THE WOLF'S DEN - Tana dei Lupi II

[edge_xeno]

We'll play with 4 defensive mid-filders? God!

[SPqR]

I think that this is the one time Ranieri has managed to get the lineup right.

[RomaShield27]

SPqR that sig is slowing down the page. Its a savage hit though.

Yeah I agree its not a bad line-up. Its typical Ranieri (although I still wouldn't rule out him starting another defensive player in place of Menez), but for this game I think its the right choice. Inter will look to boss the midfield so we need to mix it in there with them, which the likes of Brighi and Perrotta will do, as well as providing more cover for the full-backs. I can see this been quiet a fiery game so our lads will need to maintain their discipline whilst simultaneously kicking the shit out of them.

[maro]

I don't think it's a bad formation, edge. I would quite like to see Ranieri decide on whether he sees us as a 4-3-1-2 or as a true 4-4-2. I think we'll be pretty narrow, but given that the aim tonight will be to keep the game tight rather than to go chasing anything, that's not such a bad thing. Let's hope Menez can get Muntari and Vieira sent off inside the first 10 minutes and the chances Vooch misses are hard ones rather than sitters.

[Giacomo]

I only consider us to play 442 when we use orthodox wingers like Taddei, Cerci and Menez when he plays wide. We don't usually do that so I consider our defeault formation to be 4312, which requires the full backs to provide the width. In our case, Vucinic and, when he plays, Menez also often play wider than a prima punta would.

[RomaShield27]

I don't think there's a massive difference in it, and whether its listed as a 4-4-2 or a 4-3-1-2 isn't all that important as both will play the same way with the players selected in the midfield tonight. With Brighi and Perrotta in with DDR and Pizza its obvious what the intentions are – too just keep things tight and give no space for the opposition to play – and so whether Perrotta plays more through the middle or out on the left isn't all that important as long as the four in there are tight and compact and effective.

[maro]

I would agree, Giacomo - it's just that Taddei and Guberti have started a lot of games recently (and with one or other of them down one side (or Cicinho, I guess) and Perrotta down the other, it's much the same thing).

[romawi]

I'm a big fan of that lineup, and I think it gives us the best chance to win today. I'm a bit disappointed that Okaka isn't starting, though. I would've liked to see Menez play the AM with Vucinic and Okaka up top.

[RomaShield27]

Excellent quality stream (once u install Veetle) : http://www.veetle.com/viewChannel.php?cid=4af0721aa8367 (FSC coverage)

Forza Roma.

[RomaShield27]

La Gazzetta dello Sport is saying De Rossi has gone straight to hospital due to his injury. He must of suffered a fractured or broken cheekbone?

http://www.gazzetta.it/tr_xml_sics/2009 ... d_p=193694

Very good first-half performance. I was fearing it was going to be another one of those days for Vucinic after he fucked up that one-on-one early on, but he made he for it spectacularly. The four across the middle has really worked and have closed Inter down and suffocated them from doing anything. Of course, we've been helped in that Mourinho picked Viera and Muntari to be on the pitch at the same time, something which he'll surely change for the second with Sneijder sitting there warming his backside. Very compact and energetic performance, and even losing De Rossi hasn't knocked the form or confidence as you might expect. Only half the job done though, and its gonna be extremely tough without De Rossi – and hopefully Mexes won't join him – but forza forza...

[SPqR]

Hospital? Fucking hell.

[maro]

Great focking performance from that team - shorn of so many of its leaders: Doni, Juan, Burdisso, DDR, Totti. Massively courageous and totally deserved point. Inter are just a hideous pack of thugs on the basis of that performance tonight - Motta and Muntari played until they'd collected enough fouls and so had to be replaced before the red. Stinkybitch should have had about six yellow cards tonight. Sure Pizza and Menez go down easily at times, but for the sake of the lord, stop kicking them you Inter cunts. And if I hear anyone ever again question Pizza's contribution to this side I will personally slam a can of pasta down her or his throat. He may have a chunky missus, but my lord he has balls of fucking steel.

[Lupa]

After Pizza's 'man with balls of steel' performance against Arse last year, I think the naysayers have quieted down. There was a reason Spalletti played him all the time, and it had nothing to do with manlove.

As I said in the SB, last season the draw vs Inter at San Siro felt like a loss. This point makes me happy, even though it does little for us in the standings. Inter are a bunch of thugs, and they make my eyes bleed to watch them most of the time, even though Sneijder has improved their creativity.

[marco]

I'd love to bitch slap balotelli into a coma then strap him to my leg and shit kick both vieira and muntari. what a bunch of dirty fucking cunts.

I love the heart our boys showed today. great effort in the face of adversity. mexes played like a stud again. he really stepped up like a real leader.

[RomaShield27]

Fully agreed Tom, super performance. Inter are a pack of thugs who think they can just bully their way to victory in Serie A yet continually shit their pants when faced up with bigger boys in European football. We showed them tonight. Truly outstanding performances all round, where to start. Coming into the game senza Totti, with our leading striker who has the confidence of a recluse, with several players lacking full fitness, with a manager who couldn't agree on the colour of his poo, and in general a team desperately short of form and consistency, and all this coming to the home of the champions and the mighty Inter, and to play like that is just magnificent. Plus losing De Rossi – to see a leader of men limp confusingly off the pitch – and a few knocks to others, and still not let our play drop, was great to see. Full of confidence and belief and determination and heart, and really are deserved point at the end of it all.

Pizarro was magnificent in dictating the play and relieving the pressure on the defence, Menez was outstanding throughout, I thought, really looking confident and self-assured in his abilities and running Inter ragged, who had to resort to hacking him down at all times. Even when he was booked for protesting when he wasn't given a free – something we'd perhaps normally think was him just being a bit of a sissy – he was actually hacked down by Muntari. Great performance from him. Then everyone else was great too. Mexes had Milito in his sky-rocket all night. Andreolli looked very solid if a bit raw at times. JS in the sticks pulled off some great saves, Riise was solid, Motta perhaps not as much so, Brighi and Perrotta, in particular, worked their socks off, and Faty and Okaka played very well coming off the bench.

[ASR1927]

[Carlo Romano]

[ASR1927]

[red]

[Carlo Romano]

Andrew, we had to stand up for ourselves tonight! Anything less would have meant a heavy defeat. Ranieri played his part too with his constant encouragement from his technical area.

I kept shaking my head when thinking of Inter's quality depth of squad. It's hard to compete against that. It may well have been a different story if their starting XI had been their best available and they had been forced into changes which didn't improve anything.

The constant fouling showed they were rattled, something I said we should do to them in a post I made yesterday. Put them under pressure and they do not like it at all!

Unfortunately it has added to our injuries list though.