Topic: Italian Serie A 11/12

[Emlynevermore]

I've wondered how Pizarro might do in England or Spain.  He seems like the sort of player Valencia used to have a lot of, but perhaps too flighty for a top Premier League side.  A good situation for him at Roma, stylistically and competitively.

Zarate nearly scores on his left foot.

[C]

Pizarro is even less mobile than Alonso was, i think like you said, he is at exactly the right club.

Think he would do well at us actually, perhaps where Adam has been playing

[Emlynevermore]

What is the point of making Taddei play as a left wing back when Cassetti has been sitting on the bench all game.  Is Cassetti just coming back from injury?  Playing him so deep strikes me as both a waste of Taddei's linkup play and a liability for the Roma backline.

EDIT:  Perrotta on the other side makes sense, because he can run forever and usually does.

[C]

What is the point of making Taddei play as a left wing back when Cassetti has been sitting on the bench all game.  Is Cassetti just coming back from injury?  Playing him so deep strikes me as both a waste of Taddei's linkup play and a liability for the Roma backline.

In theory yes, that is the situation with Taddei as a left wingback, but in reality i think he's done well.

Always back in position when needed and looking great attacking wise - clearly intended to take advantage of Inter failing to adapt to their multiple new formations.

As for Cassetti, im not sure mate, but him and Cicinho for a time were two of the dodgiest fullbacks about when they both started.

[Emlynevermore]

I think we all got suckered into watching this game.

Both sides have new managers implementing tactical rethinks with new players, both teams have started the season poorly, and neither wants to lose again.

Shame, as this fixture usually sharts goals.

[Emlynevermore]

As for Cassetti, im not sure mate, but him and Cicinho for a time were two of the dodgiest fullbacks about when they both started.

I remember those days.  Still, they were both good fantasy picks if you were prepared to lose the clean sheet bonus.

[Emlynevermore]

Is there a rule that one Roma center-back must sport a stupid blond haircut at all times?

EDIT:  Anyone watch the Bundesliga?  What happened to Kjaer last season?

[C]

They were linked with Balzaretti in the summer too, haha.

[WhiteHeat]

Gasperini has the 'Hodgson at Liverpool' factor about it all

[Lush is the best medicine...]

muntari for forlan at 0-0

[INABITSKI]

muntari for forlan at 0-0

Marcotti Gabriele Marcotti
Gasperini just replaced Forlan, a striker, with Muntari, a midfielder. And Pazzini is on the bench. Crusin' for a bruisin'...

[C]

Zarate Forlan Pazzini, is what i'd play - if i was insisting on 3 up top.

Pazzini, Milito, Forlan, Zarate, fuck i hope Gasperini gets this team going, a great manager would sort out a unique scoring machine out of that strike force!

[Emlynevermore]

Gasperini has the 'Hodgson at Liverpool' factor about it all

There is some of that, but I think Gasperini is a better manager.  His Genoa team were a real nightmare to play against two years ago. 

I think a real problem for him, apart from everything everyone else has discussed, is that Thiago Motta is injured now, as per his usual.  Motta seemed to give that Genoa side a bit of composure and bite that the current Inter team could really do with.  His presence also keeps Sneijder and Forlan from having to drop into midfield to get a touch on the ball.

Inter needed to overhaul their squad last summer, as Rafa intimated repeatedly.  The fact that they have yet to do so a year on hasn't helped Gasperini anymore than it helped our Rafa.

[C]

oh my word, he's actually smashed a testicle to pieces

[Lush is the best medicine...]

Gasperini has the 'Hodgson at Liverpool' factor about it all

Marcotti Gabriele Marcotti
@
@rpdoherty76 I think this is even worse, tho to be fair, Gasp had far less support from club than Hodgson. And he didn't buy Konchesky.

[Emlynevermore]

I'm quite excited about the Udinese-Fiorentina game tomorrow but it overlaps with our game @Spurs.

This has been happening a lot over the past 18 months, when our Thursday Europa League games pushed our Premier League games to the early Sunday kickoff time, nearly the same as the Sunday Serie A kickoffs.

Grrr.

[rushyman]

What the fuck? You cant blow up like that when ateams on the attack

[Rohit]

Inter really should have gone for montolivo in the summer. They lack a playmaker deeper in midfield and its asking sneijder and forlan to drop to deep rather than influence the game further ahead.

[C]

Wow, Muntari made 4 touches, two were him useless throwing himself at a cross, one was a pass out wide in the final seconds when he should be keeping the ball alive in the box.

Muntari cannot perform in an advanced position, how many Inter managers are going to make that mistake

[Emlynevermore]

Inter really need Thiago Motta and Maicon back fit again.  I am intrigued by the idea of Maicon starting the match about 15 yards further forward in a 3-4-1-2 than he usually does as a traditional right back.

If Chivu was fit, he would slot into the left of the back 3 much better than Ranocchia too.

[Emlynevermore]

Inter really should have gone for montolivo in the summer. They lack a playmaker deeper in midfield and its asking sneijder and forlan to drop to deep rather than influence the game further ahead.

That would have made sense but I don't think Moratti was willing to pay for a player he can get for free next summer.

Montolivo kept indicating he wanted to leave for a chance to play in the Champions League, but Milan didn't come in for him and ended up getting Aquilani on-loan instead.  Roma put in a bid that would have been accepted but he turned that move down, which would have made Inter the logical choice then.

I wonder if he is thinking that a good Euro 2012 with Italy on the back of a good season with Fiorentina, where he is guaranteed to start, ought to net him a big contract with a major European contender, either at home or abroad.  At his age, it will probably be the last chance a big payday he'll get.

EDIT:  Although now, he and his agent have said they want to reopen negotiations on a contract extension.  I don't know if that is genuine or just a PR move to repair his relationship with the supporters ahead of a possible switch next summer.

[Rohit]

That would have made sense but I don't think Moratti was willing to pay for a player he can get for free next summer.

Montolivo kept indicating he wanted to leave for a chance to play in the Champions League, but Milan didn't come in for him and ended up getting Aquilani on-loan instead.  Roma put in a bid that would have been accepted but he turned that move down, which would have made Inter the logical choice then.

I wonder if he is thinking that a good Euro 2012 with Italy on the back of a good season with Fiorentina, where he is guaranteed to start, ought to net him a big contract with a major European contender, either at home or abroad.  At his age, it will probably be the last chance a big payday he'll get.

Problem for moratti is that they need that sort of player now and has made the same mistake as milan after they won the champions league. Thinking the team is good enough even though the players have aged and seem to lack the hunger they once had.

[sinnermichael]

well at least napoli-milan tomorrow should be a better game

[kapil08]

Yeah, Osvaldo is a weird one.  Always looked capable of something special at Fiorentina but hardly ever seemed bothered.  I'm still not sure what kind of player he is going to be.

Was just thinking about it last night. Osvaldo looks quite lazy to be honest. Minimal movement, no lung bursting runs, no skill, nothing. Similar performance in the Cagliari game.

He got a right verbal bollocking from Enrique yest. during the pause when Stekelenburg got injured.

And what about Totti? Made one great pass to Borini. And then kept losing the ball due to some horrific touches.

Looking forward to the Napoli Milan game though

[Hank Scorpio]

Inter really need Thiago Motta and Maicon back fit again.  I am intrigued by the idea of Maicon starting the match about 15 yards further forward in a 3-4-1-2 than he usually does as a traditional right back.

to be honest, I think for a full back like Maicon, starting further up the pitch is a hinderance.

I'd like to see more of that Alvarez kid.  Hopefully Inter give him a chance in the next few weeks.

[Emlynevermore]

Palermo 0-1 down away to Atalanta at the half because their backline got caught a bit flat with a little ball in behind and former Napoli lump (who is now Atalanta's lump) German Denis blasted in from a tight angle at the near post.

Frustrating half for the visitors, as their movement up front was poor before the goal and only marginally better after.  Miccoli and Abel Hernandez have been quiet.

to be honest, I think for a full back like Maicon, starting further up the pitch is a hinderance.

I'm not sure it will work either but it will be interesting to keep an eye on.  He is a freight train when he has acres of space ahead of him, and with a front three of Sneijder, Forlan, and Milito/Pazzini, he might still have the freedom of that flank. 

I thought Nagatomo played fairly well yesterday, had plenty of room and nearly scored a good goal.  He did, however, look more like a traditional right-sided midfielder than a wingback who might motor onto a diagonal.

[Emlynevermore]

Great...I switch on the Fiorentina game concurrently with ours, hoping for better news from the Friuli than we have from WHL and Gamberini handles from a corner and Di Natale sends Boruc the wrong way from the spot.

Udinese 1-0 Fiorentina
Di Natale 8'

[kapil08]

Sigh.....guess it's Serie A now.

Nothing much happening at the Juve Siena game as well. Juve look pretty comfortable with the 1-0 lead.

'Sept those awful Juve shirts

Vidal's a bloody machine!!

[Emlynevermore]

If the replay is any indication, Gilardino appears to have badly torn his knee ligaments.

Collision with Handanovic while having his shirt tugged in a horse-collar fashion by an Udine defender.

[kapil08]

having his shirt tugged in a horse-collar fashion by an Udine defender.

 

[Aristotle]

Anyone got a stream for the Juve game? Wanna watch the last 5 or so

[Emlynevermore]

It's unconfirmed but I have to imagine that Gila is out for the season and probably the European championships as well.

This has been a problem for us since Gila arrived, trying to afford someone good enough to be a backup for him without being too good to sit on the bench.

Our forward options are now:

Jovetic - still working his way into form after his own knee injury
Santiago "El Tanque" Silva - new signing, built like a brick shithouse; unproven in Italy
Khouma Babacar - very talented, lanky, quick; unproven in Serie A

The good news is that we have a lot of attacking options from midfield:  Cerci, Vargas, Kharja, Ljajic, Lazzari.  Montolivo and Behrami aren't half bad, either.

I think we will be OK until January, when we will hopefully get someone on-loan or on a full transfer.

Gila

[Emlynevermore]

Why is that funny?  He did get pulled, which in turn meant he was leaning back and unprotected when he and Handanovic collided.

Unworthy of Polamalu but significant, I felt.

[firedragon]

Another win for juve seems they'll be more competitive this year,  Can't wait for napoli milan! Think napoli will just edge it!

[XabiArt]

Napoli - Milan about to start. Looking forward to this.

[U13]

Great header by Aquilani

[U13]

Good finish by Cavani to equalise, looking like a good game this one

[RivaGe]

Cavani...

[Gnurglan]

Good start to the game!   

[firedragon]

Napoli 2-1! cavani! Think they can win the league this year dangerous going forward!