01 Nov 2016 20:53:06
Hi ed 1 I've seen a lot of people are reminicing of the rafa days etc so thought i'd ask about the champ league final 2005 unfortunatly i was only 12 at time and can rememeber watching it but how good were the actual ac milan team we beat compared to the Liverpool team? And was it as big a miracle as its made out to be of we compare the actual two teams?

{Ed001's Note - they were good, but far from great. They could be brilliant, but they were mentally weak and prone to folding when under pressure, as they showed in the second half, when we tore them apart until the equaliser was scored. After that, Rafa's bottle went and we sat back and let them come at us again.

Personally I don't think it was a miracle really, it was purely because we were 3-0 down at half-time and looked dead and buried. They were the better team, on paper, by a distance, but along with being mentally weak, they also had a dodgy keeper, which always leaves you in danger of conceding.

We also had Gerrard and Carragher at their peak, Steve Finnan was excellent and Xabi Alonso is one of the best midfielders of recent times, so we always had a chance. I have always believed we should have beaten them in normal time, as they were far too weak in central midfield, with only Gattuso in there offering any kind of protection to the defence for most of the game. Pirlo is a passenger unless they have the ball and Kaka is the same, for me Rafa showed them far too much respect.}

1.) 01 Nov 2016
01 Nov 2016 21:57:15
What were the significant changes to the Milan side from 2005 to 2007 Ed01?

{Ed001's Note - age mainly. Sad thing is we deserved to win that one as we were the better team, just lacked the ability to finish off our chances, plus wingers with the intelligence to look up before crossing, rather than just hitting it in there.}

2.) 01 Nov 2016
01 Nov 2016 22:01:47
The only thing I can say there ed is rather than rafas bottle going its more imagine getting back to 3-3 and then it going 4-3 to them. Yes we had them on the ropes, yes we could of scors but there isn't many who would of kept going after getting back.

{Ed001's Note - actually most managers would have gone for the 4th. It is not usual to leave a team to recover.}

3.) 01 Nov 2016
01 Nov 2016 23:03:26
They had conceded something like 2 goals in Serie A in 4 months. They were defensively very strong.

4.) 01 Nov 2016
01 Nov 2016 23:32:56
Bringing hamann on at half time made a bog difference he was brilliant on the night.

5.) 02 Nov 2016
02 Nov 2016 00:31:31
Crespos 2 goals were top top class.
A natural finisher if there is such a thing.

6.) 02 Nov 2016
01 Nov 2016 22:05:30
Always thought 2007 should have been ours. Disagree with you Ed01 on 2005. That was the best Milan side of the decade. That back 4 plus Kaka and Gattuso and up front Crespo and Schevchenko. They were just brilliant.

{Ed001's Note - the back four were not at their peak and were constantly exposed by Pirlo's non-attempts to provide any protection and they were always suspect to being attacked as they would fold mentally. One thing Ancelotti has always struggled with is getting his teams to be mentally strong, which is why he wins so few league titles comparatively. Kaka was possibly the most over-rated player of all time, as he showed when he completely failed at Madrid. He was too interested in his church and didn't care about football enough.}

7.) 02 Nov 2016
01 Nov 2016 22:42:45
To be fair ed, don't think anyone thought we could've knocked three or more past the incredible defence Milan had (think it was Cafu, Stam, Nesta and Maldini) .

{Ed001's Note - it was also a defence not at its best. They were all on the way out.}

8.) 02 Nov 2016
01 Nov 2016 23:19:44
Ed001, you weren't a fan of Kaka? Always thought he was top class, great to watch and in his peak when he played against us in both 2005 and 2007. Went downhill from there for him though.

{Ed001's Note - he was nothing special, he had pace and strength, but he was typical of that era of Brazilians, lacking in that real flair, instead opting for physicality.}

9.) 02 Nov 2016
02 Nov 2016 09:26:29
Ed001! I can't believe what I'm reading! In the years I've been reading this site I have never disagreed with an opinion of yours, but to say the mid 2000's Milan team was just OK is shocking!

If there was such a thing as 'Team of the Generation' there would be 5 players from that team who would walk onto it; Cafu, Nesta, Maldini, Seedorf and Shevchenko. I would say only Stevie G and Roy Keane keep Pirlo out of the CM positions.

The only player they had who I could never fathom why they keep around so long was Diddi (sorry Dida) . Complete bombscare! I guess they thought their defence was so good it didn't matter who was in goal. Or his dirty jokes were so good they all wanted him on the team bus! Could be either.

Do you remember him feigning being punched in the face by a fan who patted him on the back at Celtic Park? Hilarious!

{Ed001's Note - Pirlo is ridiculously over-rated. Never understood the deal about that lazy get who required two players to cover for him, even though he was stood right there anyway. He was a luxury player who was great in the Italian league, purely because the level was so low. Sheva was nowhere near as good as made out, hence his struggles at Chelsea. Cafu and Maldini were past their best, though Maldini was still great at centre half, at left back he could be exposed by then. The point is, they had great players, rather than a great team.

By the way, I never said they were just OK, so learn to read before criticising an opinion. They only won one league title, so how can they be considered great? Great teams win trophies. They did not win enough to deserve the adulation you are giving them. By the way, Xabi Alonso was a thousand times the deep lying playmaker Pirlo was, he could also protect the defence.}

10.) 02 Nov 2016
02 Nov 2016 12:37:23
Fair enough Ed, although I wouldn't mind a 35 year old Maldini in our defence currently! Just curious, out of the back 4 Milan had at their peak under Sacchi, which one would you prefer? Think it consisted of Maldini, Baresi, Costacurta and Tassotti.

{Ed001's Note - without any question at all, Baresi. I absolutely loved him as a player.}

11.) 02 Nov 2016
02 Nov 2016 13:02:32
I always rated Crespo as a top player.

12.) 02 Nov 2016
02 Nov 2016 14:27:09
Baresi is the CB everyone wanted to be. in fact, the Milan back four was legendary.

13.) 03 Nov 2016
03 Nov 2016 12:08:12
Ed001, no need to throw a hissy fit.

Shevchenko won the Ballon d'or in 2004, effectively rating him the best player in Europe at the time of the 2005 CL Final. He didn't do it at Chelsea, you are completely right on that point, but you have said on numerous occasions that some players aren't suited to the style of play in certain teams or leagues, it doesn't mean their bad players. Look at Ian Rush at Juve. The man's a legend! One of the greatest strikers in the history of the world's greatest club!

Bergkamp was awful at Inter, so was Henry at Juve. Just sayin!

{Ed001's Note - Ballon D'Or? That is just crap, meaningless bauble, does no such thing at all. Serie A was crap at the time, that was why he stood out there. As for hissy fit, what on earth? Are you 5? That is the kind of moronic reply that is annoying and makes me just delete a reply without even reading it. If I was annoyed or throwing a strop, I would have just deleted your post, I wouldn't have wasted time replying to it. Which I won't bother again if you are going to be as pathetic in future as to make childish accusations because I don't mince words in a reply, as I don't have the time to sit and compose it nicely.}