Internazionale Main Thread

[Totally FRANK]

Started with the mind games already...

Jose: TIM pressure is on Juve
Monday 28 July, 2008
Inter Coach Jose Mourinho feels he has too many players in his squad and insists the pressure is on Juventus in tomorrow’s Trofeo TIM.

The Nerazzurri will take on Juve and Milan in Turin tomorrow in 45-minute games in the annual pre-season competition, which comes hot on the heels of last night’s win over Bari.

Mourinho is welcoming Sulley Muntari to the ranks today and could soon be working with Ricardo Quaresma, but the Portuguese tactician is looking to shed some deadwood.

“There are too many of us and the situation isn’t easy,â€

[Totally FRANK]

No Mour Signings - Oriali
Inter director, Gabriele Oriali, has revealed the club will not make any further signings following the arrival of Sulley Ali Muntari from Portsmouth.

The Nerazzurri have been doing well in the transfer market this summer having already captured Amantino Mancini from Roma.

Reports claim that Ricardo Quaresma will sign for the Nerazzurri this week and even Marco Branca revealed the Portuguese was close to signing for them.

However, Oriali seems to have contradicted what Branca said by declaring that no other players will arrive following Muntari's arrival.

“Muntari is our last signing,â€

[Dejan-Stankovic]

So who do we believe.. Branca or Oriali?

[tonykart]

Quaresma WOULD be icing on the cake.

[Lombardiamia]

Tendentially, I would suggest not to beleive anyone of the 2, because they are employees. So everyone says what is best for him.
In this case there is quite a contrast in the declarations, isn’t it? I guess we’ll soon hear that Branca has been misinterpreted from the Portuguese media.
Anyway, I tend to beleive more Branca than Oriali, for the simple reason that no Sporting director would come out public with those kind of declarations, without really meaning it. With regards to Oriali's declarations, history is full of such declarations, only to find new arrivals a week after.
Anyway, I beleive my cousin...

[Dejan-Stankovic]

[Totally FRANK]

Blog: Consolation prize
As Inter announce the signing of Sulley Muntari, James Sugrue is getting more and more confused by some of Serie A's transfer policies
Before the season has even started I find myself concerned that Jose Mourinho and Massimo Moratti aren't quite reading from the same page at Inter, or if they are then it must be written in a footballing language that I don't understand.

Ghanaian international Sulley Ali Muntari has joined Amantino Mancini as Mourinho's first reinforcements as the Portuguese tactician attempts to mould Roberto Mancini's former charges into his own team. However, it is hard to see the former as anything other than a second choice – they said they'd sign a midfielder so they simply settled for what they could when their first target escaped. The Brazilian winger was an obvious addition for a side that lacks width in the attacking third, especially for a Coach who has often favoured a 4-3-3 system in the past. The same applies to Ricardo Quaresma, who is also on the way if sporting director Marco Branca is to be believed.

But that brings us to what Muntari will add to the side. Yes, he can play on the wing, but is that really what they signed him for? With Mario Balotelli adapting well to a wide role in pre-season and Mancini, Luis Figo and Luis Jimenez all more accustomed to playing on the flank, I would be very surprised if that's where we see him. It looks far more likely that he is the stop-gap after the Nerazzurri's apparent failure to take Frank Lampard to San Siro.

I know what the Chelsea man would have added to the squad. He was supposed to be the attacking playmaker in the midfield that would really link the defence-minded Esteban Cambiasso & Co with the strikers. Muntari, on the other hand, is more of a battering ram. He is effective because of his strength, pace and uncompromisingly direct approach to the game. But that is something the Beneamata already have in abundance. Their engine room already possesses the likes of Cambiasso, Patrick Vieira, Javier Zanetti, Dejan Stankovic and even Pele after a couple of promising performances from the youngster last season.

When he arrived in Milan, Mourinho said he needed three or four signings, yet I can't believe that Muntari was one of the players he had in mind, which begs the question of whose idea was he. The new arrivals this summer at Inter should be the ones that will fill the gaps to change the team from Mancio's tactics to Jose's, but it's hard to think of a system that needed the Ghanaian when they had so many similar players already on the books.

I still have no doubt that Muntari can be a success with the Nerazzurri, but at a cost of over £12m it will be much harder for him to prove he was good value for money. Surely it wouldn't have cost them much more than that to persuade Chelsea to part with Lampard a year earlier than his contract expires? Moratti's latest signing may be a good player, but I for one will need plenty of convincing that he is also a good purchase.

[Totally FRANK]

[oily]

[Messinterista]

[Messinterista]

Mourinho: We Have To Get Rid Of Players

Source: http://www.goal.com/en/articolo.aspx?contenutoid=795383

Jose Mourinho has already begun to moan about his squad size at Inter and he has revealed that some strikers will be given the boot.

The Nerazzurri have been strengthening this summer and their midfield has seen some new arrivals. Up front, however, is a different story and it seems as if some strikers will be leaving.

The former Chelsea coach believes he cannot play so many forwards all together and he insists such a large squad is causing him problems.

The ‘Special One’ is now about to take some drastic action to reduce the numbers and he is planning to show some hit-men the San Siro exit door.

“We have too many players and the situation is not easy,â€

[Messinterista]

[quote="Messina_Tifoso"]Mourinho: We Have To Get Rid Of Players

Source: http://www.goal.com/en/articolo.aspx?contenutoid=795383

Jose Mourinho has already begun to moan about his squad size at Inter and he has revealed that some strikers will be given the boot.

The Nerazzurri have been strengthening this summer and their midfield has seen some new arrivals. Up front, however, is a different story and it seems as if some strikers will be leaving.

The former Chelsea coach believes he cannot play so many forwards all together and he insists such a large squad is causing him problems.

The ‘Special One’ is now about to take some drastic action to reduce the numbers and he is planning to show some hit-men the San Siro exit door.

“We have too many players and the situation is not easy,â€

[Dejan-Stankovic]

[Totally FRANK]

Adriano per Aquilani?

28 Luglio 2008

L’Inter, secondo quanto avrebbe dichiarato Lele Oriali, avrebbe definitivamente detto “stopâ€

[Lombardiamia]

I know we're all willing for a creative midfielder, but lets not forget who won the last 2 scudetti without having such a player..
As Dejan said, I'm pretty sure that Mourinho aint too keen to rely this whole season on the midfielders we had, since some are injury prone and I too think that Pele will be moving out on loan. With Quaresma, we'd be more than settled in each department. Now we have to see who this painful departure is. Loll it would be interesting if Oriali is actually referring to Burdisso....

[Lombardiamia]

I was reading the full interview to Mourinho this morning, and I'm gladly surprised to have read the following part. Mourinho says that it wont be a surprise if someone like Santon becomes a reserve of the senior team. He says he likes this kid a lot.
In fact, I was going to talk about this kid yesterday, after seeing the friendly against Bari, but forgot to mention him due to the various Quaresma speculations. This kid started off as a striker apparently (in his youth), then had been modified to become an attacking winger, now he plays as a right back, and against Bari, he aslo played 15 mins. as a central defender. I was impressed when he played as a right back. He can defend, has excellent timing when going forward, good dribbling, ok speed and is good at crossing. What surprised me the most is the coolness with which he played. It seemed as if he was used to play with this team for years.
I really and honestly think he will be a national team contender in the future.

Questo fatto la obbliga a modificare un po' la sua organizzazione di gioco?

"No. Ad esempio, Mei ieri ha giocato 90' e la squadra non si è accorta che in difesa giocava un ragazzo che la passata stagione era un Primavera. Questo ora non è un problema, quando inizieranno le gare ufficiali dovremmo tener conto che potremmo avere in campo un giocatore di poca esperienza. Dico veramente, vedendo questi ragazzi lavorare con noi, che non sarà una sorpresa se, ad esempio, Santon dovesse già giocare nella mia squadra. Per me un buon giocatore può avere 16 anni quanto 40. Lui è un bravo giocatore, questo ragazzo mi piace molto".

[maro]

[Dejan-Stankovic]

[Lombardiamia]

Talking about our Primavera, here is our new entry. Cant say I know who he is though.

Inter, Kissela giovedi ad Appiano

Il nuovo acquisto dell'Inter Kissela, proveniente dal Viktoria Plzen, è pronto ad approdare in Italia. Il giovane e promettente difensore, secondo quanto rivelato da SportItalia, arriverà ad Appiano nella giornata di giovedì, e da allora inizierà a lavorare con i compagni della Primavera.

[Messinterista]