You want me to tell you why a certain manager does other things in serie a games when we face them, who would i know? But i dont see how that in any way is comparable to how a top teams from different countries plays against us in the CL. Its common knowlegde that italian teams arent exactly known for being teams who keeps the pressure up high on the pitch, but rather only in their own half, its been like that forever in italy and both milan and inter plays this way.
I dont really understand what you are disagreeing about lukair. The fact that our midfielders are way to similar in strengh/weaknesses and arent technical enough? I think thats quiet evident, even when looking at our serie A performances.
Most of our goals come through either 1. individual brilliance or 2. coincidental goals earned by superior physique from our squad. Not all goals, but most of them are. How many goals have we made the last two season, from brilliant combination play between the midfielders and the forwards? Close to none, how many class assists comes from our midfielders? Close to none. Looking at our game, does any of our midfielders ever manage to pull of something unexpected or draw alot of attention to them to make free space? No we dont. The midfield is build too defensively, they arent good enough going forward and at the same time not technical or fast enough to distribute the ball effectively under constant pressure either.
Thats fine for serie most of the time, because their ability is still better than 95% of the teams we face and our physique is alot better. But in the CL, its obviously not enough. You cant 4 players in midfield who all choke under pressure, lacks pace, passing ability and ability to move ball forward with the team and then expect do well in the CL, its simply too easy for the opposition to get the ball from such a midfield.
Azz, I think we are not understanding each other enough.
First, let me ask you, if we would have the full squad available with Jimenez, Figo, Vieira at his best, playing with 4-3-1-2 you would still stick to your theory our midfield is still not able to play, how you named it "quick" play?
Take a look at this vid:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qxRJpLF_bc&feature=related
Minute 1:45
Goal of Stankovic was preceded with an incredible quick play, with 4 one touch passes. You can't get faster than that.
Minute 3:30
How fast was that?
For me there is a big difference what kind of players you need for 4-3-1-2, 4-4-2 and all other formations. With 4-3-1-2, or 4-3-2-1, the midfield is mostly responsible for hard working in the midfield, fighting for the ball, and linking the defense and attack. Probably only Milan has a privalage to have a Pirlo over there, who can be a great playmaker over there, but they at the same time, play with 2 highly deffensive midfilders in likes of Gattuso and Ambrossini. But that's not that important, from what I know, you need hard workers there, in the first place, as there is only 3 players instead of 4. Put there 3 Decos, and the team will be fu**ed up. But... this deficit is compensated with an extra man behind the strikers who can do many things, if he is capable enough to do them.
I still remember how we played with Figo behind the strikers, and we were playing great, having lots of chances, and playing good football. Our indolence came only recently, it wasn't like that all the time. Obviously playing with Maxwell, Stankovic, Cambiasso and Zanetti in straight line you are destined to fail, and playing more forward, would make not big difference. But if we would play with 4-3-1-2, with Stankovic behind the strikers it would make a lot of a difference. Even the only fact that Stankovic was the only one who could play there, and he didn't is suggesting we were meant to play deffensively. Almost everybody was saying 4-4-2 is just an error or misunderstanding before the game, as everybody was awaiting different formation. As soon I saw it I knew what is coming.
Mancio could put Chivu, Cambiasso, Zanetti, following with Stankovic in front of them, and Suazo and Ibra in the attack, and that would make hell of a difference.
As I said before, I agree that we don't have players skilled enough to play the way Barcelona, Real Madrid or Manchaster are playing, but nobody will make me believe our players are unable to pose some threat to an oppnent, even if they are playing away.
At the start of the season we played great, and everybody was on high with the praise especially to Ibrahimovic, who was playing great. And I still remember it, because it was back then when he was receiving a lot of balls at his feet, when we played a lot different than we are doing now, many said they are happy with how Ibrahimovic was involved in the building up process, and comparing it to the way we're playing since Christmas is clearly an indication that we are playing bad, differently, and I was adressing that mater many times. That fact has been exposed even clearer in this game with Liverpool, but it cannot be made standard by which our players are evaluated.
Azz, as I understand for you the only reason, we lost this game, and why we were so pinned down by the Liverpool side, was because our midfielders were not techniqual enough. But, Barnsley was deffending too, yet they were able to create some chances to score, and they did score, while we didn't do anything, and I'm far to believing they have some hidden diamonds in their team, that nobody have seen yet.
I can't accept, and I won't that our team, is so weak, that we were incapable of doing anything against the Liverpool, and at the same time, we are winning the Serie A like we didn't see for a while. These 2 facts, are by deffinition in conflict. I would believe it if we were the Serie B champions, but not Serie A champions, and by this far.
