Internazionale Main Thread II

[arthurfonzarelli]

[Messinterista]

[Dejan-Stankovic]

[Dejan-Stankovic]

[Lombardiamia]

[zafferano]

[zafferano]

[Lombardiamia]

[Messinterista]

Jose Mourinho: Of Course Inter Can Beat Chelsea

Mourinho wants to see an improvement if his side are to progress in Europe...

Jose Mourinho says beating Chelsea will be a certainty, but only if his Inter players respond to instructions.

Mourinho welcomes his former side to the San Siro on February 24 for the Champions League last 16 first leg clash. Never short of confidence, he has clear ideas.

"Of course we can beat Chelsea, but not by playing like this," he told Reuters, referring to the 1-0 Coppa Italia win over Fiorentina.

"We made too many mistakes and there was no precision in our play. I am disappointed that we were unable to show the play we have been in our last few games."

Source: http://www.goal.com/en/news/10/italy/20 ... at-chelsea

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Positivity like this is what the team needs.

[Lombardiamia]

Yes, last year Mou wanted Man U.....

[Dejan-Stankovic]

Eto'o will be back soon but the main point is something needs to be done. I don't agree the media has taken this out of proportion as even Matrix came out and said for him to stop acting like a fool. If you don't discipline him properly, he'll keep doing this over and over again. How many times has it been now that he's been criticized by our own club/players/Mou for not defending and/or acting like a twat?

[Lombardiamia]

Yes Dejan, it’s happened quite frequently. But that even consolidates the point that those methods don’t work on the guy. Last year, Mou kept him out of the first team for 2 months, only to play in the same exact manner upon his return. We’ve fined him, relegated him, publicly criticized him, but the result was always the same. I guess the club has come to a conclusion that Balotelli will either grow on his own or will not grow at all, but in the meantime, we take the most out of him for the time he is on our side, and that is already quite good. He’s always been an important player and always contributed for the team when he’s played, with or without him being a twat. Take it or leave it, that’s the way he is, so use him to his full current possibilities.

[Totally FRANK]

Balotelli future in doubt
Friday 5 February, 2010
Mario Balotelli is being linked with an Inter exit after the club reportedly slapped him with a €20,000 fine following his spat with Jose Mourinho.

La Gazzetta dello Sport today writes that the Nerazzurri enigma will be hit in the pocket for his behaviour on Wednesday night.

Balotelli reacted angrily to being substituted in the Cup game against Fiorentina by the tactician who just minutes earlier had been left infuriated with the comportment of his player.

Instead of tracking back and helping to defend during a passage of play, Balotelli stopped to hold his face after fearing that he had picked up an eye injury.

Inter have backed their Coach in the row and will punish the player financially as a result of his verbal outburst and tantrum which followed his withdrawal from the field of play.

However, other media sources today are suggesting that Balotelli could leave this summer given his eventful relationship with the former Chelsea tactician.

Clubs in England, notably Manchester City given the presence of former Inter boss Roberto Mancini, are again being linked.

Yet Balotelli also seemingly has an Italian option in Milan given that he is thought to be a Rossoneri supporter.

Inter chief Massimo Moratti has labeled the player as “untransferableâ€

[Totally FRANK]

Mourinho on Mariga

"I'm satisfied that he's with us. I like him as a player, he can't play in every midfield position like Stankovic, but he can play in three. He can't play behind the strikers but he can play everywhere else in midfield. He's young, intelligent, humble and it will be a pleasure for me to help him grow. I like the way he works. Receiving a player from a good coach like Francesco Guidolin and having the chance to finish off such a promising product is a pleasure for me."

Mariga has been compared to John Obi Mikel, a former pupil of Mourinho. "He's faster than Mikel but less cerebral," explained the Inter coach. "We can't compare him to Patrick Vieira because Vieira was very experienced. He's a bit like Sissoko but has an even greater margin of improvement. In any case, he's a player I like athletically and psychologically. Me and his new team-mates will help him grow."

[Dejan-Stankovic]

It's not just the punishment that's the concern here; he's breaking down the structure of the team when he doesn't track back. It's not like he can't, it's out of laziness that he wont do it so as long as it affects the team, he shouldn't be out on the pitch until it's fixed. I honestly don't care if he's left out of the team for 2 years. Everyone else plays their role so he should too. That much we can agree on I hope.

Also, Balotelli has never been an important player for us. Important players are Milito, Sneijder, Ibra etc who you can almost bet your house on to deliver or at least give their all. Balo is like a wildcard; throw him in and see what happens. He can get us through to the next phase of the CL by assisting and scoring a goal or he can get sent of in the 35th min. You say he's quite good and individually he is but playing in a structured formation, that's not enough.

[Dejan-Stankovic]

How do you fellas think we'll line up vs Cagliari? They're in pretty good form and this is a danger game imo.

--------------------Cesar----------------------------
Maicon-----Samuel-----Cordoba/Matrix---Santon
------------------Cambiasso------------------------
---------Zanetti---------------Motta-----------------
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--------Pandev------Milito-------Eto'o--------------

That seems to be the most natural team to pick without Stankovic and Sneijder as options. I'd like to see Mariga in the midfield instead of Zanetti but he'll probably on come on as a sub.

[Lombardiamia]

Dejan, Eto'o is nursing his foot injury and 99% he wont be playing a single minute against Cagliari, unless someone within the Inter camp is mixing the cards to get everyone confused. So if it will be a trident, it will be Pandev, Milito & Balotelli. Mariga too isnt 100% fit yet since he had been out for more than a month with Parma and only recently he's started training regularly. I believe it will be that formation you mentioned, minus Eto'o plus Balotelli. In defense, Materazzi has been playing superbly well recently, but I guess that against a fast team like Cagliari, Cordoba would be more suited.

[Dejan-Stankovic]

Eto'o trained with the first team today so we could see him play or maybe even on the bench. Still, I don't think we'll see Balo starting after what happened but we'll see what Mou does.

[Messinterista]

On the talk of Balo, I have to agree with Dejan, he must be taught a lesson. Sure he has been sent to the prima squad before, but he needs to know that this won't be tolerated. Do something wrong, be sent there. He is beginning to remind me of Rooney when he first went to Manure. Look at him now. One of the best strikers in the world. Perhaps the most in form atm. When know Balo has the same potential, he just doesn't have his head screwed on rite. What did SAF do?

[Totally FRANK]