Internazionale Main Thread II

[Totally FRANK]

I think the best option would be to play Cordoba at LB and Zanetti in midfield. It is much better to leave a hole at LB rather than a gaping hole in the center of the pitch. Also, today's training report says Santon trained individually but only for part of today's session. So, there is a chance he will at least make it to the bench.

If none of the midfielders recover in time, we might go ahead with the 4-2-3-1 with Pandev and Balo supporting Sneijder. Both of them might need to track back to help out Motta and Zanetti and help cover the flanks.

Btw, are there no defensive midfielders in the youth team? What's happened to Obi, he has suddenly disappeared from the first team.

[Dejan-Stankovic]

He's injured, from memory. It would've been a perfect time to give him or Khrin their opportunity. Is it ironic that the only midfielder we have available is the most injury prone? This has to be some sort of joke. Does anybody know which game Cambiasso got injured and how long he's out for?

We're in a real bad spot since we have a tough away game to Bari and then the derby. Apparently, Stankovic will be back in time for that game but if the curse continues to strike, we could potentially be without a single midfielder for the game. Ledesma would do pretty nicely before the derby.

[Lombardiamia]

Having so many injuries just before playing a team like Bari is far from encouraging. Bari, apart from being traditionally a bogey team for us, is the kind of team you need to stack a little your midfield against, since they make counter-attacks as their main weapon. Playing an offensive formation like a 4-2-3-1 against this Bari will be extremely hard. This is not the kind of team who you could simply outscore, since they are defensively very sound, though their key defender Ranocchia just got injured. I would be much more inclined to play someone like Crisetig in midfield, rather than going with practically 4 forwards from the start. In our first match, this move proved to be almost suicidal in the last 10 mins.

[Dejan-Stankovic]

[Totally FRANK]

Hall of Fame: Giacinto Facchetti
If Inter in particular or Serie A in general ever needed an ambassador to send around the world they found one in this most elegant man

When I first became aware of Italian football in the late 1970s, I quickly realised my vision of the game was impaired. I was conscious of an important presence which was just outside of my footballing line of sight. No matter where I turned, it seemed, the image of Giacinto Facchetti flitted tantalisingly in and out of view.

He stopped playing the game in 1978, but his aura hung around for much longer. He was one of the few Italian players from the era of Catenaccio who seemed to enjoy international respect and recognition. Most World XIs selected by experts of the time included his name. And when Inter or Italy were in action after his retirement it was rare to get a full commentary which did not mention him with a hint of regret.

His name alone always struck me as special. While few English speakers would stumble over Roberto Bettega or Paolo Rossi they were totally confounded by the Nerazzurri legend. I, however, loved the way those two words tripped off the tongue when pronounced properly. How I wished I had been born just a few years sooner in order to have watched him in action.

Facchetti was one of the few true senators of the Italian game. If Inter in particular or Serie A in general ever needed an ambassador to send around the world they found one in this most elegant man. As a player for both club and country, and in his later role as club official, he was always the very model professional. He is the kind of figure who seems to be more sorely missed with every passing day.

It was a position carved out of great achievements and consistently impressive performances. It all began in the early 1960s when Inter Coach Helenio Herrera spotted something he liked in a gangly youngster he believed he could mould into an outstanding footballer. The Milanese giants were in desperate need of reconstruction and he saw a special quality in Facchetti. Rarely before, or since, has an eye for talent proved more acute.

In truth, he was not the first to spot that the boy was something out of the ordinary. Even the head of his local youth team in Treviglio, near Bergamo, recognised he stood out from the rest of the boys under his control. “I remember they used to draw to pick sides and they would select players until someone took Giacinto,â€

[Dejan-Stankovic]

Cameroon lost their first game in the AC. Here's to hoping they lose their next game too..

[Lombardiamia]

Media keeps insisting that our next buy will be Baptista....Apparently, we have to do these sort of favours to Roma every year or so, because this is something that goes beyond football matters and there is a close relationship between the Moratti family & the Sensi. Of course, we'll keep on getting the shittiest players of their team and we'll end up spending for players who we dont need and who we'll probably find difficulty in setting elsewhere.
It's strange..up till last year we were complaining about the fact that we had too many 'destroyers' in midfield and few quality players.....now we find ourselves needing a midfield destroyer and yet we seem to be opting for people who only offer something when going forward (Baptista, who isnt even a midfielder & ledesma). Isn't there anybody else available out there who can slot in that spot in front of our defense ?

[Bagg10]

Macherano, but I hope to god you guys don't sign him.

[maro]

You're not really looking for a 'destroyer', Lomba - or not in a conventional sense. You're looking for a 'holding midfielder' which isn't quite the same thing. You're looking for someone who will sit in front of the back four and offer them cover with his defensive positioning, but who can also stitch your play together. I think Ledesma fits this pretty well, but so would d'Agostino, Inler etc. etc. You've got enough destructiveness in your midfield as it is; you need a regista with tactical responsibility. That's the way I see it, anyway. And I quite agree with you on Cambiasso, though I would call him a classic box-to-box midfielder: he's at his best getting up and down and up and down and carrying a threat getting on the end of things in the box while also getting back to hustle all through the middle of the pitch. He's not a regista and playing him as a holding player loses some of the best he has to offer. I'm surprised Mourinho hasn't played Vieira more at the bottom of a midfield diamond - that's where he's best suited to playing these days - but I haven't been following his injury situation or his not-giving-a-shit factor and all the other things which make you so happy to have seen the back of him.

[Dejan-Stankovic]

[Messinterista]

Looks like we will get him by the end of the window...

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Inter keep pushing for Baptista - Wednesday 13 January, 2010

Inter are unwilling to give up on signing Roma striker Julio Baptista, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Jose Mourinho is a big admirer of the 28-year-old's versatility and has asked Inter's chief technical director Marco Branca to do everything to secure his signature.

Branca presented Roma with an offer to loan Baptista until the end of the season late last week, but the Giallorossi rejected it on the principle they would like to sell him outright.

La Gazzetta understands Rosella Sensi is now prepared to do a deal if Inter are willing to make a straight swap for Nicolas Burdisso, the Argentinian defender, who is currently on loan at the Olimpico.

The deal's success is also reportedly tied to ongoing negotiations for Aleksandar Kolarov and Cristian Ledesma. Once Inter discover how much the Lazio pair cost then they will be able to proceed with a final offer for Baptista.

Amantino Mancini's prospective sale to Marseille could also raise funds to sign the former Real Madrid and Arsenal star nicknamed 'The Beast'.

Source: http://www.football-italia.net/jan13d.html

[Lombardiamia]

Maro, Vieira has left us now, so no need to talk about him now. Sure IMO he was much better suited than Cambiasso to occupy that role, but now he's gone. Probably you're right about the term I used. I dont want a Poulsen kind of player but someone who can effectively cover our defence from midfield incursions, yet have the ability to start an attack or at least who is capable of making some sort of dialogue with the other midfielders. To me though, I believe that Ledesma doesnt quite fit the bill. His passing abilities are fine, but I'm not too confident he can offer much in terms of effectively covering the defence. Also I would add that we would want someone who has some sort of dynamism in his legs, not just a ‘positional’ player. Ledesma to me is good with his feet, but rather poor physically and we might add that he hasn’t played a game in about 7 months. Pandev at least played a couple of games for his NT during the past 6 months, yet he is obviously out of shape. We need a player who can play a full match imminently, cause otherwise we might as well play a primavera player until the rest of the injured midfielders come back. The more I think about what we need, the more I say WTF are we looking at someone like Baptista???

[maro]

[Dejan-Stankovic]

[maro]

[Lombardiamia]

[maro]

[Lombardiamia]

[Dejan-Stankovic]

[Bagg10]