Italian Serie A 2021/2022

[wera]

The league is gonna be interesting this season, there is not one team that is the de-facto contender with an almost perfect squad. I can easily name one or two clubs that might be our main rivals this year but it's probably gonna be something totally left-field like Lazio and Torino.


Just enjoy the ride, I want a minimum top4 finish in Serie A and a top2 group finish in CL and hopefully we can do that.

 

[bbilanfan]

Injuries are the consequence of poor squad depth. If you keep asking for a limited set of players to press non-stop for a short time, their muscles would crumble sooner or later.

The same shit happened with your team last year. And same for Inter in our banter era. There was a time we had to sign Rocchi or fucking John Carew to fill the slots.

Not a coincidence that the teams with real depth don’t suffer that much, like Juve in the last decade or Inter recently. We can rotate; you can’t, otherwise you suffer a huge loss in quality. Semi-pro players like Pellegri or Messias are nothing more than a kid from Primavera.

Sorry but these are all terrible arguments that can be easily debunked.

The players that are injured have hardly been overworked.
Bakayoko injured himself 10 minutes into his debut. Most of those players aren't even certain starters in their positions. If injuries were concentrated to the "limited set of players" who press non-stop, play non-stop, then Kessie and Theo should get injured all the time. But it's not them. It's players who get plenty of rest. Young players, old players, players in mid-20s, players that aren't the most relentless pressers.

Real depth? In Juve, Conte started pretty much the same 11 with the same subs week after week and they barely suffered any injuries. An old Pirlo ran more than he had ever done for Milan without getting injured.
Last season, Conte started the likes of Brozovic in almost every game. Conte rotated way less than Pioli but again his team had the best injury record in the league.

Absurd injury situations are nothing new for Milan. It was almost as bad in the Allegri years.

What do I think is the cause of Milan's injury problems? I think there are lots of factors at play. It's an issue with no clear solution, otherwise it would've been solved by now.
But one thing is clear, Conte and his staff are really good at preventing them.

 

[PHM1605]

Sorry but these are all terrible arguments that can be easily debunked.

The players that are injured have hardly been overworked.
Bakayoko injured himself 10 minutes into his debut. Most of those players aren't even certain starters in their positions. If injuries were concentrated to the "limited set of players" who press non-stop, play non-stop, then Kessie and Theo should get injured all the time. But it's not them. It's players who get plenty of rest. Young players, old players, players in mid-20s, players that aren't the most relentless pressers.

Real depth? In Juve, Conte started pretty much the same 11 with the same subs week after week and they barely suffered any injuries. An old Pirlo ran more than he had ever done for Milan without getting injured.
Last season, Conte started the likes of Brozovic in almost every game. Conte rotated way less than Pioli but again his team had the best injury record in the league.

Absurd injury situations are nothing new for Milan. It was almost as bad in the Allegri years.

What do I think is the cause of Milan's injury problems? I think there are lots of factors at play. It's an issue with no clear solution, otherwise it would've been solved by now.
But one thing is clear, Conte and his staff are really good at preventing them.

Let's look again your list of so-called "injuries":

Zlatan
Giroud
Kjaer
Calabria
Bakayoko
Krunic
Maignan - he ended up starting anyway
Florenzi - which lead to Tomori starting out of position
Messias
Pellegri

Tonali, Bennacer and Kessie are recent returnees from injuries as well.

According to you, Milan had to play semi-injured players like Kjaer, Maignan and Florenzi, or recently-recovered Tonali, Bennacer, and Kessie. Because Pioli had no other choice. If that wasn't proof of poor squad depth and overloading players, I don't know what is. NEVER rush a recovery, my friend. Otherwise, there would be a high probability of injury relapse.

Look at how things go differently at Inter. Correa has only a bruise, but we have the luxury of withdrawing him immediately and resting him completely in the next fixture. Had he been in Milan, you don't have a "Sanchez"; Correa must limply wear his boots and out again for the next months.

Don't blame the bad luck. Don't be delusional about your non-existent squad depth. I am sure Milan whole team's total number of absent days would be less than Eriksen and Sensi alone; but we don't cry. Blame your stingy policy of recruiting players.

 

[Verathia]

Seems to be some locker room drama at Juve... the more the better lol.

 

[bbilanfan]

Let's look again your list of so-called "injuries":

According to you, Milan had to play semi-injured players like Kjaer, Maignan and Florenzi, or recently-recovered Tonali, Bennacer, and Kessie. Because Pioli had no other choice. If that wasn't proof of poor squad depth and overloading players, I don't know what is. NEVER rush a recovery, my friend. Otherwise, there would be a high probability of injury relapse.

Florenzi did not start. He's even superflouous in my opinion because Kalulu has been adequate whenever he has played as RB instead of Calabria. Florenzi's performances as RW haven't exactly been crucial either.

Kjaer was not semi-injured. He had even been rested in the previous league fixture in which the team kept a clean sheet. He picked up an injury during the game, that's it.

Tonali, Bennacer, Kessie, Bakayoko, Krunic. Notice something? It's 5 players who compete for the same 2 spots.
How could you not rush a recovery if 5 players in one department are injured or recently returning from injuries?

Correa had a bruise, so you started Sanchez instead. But what if Correa, Sanchez, Dzeko and Perisic were injured or semi-injured at the same time? Those are the kind of nightmare scenarios Milan have needed to deal with.

I'm not trying to say it's bad luck. You have bad luck once or twice, not frequently. I think it's incompetence from certain people in the staff.

 

[Kev9Inter]

For anyone in the UK DAZN are reportedly in advance talks to buy BT Sport.

 

[Sawyer]

Looking forward to the Bologna v Genoa game, very interesting match. Destro or Arnautovic?..

Our boy Zinho gave away a penalty, 2-1 Bologna Arnautovic bags the pen.

 

[pupivn]

Vanheusden, my boy, what're you doing

 

[pupivn]

pull and push, push and pull, pen pen
this match is funny

 

[Sawyer]

Penalty Genoa, last 10mins are great and what a way to give a pen away too hahaha.

Criscito.. Oh wait VAR is coming out...

2-2.. love it, knew this would be a good game.

 

[WLEXT]

Tonight a huge relegation battle between two teams with the same objective, who will stay in Serie A?

Spezia vs Juventus

 

[varmin]

Tonight a huge relegation battle between two teams with the same objective, who will stay in Serie A?

Spezia vs Juventus

Forza Thiago Motta.

 

[Verathia]

I stg if Spezia win or tie I will lose my shit

 

[NimAraya]

According to multiple reports in Italy, American investment firm 777 Partners have formally bought a majority stake in Genoa for €150m.

Several rumours suggested Genoa President Enrico Preziosi was about to sell a majority stake in the club to the American firm and according to multiple reports in Italy, the two parties finalised the agreement this morning.

777 Partners is a Miami-based private investment firm that ‘invests across a number of high growth attractive verticals with a strong focus on financial services.’ They also own minority shares of La Liga side Sevilla.

A previous report from La Gazzetta dello Sport claimed Preziosi will remain at the club as a minority shareholder for three years and will continue to represent the club within the Lega Calcio and at an institutional level.

According to Calciomercato.com, 777 Partners have bought Genoa for €150m, including debt repayment.

Preziosi bought Genoa in 2003 after the club’s relegation to Serie C1. An official statement from the club is expected in the coming hours.

 

[ADRossi]

I read a Raiola quote which put it best:

The most important league in the world now is England for three reasons: money, showmanship and infrastructure, all of which we are lacking in Italy.

 

[nelsonrivas2011]

Arthur suffered a car accident, but had no major injuries thankfully.

 

[Il Drago]

Italian Stadiums Could Soon Be Open At 75% Capacity, Italian Media Details​

Football stadiums in Italy could soon be open at 75% capacity as the Italian government looks to ease COVID restrictions on public gatherings.

This according to today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, who report that the government will base its decision on the epidemiological data on infection rates following the reopening of schools.

The return of fans to stadiums has been a welcome development for Inter and for other football clubs, with players able to perform in front of an atmospheric crowd once again having had to play in empty grounds for more than a full season.

However, while the return of fans to stadiums at 50% capacity has been a boon to clubs financially compared to the previous situation, it is still not enough especially given the deepened economic problems brought on by lack of revenue from the pandemic.

The new capacity regulations could go into effect for Nations League fixtures in early October, and with tickets for those matches set to go on sale on September 27, a decision could be made by then.

 

[Verathia]

Spezia not looking bad!

 

[ADRossi]

Spezia not looking bad!

This is the type of game where Juve get a suspect penalty and win 1-0.

Never mind - Kean goal

 

[Verathia]

This is the type of game where Juve get a suspect penalty and win 1-0.

Or just an unsaveable shot.


STUNNING GOAL FROM SPEZIA