Serie A Superthread 2012/13

Seaneh

Kaka is coming home.

Thank you Jesus (and Silvio)!



http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/jan/17/kaka-milan-move-adriano-galliani

Rekop dog

Please let this happen! Think I'd have to go to his debut if he comes back.

Seaneh

I'd be tempted to go as well, despite being broke as feck.

grenache

nickcave wrote: »

Napoli's 2-point deduction just got wiped. Grava and Cannavaro back too. Scudetto on.

Justice done. A total farce of a deduction to begin with. Grava and Cannovaro played no hand or part in any match fixing. Punishing the club for the actions of a renegade former player was grossly unjust.

This hopefully will be a massive turning point in Napoli's season.

Certified

Justice done. A total farce of a deduction to begin with. Grava and Cannovaro played no hand or part in any match fixing. Punishing the club for the actions of a renegade former player was grossly unjust.

This hopefully will be a massive turning point in Napoli's season.

Totally agree! Lets hope this is the beginning of the end to all the reckless self destruction of Serie A.
Justice and common sense has prevailed for once

Moneymaker

Game on now. And Juve still have to go to Naples.

Pinturicchio

The amount of injuries Juve have and the way they've been playing recently, Lazio and Napoli could be joint top by Sunday lunchtime.

Chiellini is still out and Marchisio, Pirlo, Vidal and Quagliarella are doubtful for the Udinese game tomorrow.

Moneymaker

Llorente coming in the summer.

Surely they need him in now? That's a big mistake from Juve imo.

Certified

Yep looks like Fernando Llorente Torres is on his way in the summer but the player Juve actualy need now is Drogba.
Not enough coins in the piggy.... I'd be more than happy to donate €1.
If less than 10% of Juve's 180m Tifosi gave the same, we could have him togged out for Genoa next week end!
Hell I'd give a €100!

snowblind

Moneymaker wrote: »

Llorente coming in the summer.

Surely they need him in now? That's a big mistake from Juve imo.

How is it a mistake from Juve if Bilbao are not willing to sell now?

We saw that in the summer as well, they could have made reasonable bank, but decided to bench Llorente for most of the season and let him go free on a bosman.

All about the principle for Urrutia I guess, but a bit misguided...

snowblind

People are gonna be saying the same thing about Drogba when he doesn't arrive after all this hubbub. For a team like Juve having a sustainable and reasonable wage structure is important, and one man can't be more important than the team. But it will be made to look like Juve messed up by "not signing him". And it will be the same people who were thinking Marchisio was overrated when he was played out of position and thought a year ago that Bonucci should be sold. I just don't get it...

Certified

Well done captain!
The only 'real' error Juve has made. Still has the magic. Scores 4 goals in a football master class. True Legend

Pinturicchio

Certified wrote: »

Well done captain!
The only 'real' error Juve has made. Still has the magic. Scores 4 goals in a football master class. True Legend

I'm a complete Del Piero fanboy, but even I can see he wouldn't have been good enough to play for Juve this season. He was clearly fading last season. Letting Trezeguet go when they did was a bigger mistake IMO. He was only 32 and Juve haven't had a consistent prima punta since he left.

Rekop dog

A Mario and Kaka January would be just beyond my wildest expectations. Id take either, though we'll probably get neither.

Pinturicchio

It would certainly be interesting. They could both be complete flops though.

Certified

Lost pace, yes that was clear but he was one hell of a player to have come off the bench!
Have a look back at the goals he scored in the last 3 years, none of them included any pace at all. A lesser league granted but the 4 goals he has just added did not include any pace whatsoever! And he set up 2 others before being substituted to allow a standing ovation.
We just have to look to the city of Rome, where Totti still has a useful contribution to see what we lost.
However Juve's loss has been Alex's gain, that was one special arrivederci!

Juve fans will never forget it and it could never have happened if he stayed on and never left.
I look forward to his return to the club in a couple of years. Don't know what Nedved actually does but it is great to see him at the games and will be even better to have both of them.

Rekop dog

Goal of the season there!

Cienciano

Yeah, not a bad finish from Pogba

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbgLkhCOlhM

Rekop dog

Pogs smashing it tonight.

population

Some comical defending by Napoli. Thank any and all gods for Cavani. 2nd half needs to be much more focussed

Seaneh

Milan weren't great today but that was a much needed win.

I think Niang looks like a serious player though.

mitosis

Niang looks great. Pazzini's 2nd was a beauty.

Certified

I've been wondering about this for some time and maybe its just me, but in Serie A, are strikers coached not to use their heads as a way to get the ball into the net?
I rarely see a striker attacking a goal with a diving header, ala, Drogba or C. Ronaldo style?
I've often found myself shaking my head in disbelieve after a winger makes a great run up field and sweeps in a perfectly executed delivery which is just begging for the in-running striker to just simply head it in to the net, but they almost never do this! They will stick their feckin boot out at it and most likely not make contact or worse just give up on it as if its a lost cause.

Like whats that all about?

Can people please list a few strikers in Serie A that are good at scoring with their heads?

cheers!

Moneymaker

Crespo, Vieri to name two.

mitosis

Cavani yesterday with a beaut

Certified

mitosis wrote: »

Cavani yesterday with a beaut

A great goal from Cavani but that was from a set piece, however, I agree, think Cavani is not afraid to use his head alright.

Pinturicchio

Pazzini is good in the air.

In other news, Del Piero is entering the Le Mans 24 hour race with Patrick Dempsey. As you do.

pickarooney

Bierhoff was one of the last great headers of a ball in Serie A

dor83

Roma v Inter in the semi-final of the Coppa kicks off in about 10 mins, should be a few goals in it. Line-ups are:

Roma: 24 Stekelenburg; 23 Piris, 3 Marquinhos, 29 Burdisso, 42 Balzaretti; 4 Bradley, 77 Tachtsidis, 48 Florenzi; 8 Lamela, 22 Destro, 10 Totti
Roma bench: 13 Goicoechea, 1 Lobont, 5 Castan, 7 Marquinho, 19 Antei, 20 Perrotta, 21 Sammartino, 45 Ricci, 47 Lucca

Inter: 1 Handanovic; 23 Ranocchia, 26 Chivu, 40 Juan Jesus; 4 Zanetti, 19 Cambiasso, 20 Obi, 24 Benassi, 31 Pereira; 14 Guarin; 8 Palacio
Inter bench: 27 Belec, 77 Di Gennaro, 6 Silvestre, 11 Alvarez, 16 Mudingayi, 17 Mariga, 18 Rocchi, 21 Gargano, 42 Jonathan, 55 Nagatomo, 82 Bessa, 88 Livaja

Pinturicchio

Llorente to Juve confirmed.

http://www.juventus.com/juve/en/news/24_gen2013_llorente

Jelle1880

Brilliant signing for them, will be a massive boost for their European ambitions.

mitosis

Jelle1880 wrote: »

Brilliant signing for them, will be a massive boost for their European ambitions.

They won't get him until July, so there may still be someone signed for the current Euro campaign.

Jelle1880

Ah ok, thought he would come directly.

edit: Apparently that 'someome' might be Lisandro Lopez, they want him on loan from Lyon.
And I can see them trying to get Llorente sooner than July.

Pinturicchio

Jelle1880 wrote: »

Ah ok, thought he would come directly.

edit: Apparently that 'someome' might be Lisandro Lopez, they want him on loan from Lyon.

As a short term measure, I'd prefer Drogba to Lopez to be honest.

And I can see them trying to get Llorente sooner than July.

Nah, read the statement on the website.

Juventus can confirm that Spanish international striker Fernando Llorente will join the club on 1 July 2013.

The 27-year-old has agreed terms on a four-year deal and will move to Turin when his Athletic Bilbao contract expires at the end of the current season.

Cienciano

What's Llorente like as a player? What style of player is he anyone know?

Moneymaker

Cienciano wrote: »

What's Llorente like as a player? What style of player is he anyone know?

Big, strong, good in the air and great at linking up play and being an outlet. Super player.

Rekop dog

Yeah should be a super signing, this years form although not entirely his fault has to be a small concern, but I reckon he'll return to his best with this new exciting challenge.

Pray for the rest of Serie A if he is a success though.

Seaneh

Milan swapped Mesbah for Zaccardo today...
Getting rid of Mesbah is always a good thing, signing Zaccardo makes no sense, maybe signed him as backup for Mattia? Could this mean Abate is off to Zenith and we will use the money to sign Mario?

Weird transfer...

Pinturicchio

Seaneh wrote: »

Milan swapped Mesbah for Zaccardo today...
Getting rid of Mesbah is always a good thing, signing Zaccardo makes no sense, maybe signed him as backup for Mattia? Could this mean Abate is off to Zenith and we will use the money to sign Mario?

Weird transfer...

A strange transfer, but not a bad one for Milan. Zaccardo is better than Mesbah, experienced and can cover across the back four.

Looks like Juve are signing Anelka for the rest of the season. Apparently he'll be at the match tonight. Now that's a weird transfer. I wish Juve kept Immobile this season.

Rekop dog

Pinturicchio wrote: »

A strange transfer, but not a bad one for Milan. Zaccardo is better than Mesbah, experienced and can cover across the back four.

Looks like Juve are signing Anelka for the rest of the season. Apparently he'll be at the match tonight. Now that's a weird transfer. I wish Juve kept Immobile this season.

Can see why they are getting him for extra cover up front but its pretty damn risky from the pov that he can cause major disruptions within squads.

Certified

Pinturicchio wrote: »

Looks like Juve are signing Anelka for the rest of the season. Apparently he'll be at the match tonight. Now that's a weird transfer. I wish Juve kept Immobile this season.

Bloody terrible move! Whats he going to do for Juve apart from keeping Bendtner company in the stands?
Another classic from Moratta
Anelka - Iaquinta whats the difference at this stage? After all the huffing and puffing from Marotta this just sounds like a move from a desperate man.
The strikers we have are better.
This is just another blunder to add to the many others he has made. Not up there with the Diego fiasco however.

grenache

Anelka is nowhere near as bad a buy for Juve as some are suggesting!

Boriello has just come back to haunt Juve again! And all of Naples rejoices

Rekop dog

Milan up to 5th, nice set of results for us this weekend with Roma Fiorentina and Lazio dropping points. Still plenty to do.

Seaneh

If Inter drop points today as well and we can string a few results together we are in with a great chance to get 3rd place, only 6 points behind Laizo now!

Corholio

Samp blitzed Pescara 6-0, Icardi with 4. Hopefully push out of bottom end of the table now.

population

Fantastic result today. Didn't fancy us to get a win away at Parma especially considering their home form but Cannavaro's error aside Napoli were in charge throughout. 3 points in it now. This is getting fun:)

MD1990

Juve Napoli title race should be great
i can see Napoli doing it with Juve in the CL

Pinturicchio

I can definitely see Juve throwing it away this season. They've been terrible since Christmas. The January signings of Peluso and Anelka don't instill much confidence either.

More bad news for Juve. Llorente injured his knee in training. It's thought he could have ligament damage.

Seaneh

*&^%ing brilliant!

Inter drop 2 points against Torino and Milan are only 3 points behind 4th and 6 behind 3rd!

CL spot race is ****ing on!!!


Also Niang put in another fantastic shift again today and SES was back being direct and a threat and took his goal brilliantly!

Pazo did great holding the ball up and looked like he might be a threat from crosses but Milan just didn't get enough into the box.

It's all coming up Millhouse right now!

Pinturicchio

The Oscar del Calcio were on last night.

Team of the year:
Buffon, Maggio, Barzagli, Thiago Silva, Balzaretti, Marchisio, Pirlo, Nocerino, Ibrahimovic, Cavani, Di Natale.

Manager of the year: Conte
Player of the year: Pirlo

El Shaarawy and Muriel shared the award for 'giocatori rivelazione'.

Javier Zanetti got a loyalty award and Pippo Inzaghi got a career achievement award.