Inter - Atlètico Madrid (27 Aug 10)

[Inter Inter]

Do you guys realise something?

Athletico Madrid are Europa Champions, and now having beaten us 2-0, they can claim to be the true Champions League champion of Europe.

Think about that.

This SuperCup is not an insignificant pre-season warmup like some of you thought. It's more like the grand final of Europa-European champions league.

 

[Jacquez]

This SuperCup is not an insignificant pre-season warmup like some of you thought. It's more like the grand final of Europa-European champions league.

Oh yes, it is insignificant. Nobody cares about this trophy, nor should they.. Perhaps it was a good thing we lost, so most of you could get off your high horses. The only thing that truly worried me last night, was when Kun almost injured Capitano.
As somebody said earlier on: This cup is nothing but a glamorized warmup. I'd much rather win the supercoppa than this one, anyway.

 

[Luka]

Do you guys realise something?

Athletico Madrid are Europa Champions, and now having beaten us 2-0, they can claim to be the true Champions League champion of Europe.

Think about that.

That's a joke right ?

You compare one single game, where anybody can have off-day and the opponents a very good day, to HAVING to beat all of them: Spanish champion, english champion and german champion ?

 

[Inter Inter]

I'm serious :shades:

We can't expect now, once the best coach in the "motivation/man management department" left, that we still should expect the same. If someone does it he will be dissapointed all the time.

So true.

But you know what. At the back of my mind, I feel that it is precisley this "motivation/man management department" thing that gave us the edge over other technically more gifted teams (e.g. FC Sprinklers), that got us to play above our weight and achieved the Treble last season. Although we were head and shoulders above others in Serie A, we were quite under-rated in Europe.

If this "motivation/man management department" thing goes missing this season, I guess we'll go back to 100% as you said. Which means, back to pre-Treble days...perhaps.

 

[Rain]

We played horribly and when we play like that the entire team deserves a bashing.
Yet for me this defeat can be a blessing in disguise, if we learn from it's mistakes and act quickly.

Rafa should learn, as Jose did in his first year, that his ideas about how the team should play and the reality can be different, so if he's smart he will adapt and make the team play in the manner it is suited the best for the players available.(Remember Jose's failed 4-3-3 attempts in early 2008, after he switched permanently to 4-3-1-2 and one year later, backed by correct signings to the treble-winning 4-2-3-1)

The players should learn that past glory and overconfidence without motivation and sacrifice will bring nothing.
A attitude like Diego's is totally unacceptable, but once again, there is still time to change that and hopefully he and some others will learn from yesterday's shame.


The management should learn that in order to remain on top of the world, you have to be stronger than before.
Winning is very difficult, yet to remain at a similar level after you won so much, with teams all over trying to adapt and hunt you, is even more difficult.

We only needed minor tweaks to a very strong squad, we haven't done them yet and this game can be the perfect alarm-bell for our management to do the quality transfers requiered in our weak spots in order to keep a similar level to last year.

It's late and it's difficult, but if we put aside our "concern" about the financial rules that might or might not come into play in a few years and focus primary on the teams, we can achieve wonder signings even in three days.

I was bitter yesterday, yet the more I think about it, the more I feel that this game can be a blessing in disguise.
Should we have won, even only by chance and playing bad, our weaknesses would have not been revealed until later. There is still time....

PS: I understand the disappointment for many of you, and I also understand that anyone can have his opinion and that's the general idea of a forum, to share opinions with others, yet I can't help wonder why do some newer members believe after just one pre-season game, that Rafa is a total incompetent and that he shall bring doom to us.
Again everyone can have his opinion, yet I find some voices way too over-reactive. Things might change a lot even beggining with this monday.

 

[Inter Inter]

Oh yes, it is insignificant. Nobody cares about this trophy, nor should they.. Perhaps it was a good thing we lost, so most of you could get off your high horses. The only thing that truly worried me last night, was when Kun almost injured Capitano.
As somebody said earlier on: This cup is nothing but a glamorized warmup. I'd much rather win the supercoppa than this one, anyway.

[/QUOTE] That's a joke right ?

You compare one single game, where anybody can have off-day and the opponents a very good day, to HAVING to beat all of them: Spanish champion, english champion and german champion ? [/QUOTE]


Well, think about it. It's a one-off game, but this goes for both teams.

Europa League champion 2010 vs Champions League champion 2010. Both champs have had to play a long series of matches, not just us, so it's equal for both sides.

Hate to say this but the Europa champion got the Champions champion's scalp. Isn't this like the best of two groups of champions meeting to decide the final champion? It's almost like the best Predator vs best Alien. I know that's not how UEFA is putting it, but it sure looks like that to me.

Never mind then, if it makes us feel better thinking this is just an exhibition match.

 

[Luka]

Well, think about it. It's a one-off game, but this goes for both teams.

I will give you an extreme example so you'll get the point:

Which option is more difficult to do:

a) Palermo beating Barcelona on one ocasion ?
b) Palermo beating Barcelona 100 times in a row ?

I was bitter yesterday, yet the more I think about it, the more I feel that this game can be a blessing in disguise.
Should we have won, even only by chance and playing bad, our weaknesses would have not been revealed until later. There is still time....

This is true indeed. If there was anything that would give MM the signal to do an extra mile, it was this game.

 

[YgYgYg]

It is not an exhibition game. It was a freaking final. A trophy which only champions in Europe can compete. To make drastic tactical changes in such a game makes no sense at all. The defeat still hurts when I woke up this morning.

 

[Inter Inter]

We played horribly and when we play like that the entire team deserves a bashing.
Yet for me this defeat can be a blessing in disguise, if we learn from it's mistakes and act quickly.

Rafa should learn, as Jose did in his first year, that his ideas about how the team should play and the reality can be different, so if he's smart he will adapt and make the team play in the manner it is suited the best for the players available.(Remember Jose's failed 4-3-3 attempts in early 2008, after he switched permanently to 4-3-1-2 and one year later, backed by correct signings to the treble-winning 4-2-3-1)

The players should learn that past glory and overconfidence without motivation and sacrifice will bring nothing.
A attitude like Diego's is totally unacceptable, but once again, there is still time to change that and hopefully he and some others will learn from yesterday's shame.


The management should learn that in order to remain on top of the world, you have to be stronger than before.
Winning is very difficult, yet to remain at a similar level after you won so much, with teams all over trying to adapt and hunt you, is even more difficult.

We only needed minor tweaks to a very strong squad, we haven't done them yet and this game can be the perfect alarm-bell for our management to do the quality transfers requiered in our weak spots in order to keep a similar level to last year.

It's late and it's difficult, but if we put aside our "concern" about the financial rules that might or might not come into play in a few years and focus primary on the teams, we can achieve wonder signings even in three days.

I was bitter yesterday, yet the more I think about it, the more I feel that this game can be a blessing in disguise.
Should we have won, even only by chance and playing bad, our weaknesses would have not been revealed until later. There is still time....

PS: I understand the disappointment for many of you, and I also understand that anyone can have his opinion and that's the general idea of a forum, to share opinions with others, yet I can't help wonder why do some newer members believe after just one pre-season game, that Rafa is a total incompetent and that he shall bring doom to us.
Again everyone can have his opinion, yet I find some voices way too over-reactive. Things might change a lot even beggining with this monday.

Well said, well written.

But there's a time to learn, and there's a time to win.

We've taken a whole season to learn and finally to win the Treble. Now's the time to win all 6 titles, but no......

 

[Inter Inter]

a) Palermo beating Barcelona on one ocasion ?
b) Palermo beating Barcelona 100 times in a row ?

Answer:
a) probability 1 out of 100 games
b) impossible

LOL.

I know what I was suggesting will not go down well with most guys here. Almost everybody including myself thought this is just something like a Pirelli cup, until I considered the context of this game and what it means to European football.

Maybe there hasn't been any hoopla or prestige attached to it, but this is essentially a grand final showdown between 2 groups of champions, like an Ultimate European Champions duel which you must win to truly claim your throne and be called "King". I know this is not how they put it, but...isn't this what it is? I know one team that will feel like King of Europe - Athletico Madrid.

 

[Ziyad]

I hold Benitez totally responsible for this loss.He screwd up big time and it looked to me as if he prepared nothing for this game.We were boring lacked creativity and didnt show anything except minor individual efforts.Reminded me of Liverpool last year.They didnt show up for soo many games especially the ones they should have won.

 

[Luka]

Answer:
a) probability 1 out of 20 games
b) impossible

Exactly.

I know what I was suggesting will not go down well with most guys here. Almost everybody including myself thought this is just something like a Pirelli cup, until I considered the context of this game and what it means to European football.

You're missing the concepts here. Pretty much everybody wanted this cup, and I wanted it to, but saying things like this is the game that makes Atletico being champ of Europe, and droping Inter down is ridiculous. Nobody in sane mind out of all non-interisti fans would say thing like that. Everybody knows that Inter is in fact the true European champion and this cup changes nothing in this regard.

 

[Alex de Large]

I have never been so fucked up about a mini-trophy like this, man.

 

[A.l.i]

I have never been so fucked up about a mini-trophy like this, man.

Yeah . Imo Big Ben is not to blame. The players just lacked the motivation to go forward and win it. Athletico wanted it more. It was as if the team didn't want to go forward.

I agree with Rain's post, you simply HAVE to make minor adjustments to the side. We simply cannot keep the same side from last year even though I know how in a financially dire situation we are in right now.

Still Forza Ragazzi !!!!!!!!!

 

[Mercenary]

Yea right,he is not to blame.Sneijder on the left wing,Dejo on the right? Zanetti in the middle? Chivu first team? What did you expect from them playing in that positions? Players are not to blame,the fat one is.How the fuck they never lacked motivation under Mou?
They were out of position,stupid formation,wrongly picked players,very late subs.....everything was bad and i blame the fat one.

 

[szogo]

The boys did well! haha i miss that shit

 

[Februarius]

I really wish I am wrong, but guys start prep to experience what Pool fans experienced for 5 years! Though I hate Pool with a passion, still it hurt me to see a great European club brought down to its knees by this guy!! I never believed in Benitez, still don't believe in him; but I can only pray he proves me wrong in the very very near future!

and oh, those calling for Mashe to come help (i came across a couple of post so far) Forget it! Barca "apparently" just signed him!

Sadly, you are not wrong, I totaly know what you are talking about... more tears will come I'm afraid...

 

[Inter Inter]

Exactly.


You're missing the concepts here. Pretty much everybody wanted this cup, and I wanted it to, but saying things like this is the game that makes Atletico being champ of Europe, and droping Inter down is ridiculous. Nobody in sane mind out of all non-interisti fans would say thing like that. Everybody knows that Inter is in fact the true European champion and this cup changes nothing in this regard.

Don't misunderstand me, I'm not dropping Inter down to second place. Officially, Inter still stand as Champions League champion, the best in Europe.

But Europa League defeated Champions League champion, and so soon after the competition "ended". Either way, it's hard not to see it as a sort of informal "grand finale' for Ultimate European champion. It may be a one-game thing, but then so was the final vs Bayern at Bernabeau; this match could be seen as an extension of the Champions League to decide the ultimate champion. Inter are still Champions League champion, but someone else can claim bragging rights to being "better" than Inter in Europe and they have a trophy to prove it. They beat us fair and square in all corners of the pitch, with no controversial referee calls. As to whether we will beat them again in a return match if there was one, it's an open question. Just thinking out loud.

 

[Februarius]

I hold Benitez totally responsible for this loss.He screwd up big time and it looked to me as if he prepared nothing for this game.We were boring lacked creativity and didnt show anything except minor individual efforts.Reminded me of Liverpool last year.They didnt show up for soo many games especially the ones they should have won.

Totaly agree !

 

[Luka]

Inter are still Champions League champion, but someone else can claim bragging rights to being "better" than Inter in Europe and they have a trophy to prove it. They beat us fair and square in all corners of the pitch, with no controversial referee calls.

If some atletico fan would make this game to support a claim like that, he would only make a fool out of himself.

Also, didn't Atletico play last year in Champions league as well ?

Remind us, how well did they do ?