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"Calcio!" Serie A

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Khalidao

Khalidao

Posted
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24 minutes ago, Yorkie said:

Injury time equaliser for Inter at Torino. Might have been out of the race had the hosts not completely chucked it away. 

 

Also, referee and VAR didn't give a penalty for Torino at 1-0 for this!

 

 

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Disco

Disco

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1 hour ago, ponsaelius said:

18 year old Guinean striker scored winning goal on his debut for Atalanta. Up until a few weeks ago he was living in a refugee camp in Puglia and playing for an 8th tier side made up of asylum seekers.


Lovely finish n all. Hope they got a sell on fee.

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Guest HTT II

Guest HTT II

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11 minutes ago, neesy111 said:

Good read this about AC's psychological lab.

 

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61245521

 

I read that this morning, way ahead of his/their time. And Seedorf, give me a new contract since I’m playing like a 26 year old :lol:

 

Their late 80s to early 90s team is arguably the best club side of all time for me and under Carlo they had some team too!

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Manxst

Manxst

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21 minutes ago, sushimonster85 said:

One of the more low key fun aspects of our takeover was watching Inter twitter melt down. They were (and remain) convinced that the PIF were going to buy them. 

And the rumours also meant the Mackems thought we would be Inters feeder team…

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Wolfcastle

Wolfcastle

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Posted (edited)

Just giving this a bump with the new members we have.

Loved it 90-95, then they moved Gazzetta to 10am from 11am and I wasn't getting up that early on a Saturday for anything.  Then less importantly Serie A regressed and the money was all here. Luckily, because of the time, I taped a lot of them and have watched them back and appreciate the humour more now.

 

Also because I'd love to have heard the outtake of this conversation or have James Richardson expand on it when talking to Boskov (Napoli manager) in November 94 "“not for the first time Boskov embarks on a completely unprompted monologue about Newcastle, training programmes and a lot more besides.”

 

 

 

Edited by Wolfcastle

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Milanista

Milanista

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For those interested in the world of Serie A, I will write about the teams-of-note in Serie A, and even though I am a Milan fan, I will try to be as fair minded, even if I will mock others, in this preview!

 

Inter: They have added a young prospect named Asllani, a player I coveted. He is finally the Brozovic backup (and should be eventual successor) that they needed, as without Broz, Inter look... terrible. They have overpaid for players like Correa, losing their MVP in Perisic, while being unable to sell players (when everyone knows they need to) while adding an error prone GK in Onana, and the return of their mystical Lukaku in the most cringe video you'll ever see.

 

Their starting XI looks strong, Handa; Skirinar, De Vrij, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Broz, Hakan, Gosens; Lukaku, Lautaro. Can their new RWB (a former Milan youth product) Bellanova help out? Can Darmian keep up? Will Correa stop being trash? Will their horrific backup CBs be able to help out? With Mkhi, their free transfer, actually help out? Do players who return to their original club after a transfer-gone-wrong workout? Who knows?

 

In Italy, Inter are the favorites to win Serie A. Why? Because everyone loves Marotta, their CEO, who has engineered their horrific financial situation, but somehow, is praised for his work? Why? I have no idea.

 

Inter's season hinges on a few things: they stay injury free like last year, Gosens can replace Perisic, Brozovic doesn't get hurt (they really look terrible without him), and that Lukaku returns to being the Lukaku under Conte.

 

If they can stay healthy, and Fake Inzaghi stops being a bad manager when refs have helped Inter consistently (VAR saw Belotti get kicked, and magically did not penalize Inter--this happened a lot last year.), and most importantly: Lukaku and Gosens are hits, then they will challenge for the title. They lack depth, even with Bellanova and Asllani, because after their starting line of CBs, their replacements are poor. Inter also are an ageing team, that aren't getting better, and more importantly, there is the looming reality that they need to sell players. Apparently they need to sell these players by the start of next summer, so this might be their last hurrah?

 

Inter have looked terrible in pre-season, results aside, they look disjointed, and the idea that Gosens will fill in for Perisic is oddly not as big an existential terror.

 

It must also be said that Marotta, Inter's CEO, lobbied successfully to make a change to the rules, that if the top two teams are tied on points, they do not go to head-to-head or goal-difference, but to a play-off. Milan and Inter could have finished last year on equal points, but Milan held the head-to-head advantage, which would have made them win the title. This change makes me... quite suspicious.

 

Juventus: Juventus, business-wise, are the best run club in Italy. They have scouted and signed many of the best Italian talents (they're like Chelsea) even if their youth academy is bad (so unlike Chelsea), they own their own stadium, they have maximized their revenue, they should... be killing the league.

 

They have had three different coaches the last 3 years (Sarri, Pirlo, and a return of Allegri) and Allegri plays... anti-football. You know the stereotypes you have of Italian football? Defensive? Ugly? Cynical? That's Allegri. He has signed Pogba, and Pogba has gotten hurt. I don't root for injuries on any players, no matter who they play for, but Pogba's decisions and how Juventus look at it, it's a big gamble. They have also signed Di Maria. They let go of Dybala. Their midfield is poor. Their defense is worse.

 

They have signed Bremer, who was awarded the best CB in Italy last year. He was good. He played in a back three system. Juve plays a back four. Bremer, in pre-season, has looked... lost. He just has. Their FBs are old. Cuadrado as a RB is exciting, dynamic, but he's 35. Alex Sandro on the other side? Not great. Danilo? Ditto. Bonucci is not a reliable CB, while Juve do have a young Italian CB who was in Serie B, and played for Italy against England and he looked... strong. He didn't look out-of-place. If Gatti can be the defender they need, that will help, but Bremer, Bonucci, and the FBs look bad. Their keeper is one of the best in the league, and I'd say, top 10 in the world in Szczesny. Derided for his time at Arsenal, he was young then, he's developed into a great keeper at Juventus and he keeps them in games.

 

Their midfield options are... poor. Rabiot? Off to United, rumored to be replaced by PSG's Paredes. Also, not exciting. Locatelli has been a miss for them, as he's not a regista (think Pirlo) when they need one, Arthur has been a disappointment, while Fagioli is a good prospect, but Allegri isn't really great at developing young players. Zakaria, another CM they have, has been okay, while Rovella, another young Italian talent, could be very good. Will Allegri maximize Fagioli and Rovella? Will Paredes hinder them? Will Locatelli blossom? Will Zakaria do what they hope? Will Pogba return fit? Will their defense gel?

 

These are the huge questions, and that's not even getting to the fact that they have lost Dybala, which is fine, but Vlahovic isn't scoring like he did for Fiorentina, not even close. It seems that the key to stopping him is to just be a little physical, he then loses his head, and he becomes ineffective. Di Maria is a great player, but he's 35, while Chiesa, who is their most exciting and dynamic attacking player is coming off ACL surgery. Moise Kean is a confusing player, because at PSG he looked sharp and strong, but rumors of a lack-of-discipline have emerged.

 

Like Inter, there are a lot of question marks over all the new parts at Juventus, and more importantly: why go with Allegri? Why give him the keys to this? All he does is grind out wins, but even the best teams can concede fluke goals when they're up 1-0, and Italy has become a much more attacking league. They have tried out several different formations and setups, ever since last year, and they haven't seemingly found a system that features all their parts. Allegri is a pragmatic coach, but he's lost a lot of players, and the replacements don't fill anyone with confidence. Allegri hasn't really imposed a style-of-play, unlike Inter, Milan, Atalanta, etc, he's really relied on defensive organization and stifling play while relying on his riches in attack to bail his team out. The one time he played Inter toe-to-toe, he lost, but Juventus looked deadly, the lesson he learned from that was that it was a bad idea. That's the issue with Allegri.

 

Napoli: Their owner (ADL) is selling off players left and right (Fabian Ruiz and Koulibaly, while also letting Insigne leave) and he made sure to say offensive things to African players (saying if they want to play for Napoli they shouldn't go to AFCON and promise not to) which has made what he wants to do with Napoli just... confusing. Sure, he signed Kim from Fenerbahce to replace Koulibaly, and brought in a very exciting Georgian winger (Kvaratskhelia) who will suffer from the same horrific attempts to spell his name as Armenian Mkhitaryan, but reports are that he's very impressive. Problems with who they want at keeper doesn't help, as they do have a good RB in Di Lorenzo and a strong CB in Rrahmani, but the loss of Koulibaly cannot be understated, he was the heart of this Napoli team. Fabian Ruiz was also one of their most impressive players, and they will have to hope that Elmas can step into the void that comes with him moving to PSG.

 

The loss of Ruiz and Koulibaly are gigantic, there's no way around it. Will Kvaratskhelia become a star? Napoli must hope, but it seems that ADL has gotten very upset at the fact he's paid so much money for Napoli and lost to Milan. "I made a calming speech and reaffirmed my confidence in the technical and medical staff. I said we have to fight, because I see opponents that are brighter and more prepared and it’s not acceptable. Milan pay €96 million in salaries and we pay €136 million…"

 

In short: ADL has continued to be, well, ADL. His team in the 2010's under Sarri were one of the most exciting and beautiful teams to watch. He's meddled and ruined those teams, which should have pushed for the Serie A title and gone deeper into the CL--his ego is the biggest problem at Napoli.

 

Roma: Mourinho hype is in full swing. After winning the Europa Conference League, Roma has added Wijnaldum and Dybala, and Matic, some bullish Roma fans think they are a CB away from being title challengers. Roma's defense is still... shambolic. How Dybala plays, and how healthy he will be, will be a huge element, as will Wijnaldum's form. Can he play well enough? Will Roma be able to sell Zaniolo? Can Mourinho really push Roma to the next step? We'll see.

 

Tammy is a very good striker, and rumors are that Roma will sell Zaniolo for 55m + Tanganga from Spurs. Milan were linked with Tanganga, as well. Roma have an exciting young Polish LWB, if he can make another jump, plus with the return of Spinazzola, the star LB from Italy's Euro 2020 triumph, plus the Turkish RB Celik, they will have a better team. Their issue is that they are, again, bad at CB. Smalling has done well, but Mancini and Ibanez are disasters on either side of him. Also, how the team will accommodate Dybala and Pellegrini (their natural and great CAM) is to be seen. If Roma play like this GK; Mancini, Smalling, Ibanez; Celik, Matic, Wijanaldum, Zalewski/Spina; Pellegrini; Dybala, Tammy -- that could work. It really depends on whether Matic can make it, or will he be an expensive drain, will Cristante get upset? Will Wijnaldum work in that system? Will Dybala stay healthy? Who knows.

 

If they can pull it all together, if everything goes to plan, I can see why people are so bullish on Roma. Dybala is the big mystery, for me. If he can play like the Dybala of four years ago, they have one of the best players in the world. If they have the Dybala of last year, they'll be a tough team and should push for 4th place.

 

Lazio: Sarri, the professor, is there. He hasn't lost Luis Alberto, the most overrated CM in Italy: Sergej Milinkovic Savic, and Immobile, the most deadly rubbish striker in the world. For Lazio, he has been one of the strongest strikers in world football, both in Italy and in European competitions. Why is he so bad for Italy? Who knows? They have added Alessio Romagnoli to bolster their backline, while still being rather threadbare. They got 5th place, over Roma, and yet they aren't getting nearly as much attention as Roma.

 

They have bought less high-profile named, like Casale (a defender) and a personal favorite RW Matteo Cancellieri. The young kid has a stunning debut goal, and if Sarri can coach him to his potential, they have a very exciting player on their hands. Depth is their issue, but they are a fun team to watch, and Sarri is still one of the more daring and exciting managers in Italy. Lazio should fight for 4th place this year.

 

Fiorentina: they play exciting, brash football. Their owner is an Italian immigrant to America who became a billionaire who is outspoken and unafraid to mix-it-up. They lost Vlahovic, but they keep attacking. They'll have to deal with the extra games of the Europa Conference League, so we'll see how they do. Their coach is one to watch.

 

Atalanta: Last year, everything that could go wrong, did go wrong for the most fun team to watch in Italy, or, they were. Fiorentina, Lazio, Sassuolo, Milan, all have taken on the ultra attacking influence from Gasperini and went with it, hell, even relegation sides have done it, and teams like Empoli have made it their signature, to attack, attack, attack.

 

Atalanta finished 8th, with most predicting them to be a locked-in top 4 team. Injuries and management problems between coach and directors, led to a frosty situation. Gasperini staying as coach was surprising. Without European competition to bother them, they could be one of the strongest teams in Italy again. Or, maybe Gapserini's magic is wearing out, with players like Ilicic slowing down, Zapata being injured, and Boga not living up to his price tag, Atalanta are the big mystery.

 

So, how about Milan?

 

Of all the teams, Milan are the most stable. They have lost Kessie for free to Barcelona, who are struggling to register him. To be honest, Kessie was terrible for 80% of last season. He was a good, reliable player, but he was asking for more money than Rodri gets after his renewal with City (and Barca are paying him around that [more if you add bonuses]). Kessie was overtaken by Sandro Tonali as the first choice CM, and Tonali is one of the best U21 players in the world (along with Kalulu, Milan's CB) and he was incredible last year.

 

Milan have the strongest defense and the best keeper in Italy, Maignan, who is one of the best keepers in the world. Theo Hernandez is probably the best LB in the world, while Tomori-Kalulu are one of the most ferocious CB pairings in the world. Davide Calabria, the new captain, and boyhood Milan fan who came up through the academy is a tidy, intelligent player, he's like a discount Lahm. With Kjaer, the captain of Denmark, returning from his ACL surgery, and the loss of their overpaid captain Romagnoli to Lazio, Milan need a CB so they can send Gabbia (a promising prospect) on loan for experience. Milan also need a new CM, even if they added their homegrown talent (returning from an impressive loan at Torino) Italian international Pobega. He will need time, but the club just extended him, and his stats compare favorably to Kessie. Milan missed out on Renato Sanches (my first choice) once Campos and Galtier took over PSG, who were the duo who re-launched Renato's career after his epic failure at Bayern.

 

Milan have also added Charles De Ketelaere, a player who can play as a RW, CAM, SS, and CF. They have also added a CAM/CM player in Yacine Adli, who has impressed everyone during pre-season. He is like Modric, just taller. He's still green, but he has impressed everyone. Milan have also added Origi to their striker unit of Giroud, Ibrahimovic (won't be available until Jan 2023), and Ante Rebic (who also plays LW). Milan also welcome back Rafa Leao, Serie A's MVP last year, and one of the best LWs in the world.

 

Milan fans would like to see Ziyech come in, which may be possible at the end of the window, as Chelsea get more desperate (it seems they just let Werner go for 20m) and Milan are in the market for another CM and a CB (Diallo from PSG is my personal first choice)--if they can get those players in, Milan will be seen as the favorite for Serie A, or at least, they should be--how the reigning champions are behind Inter and Juve in many peoples' eyes, I have no idea, but, it shows how disruptive Milan's success has been. To be quite frank, if Milan had gotten Renato Sanches, Diallo, and Ziyech, I think we would be able to make a huge run in the CL.

 

Unlike the Bundesliga, Ligue 1, or Portugal, teams that have competitive domestic leagues, like England, Spain, and Italy, makes CL runs difficult to handle. And Milan's biggest issue was the massive disparity between muscle injuries in Milan's players and those on other teams. If Milan has another injury-hit season, and I'm not talking ACL tears (that can happen to anyone) and other massive injuries, but muscle pulls, strains, the sorts of injuries that athletic and medical staff should be able to prevent--is the biggest issue facing Milan. Will the young players be able to make another jump? Will Origi help out? Will Leao be able to replicate his success? Will De Ketelaere be worth the massive investment in him? Can Tonali make good on the amazing promise he showed? Will Bennacer stay healthy and show why City, Liverpool, and Man Utd all covet him? These are the big "What ifs" over Milan's season.

 

-------------

 

I'm not good at predictions. Terrible at them actually. But as you can see, there is a lot of flux in Italy right now. Last season really upended the normal order of things, which was punctuated by Milan's dominant team. In Italy, and among Milan fans themselves, they think that this Milan team is some sort of fluke. Most Inter and Juve fans think the same. They forget that Milan got 2nd the year before, and that it was a lack-of-depth that year that cost them from challenging for the title, and that it was a few purchases (Florenzi, Giroud, Messias, and a trust in their young players growing) that made Milan leap to the title. If Milan had "splashed the cash" to grab their players and build their team, people would be asking if this Milan team was poised to become a dynasty. Instead, many pundits have tried to equate Milan with Leicester, which is an unfair comparison.

 

Pundits in Italy who are playing it safe are saying that it will be Inter-Juve to fight for the title, with Milan behind them (some include Milan in the pack) while saying that the battle over 4-7 will be intense.

 

Do I expect Milan to win the title? Injuries are the huge concern, and to be quite frank, I fear Inter will get some corrupt calls in their favor, as they did last year. Juventus are their own worst enemy, as entrusting Allegri with their rebuilding is foolish. They should have kept Sarri, allowed him to build a system. Or better yet, grabbed Italiano (coach of Fiorentina) and let him rebuild. Juve don't seem to have the stomach for that after their experiences with Sarri and Pirlo, which shows how skittish and weak their current leadership is, and if Juve had been in the hands of another coach, like Sarri or Conte or Pioli, I would be much more worried about them.

 

Serie A is all about unknowns, as in the last three years, the usual order has been flipped completely. The Juve dominance from 2012-2020, where Inter and Milan were in the wilderness, leading to Roma, Napoli meekly attempting to challenge is giving way to a slow return of the Italian "seven sisters" which traditionally consists of Milan, Juve, Inter, Roma, Fiorentina, Lazio, and normally Parma, but now Napoli, plus Atalanta are the teams that are starting to really fight it out. Roma and Fiorentina are American owned, as are several other smaller clubs in Italy, and of course, Milan, which has jump started their competitiveness. If Italian teams can build stadiums, and stop fighting over TV revenue, and start exporting their brand like they should, Italy's dominance might return--but Italian bureaucracy over stadiums is the biggest hurdle towards the infrastructure of football in Italy. Only Juve in the top 7 of Italy's top flight own their own stadium, which is absurd.

 

Of course, the transfer market is still open, and things can change drastically, so, this preview is really just about things as I see them, as they stand, in early August.

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Guest HTT II

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12 hours ago, Milanista said:

For those interested in the world of Serie A, I will write about the teams-of-note in Serie A, and even though I am a Milan fan, I will try to be as fair minded, even if I will mock others, in this preview!

 

Inter: They have added a young prospect named Asllani, a player I coveted. He is finally the Brozovic backup (and should be eventual successor) that they needed, as without Broz, Inter look... terrible. They have overpaid for players like Correa, losing their MVP in Perisic, while being unable to sell players (when everyone knows they need to) while adding an error prone GK in Onana, and the return of their mystical Lukaku in the most cringe video you'll ever see.

 

Their starting XI looks strong, Handa; Skirinar, De Vrij, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Broz, Hakan, Gosens; Lukaku, Lautaro. Can their new RWB (a former Milan youth product) Bellanova help out? Can Darmian keep up? Will Correa stop being trash? Will their horrific backup CBs be able to help out? With Mkhi, their free transfer, actually help out? Do players who return to their original club after a transfer-gone-wrong workout? Who knows?

 

In Italy, Inter are the favorites to win Serie A. Why? Because everyone loves Marotta, their CEO, who has engineered their horrific financial situation, but somehow, is praised for his work? Why? I have no idea.

 

Inter's season hinges on a few things: they stay injury free like last year, Gosens can replace Perisic, Brozovic doesn't get hurt (they really look terrible without him), and that Lukaku returns to being the Lukaku under Conte.

 

If they can stay healthy, and Fake Inzaghi stops being a bad manager when refs have helped Inter consistently (VAR saw Belotti get kicked, and magically did not penalize Inter--this happened a lot last year.), and most importantly: Lukaku and Gosens are hits, then they will challenge for the title. They lack depth, even with Bellanova and Asllani, because after their starting line of CBs, their replacements are poor. Inter also are an ageing team, that aren't getting better, and more importantly, there is the looming reality that they need to sell players. Apparently they need to sell these players by the start of next summer, so this might be their last hurrah?

 

Inter have looked terrible in pre-season, results aside, they look disjointed, and the idea that Gosens will fill in for Perisic is oddly not as big an existential terror.

 

It must also be said that Marotta, Inter's CEO, lobbied successfully to make a change to the rules, that if the top two teams are tied on points, they do not go to head-to-head or goal-difference, but to a play-off. Milan and Inter could have finished last year on equal points, but Milan held the head-to-head advantage, which would have made them win the title. This change makes me... quite suspicious.

 

Juventus: Juventus, business-wise, are the best run club in Italy. They have scouted and signed many of the best Italian talents (they're like Chelsea) even if their youth academy is bad (so unlike Chelsea), they own their own stadium, they have maximized their revenue, they should... be killing the league.

 

They have had three different coaches the last 3 years (Sarri, Pirlo, and a return of Allegri) and Allegri plays... anti-football. You know the stereotypes you have of Italian football? Defensive? Ugly? Cynical? That's Allegri. He has signed Pogba, and Pogba has gotten hurt. I don't root for injuries on any players, no matter who they play for, but Pogba's decisions and how Juventus look at it, it's a big gamble. They have also signed Di Maria. They let go of Dybala. Their midfield is poor. Their defense is worse.

 

They have signed Bremer, who was awarded the best CB in Italy last year. He was good. He played in a back three system. Juve plays a back four. Bremer, in pre-season, has looked... lost. He just has. Their FBs are old. Cuadrado as a RB is exciting, dynamic, but he's 35. Alex Sandro on the other side? Not great. Danilo? Ditto. Bonucci is not a reliable CB, while Juve do have a young Italian CB who was in Serie B, and played for Italy against England and he looked... strong. He didn't look out-of-place. If Gatti can be the defender they need, that will help, but Bremer, Bonucci, and the FBs look bad. Their keeper is one of the best in the league, and I'd say, top 10 in the world in Szczesny. Derided for his time at Arsenal, he was young then, he's developed into a great keeper at Juventus and he keeps them in games.

 

Their midfield options are... poor. Rabiot? Off to United, rumored to be replaced by PSG's Paredes. Also, not exciting. Locatelli has been a miss for them, as he's not a regista (think Pirlo) when they need one, Arthur has been a disappointment, while Fagioli is a good prospect, but Allegri isn't really great at developing young players. Zakaria, another CM they have, has been okay, while Rovella, another young Italian talent, could be very good. Will Allegri maximize Fagioli and Rovella? Will Paredes hinder them? Will Locatelli blossom? Will Zakaria do what they hope? Will Pogba return fit? Will their defense gel?

 

These are the huge questions, and that's not even getting to the fact that they have lost Dybala, which is fine, but Vlahovic isn't scoring like he did for Fiorentina, not even close. It seems that the key to stopping him is to just be a little physical, he then loses his head, and he becomes ineffective. Di Maria is a great player, but he's 35, while Chiesa, who is their most exciting and dynamic attacking player is coming off ACL surgery. Moise Kean is a confusing player, because at PSG he looked sharp and strong, but rumors of a lack-of-discipline have emerged.

 

Like Inter, there are a lot of question marks over all the new parts at Juventus, and more importantly: why go with Allegri? Why give him the keys to this? All he does is grind out wins, but even the best teams can concede fluke goals when they're up 1-0, and Italy has become a much more attacking league. They have tried out several different formations and setups, ever since last year, and they haven't seemingly found a system that features all their parts. Allegri is a pragmatic coach, but he's lost a lot of players, and the replacements don't fill anyone with confidence. Allegri hasn't really imposed a style-of-play, unlike Inter, Milan, Atalanta, etc, he's really relied on defensive organization and stifling play while relying on his riches in attack to bail his team out. The one time he played Inter toe-to-toe, he lost, but Juventus looked deadly, the lesson he learned from that was that it was a bad idea. That's the issue with Allegri.

 

Napoli: Their owner (ADL) is selling off players left and right (Fabian Ruiz and Koulibaly, while also letting Insigne leave) and he made sure to say offensive things to African players (saying if they want to play for Napoli they shouldn't go to AFCON and promise not to) which has made what he wants to do with Napoli just... confusing. Sure, he signed Kim from Fenerbahce to replace Koulibaly, and brought in a very exciting Georgian winger (Kvaratskhelia) who will suffer from the same horrific attempts to spell his name as Armenian Mkhitaryan, but reports are that he's very impressive. Problems with who they want at keeper doesn't help, as they do have a good RB in Di Lorenzo and a strong CB in Rrahmani, but the loss of Koulibaly cannot be understated, he was the heart of this Napoli team. Fabian Ruiz was also one of their most impressive players, and they will have to hope that Elmas can step into the void that comes with him moving to PSG.

 

The loss of Ruiz and Koulibaly are gigantic, there's no way around it. Will Kvaratskhelia become a star? Napoli must hope, but it seems that ADL has gotten very upset at the fact he's paid so much money for Napoli and lost to Milan. "I made a calming speech and reaffirmed my confidence in the technical and medical staff. I said we have to fight, because I see opponents that are brighter and more prepared and it’s not acceptable. Milan pay €96 million in salaries and we pay €136 million…"

 

In short: ADL has continued to be, well, ADL. His team in the 2010's under Sarri were one of the most exciting and beautiful teams to watch. He's meddled and ruined those teams, which should have pushed for the Serie A title and gone deeper into the CL--his ego is the biggest problem at Napoli.

 

Roma: Mourinho hype is in full swing. After winning the Europa Conference League, Roma has added Wijnaldum and Dybala, and Matic, some bullish Roma fans think they are a CB away from being title challengers. Roma's defense is still... shambolic. How Dybala plays, and how healthy he will be, will be a huge element, as will Wijnaldum's form. Can he play well enough? Will Roma be able to sell Zaniolo? Can Mourinho really push Roma to the next step? We'll see.

 

Tammy is a very good striker, and rumors are that Roma will sell Zaniolo for 55m + Tanganga from Spurs. Milan were linked with Tanganga, as well. Roma have an exciting young Polish LWB, if he can make another jump, plus with the return of Spinazzola, the star LB from Italy's Euro 2020 triumph, plus the Turkish RB Celik, they will have a better team. Their issue is that they are, again, bad at CB. Smalling has done well, but Mancini and Ibanez are disasters on either side of him. Also, how the team will accommodate Dybala and Pellegrini (their natural and great CAM) is to be seen. If Roma play like this GK; Mancini, Smalling, Ibanez; Celik, Matic, Wijanaldum, Zalewski/Spina; Pellegrini; Dybala, Tammy -- that could work. It really depends on whether Matic can make it, or will he be an expensive drain, will Cristante get upset? Will Wijnaldum work in that system? Will Dybala stay healthy? Who knows.

 

If they can pull it all together, if everything goes to plan, I can see why people are so bullish on Roma. Dybala is the big mystery, for me. If he can play like the Dybala of four years ago, they have one of the best players in the world. If they have the Dybala of last year, they'll be a tough team and should push for 4th place.

 

Lazio: Sarri, the professor, is there. He hasn't lost Luis Alberto, the most overrated CM in Italy: Sergej Milinkovic Savic, and Immobile, the most deadly rubbish striker in the world. For Lazio, he has been one of the strongest strikers in world football, both in Italy and in European competitions. Why is he so bad for Italy? Who knows? They have added Alessio Romagnoli to bolster their backline, while still being rather threadbare. They got 5th place, over Roma, and yet they aren't getting nearly as much attention as Roma.

 

They have bought less high-profile named, like Casale (a defender) and a personal favorite RW Matteo Cancellieri. The young kid has a stunning debut goal, and if Sarri can coach him to his potential, they have a very exciting player on their hands. Depth is their issue, but they are a fun team to watch, and Sarri is still one of the more daring and exciting managers in Italy. Lazio should fight for 4th place this year.

 

Fiorentina: they play exciting, brash football. Their owner is an Italian immigrant to America who became a billionaire who is outspoken and unafraid to mix-it-up. They lost Vlahovic, but they keep attacking. They'll have to deal with the extra games of the Europa Conference League, so we'll see how they do. Their coach is one to watch.

 

Atalanta: Last year, everything that could go wrong, did go wrong for the most fun team to watch in Italy, or, they were. Fiorentina, Lazio, Sassuolo, Milan, all have taken on the ultra attacking influence from Gasperini and went with it, hell, even relegation sides have done it, and teams like Empoli have made it their signature, to attack, attack, attack.

 

Atalanta finished 8th, with most predicting them to be a locked-in top 4 team. Injuries and management problems between coach and directors, led to a frosty situation. Gasperini staying as coach was surprising. Without European competition to bother them, they could be one of the strongest teams in Italy again. Or, maybe Gapserini's magic is wearing out, with players like Ilicic slowing down, Zapata being injured, and Boga not living up to his price tag, Atalanta are the big mystery.

 

So, how about Milan?

 

Of all the teams, Milan are the most stable. They have lost Kessie for free to Barcelona, who are struggling to register him. To be honest, Kessie was terrible for 80% of last season. He was a good, reliable player, but he was asking for more money than Rodri gets after his renewal with City (and Barca are paying him around that [more if you add bonuses]). Kessie was overtaken by Sandro Tonali as the first choice CM, and Tonali is one of the best U21 players in the world (along with Kalulu, Milan's CB) and he was incredible last year.

 

Milan have the strongest defense and the best keeper in Italy, Maignan, who is one of the best keepers in the world. Theo Hernandez is probably the best LB in the world, while Tomori-Kalulu are one of the most ferocious CB pairings in the world. Davide Calabria, the new captain, and boyhood Milan fan who came up through the academy is a tidy, intelligent player, he's like a discount Lahm. With Kjaer, the captain of Denmark, returning from his ACL surgery, and the loss of their overpaid captain Romagnoli to Lazio, Milan need a CB so they can send Gabbia (a promising prospect) on loan for experience. Milan also need a new CM, even if they added their homegrown talent (returning from an impressive loan at Torino) Italian international Pobega. He will need time, but the club just extended him, and his stats compare favorably to Kessie. Milan missed out on Renato Sanches (my first choice) once Campos and Galtier took over PSG, who were the duo who re-launched Renato's career after his epic failure at Bayern.

 

Milan have also added Charles De Ketelaere, a player who can play as a RW, CAM, SS, and CF. They have also added a CAM/CM player in Yacine Adli, who has impressed everyone during pre-season. He is like Modric, just taller. He's still green, but he has impressed everyone. Milan have also added Origi to their striker unit of Giroud, Ibrahimovic (won't be available until Jan 2023), and Ante Rebic (who also plays LW). Milan also welcome back Rafa Leao, Serie A's MVP last year, and one of the best LWs in the world.

 

Milan fans would like to see Ziyech come in, which may be possible at the end of the window, as Chelsea get more desperate (it seems they just let Werner go for 20m) and Milan are in the market for another CM and a CB (Diallo from PSG is my personal first choice)--if they can get those players in, Milan will be seen as the favorite for Serie A, or at least, they should be--how the reigning champions are behind Inter and Juve in many peoples' eyes, I have no idea, but, it shows how disruptive Milan's success has been. To be quite frank, if Milan had gotten Renato Sanches, Diallo, and Ziyech, I think we would be able to make a huge run in the CL.

 

Unlike the Bundesliga, Ligue 1, or Portugal, teams that have competitive domestic leagues, like England, Spain, and Italy, makes CL runs difficult to handle. And Milan's biggest issue was the massive disparity between muscle injuries in Milan's players and those on other teams. If Milan has another injury-hit season, and I'm not talking ACL tears (that can happen to anyone) and other massive injuries, but muscle pulls, strains, the sorts of injuries that athletic and medical staff should be able to prevent--is the biggest issue facing Milan. Will the young players be able to make another jump? Will Origi help out? Will Leao be able to replicate his success? Will De Ketelaere be worth the massive investment in him? Can Tonali make good on the amazing promise he showed? Will Bennacer stay healthy and show why City, Liverpool, and Man Utd all covet him? These are the big "What ifs" over Milan's season.

 

-------------

 

I'm not good at predictions. Terrible at them actually. But as you can see, there is a lot of flux in Italy right now. Last season really upended the normal order of things, which was punctuated by Milan's dominant team. In Italy, and among Milan fans themselves, they think that this Milan team is some sort of fluke. Most Inter and Juve fans think the same. They forget that Milan got 2nd the year before, and that it was a lack-of-depth that year that cost them from challenging for the title, and that it was a few purchases (Florenzi, Giroud, Messias, and a trust in their young players growing) that made Milan leap to the title. If Milan had "splashed the cash" to grab their players and build their team, people would be asking if this Milan team was poised to become a dynasty. Instead, many pundits have tried to equate Milan with Leicester, which is an unfair comparison.

 

Pundits in Italy who are playing it safe are saying that it will be Inter-Juve to fight for the title, with Milan behind them (some include Milan in the pack) while saying that the battle over 4-7 will be intense.

 

Do I expect Milan to win the title? Injuries are the huge concern, and to be quite frank, I fear Inter will get some corrupt calls in their favor, as they did last year. Juventus are their own worst enemy, as entrusting Allegri with their rebuilding is foolish. They should have kept Sarri, allowed him to build a system. Or better yet, grabbed Italiano (coach of Fiorentina) and let him rebuild. Juve don't seem to have the stomach for that after their experiences with Sarri and Pirlo, which shows how skittish and weak their current leadership is, and if Juve had been in the hands of another coach, like Sarri or Conte or Pioli, I would be much more worried about them.

 

Serie A is all about unknowns, as in the last three years, the usual order has been flipped completely. The Juve dominance from 2012-2020, where Inter and Milan were in the wilderness, leading to Roma, Napoli meekly attempting to challenge is giving way to a slow return of the Italian "seven sisters" which traditionally consists of Milan, Juve, Inter, Roma, Fiorentina, Lazio, and normally Parma, but now Napoli, plus Atalanta are the teams that are starting to really fight it out. Roma and Fiorentina are American owned, as are several other smaller clubs in Italy, and of course, Milan, which has jump started their competitiveness. If Italian teams can build stadiums, and stop fighting over TV revenue, and start exporting their brand like they should, Italy's dominance might return--but Italian bureaucracy over stadiums is the biggest hurdle towards the infrastructure of football in Italy. Only Juve in the top 7 of Italy's top flight own their own stadium, which is absurd.

 

Of course, the transfer market is still open, and things can change drastically, so, this preview is really just about things as I see them, as they stand, in early August.

Great read that, massive thanks. Keep us up to date throughout the season if you can on all things Serie A

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