Internazionale Main Thread II

[arthurfonzarelli]

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[Totally FRANK]

CONFIRMED LINE-UP for INTER: Julio Cesar; Maicon, Cordoba, Samuel, Santon; Zanetti, Cambiasso, Vieira; Stankovic; Balotelli, Ibrahimovic.

CONFIRMED LINE-UP for MANCHESTER UNITED: Van der Sar; O'Shea, Vidic, Ferdinand, Evra; Cristiano Ronaldo, Carrick, Scholes, Giggs; Berbatov, Rooney.

[RomaShield27]

Best of luck tonight interisti, I truly hope you beat those fuckers and do it for Serie A.

[arthurfonzarelli]

[Messinterista]

[oily]

[Dejan-Stankovic]

[oily]

[Zoff82]

[oily]

[Zoff82]

[morra10]

[oily]

[red]

[Totally FRANK]

What do you guys think has changed from now and Mancini's era?
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Blog: A victory for Mancio
After another early Champions League exit, Antonio Labbate asks whether there was any point in Inter hiring Jose Mourinho
Roberto Mancini had few successful evenings in the knock-out stages of the Champions League as Inter boss. Painful exits to Villarreal, Valencia and Liverfekkin'wankscum continue to haunt him every time he hears the competition’s fabled anthem. But it was different last night, where Mancio emerged as victorious as Manchester United.

Still on the Inter payroll, Mancini was sacked in the summer for failing to transfer the club’s domestic dominance on to the stage that really mattered. Three successive Serie A titles weren’t enough for Massimo Moratti, an owner who believed the club needed something special to win their first European Cup since 1965.

That something special arrived in the form of Jose Mourinho, a tactician who last night stepped out of Old Trafford and went to bed as a self-proclaimed winner. He awoke this morning as a loser, a tactician not only beaten by Sir tender Alex, but by Mancini.

Recruited to win the Champions League or at least make a serious challenge for it, Mourinho did neither. Losing to the best team in the world may be an alibi that will find agreement with Moratti, but it shouldn’t.

In eight Champions League games this season, the Nerazzurri won two, drew three and lost three. It’s an appalling and quite frankly embarrassing record from a team who are representing the country as campioni d’Italia.

Another Scudetto, as Mourinho eagerly underlined post-game last night, will in all probability follow, but it would have done had Mancini remained. Eight months into Jose’s tenure and we’ve not seen enough change or development to suggest that axing the former Sampdoria No 10 was the right move.

Tactically Mourinho has done little. His 4-3-3 system disappeared as quickly as Ricardo Quaresma, the massive summer signing that he continually asked for and is now at Chelsea on loan. Fellow new boys Amantino Mancini and Sulley Muntari have hardly been successes either.

Instead of Inter conforming to Mourinho, the latter has adapted to Mancini’s incarnation as the promotion of Dejan Stankovic, a Mancio disciple who was initially deemed as surplus to requirements, outlines.

His squad management has also been questionable. Hardly a week passes by without one of his players being banished to the naughty-step of the San Siro stands, while his decision to publicly criticise some at his disposal does more damage than good.

Then there is his relationship with the media. In his now infamous intellectual prostitution speech, Mourinho spoke of how he would rather not deal with the Press. This in an uninterrupted 7min 28sec monologue in which he needlessly offended opposing teams and Coaches.

It made great reading, added more mystery to the mind of Mourinho and confirmed the Portuguese maestro as a great communicator. The problem is that it simply gives the impression that Inter have hired a glorified Press officer who picks the team, when what they really wanted was someone who could win the Champions League.

[Lombardiamia]

Mancini dug his own grave and then almost cost us a Scudetto, had it not been for Ibra. Now he's being depicted as a martyr......that is something I cannot take. What has changed from last year? Well team spirit and unity is one them. Dignity is another, cause at least we came out of the CL with our heads high, unlike the past 3 seasons.
Trophies aint all that counts.

[Totally FRANK]

Calcio Debate: Is Roberto Mancini Better For Inter Than Jose Mourinho?
After yet more European failure, some Interisti are clamouring for the return of the Sampdoria legend. Adam Scime though believes they may have selective memories...

Inter bowing out in the Champions League last 16 has led many to question just what the point was of bringing in Jose Mourinho if he could not deliver continental glory? The ex-Chelsea boss was chartered to improve upon Roberto Mancini’s European record, but has fallen at the same hurdle in the competition.

Suggestions have been made that the Nerazzurri would have been better off if they had stuck with ‘Mancio,’ but is that actually the case?

Officially, Mancini won three Scudetti in his time at the club, but let’s be honest, it was more like one and a half. One was given to them after the sanctions of Calciopoli, one was devoid of any significant amount of competition, and last season’s title was nearly thrown away to an inferior opponent.

In Europe, Mancini came up short every time and deservedly so, losing to Milan, Villarreal, Valencia and Liverfekkin'wankscum. The Nerazzurri never really looked like defeating any of these teams, even though you would have arguably considered those last three listed as being lesser opponents on paper. This term, Inter confronted perhaps the best Red Devils team Sir tender Alex Ferguson has had the pleasure of leading.

Inter may have been undone by Manchester United, but it was nowhere near as embarrassing or upsetting as those other four European losses. The Beneamata went to Old Trafford and instead of wilting, put in a spirited performance full of character, something Mancini's incarnation truly lacked.

Additionally, other comparisons can be made. Some correctly point out that the former Porto boss has his side playing in Mancini’s style after the failure of his favoured 4-3-3. However, notice the patience that Inter now spread the ball with, the improved shape of the team, and the lesser frequency of defensive collapses as well.

When Inter went down a goal to United, there was no panic, but constructive play resulting in some clear cut chances to diminish the deficit. Against Roma last season at San Siro in a key Scudetto clash, the Giallorossi grabbed a goal, and Inter were nervous in possession, perhaps lucky to be bailed out by a late Javier Zanetti rocket.

What would make Mourinho a lesser coach is if he stuck with his strategies that clearly were not working. He noticed a deficiency in his team and adapted – that was rarely the case during Mancini's time.

The football world itself reveals a story, despite the media linking Mancio with moves to Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Napoli, all those positions were eventually unoccupied. Frankly, he is suited to finding himself back at Lazio in the future.

The outspoken Mourinho was given a three year contract this summer, and his time at the Stadio Meazza will be considered a success even if he wins one Champions League during that period. I wager there are very few coaches who have won the European Cup during their first season in charge of a club, so he should be given a little more time before we chop off his head.

In reference to Roberto Donadoni’s recent appointment at Napoli, former Italy and AC Milan coach Arrigo Sacchi claimed that coaches are not miracle workers and that is true – even for ‘The Special One.’

[Amedio]

[Dejan-Stankovic]

Breaking news: Inter sign Sneijder

We'll see how long this one lasts until it's refuted again..

Ahmed, not as much as you'll miss Burdisso!