Inter - Milan (22 Dec 13)

nurko

Allenatore
Allenatore
Joined
Apr 11, 2011
Messages
6,464
Likes
907
Favorite Player
Il Capitano
Forum Supporter
10 years of FIF
Merry Christmas people!
 

Solfice

Capitano
Capitano
Joined
Mar 31, 2012
Messages
2,541
Likes
201
Favorite Player
Sneijder
so he rides bikes, whoop tee doo

it must be clear that I only like to watch sports with balls or a puck (hockey rules)

He just doesn't ride bikes. He is one of the most successful motorcycle racers of all time, with nine Grand Prix World Championship titles.
 

xik

Primavera
Primavera
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
150
Likes
0
Favorite Player
1, 4, 9, 10, 23
Interesting article in the Daily Mirror about the game

Inter win the Milan derby - but they should be winning with style, not grinding out results like this

On Sunday night, a country enthralled by the beauty of football, wept quietly.

A match once considered poetry in motion in which each skilled turn on the ball or strategic pass conjured up the emotions one feels after taking in a Pablo Neruda verse was now nothing more than an assault on the senses. There was no poetry, there was barely even a rhyme.

La Gazzetta dello Sport said it best when they wrote that the Derby della Madonnina, “was graced not by Van Basten, Baggio, Ronaldo or Matthaeus, but instead by Constant, Kuzmanovic, Saponara and Taider.”

However, as their writer continued, “It was a Milan derby nonetheless.”

Indeed.

The quality of the game may have diminished but the questions it raised are pertinent. Most interestingly was the manner in which each coach opted to approach the game.

In the red corner we have a troubled Milan side, a fallen giant languishing near the bottom of Serie A with a coach whose job has been on the line for the best part of two years. It is a club where lately, chaos reigns supreme upstairs and nervous tension dominates downstairs.

Yet remarkably, their coach, Max Allegri, adopted a courageous approach to the game. With Riccardo Montolivo unavailable, the tactician decided to start Riccardo Saponara, a boy who only turned 22 a few days ago and has barely featured for the first team. The idea was to enhance the essence of Milan’s game and improve the fluidity of their movements.

In the blue corner, we have the ‘home’ team, Inter, a Milanese giant that boasts a young squad, a new owner and a brand spanking new project. Walter Mazzarri their new coach has arrived to offer stability and guide this fallen giant back to the top positions in the table.

With Ricky Alvarez unavailable for the game, the question surrounding the match was who Mazzarri would rely on instead. Would he give the young Mateo Kovacic, the creative genius the chance to play or would he go down another route?

Kovacic is the young Croatian whose mesmeric ability to link-up play and inject creativity delights the senses and excites the mind. When the Nerazzurri nabbed him least season, they did so with knowledge every rival was green with envy. Yet Mazzarri doesn’t trust a man who can't defend even if he has the potential to be one of the best creative forces in the league.

So instead, Kovacic was benched, Chelsea target Freddy Guarin was played behind forward Palacio, and Saphir Taider was played in midfield. Mazzarri opted for caution unlike his courageous counterpart. The result? Inter defended - only because they could do little else.

Palacio cut a solitary figure at the top, the midfield could barely string several passes together and when a player did finally get on the ball, he was usually only capable of squaring it or passing it sideways. There was no link-up play, no steady cohesion, no fluidity.

By contrast, Milan revelled in the excellent work of their youngster who moved well between the lines and helped his teammates press high up the pitch and harry the opponent. Yet once again, as one has come to expect of this Rossoneri side, their ability to possess the ball proved futile when poor decisions and inaccuracy dominated their play in the final third.

Inter, it must be said, were unlucky with the referee. They had a clear penalty disallowed. Yet based on their collective play, their inability to control and the lack of penetration on offer, it was clear Mazzarri had erred.

Rossoneri legs grew weary in the second half and were no longer able to track the runs of the fast Yuto Nagatomo or suppress the relentless energy of the Inter midfield. It was then that Mazzarri brought on Kovacic who pulled the strings of his team together to create a rounded package with a clear direction before introducing fresh legs to take full advantage of Milan’s waning energy levels.

Running at them, raising the tempo and imposing their dynamism, Inter attacked viciously and won thanks to the beauty of Rodrigo Palacio’s back-heel goal.

The forward who believes in the win until the last moment of every game provides the kind of consistency reserved for world champions. It is he who makes the difference and it is he who makes this side worth watching.

Three points well deserved for Inter? Perhaps but they were hardly facing the most difficult of challenges. A side that is targeting a top three place should not be waiting for their opponents - poor ones at the that - to tire before imposing their own game. They should also not be valuing defensive steel ahead of creativity when playing a side ranked 13th in Serie A.

Physical strength and a cautious approach should perhaps be favoured when facing sides such as Roma and Juventus but against Milan, Kovacic should be playing, risks should be taken and the quality of play should be better.

Inter are capable of more and they certainly deserve more.
 

wera

might be Deadpool
La Grande Inter
Joined
Mar 28, 2011
Messages
32,671
Likes
11,465
Favorite Player
Bea Arthur
10 years of FIF
Most Diverse Poster
He just doesn't ride bikes. He is one of the most successful motorcycle racers of all time, with nine Grand Prix World Championship titles.


Still, doesn't ring a bell. I do think all race drivers/bikers are exceptional tho, it's not an easy thing to be focused the whole race plus you are also the master of your decisions. Your fuck ups have to be at a minimum.

The craziest are probably the rally drivers, those narrow roads with jumps and sharp turns. It's so strange that the two most known 'rally deaths' haven't even happened at a rally events :)
 

Visca

Capitano
Capitano
Joined
Aug 28, 2010
Messages
4,034
Likes
2
Forum Supporter
Wera FFS, how have you not at least heard of Valentino Rossi? :D
 

wera

might be Deadpool
La Grande Inter
Joined
Mar 28, 2011
Messages
32,671
Likes
11,465
Favorite Player
Bea Arthur
10 years of FIF
Most Diverse Poster
I watch ball sports, read books, listen to music and I'm a nerdy jock who loves gaming and animes

where the fuck do you see me have time for knowing who is rossi. rossi for me is a football player that plays for Fiorentina
 

Rasha

Capitano
Capitano
Joined
Jun 27, 2013
Messages
3,508
Likes
12
Favorite Player
fuck em all
I watch ball sports, read books, listen to music and I'm a nerdy jock who loves gaming and animes

where the fuck do you see me have time for knowing who is rossi. rossi for me is a football player that plays for Fiorentina

correct me if im wrong :D

Typical+Hentai_d343b8_3507992.jpg
 

wera

might be Deadpool
La Grande Inter
Joined
Mar 28, 2011
Messages
32,671
Likes
11,465
Favorite Player
Bea Arthur
10 years of FIF
Most Diverse Poster
what kind of hentai is that :awyeah:
 

Devious

Somebody stop me!
La Grande Inter
Joined
Oct 1, 2006
Messages
16,876
Likes
920
Favorite Player
Javier Zanetti
10 years of FIF
Most Diverse Poster

Fitzy

La Grande Inter
La Grande Inter
Joined
Aug 21, 2009
Messages
12,350
Likes
3,738
Favorite Player
Zanetti
Forum Supporter
Most Humorous Member
10 years of FIF

Handoyo

Administrator
Administrator
Joined
Mar 4, 2004
Messages
25,084
Likes
49
Forum Supporter
10 years of FIF
Most Important Member
The article that wrote about the drop in standard in the Milan Derby is absolutely spot on. It was one of the most atrocious Derbies I have ever watched, with both teams making amateurish mistakes all over the place. It was another sad moment in an ever-declining Italian football. From the start, looking at the names in the line-ups were already depressing and the whole 90 minutes just further confirmed that fear.

Thankfully we won though :)
 

CafeCordoba

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Mar 7, 2004
Messages
35,312
Likes
14,498
Favorite Player
Toro, Barella
10 years of FIF
We're talking about exactly the same thing in Finnish football forum. Decline of Italian football and the derby being a perfect example of that.
 

Fapuccino

La Grande Inter
La Grande Inter
Joined
Apr 3, 2012
Messages
15,123
Likes
909
Favorite Player
Schelotto
Tbh it's a decline of Inter and Milan. Roma, Napoli, Fiorentina, and Rube seem to be doing fine. They're not exactly on the decline.
 

The Wall

Capitano
Capitano
Joined
May 6, 2010
Messages
2,913
Likes
0
Favorite Player
Samuel, Zanetti
1536597_633599606685657_390710093_n.jpg


http://espnfc.com/stats/attendance/_/league/ita.1/italian-serie-a?cc=3888

Inter have the most average attendance in Serie A. no matter what, if it`s a big game or small game, whether Inter in good form or bad form, or whether it`s snowing, freezing, raining, or smokin hot, Inter fans are always there, most faithful of them all :fuckyea:

Wow, Seria A support in general is a bit shameful. Even Inter if you take away bigger games and especially away support is nothing to write home about.
 

Verathia

Capitano
Capitano
Joined
Dec 17, 2011
Messages
1,929
Likes
1,006
Favorite Player
VAR
FIF Special Ones
10 years of FIF

Shaun

La Grande Inter
La Grande Inter
Joined
Mar 4, 2004
Messages
14,753
Likes
185
Favorite Player
Kovacic
Forum Supporter
10 years of FIF
FIF Special Ones
Calgiari situation is a little exceptional though. Take out Livorno, Chievo, and Calgiari and replace them with Bari, Palermo, and some other 'biggish' club and the stats look quite good. Plus, don't trust ESPN's stats.

http://www.stadiapostcards.com/A13-14.htm

This is more accurate
 

Devious

Somebody stop me!
La Grande Inter
Joined
Oct 1, 2006
Messages
16,876
Likes
920
Favorite Player
Javier Zanetti
10 years of FIF
Most Diverse Poster

Caecuban

Capitano
Capitano
Joined
Jul 31, 2011
Messages
3,550
Likes
0
Favorite Player
JZ
10 years of FIF
Awesome comments by the guys from SempreInter.com =)

Nima completely 8055
 
Top