit that allows him to be Gattuso, is the one that makes him speak in the difficult moments.”

     

ON FORWARDS FILIPPO  INZAGHI,  KLAAS JAN HUNTELAAR AND THE COMPETITION IN ATTACK:

“Today we playwith a lonely striker and therefore in attack there is morecompetition. But even Huntelaar in this tactical setup would fit well,on the contrary, it can favour his characteristics. Huntelaar andInzaghi are part of our project, in any moment. Klaas is recoveringvery well, Pippo is fine and Borriello is doing very well: these aredifficult choices. This is the more complicated part of a coach’s job:seeing how the players are and make choices.”

ON THE PRESUMED LACK OF MOTIVATION FOR THOSE WHO DON’T PLAY MUCH:

“Westarted off from a situation in which we had to find back the playersand help them grow. Today Abate, Antonini and Kaladze are stronger thanwhen the season started out. Today Pippo is better than last year.Unfortunately the competition today is bigger, but this is a thingwhich pleases a coach. I hope that they are all angry with me and thatthey want to play. Then I choose. I smell a desire to play, not the badmood. Then it’s natural to complain to the outside, even I did so as aplayer. The anger of those who don’t play is very similar.”

ON THESUBSTITUTIONS NOT MADE DURING MARSEILLE-MILAN:

“It’s not true that Idon’t make substitutions, it happened in all most all the games that Imade the three changes, except in the last one, because on the pitchthere was a certain balance. We suffered in very clear occasions, weneeded a our balance. When you suffer, what do you do, attack or defendmore? I don’t know, they are very subjective thing.

Flamini was not at100%. We could have changed Pippo for Borriello, but at that moment wecouldn’t for the type of game which we were expressing. Other changeswould have changed the balance and everything would have been morecomplicated. Changing just to change does not help, you must maintain acertain balance. The revolutions are not needed. I think that theplayers understand this and I think that there are many games left,therefore we will have to use everyone of them.”


      

 ON THE ABSENCE OF MIDFIELDER ANDREA PIRLO AND ON THE TACTICAL SETUP:

 “Pirlo is animportant point of reference also for the way in which we play now, butI also think that the way to play is part of everyone now, therefore itwill not be a problem to find an alternative. When the actors change,even the characteristics, but the idea remains our way of playing. Wehave absorved the system, I don’t think that there will be any problem.Playing with Gattuso-Ambrosini (or Flamini) in the future, or maybePirlo more forward instead of Seedorf? Not from the start, but it hasalready happened. We can do many things, we have not used all thepossibilities, which will be used in the moment in which they will beneeded.”

 ON THE ALTERNATIVES TO DEFENDER MASSIMO ODDO:

“We can play with Abate in thatrole, but there are also other solutions. Him and Zambrotta can playboth on the right and left hand side. However, I think that tomorrow wewill use the most automatic solution.”

 ON THE INJURIES:

“Bonera is improving, he has already trained twicewith the team. We will see next week if we play him with the Primaveraor something similar to a game. Even Jankulovski has been added to thisprogram.”

ON RONALDINHO:

“He found his way of playing, now I ask him to maintainit.”



ON FORWARD ALEXANDRE PATO:

 “It happens to everyone to be less decisive in a game. I haveno worry.”ON ADYIAH: “He’s a quick player, good on the short runs. He must grow,he must adapt to a new football and slowly he must gel with the group.He’s an investment for the future.”

ON MIDFIELDER DAVID  BECKHAM:

 “From December 28 he will be with us. I spoke to him theday before the MLS final. He’s calm and happy to return.”

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Italian Serie A  Week 14 -  Matchday 14 / Giornata 14 / Italian Serie A TIM FOURTEENTH Round

Sunday, November 29, 2009
Catania - AC Milan
Angelo Massimino  Stadium
20:45 Italy time
11:45 a.m. USA Pacific time

Referee:  Brighi
Assistants:  Niccolai, Papi
 Fourth Official:  Tozzi




What do you think of the declarations from AC Milan coach Leonardo, agree, disagree, and why?  What about on the Gattuso issue?  Should Gattuso leave, yes, no, and why?  Ok, so le me start by saying that I want Gattuso to stay and get better to be in the starting lineup roaring as the sole roaring lion of Milan in the battlefield...  what's your take?  .... coffee is on me..... you bring some pastry and let's talk about it....

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