Internazionale Main Thread III

[Totally FRANK]

[Messinterista]

Inter prepare Vucinic swoop?
There are reports that Inter are lining up an audacious summer bid for Roma striker Mirko Vucinic.

The two clubs have been bitter rivals for several years in battles for the Scudetto, Coppa Italia and Italian Super Cup.

According to Tuttosport, they are in negotiations for a June transfer deal to bring Vucinic to San Siro.

It is claimed he was offered a four-year contract worth €4m per season, which is more than double what he currently earns at Roma.

The Montenegro international had already been requested during the negotiations over Nicolas Andre Burdisso.

It wouldn’t be the first transfer between these clubs, as Inter also poached Amantino Mancini and Cristian Chivu.

Source: http://www.football-italia.net/oct23h.html

[Lombardiamia]

[maro]

Well put, Lomba. When you put it like that, I reckon you can also see why Abramovic wasn't too unhappy to see the back of Moaninho at Chelski: when you've not won for a very long time, winning may be enough in itself. Once you've tasted a little bit of success, though, you start looking for a little bit more, some style, some class. I don't know if Benitez will be successful with you guys, but I do think he tries to get his teams to play some nice football.

[Totally FRANK]

We need to make three changes to yesterday's line-up to be better IMO. We need Deki back to play alongside Cambiasso, Pandev to replace Biabiany and Zanetti/Santon for Chivu.

Chivu is offering nothing at the moment going forward and he hasn't had a good start defensively as well. We need someone to maintain the width on the left as Coutinho loves to make runs towards the center and the fullback needs to make himself available for a simple pass to spread the play. I don't know why Benitez is sticking with Chivu when Santon is fit, I hope when Stankovic/Motta are back he at least moves Zanetti to LB.

Along with Sneijder we need to add Maicon to the list of people on poor form.

[Lombardiamia]

[Totally FRANK]

You are right, Maicon was ball watching rather than covering his position. If he had marked properly, Guberti wouldn't have had so much time on the ball. The problem of Biabiany/Maicon should be solved when Pandev comes in next week as he will play on the left and Coutinho on the right. Coutinho with his natural tendency to drift in towards the center should drag the defender along with him allowing Maicon the space he needs.

Talking of Chivu, he is left footed but does he ever use it to his advantage. Being a lefty he should often overlap the winger, hold his position on the by line and deliver crosses regularly. He does neither of the above.

[maro]

Chivu just isn't a fullback and doesn't really want to play there, I'd suggest. He can be a nice and tidy defender (though these days he seems to be getting ever untidier), and he's comfortable playing behind the ball, but he never wants to make that lung-busting run beyond his winger which is clearly what you need to get the most, going forward, out of your system. I thought Zanetti's work-rate last night was incredible. Sometimes you want a midfielder who doesn't pass the ball more than 2 yards but just wins it back and gives it on to the play-maker to make things happen. The discipline with which he tracks midfield runners is superb and puts many younger, more gifted players to shame.

[Lombardiamia]

[Totally FRANK]

Blog: Where’s Diego?
Despite being Inter’s star player last term, and the single-handed winner of the Champions League Final, Diego Milito has been snubbed in the Ballon d’Or list. Steve Wilson is baffled
Like an Old Firm referee, once again, the beaks at the top of European and world football have chosen only to see what they want to see. Despite bagging over 20 goals in Serie A, just under a third of Inter’s overall tally, and six in the Champions League, including two that decided the Final, Diego Milito has been snubbed for the individual awards this winter.

Now, admittedly, if I was to vote for the Ballon d’Or winner I too would not select Milito. My vote would go to his teammate Wesley Sneijder. The Dutch ace had a phenomenal season and followed it up with a cracking World Cup. However, because the Ballon d'Or winner is picked from a set of nominees then surely Milito should have made the shortlist.

It seems the only explanation for Milito’s failure to make the grade was that he had minimal impact at the World Cup. But can he really be blamed for that? After all his nation, Argentina, has a wealth of talent to choose from – when you have the likes of Lionel Messi, Carlos Tevez and the boss’s son-in-law, Sergio Aguero, ahead of you it will always be a struggle to start.

Furthermore, international selection is not something he can really do anything about. Who pulled on the Albiceleste jersey in South Africa was the prerogative of Diego Maradona. Such a volatile and unpredictable force, it was no surprise that El Pibe made a few unusual picks at the World Cup – should Milito really be punished for not being given the chance to play?

Even if you do take the view that Milito’s poor World Cup cost him dear then surely by that logic the players who did well at the FIFA event should have their club record taken into account in return? Asamoah Gyan makes the list, and based on the World Cup he is probably deserving of that. However, in Ligue 1 last term he scored 13 goals for a mid-table Rennes side. Impressive?

Milito is not the only one to suffer, England’s Wayne Rooney had an even worse World Cup – he actually did play every game and still made less impact than Milito – but his Manchester United form should probably have seen him given a nod. It has frankly become impossible to understand these decisions, and with only one or two names actually a realistic winner perhaps it is time to ditch the ego-rubbing nominee lists and just name the top three at the award ceremony.

[Totally FRANK]

About time, now he needs to get in top shape and form...
-------------------------------------------------
Sneijder has penned new Inter deal
Wesley Sneijder has officially extended his contract with Inter until 2015, silencing transfer speculation of a Manchester United move.

President Massimo Moratti made the announcement during a shareholders’ meeting this evening.

No figures were mentioned, but it is reported the 26-year-old will earn €5m per season.

It ends speculation in British newspapers that Manchester United were planning to swoop for the creative midfielder.

“Everyone is free to say who they like ought to win the Ballon d’Or, but it seems to me so obvious that Sneijder deserves it,” added Moratti.

“He took Inter to the Treble last season and reached the World Cup Final with Holland.”

[Lombardiamia]

Preziosi yesterday said some very nice words. He confirmed that he has already an agreement with Moratti over Ranocchia...so he will be confirmed as of next year. Then he said that he bought Veloso with the help of Inter.....and that he would buy back Milito even at 34.... He's quite an ally!

[Totally FRANK]

[Lombardiamia]

[zafferano]

What a lucky win .We play absolute shit against a second ratye team
patched up with reserves .Sneijder should stop kicking penaltys he can not even get close
may give a chance to coutinho,or anyone else for that matter ,Eto was a shadow,the all team
play without interest ,lucky to get the 3 points and i dont see as getting any better .

[Messinterista]

A much needed 3 points. Briz no need to jump to conclusions. Give it more time. Perhaps in the Serie A we will find it difficult and not as much of a walk in the park as expected. Our rivals have got closer to us which I am happy to see, but not at the cost of the scudetto. The champions league is a different story and won't be happy with anything less than a Quarter Final place (really would like to see us hit the semis) but might be a difficult task for Rafa in his first season. May need to revisit our expectations at the end of January. We should have 2 newbies by then.

[Totally FRANK]

What we lack is the goals and some composure in the final third. We are playing with a couple of youngsters in the front four along with a below par Sneijder and it is not helping us at all. We need Milito and Pandev back. Coutinho is too young to turn out a stellar performance every time he takes to the pitch and Biabiany is just not a starter for me.

[zafferano]

Ratshit preparetion ,our players are falling
like dominos ,15 with muscles problems
all togethar 24 injuried since august
you bould think the coach learn something
by now ,the all situation is fuckt .

[Lombardiamia]

Considering most of the big teams are having similar injuries, I would put it down mainly on the fact that some players are exhausted after the WC and most didnt have the time to make a proper preparation before the start of the season. We also had to try to have the team ready early for the European Super Cup, which surely didnt help at all. Also the fact that now we are opting for a ball possession tactic, the players are finding it difficult to adapt to a having to run more that they previously did. I dont blame any of that on Benitez or his stuff.

[RomaShield27]

Looks like Van der Fart could for your game tomorrow after going off injured against ManPoo at the weekend.

Very long and in-depth article on the BBC about Benitez and how he's doing at Inter so far, especially when compared to Mourinho:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/footbal ... 140414.stm