So this is a big test for us... away to Palermo, who are always tough to play in Sicily. Here is the squad: Goalkeepers: 1 Julio Cesar, 12 Luca Castellazzi, 21 Paolo Orlandoni. Defenders: 2 Ivan Cordoba, 4 Javier Zanetti, 6 Lucio, 13 Maicon, 23 Marco Materazzi, 25 Walter Samuel, 26 Cristian Chivu, 39 Davide Santon. Midfielders: 5 Dejan Stankovic, 11 Sulley Muntari, 17 MacDonald Mariga, 19 Esteban Cambiasso, 29 Coutinho. Strikers: 9 Samuel Eto'o, 22 Diego Milito, 27 Goran Pandev. This would be my preferred starting 11: ----------------Julio Cesar---------------- Maicon-----Lucio-------Samuel-----Zanetti --------Cambiasso----Stankovic---------- ------Mariga----Coutinho----Etoó--------- ------------------Milito------------------- I feel like Milito needs some confidence, and while he has severely underperformed he has my backing due to everything he did last season. If he doesn't start to produce after 55 minutes put one of Pandev or Stankovic in and put Eto'o at center forward. I feel like Coutinho showed enough against Twente to merit a start. He has seriously been one of our few bright lights in this campaign thus far. I also like the fact that Santon has now made three match squads in a row. I am hopeful that he will be back in the starting 11 by the start of the year, even though he has Chivu and Zanetti to contend with for that spot. And as Sneijder is out, I thought it would be good to start Coutinho in the playmaker role with Mariga acting as the box to box midfielder on the right. This would leave Deki in the middle as the holding mid next to Cambiasso. In my opinion this is his best position and will only control the tempo from there. The main part of the game will come down to Coutinho, and I really wonder if Benitez as well as Coutinho have the guts to start this game in the starting 11. As for Palermo... They are a very dangerous attacking side full of enthusiasm. Everyone knows that Javier Pastore, Massimo Maccarone, Abel Hernandez, and Fabrizio Miccoli are dangerous players especially when they are playing at home. But their defense leaves a lot to be desired as the only quality name for me in their back line is Balzaretti. Bovo, Munoz are hardly center backs to be afraid of. The starting line up for them will most likely be: ----------------Sirgiu------------------ Cassani-----Bovo---Munoz-----Balzaretti -----Migliaccio---Liverani---Nocerino---- ----------------Pastore---------------- ----------Kasami-----Hernandez-------- They have a very defensive minded midfield who on their day have the quality to break down any side. Nocerino, Liverani, Sirgiu, Cassani, and Balzaretti have all at one point or currently been considered or have played for the Italian national team. Pastore will be key to exploiting our central defense but if can manage to neutralize their possession we will have a good chance of coming away with the three points. Luckily it looks like Miccoli will not be playing. The preview from football Italia: This could be a very stern test for Rafa Benitez, but Palermo cannot keep wasting so many chances every game. Neither side got what it wanted in Europe midweek, as Inter were held to a 2-2 draw at Twente, while the Sicilians saw themselves squeezed out 3-2 away to Sparta Prague. Samuel Eto'o was again on fine form, having sneaked a win over Udinese last weekend, but what the Nerazzurri are really lacking at the moment are the goals of Diego Milito. El Principe hasn't netted yet this term and looks decidedly out of sorts, but is unlikely to be dropped. Dejan Stankovic and Cristian Chivu are injury doubts, but Goran Pandev and Thiago Motta will definitely miss out on the trip. McDonald Mariga seems to be the permanent replacement in midfield for out-of-favour Sulley Ali Muntari. It's a battle between Jonathan Biabiany and the impressive Coutinho to complete the front line. “It is absurd that we create so many scoring opportunities, just as we did at Brescia, only to then go home empty-handed,” moaned Fabio Liverani. Palermo are still looking for their first Serie A win of the season, having been locked out by Cagliari and suffered a shock defeat in Brescia. Javier Pastore is inspirational once he shakes off his marker, but El Flaco and his teammates struggle to translate that into points. Mauricio Pinilla and Fabrizio Miccoli are joined on the treatment table by Dorin Goian, but Coach Delio Rossi should bring back those who were rested in Prague. Ezequiel Munoz, Marco Cassetti and Pajtim Kasami are expected to return, though Massimo Maccarone is angling for a spot alongside Abel Hernandez. Palermo were unbeaten at the Stadio Barbera last season and held Inter to a 1-1 draw, so this is the toughest Serie A test yet for Rafa Benitez. Both sides will want to make amends for a disappointing start and midweek European results, while the packed stands are set to create quite an atmosphere. After all, who could forget the epic 5-3 result at San Siro in October 2009, or the Sicilians fighting back from 2-0 down with two goals in three minutes in April that same year?
This wouldn't be a bad starting line up either: ---------------Julio Cesar-------------- Maicon----Lucio------Samuel----Santon ---------------Cambiasso-------------- ----------Zanetti-------Mariga-------- ------Coutinho-------------Eto'o------- -----------------Milito-----------------
If coutinho is given a free role and has no defensive duties then ok sure, since zanetti will be covering any space left behind, but if couti has to track back then no, im actually more worried about the subs for this game, we still cant fully count on most of our bench players, especially up top im just praying no one gets injured, and we start to regain confidence
Thanks for a calm post. Another reason I like big soccer Inter fans is they don't panic. You should see some of the stuff written on FIF currently. They are panicking as if we are going to get trumped, yet no one is analyzing the Palermo line up.. which doesn't include Miccoli or Maccarone.
I'll do the panicking for both of you. We will need to cut down our possession football and play a lot deeper and more than anything faster. Its not the players problem teams are pulling a Mou on us and Benitez just cant see it.
There's a ragged, nervous quality to our play so far this year that wasn't there when Mou was coach. And some of the decisions are befuddling to me. With no Sneijder, Eto'o has to take at least one of those free kicks so close to the penalty area. Instead it's Stankovic and Chivu taking them? I don't get it. It's making me freak out a little. After watching my domestic club team get pasted 4-nil last night, I can't handle this until I get some coffee. Be right back.
faster yes, palermo's defence is not having a hard time reading our plays but we have created a good amount of chances, im not happy with the scoreline but man does milito really need to step it up, not physically but mentally, he has hesitated to shoot on occasion and lost balls that had potential anyone seen pandev?
Milito has played much better today IMO, as long as he moves good good things will happen. Wonderful goal by Eto. But I'm still unhappy we look like a bit faster Milan. Also Stankovic has been a revelation today he does the role perfectly when he plays deeper, smart balls and spreading the play perfectly. EDIT - great goal!
Solid win problems are still here we will see how things move in the future. For CL we will need a lot more.
thank god for eto, brings in confidence to the team, poor milito, being subbed out by muntari is an insult kudos to the team for stepping it up, as a unit anyone saw when zanetti got smacked in the balls by the ball, ive seen players go down but not zanetti, who took it like a man
Yes. My hope is that the second half was a hint of how things are moving in the right direction and we will be more steady for 90 minutes by the time we play Werder Bremen, because 3 points will be a must on that day. There seems to be some lingering elements of Mou's coaching on the team, and those are conflicting with the direction that Rafa wants to take them. A little of that is to be expected, but Rafa's tactical changes working so well in the 2nd half may have earned him stronger regard that he knows what's best to get results. Come from behind wins like this are great for morale and confidence, especially when they're away. This was a good step.
I think he just told pandev to show up, eto and milito to score a goal we werent horrible the 1st half, but we did improve the play in the 2nd half wednesday is going to be vey interesting........
Yes Eto has been pretty much our savior so far if it was not for him we would probably be sitting on a single point by now. I'm not very impressed with Rafa, Palermo got shaken by a blitz goal they started much better in 2 half. Even more he shoved lack of confidence with his changes once we got the result with his 3 changes and gave the initiative to Palermo, we controlled the game very comfortable at that point. We almost conceded 2-3 times and thank good ref was not trigger happy as we were close 2 times in making a penalty. Seems to me so far that Ben has a terrible feel on how the game is developing. Milito was a good sub but other ultra bunkering was not good. I'm not happy.
Zanetti was transferred to the hospital he fainted in the dressing room from this. I hope its not serious.
Don't you think, though, that part of that bunkering had to do with not having Sneijder available? If he's out there, the attack is stronger, the possession is better, and some pressure is taken off of the backs because the opposition's mids have to hang back. Don't get me wrong, I've been shaking my head a lot at what Rafa's got this team doing - especially during the Twente match. I'll admit, I was hoping against hope that Rafa would look at this team and think "These are the parts of the machine that Mourinho put together, I'm going to use them like Mou used them." I knew that would never happen, but I still hoped it would. Instead, we're still in this limbo between what was in 2009-10 and what's going to be for 2010-11. As much as I love Milito, he's not working well as the top striker. He's off his game, but he will certainly be back once this team hits its stride. I liked the move to put Eto'o up top. I think we all knew it had to happen, and it demonstrates that Rafa isn't going to sit and watch a star struggle just to keep the appearance of confidence. He made the move to get 3 points away from home. Diego will start, play, and contribute goals, but in the meantime Eto'o has the look of a lion in his eye and I like that Rafa recognized it. Still, I'm hardly a diehard Benitez fan. Two years ago when there were doubts about whether or not Mou could complete the task at Inter, I was steadfast in my support for him because I knew in my heart that he was the most brilliant coach in Europe, and that he had a single-minded, almost tyrannical drive on winning everything. I don't feel that confidence yet in Benitez, but I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.
well just look at the differences on how they interact with the club, players etc. mou had a demanding role, his expectations were high and he took command you can tell the players believed in him, everyone knew their role and how to play it, everyone did as they were told 100%, there was constant communication with rafa, the players still are measuring him, and his style its the same formation but rafa wants to change how we play just look at their expressions during the game, mou has a very commanding, stern, concentrated look rafa has more of a pondering, doubting, concern look only games and time will tell
If the results hold up, then the "system" (or Raffa's ideas, rather) will come through. If the results did not come, then the players will stop believing in him, imo. Also, we need Militogol to break his duck asap.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKIFfecV9a0"]YouTube - Palermo - Inter 1-2 Highlights[/ame] theres some others in youtube if you are interested
Thanks for the highlight Samora. I only hope Rafa keeps Eto'o where he belongs -- closer to the net -- and the goals will come raining down...2 goal scoring machines are better than one!!
What a game... full of free flowing football with end to end stuff. We created more and deserved the win but Palermo could have nicked a draw or a win on a different day. I just woke up two hours ago. I stayed up throughout all of last night to watch all the Moto GP races from Spain, and when that ended at 5:48 AM here I thought shoot, might as well watch the Inter game, it starts in 12 minutes. Thus I went to sleep at 8AM. Overall the first half was pretty good. Barring the defensive lapse we played really well and we just couldn't put any of our chances away. I am really hopeful that Milito will get some confidence back because he looks like his mentality is shot. Etoó has stepped up massively thus far this season and I can only hope he becomes center forward if Milito continues to waste chances. I thought Stankovic added a calm presence to the midfield that wasn't there in the pas 2 games. He gave us fluidity and dropped deep when needed. Pandev was also back to his best which was good to see. He started to come inside and receive the ball and turn his marker, which he hadn't done so far this season. Cambiasso and Zanetti played really well together in the holding midfield role and I can certainly hope they keep playing that way. Chivu had an interesting game. He made some horrible mistakes, but he also made a couple of clutch tackles and interceptions that really saved our skin, thus I am unsure how to comment on his performance. Lucio and Samuel still looked a little bit uneasy at the back but for the most part were making some good tackles. The timing needs to get back to what it was last season, because they do look a little bit more fragile. Maicon was back to his enthusiastic best coming forward and tracking back. We are such a different team when he is on form. The combination between him, Stankovic, and Eto'o for the 2nd goal was pure quality. Lastly Julio Cesar could have done better on the rebound on the goal they scored but he still blocked a 1v1 against Pastore thus I can't complain. But he had a miraculous save in the 2nd half when he forced that powerful shot of Pastore onto the post. I thought it hit the post initially, but from the replay I saw that Julio's reflexes made the save possible. Overall a good performance in a tough environment, and considering we are missing Sneijder and some of our regulars are coming off of injuries the signs are positive. But one thing is for sure... we can't get carried away with this win. We still need to fix some problems defensively, and I was surprised by the space Palermo gave us in the middle. Thus it wasn't as if Palermo played well by any sort of the imagination. Onto Roma!