Internazionale Main Thread IV

[Lombardiamia]

I'll keep my judgements for after the 31st of January. I don't think the club is willing to look this bad in the eyes of everyone. I don't think they'll take this risk...though you never know.

At least, we have our own Balotelli...it's just that we're racists and prefer the white version..

[Messinterista]

lol Lomba thanks for the laugh, great pic.

Also I think you are right about waiting until after the 31st to judge this window. It looks like the deal with Schelotto is almost complete and will happen. Two Italians in, two 'foreigners' out.

[Lombardiamia]

Kuzmanovic is almost official too. Can't say I particularly remember his performances with Fiorentina...

[kros]

[red]

Kuzmanovic isn't a bad player.

However, my recollection of him is that he, like every other midfielder Inter have, is not even close to being a playmaker.

[Messinterista]

Maybe with Kuzmanovic coming in might coincide with a supposed offer from a Qatari club for Stankovic. Hope it goes through. Stankovic has been a great servant for us but if he wants to keep playing, its time for him to go.
Also Mariga is going back to Parma on a loan with an option to co-own at the end of the season.

[RomaShield27]

Who is Mateo Kovacic? Sky Sports Italia saying you've signed him for €11m.

[Totally FRANK]

[Lombardiamia]

The new Modric, 18 year old, midfielder, 10+M....I'm impressed. Some are saying he's the best 19yo in Europe...RM, MUTD, MCITY, PSG & Bayern were after him...
If nothing this gives us a lifeline of faith.

[Lombardiamia]

A regista!! A fuckin regista!!! He can actually pass a ball (and run & dribble too it seems but that's just a bonus..)!!! OMG...

[Messinterista]

Fucking Branca and Moratti you sly bastards! What a smokescreen...Paulinho who???

If this is true that Strama has picked out Kovacic himself, we can expect him to get some game time, something that we didn't see Cou get.

Kovacic has played in all of Dinamo Zagreb's champions league matches this season (against Porto, PSG and Dynamo Kiev) so even though his team was on the receiving end of poor results he would have learned a bit. Looks good!

We have had a mini revolution of sorts in midfield in the past 24 hours with Laxalt, Kuzmanovic, Schelotto, and Kovacic all signing up.

Laxalt is a bit of a unknown, but apparently he is somewhat like Recoba. We'll wait and see.

[Totally FRANK]

[RomaShield27]

Kovacic looks like a good young player, good signing for Inter. Always good to see the best young players come to Italy.

Have Inter officially signed Schelotto as well? And who is this Laxalt? Busy few days on the mercato front.

[Lombardiamia]

Yes Schelotto is official. Also Carrizo is done.
Honestly I don't know much about Laxalt. He will be coming in june as he has to solve some passport issues. What I can say is that this is the first player reccomended by Angeloni (ex head scouts at Udinese), so I expect him to be good.

[Messinterista]

Unfortunately we were not able to get Longo back and he will return in June along with Andreolli on a free transfer. The Carrizo move is a bit of a surprise considering we were meant to get him in June as well but I guess we paid Lazio 250k to get him now since Casta is injured (Casta will now retire at the end of the season).
We will get a new striker to replace Milito at the end of the season too. What an exciting few days. We now have a bit of hope in stealing one of the champions league spots.

[kros]

I am not very optimistic after this transfer campaign.

Schelotto is another Parriera. We need someone that can dribble past opponents and put in a few decent crosses. The fact that he was not a star in Atalanta speaks for itself.

Kuzmanovic. Not a star in Fiorentina, not a star in Anderlect ... what are we expecting?

Kovacic. They speak well of him ... but will we give him a chance? Will he settle in Italy?

On the other hand we have sold our best player and our most promising one.

Well done!

[Lombardiamia]

[Messinterista]

MATCH PREVIEW
Serie A Week 23 - 3 Feb 2013 (14.00 UK)
Siena - Inter
Stadio Artemio Franchi - Montepaschi Arena

After dropping more points to lesser opposition last week, Inter travel to Tuscany to take on Siena hoping to rediscover their away form.

The New Year hasn’t been a great one for Inter and the draw against Torino meant that the Nerazzurri have just a single win to show in their four games of 2013 so far. Andrea Stramaccioni’s side need a victory, but their latest displays haven’t been encouraging.

However, a visit to Tuscany to take on bottom-side Siena could be just the tonic needed for the team to rediscover some of their excellent form from earlier in the season. The Robur fell to their sixth defeat in seven games at Udinese, and are already looking dead certain to be relegated having been held down by their six-point penalty.

Inter have not been victorious on the road since their win at Juventus in early November, and this is something that Stramaccioni will be desperate to correct. While his team have been confronted with a rising number of injuries, the latest of which came in the Torino game with Gaby Mudingayi suffering a torn Achilles tendon, the team has failed to reproduce the style of play seen in their 10-game away winning streak.

The Nerazzurri moved in the transfer market quite belatedly as they acquired Schelotto from Atalanta, Kuzmanovic from Stuttgart and 18-year old Kovacic from Dinamo Zagreb in the past 48 hours. Serb Kuzmanovic has previous Serie A experience from his Fiorentina days, and will be expected to provide spine to an increasingly fragile Inter midfield. However, it is Schelotto that the team are in most need of as he brings some pace and creativity that has been sorely lacking from the side.

Siena did have a few positives to take from the game against Udinese as for long stretches they managed to contain the Zebrette. In fact, the only goal came about through a defensive error. Beppe Iachini will be quietly pleased to have conceded only a single goal in the last two games, as his side had let in 14 in the five games prior. With Iachini settling in, he is likely to set up a compact side and exploit Inter’s lack of options in the final third.

The Bianconeri will fondly remember their Week 4 victory over Inter at the San Siro, and try to make use of the flanks as they did in that game to get an edge and extend the Nerazzurri’s away blues for another week.

Keep an eye on: Ezequiel Schelotto (Inter) – The Argentine winger could well make his debut for Inter this weekend, as he was being rested by Atalanta ever since negotiations first started. Given the difficulties Inter have had in imposing themselves on games, the winger could be deployed by Stramaccioni in a slightly aggressive 3-4-3 to give the Nerazzurri the edge.

Form Guide: Siena (L L L W L) Inter (D L W D D)

Last season: Siena 0-1 Inter

Stat fact: Inter’s run of five away games without a win is their worst run since 2004-05 when they went six away games without a win, though they drew all those six games.

Probable line-ups

Inter (probable): Handanovic; Ranocchia, Chivu, Juan Jesus, Zanetti, Gargano, Cambiasso, Nagatomo, Schelotto, Cassano, Palacio

Siena (probable): Pegolo; Belmonte, Felipe, Paci; Felipe, Angelo, Vergassola, Della Rocca, Rubin; Rosina; Bogdani, Reginaldo

Source: http://www.football-italia.net/SerieA/m ... view/22330

[Lombardiamia]

What a disgrace. I feel sorry for myself for wasting a good couple of hours on a sunday afternoon...

Strama is currently on the borderline of my nerves. Another display like this (Siena have been superior in each & every department) and I'll ask for Strama's head on a plate. He had his excuses and probably still has, but this is too much.

[Messinterista]

WTF!

I hear Roma offered Blanc the gig to replace Zeman but he refused it.
Perhaps Roma are really interested in Strama and we might be interested in Blanc?

I think Strama will be in charge until the end of the season and we will see what position we are on the table before he sack him.