I suggested De Jong, Bona and Poli in midfield - it's, IMO, the best we have. Or least bad. This is pretty close to that.

Nah, then Alex is the better option if it comes down to one of the 2. Zapata can't be the default designated leader, he simply is not cut out for it and that's what he'll end up being next to Romagnoli. If Mexes is not fit than Alex has to take his place, even if he's not at his best either, it's better than throwing Zapata and Romagnoli in there together, that's just asking for it

If Miha has completely shunned Monto then he needs to find another solution. Playing Nocerino, Kucka or Poli is certainly not it.

To not play Monto and put in any of those 3 ahead is just being petty if you ask me and you're letting your personal issues cloud your judgement and be a problem for the club.

Also, I really do think that we should at the very least explore the possibility of trying Honda in the midfield 3. I think he'd be better there than in the AM position where all his major flaws are exposed


If you choose those 3, then who would you play behind the strikers?

For me, Bona has to play there atm, there's really no other option aside from Balo or Hona. Balo would be defensive suicide there for us and Honda has proven that he's not good enough in tight spaces and doesn't have the pace to really make any sort of impact.

Also, Poli shouldn't be an option as a starter imo, he wastes so much energy running around like a headless chicken that he gets burned out within 30 minutes. I'm actually surprised you would suggest him starting since you were the first one here who probably pointed this out about him.


For me, best midfield 4 we can go with would be

Mediaset now confirm Zapata in defense. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/king.gif)

It's between him and Ely. Mexes also started regularly training today.

Or it's Ely & Zaps. As opposed to 'between'.

If Zaps is chosen before Mexes or Alex it probably confirms the latter are both out of favour under Miha.

Not if Mexes just started training regularly. Miha could hold him out as a precaution. He's no spring chicken.

True; in that case he won't/shouldn't get called up at all. If he gets called up but doesn't play nor feature on the bench, that's arguably damning.

If Mexes returned today then that explains it. I personally do not think it's a good idea to go for both Zapata and Romagnoli together. And I don't believe for 1 second that Ely is even being considered for this one. I would like to think that Miha is not nuts.

This Zapata-Romagn pairing is very worrying for me, they could barely handle playing Empoli, Zapata making 2 glaring errors (1 on the goal) and Romagnoli also having a couple of iffy moments for me. I think that's just asking for it. At least play Alex to have a bit more leadership in there instead of the blind leading the blind.

Inter have thrown away all their creative mids, but their attacking line is very impressive. I really can't see Zapata and Romagnoli handling them all that well.


Why would that be?

Mexes will be called up, playing or not has no bearing on Miha's intentions. He'll most likely won't be completely fit, but Miha will include him so that if we find ourselves with our backs to the wall Mexes can be on hand to come on. I don't think he'll risk playing him otherwise. And as long as Zapata and Romagnoli hold on, I don't think he'll be changing personnel at the back for the hell of it

Han is making Zapata worse than Acerbi. I guess now that Muntari is gone he has to pick someone else to constantly whine about.

Poor Zaps (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

Nah, I actually couldn't stand Muntari.

Like I said, I'm okay with Zapata or Romagnoli, but Alex should be playing instead of either one of them.

Zapata has issues, it's not that I don't like him, he just gives me an ulcer constantly worrying about when he'll pass straight at the opposition.

Also, who do you think was at fault for Saponara's goal last Saturday? Because for me that was Zapata all the way

Also, may I just say, that I consistantly praise Zapata for that spell he had next to Mexes about 2 years ago. But again, it falls back to him having someone who can be a reference point for him. When he's the one who has to take the reigns it becomes a mess, we saw this when he played next to Rami last season and the shambles that turned into and we saw hints of this against Empoli as well

How was it Zapata's fault? He was right on his man, but Maccarone did a fantastic thing with that back-heel pass. If anyone was at fault there, it was the person who should have been marking Saponara. De Jong and especially Bertolacci let him run freely.

I guess Zapata would feel more at ease with a more central figure like Alex or Mexes next to him. But Romagnoli is going to play, and between the four remaining CBs we have, Zapata is the one I trust the most, since Mexes has been injured all this time.

Zapata looked like a fool on that, De Jong did what he could there given the circumstances. Zapata also completely miss-timed his movement when the defence tried to play the offside trap at one point which could have resulted in the 2-2 for Empoli.

Like I said, I just don't trust him when he's given the leadership role in defence (aside from the fact that he's a terrible passer), which he will get by default when next to Romagnoli. And I know I've said that Alex looked a step behind in the other thread, but I'd trust him more next to Romagnoli or Zapata (but we all know Romagn will play so that would mean an Alex-Romagnoli duo would be my pick)

I just feel like a Romagnoli Zapata pairing will get absolutely trashed by Jovetic and Co.