Serie A returns!

[Insidious Von]

Why traitor? He was born in argentina.

Messi is second generation Argie, his family descends from the Marche region of Italy. He's playing in the EU as a domestic holding an Italian Passport.

Enough about traitors. I wonder what Federico's market value is like? Rocco Commisso has said he won't sell him but, eventually, Chiesa will want a chance at silverware. He gets his hat-trick then back slaps his mentor Ribery.

 

[Insidious Von]

In next year's Europe League, Milan will be the club no one wants to face.

Everybody loves Zlatanissimo.

 

[danmand]

In next year's Europe League, Milan will be the club no one wants to face.

Everybody loves Zlatanissimo.

Nah, we do not like Swedes.

 

[Phil C. McNasty]

deVrij wins best defender in Serie A award: https://www.telegraaf.nl/sport/479298826/stefan-de-vrij-verkozen-tot-beste-verdediger-van-serie-a

Right now we have an abundance of CB's in vDijk, deLigt, deVrij and Aké.
All we need is world class winger and striker, and Holland will be world cup contenders again

 

[Phil C. McNasty]

Andrea Pirlo replaces fired Sarri at Juventus. Pirlo was a great player at both Milan and Juventus. But he was only just appointed Juve under-23 boss on July 30. And now quickly in charge of the big club with zero top level management experience? Cant see this ending well.

He'll most likely will be given minimum wage, and he'll be viewed as interim manager until they find someone better.
If he starts winning games however it might become permanent.

AC Milan did the same with Seedorf

 

[danmand]

deVrij wins best defender in Serie A award: https://www.telegraaf.nl/sport/479298826/stefan-de-vrij-verkozen-tot-beste-verdediger-van-serie-a

Right now we have an abundance of CB's in vDijk, deLigt, deVrij and Aké.
All we need is world class winger and striker, and Holland will be world cup contenders again

Keep on dreaming. Denmark will beat them.

 

[Insidious Von]

Juve got beat by former Roma coach Rudi Garcia's Marsailles.

Zinedine Zidane had no coaching experience when he took over Real Madrid, it may work for Pirlo. Different circumstances. he'll have a younger club for the 2020-21. No sure if CR7 will be back but Kulusevski, Romero, Portanova and Wesley are coming in. Chiellini is done and Bonucci has gotten too slow. Next year it will be de Ligt and Demiral - in their natural positions. And with Pirlo at the helm, chances are good that Juve will sign Sandro Tonali.

Milan's problems started because they gave Clarence Seedorf the shaft. That's not how you treat a 4 time CL winner (95, 98, 03, 07).

 

[Insidious Von]

A number of teams want the Italian Adam Driver, he insists that he wants to stay in Italy.

 

[Phil C. McNasty]

Keep on dreaming. Denmark will beat them

Been watching too many viking movies again?

 

[Insidious Von]

Netflix has landed the Vikings sequel: Vikings Valhalla.

 

[bver_hunter]

Manchester City really spanked Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League. They must be one of the favourites to win the title, as I watched how they ripped apart Real Madrid in the Second Leg. I think that The English premier Division is about pace and fitness. Real Madrid seemed to lack these two attributes. They were lucky to be beaten by just 2-1.

 

[Insidious Von]

It's a prestige hiring for Juve and I don't believe Pirlo has lost any of smarts since getting his coaching certificate. Italy has the toughest standards for coaching, some non Italians to obtain it are Lothar Matthaus, Diego Simeone and Rafael Benitez. I guess Il Professore didn't want to be a vintner.

Here's an interesting story Tiemoue Bamayoko is desperate to leave Chelsea. He's willing to cut his wages in half to return to Ac Milan, he achieved his best game playing for the Nerorosso. Unfortunately for him, Milan is stacked in midfield. Maniel Locatelli is their priority, he's been seasoned on a loan spell to Sassuolo. Chelsea should use him, they got pasted by Bayern 7-1. My prediction on Timo Werner came true. In the Bundesliga he scored bunches against small clubs. Against the big boys he chokes. It's not like he's coming out of his teen years, he's 24.

 

[Phil C. McNasty]

Manchester City really spanked Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League

You are lucky Ajax dont spank Real Madrid...........oh wait, they already did

 

[bver_hunter]

Okay, Madrid needed two goals and City would have gone through even if they had not scored. But they were gifted two goals by the atrocious Verane. That is why spanked is not the word that came to mind after watching the match.

And the English Premier Division is not about pace. Only Liverpool and City play that style.

Man City looked the much better team and should have won much more handily. I have not seen Real Madrid as poor as this display of theirs. Definitely, the English Premier Division is about pace. Liverpool and Man City are not the only teams that play with such pace. Most teams do have to do so if they are to survive in The Premier Division. Yes, those goals were kind of gifted, by Real Madrid. But having watched them in the past, most teams back off and go into a defensive mode when facing RM. That is why Verane was too complacent as that was a routine Real Madrid tactic to draw the Man City players and then attack in a concise manner. However, they did not expect players like Jesus to steal the ball and make them pay the price for it.

 

[bver_hunter]

You are lucky Ajax dont spank Madrid...........oh wait, they already did

Not this season. OIC, You are referring to last season. But then two English teams such as Liverpool and Tottenham dominated the EUFA Champions Cup last season.

 

[bver_hunter]

Real Madrid faced Pep several times when he was in charge at Barcelona and they know his teams always press. So to say “most teams back off and go into a defensive mode when facing Madrid” as if they expected Man City to do that defies logic.

And Jose Mourinho, the guy who coined the phrase “parking the bus”, and is known for defensive counterattacking style, is having Spurs play pacey football is incorrect. The EPL has pacey players but no other teams besides Liverpool and City play all out attacking pacey football. Not even Man Utd who don’t have full backs charging forward relentlessly like Robertson and Alexander-Arnold do at Liverpool.

I have seen Premier League clubs spending tens of millions of dollars on goal scorers and mid fielders. Yet they have been non sensational when playing in the Premier League.
As an example there is a Pounds Sterling 40 million prolific goal scorer that West Ham purchased from Eintracht Frankfurt where he was a sensation. But he turned out to be a pedestrian player at West Ham. My tenant who is a rabid West Ham supporter cannot believe how lazy he is. This is not how the Premier League is any longer. You look at teams like Bournemouth who got relegated. They did so because of numerous injuries. But towards the end of the Season when they came back to full fitness their pace matched teams like Man City. However, it was too late, although they grabbed quite a few wins at the end. Ask any football expert, and they will relate to the Premier League as being one where only the fittest teams will survive. That is why a number of teams are off loading the slower and more mature players at a faster rate.

 

[bver_hunter]

Man City played Bournemouth on July 15, 2020. Man City had 73% possession. This is your definition of Bournemouth pace matching that of Man City? Wow, then I give up. You really know your football. So you win. Congratulations.

Possession is not a major factor when measuring pace. I watched the game and Bournemouth were unlucky not to get anything out of it. But this sentence summarizes it:

Eddie Howe's side managed 14 shots in total, more than any other away league team at the Etihad during Guardiola's reign.

A combination of bad luck and poor finishing means they do not have anything tangible to show for it, at least in terms of points that are so precious to them in their current situation.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/53330144

Obviously you do not understand how the Lower Rung Premier Division teams respect the top teams by allowing them possession and then counter attacking on the break. Possession is meaningless if they concede too many goals to the giants in the Premier Division. Well Real Madrid had just 5 attempts at goal although they had 46% of possession. Bournemouth had 14 attempts at goal and they gave Manchester City a bigger run for their money. Big difference, though they did not capitalize on it.

 

[scouser1]

Juve hiring Pirlo as manager is beyond wacky!! They are hiring someone with zero managerial experience for a job with one of the biggest clubs in the world, and if anyone mentions Zidane or Guardiola, they actually had experience with lower level reserve sides before being handed the job with the big boys. This has the Seedorf with Milan spell written all over it, I say he survives maybe a season.

 

[Conil]

Juve hiring Pirlo as manager is beyond wacky!! They are hiring someone with zero managerial experience for a job with one of the biggest clubs in the world, and if anyone mentions Zidane or Guardiola, they actually had experience with lower level reserve sides before being handed the job with the big boys. This has the Seedorf with Milan spell written all over it, I say he survives maybe a season.

Zidane didn't have manageriale experience before coaching RM too (or did he?) He's going to have several of his teammates that will back him up, Buffon, Bonucci, Chiellini. I was suprised too, but he was a good "director" as a player. Good luck to him. He already wants Ramses out.

 

[Conil]

Good game Inter against Bayer, very exciting. Lukaku had a few good goals in the last week. Copenhagen's goalie managed to keep at bay United, but they won in extra time.