Serie A Thread - 2014/15 Season

Re: Serie A Thread - 2009/10 Season

Just looking over the current Italy squad wouldn't fill me with much confidence if I was an Italy fan.

Last time out, they had the world's best goalkeeper, the best central defensive partnership in the world, probably the best fullback in the world - as well as a not too shabby left back. The midifeld were all at their peak and although Totti was unfit, he had two quality strikers in front of him.

Toni must be one of the unluckiest Italian strikers of recent memory. Hits the bar against the USA. Incorrectly disallowed goal in the final as well as the incorrectly disallowed header against Romania.

I guess the fact that international football is at a lower standard at the moment than in the recent past means that Italy still have a good chance but they'll need a bit of luck if they come up against Spain and Brazil, although I'm not too convinced about Brazil's chances with Dunga at the helm. His desire to play a very negative gameplan and consistently choose a past it Gilberto Silva may cost him.

Italy's experience in winning last time out could be a crucial factor at some high pressure point in the tournament.
 
Re: Serie A Thread - 2009/10 Season

abou said:
Last time out, they had the world's best goalkeeper, the best central defensive partnership in the world, probably the best fullback in the world - as well as a not too shabby left back. The midifeld were all at their peak and although Totti was unfit, he had two quality strikers in front of him.
man, describing "the 2006 grosso" as a "not too shabby player" is an enourmous undestatement.... and that "probably" about zambrotta is definitely out of place. :))
however world cup has nothing to do with having the best team of the lot, and "experience" is sure a factor but not a really important one.

we had the best team (along with argentina) in 2006....but then again, we had the very best team of the lot also in 2002 and yet that wasn't a success at all.
in 2006 argentina had a much better team than germany yet they couldn't make it..... and germany, whose team was not on the same level of italy (in terms of quality), not only beated argentina, but played "on par" with italy aswell.

just 2 months before the 2006 world cup, we dismatled germany... i don't remember if it was a 4-0 or a 4-1.... however we simply tore them apart.... now i'm not saying the gap between italy and germany was actually so wide to justify such a result (afterall single matches aren't reliable), but yet, that match made pretty clear that germany was far from italy's standards.
2 months after we faced a completely different germany..... did the quality of the team improved? no. it was the context that was different.

that's what makes the difference in a world cup: the context. germany was on fire those days... they were confident, after such a succesful result against argentina; they were motivated, as they were playing a world cup semi final at home, with an entire stadium supporting them and an entire nation, just outside that stadium, rooting for them.... and finally they had many key players in great form.
that allowed them to play way beyond their real potential.... to play on par with italy (at least till the 90th minute).

so the world cup it's not about having a great team... u obviously need some good players, but that alone means nothing, as many other teams will have great players.... and in such a short competition, in such a particular period of the season, there are other factors wich can easily nullify the gap between team filled with great players and a team filled with good players.
those factors are form, team spirit and motivation....i referred to them with a single world (context), as they are deeply related to each others.

in june most of the players will have +50 matches on their legs....and that's a lot. so how u get there is pretty important...it doesn't matter if u're world class... if u've been playing all season long, if u didn't face a single injury during the season (wich means that u never had a break during the season), u might be very tired in june....and if u're not so young anymore, u might aswell be completely worn out (given how bad cannavaro is playing right now, i can't even imagine how poor he'll be in south africa)..... so form\fitness is just as important as skill, as a factor.

and anyhow, even the players who are in a better shape, they still won't ever be as fresh and fit as they were during the season of course. they will all be tired to an extent. and there's just one thing that can nullify the effects of fatigue: motivations. a world cup is like the last 3 miles of a marathon. to make that last effort and beat your opponents u got to want that cup more than anything else.... because when u're playing the extra-time of, say, a world cup semi final.... after playing football for 9 months, after an entire season and a hugely stressing last month (with 6 matches in 3 weeks)... there will be more lactic acid than blood in your veins... and the only thing that will keep u running will be your determination, your motivation, your will.
now i'm not saying that our players won't have that motivation, of course.... but it's pretty obvious that other players, from other teams, who have never won the cup will be much more motivated than the likes of cannavaro, zambrotta and grosso.

and finally the last factor, team spirit. playing a world cup implies a particular challenge from a sociologic point of view.... u have to live with your teammates for an entire month.. u'll have no contacts with the rest of the world, and will have to share the same rooms with guys that aren't even your teammates in your club. so, in order to turn that individual motivation into a winning team mentality, u need theese guys to get along, to gel, to "click" instantly.
coz even the most insignificant issue, in such a stressing situation (stressing because of the people expectations, because of the fact u can't be close to your family, because, like it or not, u have to share the same hotel and the same bedroon with your teammates for an entire month), can break the dressing room chemistry.

theese 3 factors (form, motivation and team spirit) are much more important than the actual quality of the team in such a competition.... this is not a season-long league, it's a 1 month long cup.
however i don't even really care about this, as i'm not really eager to win another world cup..... to be honest, i couldn't care less.... the 2006 experience was so overwhelming, so deep and involving, that, even after 4 years i still feel that (silly) sense of satisfaction and pride.
i don't want us to win the world cup... i just want us to display our best team and play our best football..... and if that's not enough to give us a spot in the final, so be it, i'll be rooting for the team that will beat us. the point is this team is not the best team italy has to offer.... at all...and that's something that really annoys me.

right now we should be in the middle of a very long "transition period", and yet we didn't even start this transition phase, coz our coach has not the balls (anymore) to drop some big names and call those who actually represent the best italy has to offer right now.
 
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Re: Serie A Thread - 2009/10 Season

I'm still puzzled over how Ambrosini doesn't play for Italy.
He has quantity but not much quality. Italy already have De Rossi who is a similar player but with more quality. Plus Ambro is rather old now. Italy would be better off going for younger midfielders like Candreva and Marchisio to be honest.
 
Re: Serie A Thread - 2009/10 Season

yes, he's already a regular in the team. :))

yesterday game was boring (but i guess no one expected it to be anything different)... the only good aspects were cossu and bonucci. very good debut for bonucci..... and an even more than very good debut for cossu, who was by far man of the match... and when u think that wasn't even a particularly good display from him.... if makes u wonder how such a nice talent can be so overlooked.....
anyhow lippi said he was delighted by him.... i think candreva's place might be seriously endagered.

btw i really despise this formation.... setting up a 3-4-1-2 just to have 2 cbs providing some support to cannavaro? how about dropping cannavaro and lining up just the 2 good cbs instead!

i'm starting to believe we'll gonna get spanked even harder than last year in the confederation cup.... oh well, if that's what it takes to get rid of lippi, so be it.
 
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Re: Serie A Thread - 2009/10 Season

man, describing "the 2006 grosso" as a "not too shabby player" is an enourmous undestatement.... and that "probably" about zambrotta is definitely out of place. :))
however world cup has nothing to do with having the best team of the lot, and "experience" is sure a factor but not a really important one.
With regards to Grosso, "not too shabby" was in comparison to Zambrotta and was meant in a positively sarcastic way.

As for Zambrotta, I didn't want to seem too biased, so I stuck that "probably" in there. :D
 
Re: Serie A Thread - 2009/10 Season

With regards to Grosso, "not too shabby" was in comparison to Zambrotta and was meant in a positively sarcastic way.
sorry bro, i didn't detect the sarcasm :)

anyway this week match is extremely important... if we manage to win against livorno, we might actually get a shot at joining next season's champions league for real...... LOL i can't believe what i'm saying :D ... palermo in champions league...

if we loose, on the other side, we'll repack with the group (juve, napoli, samp, genoa and cagliari), wich means that even the uefa cup spot would be at risk.....man, what a stressing season! as a palermo fan, i'm really not used to handle so much stress :D
 
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Re: Serie A Thread - 2009/10 Season

and an even more than very good debut for cossu, who was by far man of the match... and when u think that wasn't even a particularly good display from him.... if makes u wonder how such a nice talent can be so overlooked.....
anyhow lippi said he was delighted by him.... i think candreva's place might be seriously endagered.
serves him right for going to Juve :BRMM:

btw i really despise this formation.... setting up a 3-4-1-2 just to have 2 cbs providing some support to cannavaro?
I'm rather fond of the 3-4-1-2 actually. It was rather popular in the late 90s, early 00s, I remember Roma perfecting it back when they won the Scudetto in '01. You say get rid of Cannavaro and play 2 quality CBs instead, well, what 2 CBs? Come to think of it, this formation makes perfect sense for Italy to use. If employed correctly, it offers the perfect balance to a rather disorganized team (in that they don't have a pattern or well defined style of play). Wasn't Pirlo deployed in the trequartista role a few months back by Lippi? I'm picturing in my head a midfield duo of D'Ago and De Rossi (if he could only just step it on the international scene) and Montolivo and Palombo as back ups. Italy would at least get passed the group stage :LOL:
 
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Re: Serie A Thread - 2009/10 Season

well rfu, on paper, this might appear as a good solution, but that's just a clumsy attempt to hide a scared and defensive (not balanced and organised) approach.

follow me; lippi knows cannavaro can handle his role anymore... we all saw this season how much of a liability fabio has become.
but he can't even drop cannavaro, coz he considers cannavaro as his embassador on the pitch (the voice of the coach on the pitch). so he settles for a 3 cbs back line, providing 2 "guardians" to protect cannavaro and cover his lapses.
so a 3-4-1-2 might look as a good idea at first glance..... but it isn't.
352funzionante.png

that's the tipycal pattern of a 3-4-1-2. the 2 outside centerbacks alternatively slide on the flanks whenever the attack is coming on their side, the 2 tornanti (wingbacks) push on the flanks to widen the possession line and to keep the opponent's defense wide open and stretched, while 2 muscular midfielders cover for the "holes" left by the wingbacks.

personnel-wise, it might suit us. u put chiellini and bonucci (or gamberini) as outside cbs..... maggio and criscito would be the best choice for the wingbacks position (although i'm sure lippi will settle for zambrotta and grosso, which would be a disgraceful decision).... and de rossi, along with one between palombo, marchisio, ambrosini or gattuso would be lined up at midfield (with one among pirlo, camoranesi, candreva, totti, montolivo or cossu lined up as a trequartista with roaming freedom).

but the point is, the central cb is a key factor in this lineup. he has to act as a "spring" adjusting his position according to the outside cbs side-movements.... that means he has to be the best cb of the lot.
in our case instead cannavaro (who will be the central cb) is the weak link.... his unreliability is precisely the reason why lippi picked this formation...... so the situation is completely different. it's not cannavaro that leads the backline, adjusting his position to cover for the outside cbs...... the outside cbs are the ones who have to move to the center to support cannavaro.
so the filter at midfield isn't enough to cope with the hole on the flanks (as the outside cbs can't move to the flanks) and that means the wingbacks have to track back to provide some coverage.

as soon as the wingbacks don't push anymore, this formation turns into a disaster. look at this.
352sbagliato.png

the outside cbs act almost as 2 liberos, providing coverage for cannavaro..... the wingbacks track back...... with just 2 men at midfield, u find yourself completely outnumbered in the most important zone of the pitch... the result?
u have to defend deeper.... the possession line will get into your own side of the midfield for most of the time (as that 2 men midfield will crush under the pressure) and offensively u'll be extremely narrowed and predictable. a single trequartista and 2 fowards, with no support from midfield or from the flanks.... it doesn't take much to contain such an attack.

take a closer look to that second pic.... that's not a 3-4-1-2 anymore..... that's a catenaccio in disguise (except for the man marking).
 
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Re: Serie A Thread - 2009/10 Season

You only needed visual effects to make your posts legendary mate! :D Nice read.

But they are trying to get Nesta back hard, Do you think he might even consider dropping Cannavaro if Nesta returns?
 
Re: Serie A Thread - 2009/10 Season

it's much easier and time-saving to explain some things with microsoft paint rather than words :P

as for your question, if u swap cannavaro with nesta, the shape of the lineup completely changes and our formation would become much more similar to the first pic (rather than the second).... that would be great (and u can be damn sure lippi would drop cannavaro instantly if nesta would come back).... but unfortunately i can't see nesta changing his mind at this point.

u see, nesta is a great person.... he's not like totti. he wouldn't join italy at this point coz he probably feels that would be unfair to those players who earned the world cup qualification (picking nesta would mean dropping another player).
i believe he's pulling off "a maldini" here. he feels it's time to leave the national team spotlight to a new generation of players, and since he knows he's too much of a star to be dropped by any coach, he decided to leave.......

..... if only he wasn't still one of the very best cbs in the world :(
 
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Re: Serie A Thread - 2009/10 Season

I think Nesta also owes a lot to Milan recently, and doesn't want to risk ending his career earlier due to injury.
 
Re: Serie A Thread - 2009/10 Season

Guys, I'm not going to lie... I'm really impressed by the way Milan are playing lately. It seems like we've regained our sense of caution and composure as a team. I think we are on a good mental level and are finding the right balance in the squad. I really agree with this post from a Milan blog that I'll translate:

Roma - Milan 0-0

Pirlo was right: Its 2 lost points. Roma was very tired. But what was satisfying was seeing a well rounded and compact team that was capable of going to Rome and controlling the match. It really hit me what Pirlo and Leonardo said: disappointed for the draw. It shows that the team is really believing that first place is possible.

The 2 striker experiment went well, although I would have preferred Borriello to sacrifice more rather than Huntelaar. I congratulate Leonardo, who made the right choice. Dinho was 'off' and we didnt score? It might be the case, but we were still far more dangerous and created chance.

Flamini also demonstrated that he realized that to get a starting spot, you need to show continuity. He came on and played well right away. This shows that he has the "Milan quality" (in the traditional sense). He deserves a spot, and the way Leonardo is running the team, I think Flamini will get the spot. (He tends to play who's on form)

For wednesday, its useless to create any illusions and expectations. The chances are there, but there are objectively few. If I think about how small a chance we have at OT, it makes me more disappointed about how we lost the 2 points in Rome after playing so well.

Ps - how awesome was Thiago Silva against Roma!?? He was phenomenal! It really is weird seeing a defender of ours playing with such confidence!
 
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Re: Serie A Thread - 2009/10 Season

I think Zeem put it very well in another thread.... if we can hold 0-0 in the first half, I think we have a chance. But I'm not expecting much to be honest.... but then again, this is Europe and everything is possible.
 
Re: Serie A Thread - 2009/10 Season

u see, nesta is a great person.... he's not like totti.
:LOL:

so he settles for a 3 cbs back line, providing 2 "guardians" to protect cannavaro and cover his lapses.
so a 3-4-1-2 might look as a good idea at first glance..... but it isn't.
Ok, this may be where we maybe disagree because from what I've seen, the only problem with Cannavaro is his lack of speed, not his positioning or awareness/decision making. I mean compared with John Terry and Rio Ferdinand... what are we complaining about :LOL: ...

Now, because he's slow, Chellini and whoever is positioned as a RCB might be required to cover for Cannavaro at certain points during the match, but then surely it's better than back four with Cannavaro and Chellini, or Chellini and another defender (whoever that maybe) who isn't even good at enough at int'l level (don't want to see another Barzagli, that was bad). So what's the alternative, that's what I'm curious about, who else is there?
 
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Re: Serie A Thread - 2009/10 Season

Ferdinand is miles better than the current Cannavaro, Even Terry is much better but going through poor form.
 
Re: Serie A Thread - 2009/10 Season

if milan retire against manchester, its nearly sure that germany will get the third place in uefa ranking and italy will loose their 4th starter for the championsleague
 
Re: Serie A Thread - 2009/10 Season

That's the only reason I am supporting Inter to go far. GO INTER!! :D

But really Bayern looked like a mess yesterday. Both strikers were invisible and the defence was a wreck.
 
Re: Serie A Thread - 2009/10 Season

Ferdinand is miles better than the current Cannavaro
In terms of positioning? bollocks mate! Rio is far too reliant on his CB partner to be considered at Cannavaro's level. Even the current Cannavaro. Plus he's never been consistent for England. And this season he has been dreadful at times. Remember that friendly versus Holland earlier in the season... :DOH:

That's the only reason I am supporting Inter to go far. GO INTER!! :D
Funny, I actually want Milan to beat Man U tonight and progress into the next round because at the moment, Milan are only playing for one thing, the scudetto. Inter are involved in three competitions and consequently we're running out of steam
 
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Re: Serie A Thread - 2009/10 Season

But really Bayern looked like a mess yesterday. Both strikers were invisible and the defence was a wreck.

your right. but individual class like robben & ribery decide such matches...

milan wins often in the last years against bayern, because of inzaghis class in front of a goal... no chance -> goal.

bayern played yesterday with david alaba (17 years old) and holger badstuber (20 years old), because demichelis is injured - and van buyten was pure horror yesterday :)
 
Re: Serie A Thread - 2009/10 Season

:LOL: Milan. Thought europe was in their "DNA"?

Comments by Milan Vice-President Adriano Galliani after the game:

With Fiorentina and Milan's exit from the Champions League and Inter facing a tough test with Chelsea next week, Italy risks losing its fourth berth in the competition to the Bundesliga.

The problem is the stadiums. Other nations had tournaments recently and revamped their arenas, as it changes the type of fan you get and the income,” insisted Galliani.

“Unfortunately in Italy the councils still own the stadiums and insist on keeping it that way. I wish I'd made this statement after a win and not a 4-0 defeat, as the point remains the same. We need to revamp the stadiums. I don't know how long it will take.

“We have remained the same, it's everyone else who has changed. Just think that in Bologna, Bergamo and several others we still have stadiums from the 1920s with open stands and nobody for some reason is allowed to change them.

“If Milan had 100m Euros more per season then we'd build a squad like this, too.”

Galliani has repeatedly called for changes to the structure of Italian football, starting from clubs building their own stadiums and the individual sale of television rights.

Real Madrid and Barcelona buy everyone because they do not have to share the income from their television rights, whereas in Italy we have to spread the wealth with the smaller clubs.
 
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Re: Serie A Thread - 2009/10 Season

I don't agree with the individual TV rights, because it helps develop the league, but I agree with the rest. Teams in Italy lack financial strength because of the poor infrastructure. There are also issues such as income etc... but the whole infrastructure makes it even more difficult. It also doesn't help that we are getting games at 8:45pm on a sunday night (wtf!? people have work on mondays! who would travel for those!?) to accommodate SKY and Mediaset, which gives them massive viewerships and poor stadium turnouts.
 
Re: Serie A Thread - 2009/10 Season

Man Utd was much more stronger than Milan yesterday.
Fortunately Lyon demonstrated that once in a while money is not the deciding factor in football, but those are rare exceptions.
The TV money argument is nonsense. Milan should be proud of their lab, but sometimes it becomes a burden. In another thread it talked about hungry players who are important for big clubs. Players like Ronaldinho, Beckham, Inzaghi, Seedorf and countless other Milan players are still very good players, but they 've seen it all. Milan should start building a new team...tabula rasa with the older players and perhaps one or two seasons in purgatory before being contenders for silverware.

I was touched by the ovation Beckham got from the Man Utd fans...that was pure class...one of the most beautifull moments in football the last years.
 
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