im not judging his overall skill level, just saying he wasnt great and defending zaba who may not have been good- but not really at fault for the then two conceded goals :)

At first, when I heard we were going for Maicon, I could only help but thinking, "what the fuck?" But the more I thought about it, I realised that this could be a very astute signing. Ask most Inter fans and they'll tell you he's still one of the better attacking fullbacks in the world.

Okay, he's not as fast as he once was but his attacking ability has not left him. Let's not forget that Kolarov and Zabaleta are slower than him and if they can still fire all those crosses despite their lack of pace, then I can imagine what a motivated Maicon could do as he would be the best crosser at the club.

He's comfortable in possession. Not many fullbacks are and the best ones tend to share this trait. A player like him isn't restricted to the flank and can easily slot into midfield and attacking positions to help build an attack.

I think he's a bit like Kolarov with better crossing, passing, dribbling, and a knack for making things happen on his day.

Sometimes our RBs (and LBs, but mostly RBs) squander too many good chances, or make the wrong choices when in the right positions. I think a seasoned vet like Maicon could really make a difference when called on, and help teach our developing players like Richards.

Played very well today,both in attack and defense,a contender for MOTM.