The Calcio Discussion Thread

[Xifio]

He worked under some of the best, something must have learned.

hah, I think that's what Milan are gambling on too:

Well the italian newspapers say Kaka as a deep lying playmaker is the first move

he actually played regista in a friendly not too long ago, but it was dismissed in the post-match comments as merely an experiment ... should be interesting to see if Ricky actually takes to it ...

 

[Arnau]

Why Kaka as regista? I'd advance him and play him as forward if he's going to play with 2. Good finisher, long shot, last pass, ball driving...

 

[Mus]

Because Balo, Honda, SES and Pazzo are better than Monty, De Jong, Poli and Nocerino so he makes more of an improvement in that line

 

[Arnau]

Kaka doesn't has features to play there but it's still decisive close to the goal.

 

[ShiftyPowers]

I agree with Arnau, he's never been a great technical player or had great vision. If you play 2 strikers, he'd be a great striker 10, but regista is dumb.

 

[Mus]

I agree, hence why it was a failed experiment before

 

[Mus]

Gabriel; De Sciglio, Mexes, Rami, Abate; Honda, De Jong, Montolivo; SES, Balo, Kaka

 

[Arnau]

I agree with Arnau, he's never been a great technical player or had great vision. If you play 2 strikers, he'd be a great striker 10, but regista is dumb.

Kaka is very technique and associative, players like him would do good almost everywhere but he's so goal oriented, you've got to respect players nature. And he is still decisive up there, i don't think Milan has many better strikers...

 

[ShiftyPowers]

I do not agree, I think he is very direct and not the kind of player who can spray creative passes around the pitch. He is of course better, but so similar to Kagawa.

 

[Arnau]

Yeah. Kagawa has pause though, he is direct but a bit Iniesta too. Kaka plays only at one gear, once he has the ball, he feel he has to transport it faster as possible to the goal.

 

[ShiftyPowers]

Exactly, but he wants to "transport it to the goal" via himself. He's not the kind of player that will anticipate runs of his teammates. Then again, maybe he'll take to the role very well, you never really know; if you asked me about Schweinsteiger in 2009 as a CM I would have laughed in your face.

 

[Xifio]

well, Serie A challengers / traditional big teams continue to make moves in this window ..

losing their best players was always going to be a concern for Verona after such a strong season, and Jorginho, the Italian from Brazil, may just be the first ... Napoli have swooped for him, and handed him the #8 jersey ... it's unclear how he is the plan B for their midfield, when he is such a different player to their plan A, which was Lyon captain Maxime Gonalons ... anyway, a goal-scoring midfielder is invaluable for any team, and it'd be good to see the move pay off for player and club (and country?) alike ...

Napoli were also supposed to land Michel Bastos too, but it looks like Roma have hijacked that deal, thanks to Rudi García ... not sure what to make of it, since he's been playing in the UAE ... I guess if RQ7 can "successfully" return to the European game, so can Bastos ... he'll probably have been worth the gamble if he can blast in a few trademark freekicks -- provided Totti allows him a crack at goal ...

so, Milan, Roma, Fiorentina, and Napoli have all reinforced ... over to Inter, and Erick Thohir, now ... he's said he won't splurge till the summer; hopefully he breaks his word on someone worthwhile ...

 

[chygry]

he'll probably have been worth the gamble if he can blast in a few trademark freekicks -- provided Totti allows him a crack at goal...

Once you reminded me of Bastos, i just couldn't resist.

 

[Mus]

Jorginho is great. Amazed he didn't last the season though

 

[theo]

why do you think Serie A has fallen so much? I've always thought it's because the lack of infrastructure, crappy pitches and stadiums in bad condition. but that was also happening before the Calciopoli, so that's the only main reason I guess? even in it's current state I still believe it's a more competitive league than the Spanish one, not sure it beats Bundesliga though and definitely not the Premiership.

 

[Xifio]

sporting infrastructure, ticketing, revenue distribution, marketing, emphasis on progressing in all continental tournaments, etc. ... I mean, when it takes till 2011 for the first team in the league's history to own its own stadium, you know they're waayyy behind the times ... in 1991, it was England learning from Italy; the shoe's on the other foot now ... Juve are the pioneers, Roma are on course to join them in a season (or two), and Thohir has targeted similar plans for 2016 ... it'll take a good 7-8 years of concerted effort by clubs and the league alike to bring the Serie A (or whatever it ends up being called) back to glory ... when talk of the prawn sandwich brigade is relevant in Italy, we'll know progress has been made ...

 

[theo]

I see, really hope you're right. though you really think that Roma will emerge and finally become a force? they've always been inconsistent for some reason, same goes for Viola. good runs followed by bad patches when apparently not much changed in between.

 

[Xifio]

under new ownership, Roma are now steadily making the right moves, with their new stadium plans, lucrative sponsorship deals, and smart transfer moves which have all worked very well so far ... IMO, after Juve, they have the most stable base, and clearest vision as a club, to take themselves to the next level ...

Napoli are ahead of them in terms of having a team to challenge for titles, but they are a step behind in terms of the stadium and sporting facilities, due to slightly grander designs coming from DeLaurentiis (he wanted a mall that just so happens to have a stadium attached to it, located at the foot of Vesuvius) which (unsurprisingly) ended up being abandoned ... it means they'll stay at the San Paolo, pursue ownership, and attempt to refurbish a relic ... the neighbouring areas will be developed as part of an elite facility for the club and the fans ... I'm still not fully convinced, though I hope they prove me wrong ...

 

[Mus]

Calciopoli killed the dying fish.

Also matri

 

[Mus]

Calciopoli killed the dying fish.

Also matrix