The Serie A Thread

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Serie A 2011-2012 Winners?

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Ranieri quote 3 years ago -

"Football managers are like a parachutist. At times it doesn't open. Here, it is an umbrella. You understand, Mary Poppins?"


I don't know about a parachute but you have a job and a half on your hands at Inter Claudio, you may need a tassi come Christmas.

Plug gap manager, not going to build any legacies; or win any titles; or play nice football; or bring in youth. He's there to 'get the best' out of Inter's past it team.

Cambiasso/Lucio are doing fine but not showing the 09 form. As for Sneijder, despite Manchester United fans suddenly cheering him on as one of their own he has not and is not the same Sneijder of 09.

Make your own minds up as to why role/position/happiness etc. Anyone who watched the Serie A last season knows he had a below par season and has continued it this season.

As for Zarate, he's exactly what I thought. Either really good or abysmal in a game. He has the unique quality of being able to win you and lose you a game on his own. He scores in CSKA, wins Inter the match and suddenly he's coming out saying ''Oh Inter, I want to stay here for life''. You weren't saying that your first few games Mauro...

A strikeforce of Milito/Forlan/Zarate just can't compete with the top Bundesliga/BPL/Serie A/La Liga attacks, not even on the same platform.

Coutinho and Alvarez will probably get moved out on loan in January, Ranieri is not a fan of youth.
 
Alveraz didn't inpress me in the time he played. Glad we missed out on him!
 
I don't know, I think he is a decent player. Maybe not a £12m player yet, but has potential and talent. Alvarez was one of their better players in Pre Season, and no one at Inter has really covered themselves in glory so far this season under either manager. I'll wait to judge him until the teams playing well and he gets a run of games, I do think he has something about him though.

Roma goals from their match vs Atlanta:

[video=youtube;qEtnrK_EqnM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEtnrK_EqnM[/video]

They won 3-1, some clinical finishes in there Bojan's in particular shows what he is capable of.
 
Juve Vs Milan has started. Good game with Juve dominating. Still they lack that final pass.

---------- Post added at 01:03 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:39 AM ----------

Vucinic is having good game.
 
juve deserved the points. milan players were clueless about what the **** to do with the ball. emanuelsson is a disgrace to the game of football. and abbiati is starting to turn into dida.

jamie is right, bojan finally showed what he's capable of and i am still screaming his name out loud even after more than 24 hours from the goal. and pjanic is great, he's starting to get into the team's movements and he always seems to know where the ball is going to go
 
Excuse the grin... ^^)

Great result, beat Milan pretty convincingly and stamped ourselves unequivocally as scudetto contenders.

Marchisio is one of the most under rated players in world football, every coach that has gone in there didn't know how good he is until they work with him. He can play DM/CM/AM all competently and the guy runs and runs like a Kenyan distance runner. The energy and ability of Marchy is sublime, technically gifted which will surprise a lot of people. I remember his play in one of the goals against Parma, it was sensational.

Great result for Juve.
 
Jamie. said:
Excuse the grin... ^^)

Great result, beat Milan pretty convincingly and stamped ourselves unequivocally as scudetto contenders.

Marchisio is one of the most under rated players in world football, every coach that has gone in there didn't know how good he is until they work with him. He can play DM/CM/AM all competently and the guy runs and runs like a Kenyan distance runner. The energy and ability of Marchy is sublime, technically gifted which will surprise a lot of people. I remember his play in one of the goals against Parma, it was sensational.

Great result for Juve.
Click to expand...
no wonder he was the only players we would have accepted in exchange for vucinic when it seemed possible that conte wouldn't have played him that often
his remarks about the city of rome would have made him feel quite unwelcomed in the Eternal City, tho
 
Juve and Napoli clean up as the Milan clubs continue to struggle

For a league that has been dominated by the mighty teams of Milan in recent years, Juventus and Napoli’s dramatic weekend wins were welcomed by Italy.

Whilst the match between Napoli and Inter was thought to be highly controversial, Claudio Marchisio’s late brace compounded Milan’s misery as well as encouraging further praise for Antonio Conte’s coaching skills at Juve.

Tactically, Conte outfoxed Milan’s Massimiliano Allegri. By inserting an extra midfielder in the middle, Juve’s usual 4-4-2 formation was transformed into a 4-2-3-1 shape in which the full-backs were encouraged to push forward and provide width whilst the ball-playing midfielders in the middle consistently delivered short passes to one another, enjoying long spells of possession.

Boasting a young squad that only needs to contend with Serie A matches this season, Conte’s team is blessed with both pace and exemplary athletic ability.

As such, the coach asked his players to keep moving, playing a high intensity game and using their energy to expose Milan’s ageing squad – one that was still recovering from their midweek Champions League match.
The result was an emphatic 2-0 victory even if the goals owed something to Christian’s Abbiati’s inability to perform as an adequate goalkeeper in the final minutes of the game. Unlucky perhaps but Milan were the less determined side that appeared overwhelmed by the sheer number of Bianconeri fans who had packed out the new Juventus stadium to cheer their team on.

Moreover, the usually brave Allegri appeared to be content with the draw and made three defensive substitutions to asphyxiate Juve’s creative ability as well as stifling his own team’s chance for goals. Such a conservative approach meant that Milan had to keep possession and avoid individual mistakes to ensure a point but of course things did not go according to plan and the home side claimed another victory to keep them at the top of the table.

In their usual hyperbolic state of reporting, the Italian media has since labelled Juventus as credible title challengers before hailing Conte as a tactical genius.

For a side that has finished seventh in the league in two consecutive seasons, victories against the bigger sides was never deemed a problem. It was the side’s failure to maintain that same level of motivation against the smaller teams that rendered them undeserving of a place in Europe.

Whilst the performance was indeed worthy of praise, Juventus were hardly tested at the back and their final touch needs to be refined considering they took 20 shots on goal but only converted two. Attacking en masse as they exploited their high energy levels, passes were continuously misplaced and most crosses that were delivered failed to reach the intended recipient.

The home side, in effect, won because they were hungrier. Their possessed manner of play and continual quest for goals both against Milan and in general this season has reminded many of the real Juve – the side that dominated Europe in the 90s by playing with determination, hunger and a healthy dollop of arrogance.
Milan, on the other hand, have only picked up one win so far this season and those three points came against a lowly Cesena side tipped for relegation.

Whilst injuries play a huge role in their timid start to the season, it must also be said that the team is need of reinforcements especially in midfield – the area that lacks the necessary pace and energy to transport the ball seamlessly from defence to offence making them susceptible to a loss against energetic teams that play with pace and intensity.

Yet despite the reigning champions struggling to make an impact in the domestic league so far, Allegri insisted after the match that it was all a question of fatigue and that there was nothing to worry about before conceding: “this was our worst performance of the season.”

Meanwhile their neighbours Inter suffered their first loss under new coach Claudio Ranieri against counter-attacking connoisseurs Napoli in a game brimming with controversy. With the usually thoughtful Ranieri banished to the stands for screaming at the referee, Inter’s luck turned from bad to worse as they succumbed to anger and disorientation after suffering from a string of poor decisions by the referee.

Incidentally, this was the type of match that separates the good coaches from the mediocre ones. With Inter justifiably riled as the club suffered a string of injustices minutes before half time, Ranieri was criticised for not having diffused the situation during the break to create a united team willing to overcome their obstacles and put in a worthy second half performance. Instead, we witnessed a depressed Inter after the break as the team lost their shape, fell prey to their usual poor defending and were evidently unable to halt their complaints.
Napoli being the quintessential opportunists, made the most of Inter’s bad luck by punishing Inter’s woeful defending and scoring a further two goals in the second half to secure a convincing win.

In their current form, Napoli are the team to beat although Fiorentina demonstrated that if they are faced with a tactically organised team, they will suffer.

Meanwhile, question marks still hang with regards to their squad depth. Seemingly overly dependent on certain players, some pundits insist that the Azzurri are just as effective without the creative artistry of Ezequiel Lavezzi and Marek Hamsik. Chievo, who beat Napoli without the two stars, beg to differ.


Read more: Serie A blog with Mina Rzouki: Juventus and Napoli clean up as Inter and AC Milan's struggles continue - Mirror Football Blog - MirrorFootball.co.uk
Sign up for MirrorFootball's Morning Spy newsletter Register here

 
Mina's a huge Juventini... You would never guess.

Saying that, AC Milan showed their true colors and had the same old problems of slow play dependent on individual brilliance to win Milan the game. Don't look the same team as they did last season, mainly because the standard has risen this year in Juve/Napoli/Roma being rejuvenated. Inter were awful last season and they came the closest to AC, says more about AC than it does Inter. Also questions over Allegri, he's good but he's no Ancelotti or Capello. Tactical naivety away from home is stunning, he goes to every away game looking for a draw and hoping for a win. That's the attitude of a coach content with mediocrity, not one intent on legacy or success.

Juventus answered more questions this weekend than any other team, Inter still have questions to answer and Milan still have questions to be asked.
 
one could argue that last season of serie a was by far the most depressing one since i don't know when. milan won it basically because made less mistakes than other teams, not because they were the best team by far. inter paid their woeful start, roma drastically underperformed and juve completely got their transfers wrong. no wonder that a team with just 14 regulars such as napoli have been a threatening force. this year could be not very different. it's not that the standard has risen, it's just that the teams swapped places. now it's milan with the dreadful start, inter underperforming and juve (without european football) taking the advantage.

the fact that the most used tactic in milanello seems to be "throw it to ibra and let's see what happens" doesn't help either. the "muscle" midfield allegri is fielding week after week is basically there to favour counter attacks by pato or robinho, but when one or both of them are not playing and the team really needs to build proper football, the lack of a pirlo or even an aquilani is quite clear
 
Napoli not thinking of title

Club president De Laurentiis won't look too far ahead
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has insisted it is far too early to start dreaming of winning Serie A.
Walter Mazzarri's men are currently third in the standings after five games of the season, one point adrift of joint leaders Juventus and Udinese.
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They have already beaten AC Milan and Inter Milan this term and are being tipped in some quarters as possible champions.

However, De Laurentiis is refusing to get carried away and has urged the team to simply try and stay in touch until the business end of the campaign.

"We are only thinking about the next game. It'd be very bad to think about an objective so far away, because we could get too excited or be disappointed in the end," De Laurentiis told RaiSport.

"I've been working with Mazzarri for three years, we have our own ways.
"I would like to be in the top five, then enjoy the suspense of the last two months."

Napoli not thinking of title | Sky Sports | Football | Serie A | News

Bologna axe Bisoli
Ballardini & Delio Rossi linked with job

Bologna have sacked coach Pierpaolo Bisoli after just five league games in charge.
The Rossoblu currently sit rock bottom of Serie A after slumping to their fourth defeat of the season at Udinese
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last weekend.

Bisoli only took over at Bologna in the summer as a replacement for Alberto Malesani.
However, Bisoli has only managed to secure one point from his first five games and the club have decided to axe him

A club statement read: "Bologna announces it has released coach Pierpaolo Bisoli from his duties as first-team coach. The club wishes to thank Bisoli for his professionalism."

Ex-Genoa coach Davide Ballardini and former Palermo boss Delio Rossi are the early frontrunners to succeed Bisoli.

Bologna axe Bisoli | Sky Sports | Football | Serie A | Bologna

Pioli lands Bologna post | Sky Sports | Football | Serie A | Bologna



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[h=1]Totti to miss derby date[/h][h=3]Roma legend will play no part against Lazio[/h]Roma have confirmed that Francesco Totti is to sit out their derby date with arch-rivals Lazio on Sunday.

The experienced forward has been nursing a thigh problem and was always facing a race against time to make the crunch clash.
It has now been revealed that he will play no part in the first meeting between Italy's capital giants this season.
Totti
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picked up a knock in a 3-1 win over Atlanta on 1st October and has been working on his recovery ever since.
He has, however, been forced to concede that he will play no part against Lazio
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this weekend.
"After having a scan in the morning (Tuesday) at Trigoria, Francesco Totti continues his rehabilitation programme with physiotherapy and swimming exercise," Roma
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announced on their official website.
"Over the next few days he will train separately in the gym.
"An ultrasound to evaluate the course is scheduled for next week.

Totti to miss derby date | Roma Football News, Fixtures, Results, Table | Sky Sports
 
6 games played and only 2 goals scored.

[TABLE="width: 468"]
[TR="bgcolor: #cfcfcf"]
[TD="width: 45"] FT[/TD]
[TD="width: 186, align: right"]Cesena[/TD]
[TD="width: 51, align: center"]0 - 0[/TD]
[TD="width: 186"]Fiorentina[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 4"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #dfdfdf"]
[TD="width: 45"] FT[/TD]
[TD="width: 186, align: right"]Atalanta[/TD]
[TD="width: 51, align: center"]0 - 0[/TD]
[TD="width: 186"]Udinese[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 4"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #cfcfcf"]
[TD="width: 45"] FT
[/TD]
[TD="width: 186, align: right"]Cagliari[/TD]
[TD="width: 51, align: center"]0 - 0[/TD]
[TD="width: 186"]Siena[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 4"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #dfdfdf"]
[TD="width: 45"] FT[/TD]
[TD="width: 186, align: right"]Chievo[/TD]
[TD="width: 51, align: center"]0 - 0[/TD]
[TD="width: 186"]Juventus[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 4"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #cfcfcf"]
[TD="width: 45"] FT[/TD]
[TD="width: 186, align: right"]Genoa[/TD]
[TD="width: 51, align: center"]0 - 0[/TD]
[TD="width: 186"]Lecce[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 4"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #dfdfdf"]
[TD="width: 45"] FT
[/TD]
[TD="width: 186, align: right"]Novara[/TD]
[TD="width: 51, align: center"]0 - 2[/TD]
[TD="width: 186"]Bologna[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
 
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Juventus had announced that this will be the last season Del Piero plays for them. :(
 
Agnelli playing politics with the shareholders. He's trying to cover up the 80m euros losses Juve recorded last year, ADP is a big earner but this is not his decision no matter how Agnelli spins this.

If he wants to be fiscally responsible how about you pull the £120k a week player out of the Primavera? (Amauri)

So frustrating that this is being dressed up as a money saving operation that was all Del Piero's idea.

Agnelli at the meeting: ''The squad has been rebuilt completely and we've put the emphasis on youth''

Yet he signs Pirlo on over £80k a week in the summer, sad way to see ADP leave Turin I have to say.
 
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