Internazionale Main Thread III

[maro]

All I'm saying, Lomba, is that you know I've never rated Eto'o and Benitez. Just for the record.

[Lombardiamia]

[maro]

As if I'd ever do something like that, Lomba. No doubt Eto'o will go the rest of the season without scoring again and Benitez will be sacked by the end of the month now, but for now I've not seen much to cause me to reconsider my very high estimation of them both. I think Benitez is tactically a much better manager than Moanhinho and when he has quality players at his disposal, while he rarely puts out really attacking line-ups, I think his teams play much better football. And you know I think Eto'o is as good as any other striker around at the moment. We shall see whether things continue this way, though, and if they don't, I'm sure I'll be able to find a couple of excuses as to why.

[Lombardiamia]

[Messinterista]

Inter 0 - 0 Juventus
Stadio Meazza

Both Inter and Juventus had plenty of chances, but the Derby d'Italia ended goalless, so Rafa Benitez's men lose the leadership.

This has always been a heated affair, but tension was sky high following new wiretap evidence in the second Calciopoli trial, which prompted the Bianconeri to ask for the revocation of the 2006 Scudetto. It was also crucial for the current campaign, as the Nerazzurri needed a victory to stay joint top with Lazio, while Juve risked being mired in the bottom half of the table.

Samuel Eto'o kept his centre-forward position as Diego Milito was only fit for the bench, while Javier Zanetti, Walter Samuel and Goran Pandev were injured. Amauri was in the stands as a late injury along with Gigi Buffon and Armand Traore', but Simone Pepe and Alessandro The Waterboy were benched. This moved Claudio Marchisio to a wide role, while Fabio Quagliarella partnered Vincenzo Iaquinta.

Even Mario Balotelli was in the stands, but Sulley Muntari left the stadium when he found out he wouldn't even be on the bench. It's reported he did so in order to better prepare for international duty with Ghana.

Eto'o skipped into the box down the left side and committed Leonardo Bonucci with a dummy, but Giorgio Chiellini managed to close down the shot. Marco Storari dropped the resulting corner, but was able to scramble it back into his arms.

Moments later Bonucci, a former Inter youth product, was booked for tripping Coutinho a little outside the D, but Wesley Sneijder's free kick didn't get past the wall.

Milos Krasic drilled just wide from distance, then Juve went even closer as the Blonde Serb flashed a ball across the face of goal. Julio Cesar got his elbow to it, just enough to take it away from Iaquinta at the back post.

Another dangerous opportunity moments later when Aquilani's ball in went past Iaquinta, but Lucio managed to prod it out for a corner before Chiellini could tap in.

Jonathan Biabiany picked up a knock and tried to carry on, but eventually had to limp off for Milito, moving Eto'o into the wide left role with Coutinho on the right.

Juventus thought they had opened the scoring after 31 minutes, but Iaquinta was in an offside position when he tapped in the Krasic low cross from six yards.

Julio Cesar made a hash of clearing a free kick, so Krasic put it back into the middle for a crucial block. Ivan Cordoba used his impressive pace to out-sprint Iaquinta and close down his counter from an Aquilani through ball.

Esteban Cambiasso controlled a clearance for a half-volley over the bar, but Eto'o went on an incredible slalom over three tackles to whip in the cross for Milito, forcing Paolo De Ceglie into a decisive intervention.

Sneijder had timid penalty appeals for a tussle with Chiellini, but the referee was right next to them and waved play on. Quagliarella's turn and snapshot from distance was well smothered by the Inter goalkeeper.

On the stroke of half-time Eto'o curled a wonderful ball to the back post for Milito at full stretch to whistle wide from point-blank range.

Both sides were forced into substitutions at the break. Cordoba made way for Davide Santon, putting Cristian Chivu in the centre, while Marco Motta replaced De Ceglie.

Coutinho burst into the box on a Sneijder diagonal pass, but Grygera kept his cool to charge down the shot for a corner. Quagliarella tried a spectacular chest and volley from 30 metres that Julio Cesar plucked out from under the bar.

Sneijder went straight for goal from a free kick on the outside corner of the box that split the wall, but whistled wide of the near post.

Dejan Stankovic made a crucial tackle to stop Quagliarella on the edge of the box, but this sparked a counter and Eto'o went on another remarkable one-man slalom past the entire Juventus defence until his cross was finally put out for a corner.

Krasic went on a mazy run of his own past a series of players, but the screamer of a finish was beaten away at the near post by Julio Cesar with a flying save.

Marco Storari needed one hand to palm a Sneijder snapshot round the upright, but it was probably going wide anyway. Alessandro The Waterboy replaced Iaquinta and immediately sparked a counter that finished with Quagliarella's half-volley over.

Inter thought they must score on 67 minutes when a Sneijder free kick was whipped in for Maicon's glancing header from six yards, but Storari initially parried and was then able to smother as Lucio came diving in.

Juve had a fantastic chance moments later. Stankovic slipped in midfield and Claudio Marchisio threaded through to send Quagliarella clear on goal, but he was under pressure from Lucio and the shot was fingertipped round the base of the near post by Julio Cesar.

The Waterboy rode two tackles for a strike smothered by the goalkeeper, but Inter had another excellent scoring opportunity. Cambiasso's ball over the top allowed Milito to spring the offside trap, but the angled drive flashed across the face of goal to shave the far post.

Another The Waterboy screamer from distance was dealt with by Julio Cesar, while Milito turned over from an improbably tight angle. Both teams played in Europe midweek and it showed, as the tempo dropped considerably in the final stages.

Inter: Julio Cesar; Maicon, Lucio, Cordoba (Santon 46), Chivu; Stankovic, Cambiasso; Biabiany (Milito 30), Sneijder, Coutinho; Eto'o

Juventus: Storari; Grygera, Bonucci, Chiellini, De Ceglie (Motta 46); Krasic, Felipe Melo, Aquilani (Sissoko 80), Marchisio; Iaquinta (The Waterboy 64), Quagliarella

Ref: Banti

Source: http://football-italia.net/sa1011/int-juv.html

[Lombardiamia]

A draw against Rubentus...embarassing...

[RomaShield27]

Muntari set for Inter exit after bust-up
http://soccernet.espn.go.com – By ESPNsoccernet staff – October 4, 2010

Inter Milan midfielder Sulley Muntari looks set to quit the Serie A club following a bust-up with manager Rafael Benitez. Muntari was so furious about being omitted from the squad for Sunday's Derby d'Italia against Juventus that rather than watch the match from the stands he stormed out of the San Siro and went home.

Italian daily La Gazzetta dello Sport report Muntari will hold showdown talks with Benitez later this week and will be fined for his petulant reaction.

Following Inter's 0-0 draw with Juve Benitez said: "A player who is not in the squad can't be happy, but each of us do things that we consider to be right. Sulley must understand that there are others and that the others are important."

Benitez offered Muntari as part of a deal for Liverfekkin'wankscum's Dirk Kuyt when he initially took over at the Nerazzurri in the summer and doesn't appear to be a fan of the 25-year-old Ghanaian international.

[Totally FRANK]

[Lombardiamia]

Yes I regretted having Biabiany injured as he was keeping Eto'o in the centre. When he moved to the left, he certainly was good cause he's in a phenomenal form, but centrally he could have been devastating in left in the centre. Milito curently is not good enough to win us games. Coutinho is much better suited on the left than on the right, though his main position is the centre, that is why he practically dissapeared in the second half. That apart from the fact that physically he's still way too weak and gets bossed around the ball pretty much by everyone on the pitch.

[Totally FRANK]

The back four and the defensive two are working pretty well (though I expect more from Maicon, he hasn't been his marauding self). The front four still have some work to do. Eto'o is the only one on form. Benitez still hasn't found the perfect position for Sneijder. Some games he has played very close to the lone striker while in others he has played deeper. He still isn't the Sneijder we saw last season either. You know he is not in form when he has been quite poor in dead ball situations like yesterday.

Our main threats Maicon, Milito and Sneijder still have some way to go to reach last season's form. May be they are not 100% fit yet, apart from the fact that they are still adjusting to Rafa's system.

[Totally FRANK]

Inter united on the pitch, divided off it

Thursday 30 September 2010 11:55

It may be different in other countries, but in Italy players only get up close and personal on the pitch and very rarely is there any ‘team bonding’ off it.

They may socialise now and then, but in general they are content to go their own way and get on with life in the traditional Italian, family-orientated manner.

That’s not to say there aren’t dressing room cliques, and nowhere are they more prominent than at Inter, where the South American clans hold sway.

Well, the non-Brazilian cartel that is – the Argentines Javier Zanetti, Esteban Cambiasso and Walter Samuel along with Ivan Cordoba of Columbia have the final say on most matters, while the Brazilians keep themselves to themselves, probably secretly wishing they could hang-out with their fun-loving compatriots at AC Milan.

Having obviously been used to the off-field activities of players in the Premiershit, Rafa Benitez must have been surprised at the divisions within his new dressing room.

When the Spaniard apparently suggested the whole squad go out for a meal together he was met with blank looks until a senior South American – we can only guess who – informed the new would-be ‘social secretary’ how things worked.

The coach may be the boss on the pitch, but off it he had no say on how the players spent their time, as long as they weren’t indulging in the sort of activities that blighted Adriano’s final period at the club – and there is no evidence that this crop like to do anything more exciting than watch a bit of TV.

This set-up didn’t concern Jose Mourinho, and as long as results were going his way it didn’t matter if the players ignored each other or not.

Now having to start all over again with a new coach in charge there have been signs some of the outsiders are beginning to raise their voices.

Christian Chivu could never be accused of speaking out of turn, but the sight of the full-back exclaiming to the bench that certain members of the team where not putting in enough effort raised concerns – or hopes, depending on your point of view – that all was not well in the camp.

The Romanian’s blast, ìif they don’t start running, I am offî came midway through last weekend’s defeat at AS Roma and, with the silence broken, fellow full-back Douglas Maicon also opined that the front players were too egoistic.

Maybe that is why Inter are already a lot more entertaining to watch this season – with Samuel Eto’o freed from having to track back – but last season’s successes weren’t achieved by playing open and attacking football.

Tellingly, Zanetti was missing from the trip to Rome – recovering from a ball struck to the nether regions during the Palermo game the previous week - and in his painful absence it was left to his consigliere Cambiasso to lay down the law that any problems are solved inside the dressing room and they would remain there.

There was never any chance of recriminations last night in the Champions League game against Werder Bremen.

Eto’o was given the freedom of the pitch as the out-and-out striker flanked by the eager-to-please Coutinho and Jonathan Biabiany.

And how the Cameroonian thrived through the middle where his pace and direct running garnered a hat-trick as well as setting up one for Wesley Sneijder in a 4-0 stroll.

Eto’o was a player in his element again and the joy of being back in his natural habitat was there for all to see when he grabbed a photographer’s camera after scoring his third to snap the snappers.

Even Benitez was more animated than usual, and spent most of the match pacing his technical area and encouraging the mop-topped Coutinho, who is a clone of Alexandre Pato, to actually enjoy himself.

Yes, enjoy – not a word that is often associated with Inter but maybe that will become the Benitez trademark as long as he doesn’t try and organise any more nights out for the players.

[Lombardiamia]

Ok, I'm now officially worried as to what might have happened to Dejan...Shield you havent received a reply to your email, did you?

[Messinterista]

As am I. I hope something serious hasn't happened to him, all is well and he is just busy with work or something.

[juventino_italiano]

Good game Interisti.
I really enjoyed it and I hope our next encounters have the same fair play and entertainment and hopefully some goals

[Lombardiamia]

[red]

Aye, fair play has no place in games between rivals.

They should, first and foremost, be knocking lumps out of each other.

Once they've done that, then they can think about playing football.

[juventino_italiano]

[RomaShield27]

[Lombardiamia]

I've sent him an email too this morning, but I honestly doubt I'll receive a reply. I really think this is kinda strange. I really doubt he would simply disappear without saying a word. I fear something might have happened, but we'll never know unless he gets back online...

[Totally FRANK]

M_I is the one who lives in Australia, probably he can figure out a way to get in touch. Look through the yellow pages and give him a call or something.