[acid911]

We needed him on, 15 more minutes wouldn't have killed him and might have proved the difference for us.

Him = ? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

[Jack Bauer]

We needed him on, 15 more minutes wouldn't have killed him and might have proved the difference for us.

Needed or not, some players can't just go and play full game after a long time. I only remember him playing 20 or so minutes for Italy a week ago in this pre season.

[han2503]

Him = ? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

Aqui, that's who we were talking about, keep up (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

[han2503]

Needed or not, some players can't just go and play full game after a long time. I only remember him playing 20 or so minutes for Italy a week ago in this pre season.

He played a full pre season with Liverpool

[amancik]

I think we have the depth to defend Scudetto this season, so, it all depends on injuries and tactics deployed by Allegri to ensure that happens.

[acid911]

Aqui, that's who we were talking about, keep up

Can't. I'm too dumbstruck by Klose scoring a goal against us in his opening match. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) Thanks, though!

[William405]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/blush.gif) Oops, I confused my As (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Then,you corrected it and I thought I misread lol.

[amancik]

Needed or not, some players can't just go and play full game after a long time. I only remember him playing 20 or so minutes for Italy a week ago in this pre season.

I think he's a bit unsure of what exactly Allegri expects of him. It's normal I think because it's his first game with us, and the fact he had to help both offensively and defensively left him a bit confused.

This post has been edited by amancik: Sep 9 2011, 10:09 PM

[han2503]

No matter what the players said, I don't believe for a second that they didn't have Barca already on their minds, it's like they weren't even going to try to expand any more effort once the 60 minute mark was reached. They just passed it around, and if by any chance an opportunity came by from a hopeful long ball they'd try to take it.

But even with that, my main grudge is still with Allegri.

[han2503]

Then,you corrected it and I thought I misread lol.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I think he's a bit unsure of what exactly Allegri expects of him. It's normal I think because it's his first game with us, and the fact he had to help both offensively and defensively left him a bit confused.

I don't think Aquilani is cut out for the tireless running though, he'd be much better if he's used as an AM, still if he has a more solid LB behind him, he won't look as bad tracking back. Last season we mostly had Zambro there, who stayed back most of the time, leaving Abate with the wingplay work all to himself. But it was balanced since we had the creator on the left so we really didn't need Zambro bombing forward, Antonini just left us exposed there and his hapless defending did us in

[il_diavolo_mtl]

Pato for Boateng?? In this coach a fucking idiot??

I honestly believe that you may actually blame Allegri for hexing Boat with cramps and a potentially serious collarbone/shoulder injury...Dude....be cool...

Yep, a horrid schedule up ahead for us.

What got to me was Allegri's decisions, taking off Aquilani and stuffing up the midfield with 3 DMs when we need to score??? Once Aquilani was taken off it was like running into a brick wall.

Ambrosini was none existant, while the entire team showed no urgency in the second half aside from the first 10 minutes of it

First off you know i got your back on the Ambro and rino debate..

That being said i understood the thought behind swapping aquilani with nocerino. Aquilani had left Antonini to dry on more then one occasion. Granted Antonini is no Maldini, but the Konko vs. Antonini matchup was arguably the best head-to-head all game. We were weak on the left, as we all can agree on, but it isn't purely Antonini's fault, Nesta was bested by Cisse off a set piece and Klose's goal IIRC was Aquilani slacking on D but most of all a class turn by a good player who deserved that goal (it hit his chest, not the arm from what i saw)

I'm not the biggest fan of 3 DMs but in Allegri's setup today, he wanted to expose their wingbacks (as he usually does...). That being said Abate had as good a match as we have come to expect from him and Antonini did not have the luxury that abate did knowing that Gattuso/Ambro was behind him for cover. At one point in the game abate was playing as a RW waiting to get the ball and push the backline for Cassano & Ibra. during this 5-10 minute span, he did not once go back into his half, as ambro dropped and nesta went a little wider. Antonini was asked to replicate (not as much, mind you) abate's runs, knowing that he had a slacking LM to cover for him. Mauri (i think he was RM) owned Aquilani all game when it came to possession/ball winning/movement. Essentially with Aquilani taking some defensive duties lightly cause for antonini to have to litterally sprint back and forth all game. Allegri will usually have a more offensive LM fielded as our starting LBs are more defensively oriented (Zambrotta, Taiwo) but he trusted aquilani with providing cover for Antonini when needed. I fell that Aquilani either got complacent with his hand in both goals and didn't work hard, or was just lazy. I realize this sounds like i'm bashing Aquilani, but i feel, today, we've seen the best and worst of what he can offer. With either of our top 2 LBs starting, he would not need to be as acute tracking back but Allegri enforces an all-defend/all-attack mentality that made us Serie A's best defensive team.

In conclusion, I hope Nocerino makes Rino regret not going to Anzhi (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

[il_diavolo_mtl]

Also, in respect to Allegri, we had 3-4 great opportunities that slipped through our fingers that would have won the game for us...

[han2503]

That being said i understood the thought behind swapping aquilani with nocerino. Aquilani had left Antonini to dry on more then one occasion. Granted Antonini is no Maldini, but the Konko vs. Antonini matchup was arguably the best head-to-head all game. We were weak on the left, as we all can agree on, but it isn't purely Antonini's fault, Nesta was bested by Cisse off a set piece and Klose's goal IIRC was Aquilani slacking on D but most of all a class turn by a good player who deserved that goal (it hit his chest, not the arm from what i saw)

I'm not the biggest fan of 3 DMs but in Allegri's setup today, he wanted to expose their wingbacks (as he usually does...). That being said Abate had as good a match as we have come to expect from him and Antonini did not have the luxury that abate did knowing that Gattuso/Ambro was behind him for cover. At one point in the game abate was playing as a RW waiting to get the ball and push the backline for Cassano & Ibra. during this 5-10 minute span, he did not once go back into his half, as ambro dropped and nesta went a little wider. Antonini was asked to replicate (not as much, mind you) abate's runs, knowing that he had a slacking LM to cover for him. Mauri (i think he was RM) owned Aquilani all game when it came to possession/ball winning/movement. Essentially with Aquilani taking some defensive duties lightly cause for antonini to have to litterally sprint back and forth all game. Allegri will usually have a more offensive LM fielded as our starting LBs are more defensively oriented (Zambrotta, Taiwo) but he trusted aquilani with providing cover for Antonini when needed. I fell that Aquilani either got complacent with his hand in both goals and didn't work hard, or was just lazy. I realize this sounds like i'm bashing Aquilani, but i feel, today, we've seen the best and worst of what he can offer. With either of our top 2 LBs starting, he would not need to be as acute tracking back but Allegri enforces an all-defend/all-attack mentality that made us Serie A's best defensive team.

In conclusion, I hope Nocerino makes Rino regret not going to Anzhi (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

There could have been better solutions then stuffing up the midfield, and what he did made us more narrow rather then exposed Lazio's wings. Once Nocerino went on it was like a switch, we started playing the long ball, passing aimlessly around. It was a huge mistake, there could have been other options, like moving Aquilani to a more adnanced position and moving prince back to help cover Antonini. That being said, when he made the switch the game was in our hands and Lazio weren't getting a sniff. It's not like we were on the back foot and needed a desperate cover for Antonini at that point.

Imo, from the starting 11 he picked, to the changes he made, it was just one big howler from Allegri. Had the right line-up been picked, we would have walked away with 3 points and I'm confident in saying this.

As for Abate, his biggest advantage is his pace, so even if he is very high up the pitch most of the time, and he gets caught when a players runs in behind him, he still makes up for it 99% of the time. Antonini was making gaff after gaff, and blaming it on Aquilani is unfair, I know you said you're not doing that, but you are essentially blaming the weakness on the left side on him, when imo, our weakness was totally down to Antonini. Our system last season with the FBs was simple, Abate bombs up and down while Zambro takes a more cautious approach, only going up to help out when it's absolutely necassary. Plus he's a smarter defender, the pass that assisted Klose was ridiculous, how could Antonini let that pass be made??

[il_diavolo_mtl]

There could have been better solutions then stuffing up the midfield, and what he did made us more narrow rather then exposed Lazio's wings. Once Nocerino went on it was like a switch, we started playing the long ball, passing aimlessly around. It was a huge mistake, there could have been other options, like moving Aquilani to a more adnanced position and moving prince back to help cover Antonini. That being said, when he made the switch the game was in our hands and Lazio weren't getting a sniff. It's not like we were on the back foot and needed a desperate cover for Antonini at that point.

Imo, from the starting 11 he picked, to the changes he made, it was just one big howler from Allegri. Had the right line-up been picked, we would have walked away with 3 points and I'm confident in saying this.

As for Abate, his biggest advantage is his pace, so even if he is very high up the pitch most of the time, and he gets caught when a players runs in behind him, he still makes up for it 99% of the time. Antonini was making gaff after gaff, and blaming it on Aquilani is unfair, I know you said you're not doing that, but you are essentially blaming the weakness on the left side on him, when imo, our weakness was totally down to Antonini. Our system last season with the FBs was simple, Abate bombs up and down while Zambro takes a more cautious approach, only going up to help out when it's absolutely necassary. Plus he's a smarter defender, the pass that assisted Klose was ridiculous, how could Antonini let that pass be made??

I would not go as far as saying it was a howler, he changed thngs around at 0-2 (namely switching abate to RW) which helped us to take control of the game back over. And were it not for a chip by aqua and a decent corner (i was getting tired of us playing it short) we may not have been so lucky. Credit obviously equally due to Ibra and Fantantonio. Also, as good as we are, Lazio came out guns blazing and could have put us away were it not for some timely misses (hernanes) and miracles (nesta on Cisse). They are the reason we caught up, they payed defensively after going up and dropped their high line which was working very well at exposing Cassano & Ibra's pace. As i said in my other post, we had amble chances to score. Aquilani, cassano (x2), Ibra and Pato could have scored goals well within their skill-set but were off the mark. If 2 of those went in, we'd blame the players and credit Reja for the 0-2 beginning. Truth is, after getting off to a rocky start, we held possession (against a much improved Lazio) and created plenty of chances.

I guess we will just agree to disagree. I'm not Allegri's fanboy or anything, i just think he should not get solely dumped on for what happened, just as Antonini was not entirely to blame for their all their goals. Nesta got bested by someone MUCH taller then him of a set piece in a dangerous position and Klose's goal could have just as easily been disallowed (although i still maintain that it looked ok).

We came back to draw a very good team, a team that is usually top3 at the first half of every season thanks to Reja*. It's disappointing but considering alot of the factors surrounding this game, it's hardly panic button worthy. If anything, i promise you more people would consider Reja to have had the howler...


*the poster boy for italo-slovenians (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

This post has been edited by il_diavolo_mtl: Sep 9 2011, 10:53 PM

[drucurl]

No matter what the players said, I don't believe for a second that they didn't have Barca already on their minds, it's like they weren't even going to try to expand any more effort once the 60 minute mark was reached. They just passed it around, and if by any chance an opportunity came by from a hopeful long ball they'd try to take it.

But even with that, my main grudge is still with Allegri.

Is Robinho injured?