Internazionale Main Thread III

[Lombardiamia]

[Messinterista]

[Messinterista]

Zarate: 'Totti's no phenomenon'

Mauro Zarate attacked Francesco Totti ahead of tonight’s Inter-Roma clash. “He’s not a phenomenon.”

The former Lazio striker moved to the Nerazzurri on transfer deadline day and finds himself in what still feels like a derby. He was also the man who famously said Totti was “finished” as a player last year.

“I said that and the media turned it into a huge scandal, but you say things like that to the papers,” Zarate told the Corriere dello Sport.

“In any case, the phenomenons are those who win the Ballon d’Or... Roma have many good players. I like Bojan Krkic and Pablo Daniel Osvaldo, so we must be careful.

“I had been offered to Roma years ago, but the Giallorossi directors said I wasn’t the player they were looking for, so I ended up at Lazio.”

Zarate left the Biancocelesti following a row with Coach Edy Reja, who he blames for his failure to find success in Rome.

“Reja came to me and said something that I don’t want to repeat, because it’s only right that it remains in the locker room. I’m not like others who go around telling everyone what happens behind closed doors.

“After that meeting, I decided to join another club. I think the only one who didn’t want me at Lazio was Reja. It wasn’t the way I wanted to go.

“Now I am at Inter, the biggest team in the world. Lazio are a great club too, but here you fight for different objectives. I’ve always said I wanted to win everything.”

Source: http://www.football-italia.net/sep17f.html

[RomaShield27]

How can anyone like such a little horrible faggot like that or want him as part of your team? The useless prick hasn't done anything in his career the last few years except shoot his mouth off. He should stick to giving Nazi salutes with the other retards.

Ready for a spanking tonight? With both teams in transition of sorts and suspect in defence it should make for a entertaining and action-packed match, I feel.

[Messinterista]

I thought it would spark something...

[forzaitalia]

He's made the mistake of criticising Totti again? Did he not learn his lesson after the derby in March?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmQL61Y-KW8 . 1:13 in this video is perfect - Zarate's face after Totti's free kick and Totti landing on him.

Show him who's boss again, Il Capitano!

[Messinterista]

Inter 0 - 0 Roma
Stadio Meazza

Both sides had chances, but Inter and Roma drew 0-0 with Maarten Stekelenburg stretchered off unconscious. The Dutch goalkeeper was in a collision with Lucio and given stitches, but tests gave the all-clear.

It was the rivalry that defined Serie A post-Calciopoli, but these sides were both beset by problems ahead of the latest meeting. Gian Piero Gasperini was facing the sack after losing all three of his official outings, while Luis Enrique was out of Europe and lost at home to Cagliari.

Gasp changed his system again, this time to 3-5-2 with Wesley Sneijder in midfield and the two Diegos in attack, Forlan and Milito. Joel Obi came in with Dejan Stankovic, Cristian Chivu, Thiago Motta, Andrea Poli, Ivan Cordoba and Emiliano Viviano injured. Roma surprisingly rediscovered Rodrigo Taddei and Simone Perrotta as full-backs, shelving Bojan Krkic in favour of Italy Under-21 international Fabio Borini. David Pizarro was also a surprise starter in midfield with Daniele De Rossi playing in front of the defence.

Javier Zanetti made his 756th appearance in an Inter jersey, equalling Giuseppe Bergomi's record.

Roma had the first chance when Pablo Daniel Osvaldo got away from Lucio, his angled drive beaten away at the near post by Julio Cesar. Inter went very close when Lucio sprung the offside trap on the counter, but Maarten Stekelenburg rushed off his line to clear and got a kick in the head for his trouble. The Dutch goalkeeper lost consciousness and Lucio was booked, as he did little to avoid contact. Stekelenburg was stretchered off with a neck brace after losing consciousness, making way for Bogdan Lobont. It's reported he was out cold for at least 10 minutes, but hospital tests were clear and he only needed stitches.

Play resumed and Lucio risked an own goal when intercepting Fabio Borini's cross for Osvaldo, then from the corner Borini stung Julio Cesar's palms. At the other end, Simon Kjaer did the same when stopping a Yuto Nagatomo cross to Diego Milito, then Milito's shot tested Lobont from close range after he had skipped past Taddei.

Borini volleyed wide from a Francesco Totti pass over the top, while Nagatomo smashed his shot inches over after a great team move. David Pizarro was denied a clear free kick for Esteban Cambiasso's foul just outside the box. Ex-Inter midfielder Pizarro had another promising run through the middle and this time Borini had his shot charged down.

Within 35 seconds of the restart, Sneijder slipped to spark a counter and Julio Cesar rushed off his line to close down Osvaldo. Inter seemed very sluggish in the opening minutes and Roma had a series of shots blocked by defensive bodies.

Sneijder's long free kick reached the back post where Milito's diving header was wide from six yards, wasting a golden opportunity.

Miralem Pjanic curled a free kick over, while substitute Mauro Zarate's solo run ended with a fierce strike inches past the far post. Sneijder hit a powerful but too central shot that ricocheted off Lobont's chest, then Julio Cesar punched a dangerous cross off Osvaldo's head.

Fernando Gago made a crucial interception to stop Sneijder's reverse pass sending Zarate clear on goal. Ex-Lazio hitman Zarate curled another solo effort just off target, as did Forlan, both scraping a coat of paint off the crossbar.

Inter went so close on 85 minutes. Zarate got to the by-line and pulled back, the pass deflected on to Sneijder's foot, but Kjaer performed a decisive goalline clearance.

In stoppages Nagatomo's cross was volleyed back into the middle by Jonathan, hitting Nicolas Burdisso to ricochet out for a corner. Sneijder went on the counter entirely unmarked down the right and his first shot was parried by Lobont, then he felt he was pushed from behind.
Inter: Julio Cesar; Lucio, Samuel, Ranocchia; Nagatomo, Zanetti, Cambiasso, Sneijder, Obi (Jonathan 62); Forlan (Muntari 79), Milito (Zarate 59)

Roma: Stekelenburg (Lobont 18); Taddei, Kjaer, Burdisso, Perrotta; Pizarro (Gago 59), De Rossi, Pjanic; Borini (Borriello 77), Totti, Osvaldo

Ref: Mazzoleni

Source: http://www.football-italia.net/sa1112/int-rom.html

[Messinterista]

Gasp: 'I saw Inter improvement'

Gian Piero Gasperini insists he “definitely saw an improvement” in Inter and explained his substitutions.

“I definitely saw an improvement, especially with the chances we created. Roma are very difficult to face, but we allowed them few scoring opportunities thanks to a performance of concentration and grit,” he said of the 0-0 draw.

“It’s a shame we were unable to make the most of the chances and the spaces they left, above all towards the end.

“Yuto Nagatomo had some important moves and there were some big spaces to run into. We perhaps should’ve had a better final ball in and that would’ve given us a goal.”

The Nerazzurri switched to a 3-5-2 system, but the San Siro crowd jeered when Sulley Muntari replaced Diego Forlan.

“Our strikers had to come back on Daniele De Rossi to pressure him. I made that change because at that moment we needed a midfielder.

“Wes Sneijder had done very well, but was certainly tired and struggled to maintain his position, as did Forlan, so I needed someone to help break up Roma’s possession.

“It’s no coincidence that after that substitution we created our best scoring opportunities.”

Inter were beaten 4-3 at Palermo last week, but now failed to hit the back of the net against both Trabzonspor and Roma.

“The goals aren’t coming, we just have to accept it’s one of those moments and later on we’ll end up scoring much easier chances than we’ve had so far.

“We only played a couple of days ago and at the moment are using the same players a lot. With time our fitness will improve and so will the performances.”

Source: http://www.football-italia.net/sep17y.html

[Messinterista]

Blog: Gasping for breath

Inter are already in crisis after enduring their worst start in 80 years. Rob Paton analyses the flash point between Coach and President

Before Trabzonspor’s Champions League visit to San Siro, Gian Piero Gasperini faced intense scrutiny over his tactics and his future. Despite the Turks’ surprise 1-0 win, though, it may have conversely helped Gasperini prove a point to his President.

Against the Turkish side, Inter’s players generally looked to be recovering their identity as a defensively stronger unit than the one that conceded four times in Palermo on Sunday. However, they fell to defeat to Trabzonspor’s only shot on target and accusations followed that the Nerazzurri this time lacked purpose in attack.

The result, and shift in criticism, came after Gasperini relented to pressure to change formation, moving from his preferred 3-4-3 that was used at Palermo, into a re-organised 4-3-3. In-game changes also saw that shift between a 4-3-1-2 and 4-2-3-1.

In all, it is four formations and several adjustments over the course of two games, and surprisingly, none of them coming close to resembling the effectiveness of 3-5-1-1 that frustrated Milan so successfully in the first half of August’s Italian Super Cup.

Gasperini believes that the team lacks the correct balance between attack and defence, and was interestingly quick to deny the influence of tactics on results. Wednesday saw him even accuse those holding debate on his three-man defence as ‘understanding little about football’.

The former Genoa man, who denied he was ever categorical in starting with a back three, suggested that analysing a team’s success at defending as based on fielding three or four defenders is an ‘unprofessional attitude’.

Such comments are understandable, particularly when the same night saw Napoli secure a credible 1-1 draw at Manchester City fielding their traditional back three. However, Gasperini’s words also hold interest as an indirect response to Massimo Moratti, who on more than one occasion has taken time to specifically comment on the very issue of his tactics.

In fact, as Moratti looked to support his Coach on Wednesday night by insisting he will not get sacked, he also chose to cite the formation change as key to the team’s improved defensive performance, and again push it as the tactic to continue with.

This ongoing public debate over tactics between President and Coach has perhaps unnecessarily highlighted a clear divide in opinion – one that incidentally was rumoured to have affected the Nerazzurri’s transfer strategy. However, it has also more significantly and definitely deflected attention away from other potential contributing factors to the team’s poor start.

Falling in favour of Gasperini’s argument of inconsequential tactics comes the fact that he has been without a number of first team players, and that those selected have visibly struggled for fitness. Maurizio Zamparini commented on Palermo’s ability to ‘run the 90’ as a decisive factor in his side’s win, whilst five of Trabzonspor’s seven attempts at goal on Wednesday came in the second half – La Beneamata has gradually, visibly backed off opponents.

As well as this, the club’s summer signings can be seen as either not suited to the Coach’s demands or struggling to make an immediate impact under them. Mauro Zarate’s track-record of poor work-rate, Ricky Alvarez’ quiet first appearances and the fact Diego Forlan is cup-tied are all critical factors unaffected by formation.

Whilst the Champions League defeat has highlighted Gasperini’s frustration at a media and fan movement that was debatably started by his own President, it has also left open the suggestion that the 53-year-old tactician knows what he is talking about – that not everything wrong with Inter can be fixed by changing formation.

Source: http://www.football-italia.net/blogs/rp120.html

[Lombardiamia]

Poor poor poor......

[Totally FRANK]

Even if we didn't care about the results for a minute, I don't see any pattern of play to suggest Gasperini has a plan in mind and wants to build his team that way. We have played three matches and we have seen three different formations. It looks like he is clueless at the moment.

[kros]

[Messinterista]

[Lombardiamia]

[maro]

I wonder where Sphincter would be right now had Moratti bought the players Benitez asked for? Sitting rather more prettily than they are, I imagine.

[Messinterista]

[maro]

And then having bought Pazzini Moratti brings in a coach whose tactics mean Pazzini doesn't even get off the bench? But which would have suited Sanchez perfectly. etc. etc.

[Messinterista]

If I recall correctly, I am pretty sure when Gasperini was first hired, Moratti said that Pazzini must play every match or something along the lines of that.

[maro]

I can't say it's obvious to me, though, how Pazzini and Milito can play alongside each other in a 4-3-3.

[Messinterista]