For arguments sake: Inter will win the scudetto

[Warro Bantan]

From Goal.com: (http://www.goal.com/NewsDetail.aspx?idNews=79921&progr=2)

Resident Paisan: Inter Will Win Scudetto

8/15/2005 5:29:00 PM
With AC Milan and Juventus concerned with the Champions League, Inter Milan is poised to lift the Scudetto at the end of the Serie A campaign, says Goal.com USA's Resident Paisan, Clemente Lisi.
Most are betting on either AC Milan or Juventus to win the Scudetto this season, even though those who expect to see a two-horse race could be in for a surprise. With two weeks to go before the start of the season, Inter Milan finally looks poised to break the 16-year Scudetto drought and win the title. Getting Luis Figo, Santiago Solari and Walter Samuel from Real Madrid this summer has put a new spin on the old adage: One team’s junk is another team’s treasure.

Here is why Inter will win the Scudetto:

Reason #1: Getting Figo:

Inter has done a very good job improving its line-up. Yeah, yeah --AC Milan signed Alberto Gilardino and Juventus gobbled up Patrick Vieria, but it was Figo’s signing that will prove to be the smartest. The Portuguese international provides coach Roberto Mancini with something more than just the ability to fill the void left by Christian Vieri. The 32-year-old former World Player of the Year is the same age as Vieri – but unlike the Italian striker, Figo wants to play at Inter. Believe me, a good attitude will go a long way on this team.

Reason #2: The return of Adriano:

The Brazilian attacker is a proven goalscorer who can add creativity and strength to any offense. Team boss Massimo Moratti must have been very impressed with Adriano’s performance last season and during the Confederations Cup. Adriano doesn’t seem to have missed a beat. He looked great during Inter’s 2-0 victory over Ukrainian champs Shakhtar Donetsk in the first leg of their Champions League qualifier, scoring a goal and setting up Obafemi Martins for the other. If all goes well, Adriano, who is challenging Ronaldo for a starting spot on Brazil’s World Cup team, is good for 20 goals this season.

Reason #3: An improved defense and stronger midfield:

Aside from its superb strikeforce, it takes a good backline to win the Scudetto. The Coppa Italia champs were able to plug its leaky defense with the addition of Samuel. The Argentine defender – who will play alongside team captain Javier Zanetti, Ivan Cordoba and Marco Materazzi – will give the Nerazzurri one of the best back four in Italy. Mancini will once again use the 4-4-2 formation – only this time with the added talents of Solari and Pizarro in the midfield – to scare off the competition. These two players are the best of both worlds because Solari’s presence adds potency to the frontline, while Pizarro can hang back and aid the defense.

Reason #4: Juventus and AC Milan making the Champions League a priority:

Inter’s domestic dominance will have a lot to do with the priorities of Juventus and AC Milan this season. The two clubs have won a staggering eight of the last 10 Serie A titles combined (only Roma and Lazio were able to temporarily break the stronghold). Can you say been there, done that! Juventus and AC Milan have set its sights on the Champions League -- not the Scudetto – and that gives Inter the chance to dominate Serie A for a change. Only if Juve and Milan crash out early (and I doubt they will) does Inter really need to worry.

Moratti has finally assembled the pieces he needs to achieve success. Now it’s up to the Nerazzurri to show the San Siro faithful and fans around the globe glued to their TV sets each Sunday that it has the talent -- and winning attitude -- to finally stitch the green, white and red shield back on its jersey.

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The Resident Paisan, Clemente Lisi, is a freelance writer living in New York. His column returns August 31.

Comments anyone? I will post mine later...I have to think this one out... :googly: :d33:

[Nadir]

they say this every year man. an aging figo will not make much difference for the merda.

[Reza]

Inter can never be measured as the team they are on paper ;)
Even at his peak Figo isn't all that suited for serie A or Inter in my opinion.

[Nadir]

considering good figo is supposed to be, how come it took him this long to get to serie A? why haven't teams like parma, lazio, roma (At their financial peaks), milan, juve or inter signed this player way before his decline? ya ya, you can say it was because of real madrid or contracts of passport issues or what not. but if a team really wants a player - they get em. examples: vieira, gilardino...etc.

[Henrik]

Inter has as good as a chance as they allways have to win the Scudetto. The question is if they have the mentality to do it. On paper the look like a great team, but have done so for many years. I am still questioning Mancinis ability to coach and even more so Inters management to give the club the atmosphere of a winning team.

Inter can win, but I seriously doubt that they will.

[Warro Bantan]

Here are my responses to this fool´s article:

Here is why Inter will win the Scudetto:

Reason #1: Getting Figo:

Inter has done a very good job improving its line-up. Yeah, yeah --AC Milan signed Alberto Gilardino and Juventus gobbled up Patrick Vieria, but it was Figo’s signing that will prove to be the smartest. The Portuguese international provides coach Roberto Mancini with something more than just the ability to fill the void left by Christian Vieri. The 32-year-old former World Player of the Year is the same age as Vieri – but unlike the Italian striker, Figo wants to play at Inter. Believe me, a good attitude will go a long way on this team.

Figo does not, IMO have what it will take to make a significant difference for Inter at this stage in his career. He is slower, and my key observation of him last season, when he did get a game, is that he is less able to beat players with the fluidity that he used to in days bygone, and because he isnt the best tackler in the world, the only thing left was his passing and crossing, which he still managed to do well enough, when he wasnt trying to dribble past players and losing the ball in the process.

Reason #2: The return of Adriano:

The Brazilian attacker is a proven goalscorer who can add creativity and strength to any offense. Team boss Massimo Moratti must have been very impressed with Adriano’s performance last season and during the Confederations Cup. Adriano doesn’t seem to have missed a beat. He looked great during Inter’s 2-0 victory over Ukrainian champs Shakhtar Donetsk in the first leg of their Champions League qualifier, scoring a goal and setting up Obafemi Martins for the other. If all goes well, Adriano, who is challenging Ronaldo for a starting spot on Brazil’s World Cup team, is good for 20 goals this season.

Adriano alone does not a team make...he is an excellent player, dont get me wrong, and on occasion, can turn a game around on his own. However, to base winning the scudetto on the impact of a single player is akin to saying...Sheva can win the scudetto for Milan...sheesh...what is this guy thinking?

Reason #3: An improved defense and stronger midfield:

Aside from its superb strikeforce, it takes a good backline to win the Scudetto. The Coppa Italia champs were able to plug its leaky defense with the addition of Samuel. The Argentine defender – who will play alongside team captain Javier Zanetti, Ivan Cordoba and Marco Materazzi – will give the Nerazzurri one of the best back four in Italy. :rollani: no.. :wow: really...whatever he is smoking, :stoned: I want some... Materazzi being included in the best back 4 in Italy? He is high:whie:, crazy, or both...

Mancini will once again use the 4-4-2 formation – only this time with the added talents of Solari and Pizarro in the midfield – to scare off the competition. These two players are the best of both worlds because Solari’s presence adds potency to the frontline, while Pizarro can hang back and aid the defense.

This (above) is the only part of his article I dont find fault with, but Solari´s impact in Italy is still to be determined...

Reason #4: Juventus and AC Milan making the Champions League a priority:

Inter’s domestic dominance will have a lot to do with the priorities of Juventus and AC Milan this season. The two clubs have won a staggering eight of the last 10 Serie A titles combined (only Roma and Lazio were able to temporarily break the stronghold). Can you say been there, done that! Juventus and AC Milan have set its sights on the Champions League -- not the Scudetto – and that gives Inter the chance to dominate Serie A for a change. Only if Juve and Milan crash out early (and I doubt they will) does Inter really need to worry. Now tell me, isnt Inter playing in the UCL as well? Wont Moratti be as demanding of UCL success as he is for Serie A success? Inter will seek to go as far as they can in the UCL, and as such will be just as distracted...I dont see Mancini fielding a second string in a UCL quarter final because Inter face Juve, Roma, Milan or any other big team in Italy..(Are their any others though? :D )


Moratti has finally assembled the pieces he needs to achieve success. Now it’s up to the Nerazzurri to show the San Siro faithful and fans around the globe glued to their TV sets each Sunday that it has the talent -- and winning attitude -- to finally stitch the green, white and red shield back on its jersey.

:haha: This guy could host the Tonight Show...he is that funny...fine Moratti has assembled the pieces, but can and will they fit together? Mancini reminds me of the boy who takes his father´s watch apart, and cant figure out how to get it back together again..he will need more than a season to forge this raw iron into the steel necessary to win the scudetto...

[tardissun]

Inter have improved their lineup......

My only comment is, so ???????

I still don't think they're close to topping ACMilan over the course of the season, although on paper they should push a little more than last year.

Only good thing about Inter is Adriano. He's just a great player, hands down.

[Kui]

Well let me play devil's advocate here for just this one time only and say that... if there is a season INTER can win a Scudetto, this year is probably the best chance at it. Of course there are two teams that will get in their way in order to prevent such a feat. Likewise time will tell if they can withstand the long season I will concede. Being a World Cup season, it is a long season for every top team in every top league so there is in my opinion going to be top commitment from everyone vying for a place for their respective national teams. It can also be spooky because such high tension can lead to serious injuries including some from our ranks. This is where INTER is bar none king of the big clubs when it comes to causing some serious hurt because of their aggressive or "soiled" play. So the question is... How does this win INTER a Scudetto??? Well if they play their habitually rough way, by just by coincidence someone like Sheva or Gila or Nesta gets hurt, it will take us out of the equation to win any titles this up-coming season. Of course that doesnt mean Inter WILL win a scudetto either. This all depends on their mentality which as advocating INTER this one time, I think they can pull it off. Now I know the entire forum is laughing at this time so quit it please cause it will cause me to lose it also. There is also some who say "oh that Kui with his pessimism again!". But seriously friends it isnt Juve who worry me the most. I can handle Juve winning a scudetto. They are a strong team with perhaps the strongest mentality even more so than our team. What worries me is the wild dog effect INTER has as well as full well knowing that albeit not deserving of a title, they have the chance of a lifetime to win it. Any man can kick a dog's a$$ but with complacency, which Milan tend to have on too many occasions, we can get bit and that bite can end it for us. Before I make a bigger a$$ of myself, I'll stop here and take the brunt of laughter from you all. Mature responses would be more appreciated. Mind you this wasnt an easy feat to stick up for such a club so be nice guys.

[MATNAT]

i get the feeling of deja vu with this post.....

inter aint going to win scudetto.

1. they still have a truly awful, barbarian of a defender in materazzi although he`ll be moved out and replaced by samuel the more playing time materazzi gets the less points inter accumulate (thats a proven scientific fact by Professor MAT from the "university of life"). :2whis:

2. they dont have decent subs up front. cruz is only useful as a target man with adriano or martins playing off him and recoba is too inconsistent.

3. they again spent heavily in midfield and i`d be surprised if mancini manages to find a settled four thats consistent, only time will tell but i think its too much expectation that they`ll do it this year considering how settled and "in-tune" milans and juves squads are. :w212:

i shall watch the super cup tonight and post comments about it on here later..

[sehnsucht79]

I think Inter is stronger this year, but they still wont measure up to Juve & Milan. I said this while I was being interviewed on TV and claimed that I still hold Milan as Juve's best rivals and I am afraid some Interistas will come and slit my throat. They gave me a scathing look when I jokingly said "Good players go to Inter to die" and laughed hysterically on my own. ON TV.

Back on the topic, Inter year in and year out has always had a good squad; its the team that's the problem. I do believe Mancini will take them further and this year they'll go stronger but I just cannot see them winning the Serie A though.. but who knows maybe this year they will prove us wrong

[Kui]

Well this year they will break out of this losing stigma and indeed win a bigger title. The two clubs that will pay dearly will be Milan and Juventus. I believe this is a year not favorable to a big club. In my opinion Inter is not a big club. They just have a BIG name for a so so club. On equal footing... I would say the other medium clubs that could potentially win the scudetto this year would be Sampdoria. In the past 15 years, Samp have won more scudetti than Inter, 1 towards Inters 0. So my prediction for this years season for the Italian title will be a toss-up between INTER and Sampdoria to win with me favoring INTER and either Juve or Milan taking 3rd and 4th.
Hopefully the management of both Juve and Milan dont take it as complacent as their fans do by saying INTER has no chance to winning anything. As we can see they have just won the SUPERCoppa d'Italia. Winning two titles albeit small ones, this is an overachievement of something Inter has not seen for some time. More success is sure to be included. So advice to all main rivals... be careful! Inter are not push overs this time around. Keeping this in mind, complacency will not be tolerated and thus rest assured me as devil's advocate am more than happy to be proven wrong in my prediction.

[m1ke]

I think Inter definatly have a better chance than previous seasons, but MATNAT makes some good points ;)

[devoted_dm]

I think the biggest reason why Inter could win something this year is because they won the Coppa Italia last season, and recently the Supercup vs Juve. They are showing the winning mentality that they have been lacking for so long. I wouldn't be surprised if they do what we did in 98/99 (GOD that was an amazing way to win a Scudetto, btw).

I also see some similarities between what they have done now, and what we did in the summer of 2002. We signed Nesta (classy defender) and Rivaldo (overrated old man with a big name), and they have signed Samuel and Figo.

Anyway, I think we will give them more competition than Juve this season. Based on what happened last season, I don't think our players could be any more determined to show the world what they're really made of, and win everything they can this season. But Juve just look weak.

[Nadir]

my avatar says it all. that's where they'll always be. in the trash. ;)

[Xudong]

Inter have always been strong enough in the past 16 years. ;)

[mange]

There is a big questionmark surrounding Inter and it spells M A N C I N I. If you have the memory or the stamina to do some research you will soon realise that his progress as a coach is far from impressive. In terms of coaches, Juve launches Capello and Milan trusts Ancelotti, both are by far better coaches then Mancio, this is Inters real weak spot compared to its competitors.

On the other hand if Inter are gonna win the Scudetto in the coming years then this is the year. Adriano is playing his last season with Inter, you can take my word on that! Adriano is the last straw that allows Inter to call themselves a giant. Once he is gone then they have good players but none that is worldclass and they have no titles to back such a claim. Sorry for them but this is their chance (and we all know how well they handle pressure, hehehe).

:devs:

[egyptian]

go to hell juve :ilol:

[egyptian]

go to hell zamalek

[sehnsucht79]

Even so, look at Inter - they're quite problematic though not as prolific in Roma's case. I still believe Pagliuca's quote - "the problem with Inter is that every time a little problem breaks out its like world war III" still applies in Inter's case. And now with the addition of Samuel and Figo, both ex Galacticos some people believe that theres already enough room for all inter players' egos. Inter always has a good squad, but I dont think they put their team first. Unless Mancini can change that and unite them, I dont think Inter will win anything.