UCL '04-'05: The Quest for Number 7

Manchester United FC

Preview

UCL/ECC wins : 2

The mirror image of Juventus FC in England is Manchester United FC. The major difference is that while Juventus FC understands the concept of a final reaching quite a few Manchester United FC is still under the impression that the first knock-out in the competition is the last game and ever so eloquently bow out of it time and again. Ferguson's team has to have the best record of reaching the RD 16 / QF in this competition and yet has the worst record of making the semi-finals! The conversion rate is ridiculously poor as is Juve's conversion rate in the finals.

Ferguson is busy building another Manchester United dynasty to match his extremely dominant side (EPL only) of the 90's that was a force to reckon with. His good friend Marcello Lippi resigned from his post for fresh ideas to take over while Ferguson has stuck to his guns. Another season like last one and he should take the gentleman's route and resign or else his butt will take the colour of his face when he gets the boot!

Manchester United used to have a class midfield and a good defence when they were on top. But an era has come to an end and a generation has passed on while the old guard is still in the thick of things at Old Trafford. Tough times ahead for the Northern club as the capital has two very strong squads who will have the spotlight for the next few years.

Offence

1/2

-> Van Nistelrooy
-> Rooney
-> Saha
-> Smith
-> Bellion

It is a good quartet with RVN having a proven track record of scoring against the best defences of Europe frequently. The other three have some work to do although Smith did make the semis with Leeds. Getting Rooney was an OK move and OK because once again Man U went and spent a bucket load of paper gold on a player. A player with his characteristics is ideally suited to play off RVN especially in Europe. He is a long term investment so while eyebrows might be raised right now he can prove every penny spent on him or take the route of Juan Veron. Saha and Smith are backups and always will be backup material. Rooney showed he can be starting material .. consistency is the key here. If he can do what he CAN then he can be lethal with RVN up front!

Midfield



-> Keane
-> Giggs
-> Scholes
-> Ronaldo
-> Kleberson
-> Misfortune
-> Djemba-Djemba
-> Fletcher
-> Eagles

Man U won the UCL in 1999. Three of the players who were world class at the time have played on for 5 years and are still starting in the squad. Only 1 addition is there (Ronaldo) to that midfield in half a decade. Living off the past? Manchester United has not prepared for replacements because the success in the EPL was blinding them to look long term and sustain that success. Now they are in a hole with the replacements not ready. They will have to claw way their back to make a challenge for the EPL title and deal with not only Arsenal but Chelsea and Liverpool in the long run. When they fall they fall hard. Ferguson has a job on his hands to stabilize a stuttering team that is having problems balancing itself.


Defence



-> Ferdinand
-> Heinze
-> Neville
-> Neville Part 2
-> Silvestre
-> O'Shea
-> Brown

Right now the team is tied up due to the injury situation in the squad. An easy pool will help the team to glide into the knock-out where it will need to lift itself up A LOT as the team's record in knock-out ties under Ferguson is poor. Ferdinand and Heinze should start in the middle to give some solidity that either one of Silvestre or Brown could provide.

Goalkeeper

-> Howard

Hmmm. Ok whatever.

Starting Line-Up


4-4-2


-----------------------Howard--------------------------
-
--Neville------Ferdinand---------Heinze--------Silvestre--
-
--Ronaldo------Keane-----------Scholes---------Giggs----
-
-------------------------------Rooney-------------------
----------------Van Nistelrooy----------------------------


In years nobody is concentrating that much on Manchester United which should help them more than it will harm them. They couldn't handle the pressure of being tagged as favourites every season with Real. They are not favourites and are underdogs this time. Something similar was there in '99 and they defied one and all to conquer Europe. That team however was balanced, fresh and hungry. This team is not as strong, not as balanced and considerably weaker compared to the illustrious opposition present in the competition. Manchester United has the easiest group of the big teams but the question is not whether they can win a knock-out tie this time but whether they can make it out of the group unscathed?

AS Roma

Preview

UCL/ECC wins : 0

This Roma is without three main ingredients in the shape of Capello, Emerson and Samuel as it attempts to make another attempt to make the knock-out of this competition with repeated failures in the past seasons. Roma's squad is filled with talent and promise and they have more or less captured the cream of upcoming talents in defence. The side is young and also responsible for most of Italy's star players in offence in the future. Drawn once again with Real Madrid is their destiny but winning their games against Real won't be easy at all. New coach Prandelli had to resign unfortunately as his wife is suffering from cancer but in my personal opinion the man they have got to replace him could just do the trick that Prandelli might not have done!

The German coming in to coach this youthful squad will bring with him discipline, hard work and mental strength with him and this could work wonders for Roma and shock a few opposition along the road.

Offence



-> Mido
-> Cassano
-> Totti
-> Delvecchio
-> Montella

There is a gulf of difference btw the forwards and the outright strikers. There is imbalance and Mido having attitude problems in addition to Cassano's outbursts will make it a tough job for Voller. The offence is dependent on what Totti and Cassano are up to.

Midfield

1/2

(If I count Totti and Cassano in this midfield then it becomes 4.0 and offence becomes 1.5)

-> Mancini
-> D'Agostino
-> Dacourt
-> Perrotta
-> Sartor
-> Candela
-> Tommasi

The bright spots in midfield are the presence of Mancini and D'Agostino who have lots of potential and positive energy. Dacourt and Perrotta are more or less ball winners lacking the presence of class central mids who dominate games. Hence the onus shifts on Totti to lead that midfield which looks brittle so to speak.

Defence

1/2

-> Panucci
-> Chivu
-> Ferrari
-> Mexes
-> Dellas
-> Cufre

Roma is in possession of the three best prospects in the Serie A when it comes to defence. It would be hard to find teams who would reject either one of Chivu, Mexes and Ferrari. This team was built according to Prandelli so Voller has to utilize its potential with what he has. The team is yound and inexperienced but the potential of the defenders is renowned YET not tested in the UCL where it is DIFFERENT. These three have played in European competition but not in tandem so it will be interesting to see them cope with Europe's finest.

Goalkeeper

-> Pelizzoli

Alright.


Starting Line-Up

Voller can play a 4-2-3-1 or 3-5-2 as his players can do either. Depends on which formation he finds effective.


-----------------------Pelizzoli--------------------------
-
--Panucci------Ferrari----------Mexes---------Chivu----
-
---------------Dacourt---------Perrotta-----------------
-
------Mancini-----------Totti--------------Cassano-----
-
------------------------Mido---------------------------

A 4-4-2 option could be:

1. Cassano playing off Mido
2. D'Agostino playing on the left while Perrotta or Dacourt hits the bench

OR

1. Totti and Cassano as forwards with D'Agostino on the left and Mido out.

The 3-5-2 option could be:

1. Panucci out
2. D'Agostino on the left in a flat 4 with Mancini on the right and the 2 DM in the middle
3. Totti as fantasista
4. Cassano as forward and Mido as target man


Voller has lots of options that will work plus he can mould his squad into the way he likes. A German and a good young coach coming to Roma is a good thing at this time. The group is very tricky and it won't be easy to get out of the group. Roma will need to really play well to get out of the group which is the first objective for them as that will offer a chance to play a knock-out tie.
The experience from this campaign will be priceless so if Roma can manage to get out of the group and qualify the confidence of the players (young) will start to build up and so will the momentum. It will be difficult but not impossible.

Great stuff as usual, Haroon. Thanks!

again, amazing Haroon

How much time does it take to write it all?

FC Porto

Preview

UCL/ECC wins : 2

FC Porto reached European glory last season in a title that was won through a lot of hard work and dedication to the cause! FC Porto had the best AWAY record in last season's competition proving once again that the side which is comfortable playing away from home will inevitably end up having a good shot at the title. Poor away form is also one of the reasons for failures of Man Utd., Juventus FC and Valencia CF in past campaigns. A Final is like playing an away game and if a team gets the away game jitters then it can freeze up on the big occasion hence away games are important in this competition. Playing away games in the league and playing away games in Europe are two very different things.

FC Porto also utilized the fame they gained and sold their star players for huge sums thereby profiting from their performances. They didn't stop there but went on to add valuable team members in a bid to maintain the strength of the side. Tomorrow the competition proper will start and a slight reflection of the NEW Porto will be visible.

No team has won back to back UCL titles although Milan, Ajax and Juve have all come close reaching the final the following season. Milan was the last side to successfully retain the ECC title and Porto's task will not be easy. I feel that the QF is the dreaded round for a defending champion in this competition so Porto must look out. They are European champions and everybody wants a bite at the cherry but only ONE team will stand proudly on the podium in May 2005 lifting Europe's greatest club trophy.

Offence



-> Derlei
-> Fabiano
-> McCarthy
-> Alberto
-> Postiga

A touch of Samba class is apparent with lots of skill and dangerous players present. The players are tough, young, fast, skillful and dangerous. They might not be high profile when compared to Henry, Ronaldo, Shev, RVN etc but they are all good at the job that is required off them. It is a dangerous and deceptively good offence!

Midfield

1/2

-> Maniche
-> Diego
-> Costinha
-> Quaresma
-> Hugo Leal

New names have been added but two players from the UCL winning squad are still there. Carlos Alberto's sprightly steps might be played in offensive midfield to spruce up this area which will strengthen the team's midfield more. Diego has been brought in to fill Deco's shoes so this is his big chance to showboat his skills on the biggest stage when it comes to club competition. Porto has won in Europe for two seasons in a row so the burden and pressure to sustain that level of success is huge and Diego is the man to lead the midfield. Pucker time for the whizz kid.


Defence


1/2

-> Costa
-> Seitaridis
-> Valente
-> Pepe
-> R Costa
-> Emanuel

Porto's best defender is gone now. Carvalho was a rock in the defence. He made look Jorge Costa good. Filling his shoes is no easy task and this area will be the achilles heel for the defending champions. Costinha in def. mid will need to step up to cover for the absence of Carvalho. Ferreira's departure is well covered with the exciting Seiratiridis who seems destined to be a high roller in his position. The central defence will be a worry because not only does Porto lack a defender of Carvalho's class but they cannot surely depend on Jorge Costa to have another brilliant season like the last one.


Goalkeeper

-> Baia

He has a job coming up this season.


Starting Line-Up


4-1-3-1-1


------------------------Baia--------------------------
-
--Seitaridis-------Costa------Emanuel-------Valente---
-
----------------------Costinha------------------------
-
----------Alberto-------Diego--------Maniche----------
-
-----------------Derlei--------------------------------
-----------------------------Fabiano------------------


This team looks pretty dangerous on the offence with slippery customers all over the pitch however defensively it has problems as offensive players are very attack minded campaigners susceptible to leaving gaps at the back. Therefore Maniche has to help out Costinha a little more than he is used to to maintain balance.

Mourinho's Porto was built from the back with a hard solid no nonsense approach in an aim to win first and then deal with other things later. He was also a very big factor in Porto having a brilliant time in both the league and Europe winning a lot in a brief period. The coach with the magic wand has gone to West London. Has he taken the magic along with him?

Porto achieved a phenomenal feat by winning two different trophies in two seasons ... a feat previously achieved by the great Liverpool FC side. Even the most optimistic fan will find it hard to bet on Porto defending their title successfully this time even though they still have the potential to be a fly in the ointment.

FC Bayern Munchen

Preview

UCL/ECC wins : 4

Bayern begins this season with not only to reclaim the Bundesliga title from Werder Bremen but also to gain back respect of European rivals in this competition. A little over two seasons ago Bayern's Olimpiastadion was considered to be the Unconquered Fortress with a stupendously unbelievable home record with a little less than a handful of losses in 70+ games!! The fortress has been conquered by La Coruna and Milan in back to back visits leaving it in tatters and pushing up Bayern's work for their new state of the art ALLIANZ ARENA which should be one of the stadia hosting one of the best ever World Cups ever! After all the Kaiser is responsible for it and he hasn't failed at any level so it is hard to believe he will fail at this level.

Bayern has not recovered with the hole left by their mercurial captain Stefan Effenberg who used to combine devastatingly well with Mehmet Scholl. Effenberg's presence was masterclass and Bayern has not been able to produce a commanding midfield general like him. Ballack is a different type of player and Hitzfeld's mistake was trying to mould him into an Effenberg while Ballack is more like a Scholl.

New coach, new signings and a new day begins for Bayern but are they ready for this European odyssey?


Offence



-> Makaay
-> Santa Cruz
-> Pizarro
-> Zickler
-> Hashemian

Makaay is the only glimmer of hope in that offence that is seriously lacking quality players. Any injuries or off form appearances by Makaay and Bayern is staring at the barrel. The other strikers have spent enough time in Munich without producing the desired results. Bayern's onus thus shifts on their offensive midfield players like Ballack and Deisler to come up with the goals or else it is a mountain climb reminiscent of climbing the most dreaded mountain in the world: Karakoram-2 where chances of staying alive are rare.

Midfield

1/2

-> Ballack
-> Deisler
-> Hargreaves
-> Frings
-> Salihamidzic
-> Ze Roberto
-> Demichelis
-> Scholl
-> Jeremies

The midfield is dangerous but has question marks over it regarding consistency and purpose. Deisler is the most injury prone player in the world. Ballack is a class act but he needs support from teammates to do his stuff offensively. Frings has been hailed as the missing piece in the puzzle and the rest are all well known. Scholl could be a super sub but he can't offer more than that.

Defence


1/2

-> Lucio
-> Kuffour
-> Sagnol
-> Rau
-> Linke
-> Kovac

Bayern has really gone for break making it a busy Summer for them all to result in an early shock with a humiliating 4-0 drubbing by Leverkusen which was uncharacteristic and unbelievable of Bayern. Magath IMO is not as good as organising a defence compared to Hitzfeld and this defence does not ooze class or confidence. Kuffour is far from the defender who was a part of the world's best defence 3 years ago. Sagnol is the best defender in that lot and Kovac has never impressed for an extended period while Linke has been off colour for long.

Goalkeeper

-> Kahn

Determined, strong, classy, arrogant, bull-headed and not at the same level anymore.

Starting Line-Up


4-2-3-1


-----------------------Kahn--------------------------
-
--Sagnol-------Kuffour-------Lucio------------Rau----
-
----------------Frings-------Hargreaves---------------
-
----------Deisler------Ballack---------Ze Roberto-------
-
----------------------Makaay---------------------------


Hargreaves was calling out to English clubs to get him so much so that was ready to join Tottenham as well. It shows that he lacks confidence in retaining a starting spot at Bayern. Demichelis will be hot on his heels to get that spot.

Magath has options in midfield to twist and turn his players especially knowing that Deisler will do well to hit 40 games this season if his injuries and depression is over. Ballack and Deisler are both prolific goal scoring midfielders so it is imperative for Bayern's cause that they play the most games. The defence looks a pale shadow of what it used to be.

The tie with Juventus will be more a competition of how Bayern's offence copes with Juve's defence and it promises to be not only an exciting tie but a very close one.

Bayern is delicate at the back and in this competition it is very important to have a great defence unless you are Real Madrid who have proved otherwise. Then again Real was an offensive juggernaut ala Brasil with the world's best attackers donning the famous white.

Liverpool FC

Preview

UCL/ECC wins : 4

One of Europe's fallen giants that was about to diminish into obscurity is making strides to get back into recognition and contention this season. A club with a rich history and tradition is walking back into Europe's greatest competition and it is walking alone without its ridiculously disastrous coach Gerard Houllier! That should increase Liverpool's bid by a good 25% if nothing else!

Wholesale changes have taken place at Anfield with a young and successful coach taking the helm. Very outspoken and to the point and also not shying away from giving a reality check to the players makes this an interesting start to an era for Liverpool FC. A league title beckons for long as the period is over a decade now and the club is hungry to get back lost glory. The squad is not complete but on its way there. The club's fans should expect at least a strong showing with positive signs towards a WIN in the future.

Offence

1/2

-> Cisse
-> Baros
-> Pongolle
-> Mellor

Hats off to Baros who after a brilliant Euro campaign announced his firm plans to stick with his club and fight for a place knowing that he would not be first choice as Owen was still present. Players like that are rare and he is a great character to have in a squad. Cisse has always pledged loyalty to the Reds making it absolutely clear that Liverpool is the dream, the fantasy that he HAS to fullfil and now he is a RED! Pongolle can learn from these two even though the former two are relatively inexperienced. It is a youthful attack which at this moment needs time and continuity.

Midfield



-> Gerrard
-> Alonso
-> Kewell
-> Garcia
-> Hamann
-> Diao
-> Smicer
-> Nunez

Good balanced and strong midfield especially the starting 4 which is very good and will be a handful for the opposition. Spanish Margherita on the menu and Benitez has brought in Spanish specialists for the job and they have lifted Liverpool in this department from above average to classy. It is a young side throughout which will need time but this crop of players promises to give exciting times to the Anfield faithful.

Defence




-> Hyypia
-> Henchoz
-> Josemi
-> Riise
-> Finnan
-> Traore
-> Carragher
-> Warnock

Liverpool needs two central defenders as their present ones are not good enough if they want to win. The level is low compared to to other rivals in the league and Europe. The fullback department looks set.


Goalkeeper

-> Dudek

Good.


Starting Line-Up


4-4-2


-----------------------Dudek--------------------------
-
--Josemi-------Hyypia--------Carragher----------Riise--
-
--------------Gerrard-----------Alonso-----------------
----Garcia-----------------------------------Kewell----
-
-----------------Cisse--------Baros--------------------


Young side that can play together for years however that mess in the central defence has to be sorted out for good things to happen at Anfield. The coach is smart and knows full well how to optimise with what he is given so Benitez can be expected to strengthen that defence even with what he has. That is what exceptional coaches do and he is one. Liverpool still lacks squad depth however and that will hurt their cause in this season's competition. Their group is evenly balanced so it will be very tight.

Valencia CF

Preview

UCL/ECC wins : 0

Valencia CF can boast to be one of the most complete sides in this tournament. While teams like Barcelona, Milan, Arsenal, Real Madrid are going to be getting the attention the team in Orange is going to be one of the toughest sides to break down in this competition. It has the definition of a TEAM and there have been valued additions that will make it even more tough to break down. The side is built from the back and is so well composed in every area. There isn't flashiness or flair compared to other sides but the team knows how to win. Keep your eyes on this side. They are the current Spanish champions and are going to make one hell of a challenge towards winning the UCL.

Offence

1/2

-> Mista
-> Aimar
-> Di Vaio
-> Corradi

Aimar stands out as the big name in this offence but Mista showed that he can be a handful and contrary to the popular opinion of Di Vaio being a waste of space I tend to believe that if he is given continuity then he will prove otherwise. His pace will be a problem. Aimar playing off the striker be it Mista or Di Vaio can be lethal.

Midfield



-> Baraja
-> Albelda
-> Fiore
-> Vicente
-> Angulo
-> Rufete
-> De Los Santos

That is a brilliant hard working and result oriented midfield that is a match for Europe's best! It is one of Europe's best! Extremely well balanced with young vibrant and class players on the pitch! They can hold on to the ball which is important, win balls and create. All the aspects are there.

Defence




-> Ayala
-> Marchena
-> Torres
-> Aurelio
-> Pellegrino
-> Moretti
-> Navarro

Superb defence and one of the best in the competition. It is very important to have a solid defence. A strong defence alone can save blushes for a team because away goals are precious for opposition and a side that has the ability to shut up shop frequently not only is winning the battle on the field but also a mental battle as the opposition will MORE OFTEN THAN NOT lose concentration and be vulnerable to a goal against the run of play! It is golden to have a world class defence! It is the foundation on which a side is built and Valencia has one hell of a foundation to mount a serious challenge!

Goalkeeper

-> Canizares

No problems here.


Starting Line-Up


4-4-1-1


---------------------Canizares--------------------------
-
--Torres-------Ayala----------Marchena---------Aurelio--
-
--------------Albelda------------Baraja------------------
----Fiore---------------------------------Vicente--------
-
-----------------------------Aimar----------------------
----------------------Mista------------------------------


A Di Vaio-Mista duo could start games as well but for Europe's big showdowns this line-up looks very healthy indeed. The names might not be that big. The reputations might not be that big but this line-up sure does know how to talk on the pitch! Don't underrate them and don't underestimate them. The only worry would be the new coach. Ranieri has to squeeze out the maximum from this class team which is one of the top T E A M S in this competition. The Spanish Armada is coming to Europe to make it third time lucky. Watch out!

Internazionale FC

Preview

UCL/ECC wins : 2

Former AC Parma captain Sabri Lamouchi on joining Inter announced his joy by claiming that I have joined Inter - The team of dreams! Must have smoked some classy F-4 grade pot directly imported from Colombia It was a case of 'another one bites the dust' as he came and went like the wind into the wider unkown valley of darkness. Inter has been blessed with a President with enough money to bring the world's best players to Appiano Gentile but at the same the president has a severe lack of brain matter to judge who to buy and when to buy resulting in a never ending disaster story that dates back for quite some time! Teams have their ups and downs but Inter's bell-shaped curve of form has now changed its shape into a consistent straight line of failure with the expectation line at the start of every season 75 degrees up from that performance line at the end of the season. The ever so familiar statement of This is Inter's year has now become stereotype and is sadly not used that much by Inter's fans. I have had the honour of seeing a couple of Interistas (Italians) smile while saying that during the Summer. Where is the confidence? To their credit they are extremely nice and soft spoken people.

For that very reason this Summer has seen some moves made that should change Inter's fortune for the better and take them to the promised land rather than being stuck in this quick-sand.


Offence



-> Adriano
-> Cruz
-> Martins
-> Recoba
-> Vieri

Adriano will have to carry the offence and the team on his shoulders. Vieri is a FINISHED case. I said that before the Euro and I still hold that statement. He is a million miles from what he used to be. Recoba is not a 'HAS BEEN' player. He is a 'NEVER WAS' . Millions wasted on him for what?? Does Inter have accountants to calculate the millions spent on Recoba to balance what he has returned??? No big club in this world would've tolerated that level of INCONSISTENCY for such an EXTENDED PERIOD. But this only happens at INTER. Cruz played well and played like a team player when given the chance but what does Inter do? Bench him. Only Inter I tell you. Martins will hardly start due to the preference of Vieri and Recoba over him whereas Martins-Adriano is the future.


Midfield



-> Stankovic
-> Emre
-> Van Der Meyde
-> Davids
-> Veron
-> Kily Gonzalez
-> Cambiasso
-> Karagounis
-> Zanetti

Pretty good midfield options but then again when players go to Inter they also pay a visit to the Grim Reaper and get their tombstones prepared in advance. However jokes aside this midfield has pretty good players who can do really really well if they play upto their potential. Davids should give the remaining guys a push to play to their abilities. I have always believed that the mess at Inter is moreso a mental problem and the WILL TO WIN is severely lacking. The standard is just not high enough. The pre-match and post-match comments do not reflect a winning side mentality. Maybe it changes this season but it was not upto standard in the past seasons. The mental approach has to be strong enough and focused enough to translate that energy into positive football. Inter has given me an impression of weaklings playing casually with not much reliance on winning. They have taken that "enjoy the game" factor a bit too seriously to only enjoy and forget about football. I am talking in a broader sense here. Not all players in Inter are like this but most of Cedric the Entertainers are.


Defence




-> Zanetti
-> Materazzi
-> Burdisso
-> Cordoba
-> Mihajlovic
-> Favalli
-> Gamarra
-> Pasquale

What is Mihajlovic doing in Inter? Only Inter I tell you. Mancini came but brought a full brigade of Lazio players with him. Inter's Summer is believed to be a smart one. The only smart buys were Davids, Favalli and Mancini. That is negated by the sale of Cannavaro for free and Mancini bringing in his brigade (Mihajlovic) brings that grand total of a so called Summer to a big fat zero! I know I will be bombarded for saying this but then again I was bombarded for saying that Kily was a $hit purchase.


Goalkeeper

-> Toldo

Pretty good but not worthy enough compared to Carini! Carini is da bomb! He is equivalent to the world class defender and Italian captain. What is Toldo compared to him? The Inter tradition is still alive! Carini should get at least ONE game to warrant his purchase


Starting Line-Up

This will be one tough cookie!

4-4-2


-----------------------Toldo--------------------------
-
--Zanetti-------Cordoba-----Materazzi---------Favalli--
-
-----------------Veron--------Davids------------------
----Stankovic----------------------------Emre---------
-
----------------Adriano-------Recoba------------------


Since this is Inter we are talking about I will make a special exception and try to name my favoured personal 11. The 11 that Inter should play the most for the season (talking about Europe only) IMO. But knowing this is Inter it ain't gonna happen.

-----------------------Toldo--------------------------
-
--Zanetti-------Cordoba-----Burdisso---------Favalli--
-
-------------Stankovic--------Davids------------------
----Van Der Meyde--------------------Emre------------
-
----------------Adriano-------Martins------------------


I don't know how the Inter management works but it is downright ridiculous holding on to TRASH for years. Don't they know how to recycle? Inter fans with due respect tend to overrate some of their players more than they deserve.

Here is my list of rejects and discards who are GOOD FOR NOTHING:

1. Mihajlovic
2. C Zanetti
3. Recoba
4. Vieri
5. K Gonzalez
6. Materazzi

Veron ... we shall see what he is made of. I think he ain't got the minerals and is a luxury. Mancini can kiss up to him all he likes to build his confidence but Veron never struck me as a match winner or a leader. In France '98 he had a mesmeric Ariel Arnaldo Ortega pulling the strings, In S.S Lazio he had Pavel Nedved and when he got the responsibility for Argentina in the Dirty World Cup he bombed. He bombed in Man U (to his defence he was played out of position .. the same position where he played in France '98 by the way) and did the same at Chelsea when given the responsibility and leadership role. So you can add his name there.

Inter doesn't have a high-up with a real set of BALLS who can call these players to his office and tell them YOU'RE OUT!! I am unconventional and forthright and very straight-forward when I say that if Inter needs to change itself then there is a lot of garbage in the house that needs cleaning up and the fans and mgmt alike should realize this and call a spade a spade instead of putting the players on a golden pedestal of ancient Greek Gods while the straight line continues!

I thought Mancini would turn things around. So far he has done some stupid moves that are beyond reasoning which have created doubts in my mind of his credibility. Cuper was the dullest one to coach them but the smartest one as well. He made them look like a team even though the derby results didn't go his way. Other than that he made them look like a team.

Even after all of this is said and done my hunch is that Inter will have a better European campaign than their Serie A campaign. The group is tight and they have got the worst of the fourth pot teams in the shape of Werder Bremen. Valencia is there and Anderlecht isn't a pushover.

There it is guys ... been exhausting but worth the trouble and they are complete way ahead of the first game

Thanx a lot guys

ACMILAN1983 ... it takes time to write these. As an example my last batch of preview writing started at 22:00 tonight and it is 2:30 now Took a 10 min break before the Inter preview.

Are my eyes deceiving me or is this smilie -> the coolest one around I just noticed it!!

Gotta hit the sack and prepare for the opener

Excellent Haroon buddy, you ARE the pride of Milanmania!!!

I'll vote for you for president......... if you can quit those persistant kissings of Schumi's arse.

I've got to defend Materazzi. Yes he's dirty, yes he's out of control, yes he's clumsy, but he's the only defender Inter have who can run a backline, and he actually combined well with Cordoba the year before last. That said, I'm glad Milan aren't stuck with him, and I definitely want him out of the Azzurri. Mancini's purchases were indeed a surprise and a disappointment.

Haroon, get a job writing for some sports paper or hosting a football show. You know more about this game than most of the bozos I have to watch. Faint praise, I know...

I know I will be bombarded for saying this but then again I was bombarded for saying that Kily was a $hit purchase.

And rightly so, he was clearly their best purchase last year and someone who always perform good and work hard.

I must say that you look biased like all other of us, these previews seems to say that we are far better than all other teams which is not true. Now I DO think we have the best team, but the difference is not that big. I will say what I disagree most with.

1. Real Madrid. I would give their defense a bit more, you can't think of their defense with players out injuried. Their starting defense is great, while their subs is not, still samuel with one of their misfits would be good enough.

2. Chelsea. (only comment) I would not say that the problem for the Chelsea midfield is that they lack a leader, I can't come up with why you believe Lampard is less of a leader than Pirlo. Chelsea this far have had the problem of Mourhino being defensive and using way to many middle based players. It should be noted their lack of right sided players, only Geremi have played there in the past. They are very solid, but not particulary spectacular. Let me add that I do not believe that they will play as offensive as you put them in your lineup.

3. Barcelona. first, the question is wether Ronaldinho would be seen as a offensive or midfiel player. Still their offense is their strenght as their whole midfield curtails. I would add a point or half to their offense and take that away from their midfield. Moreso since their midfield lack "hardmen", Motta and Edmilson was supposed to be that and they are both clear stepdowns from Davids. This will leave big holes in their defense, which would be exploited by players like Kaka.

4. Juventus. I am far from agreeing on what you wrote about Juves attack. to being with, they scored more goals than us last year. and that you claim that Zlatan can't create on his own??? Have you even seen him play? He can take on several players on his own and have improved a lot as a target man. Trezeguet is currently known as a better scorer and he can score from practically nothing in a way that is more magical than Inzaghi. ... Actually there is not much I agree with you on when it comes to your Juve review. While their midfield may lack consistant creative sparks I see them no less than Chelsea on that department especially if Oliveira continues like he has began. Then you go on and claim that their "hasbeen" department (also known as defense) is their best teampart. I say that their defense will be saved by having Blasi and Emerson in front of them, more than their own ability. Not to talk about Buffon saving their as time and again. Only Zambrotta is worldclass there at this moment. The rest are all noted among the worst performers last year (except Zebina, who on the other hand was the worst in serie A 2 seasons ago).

5. ManU. think you underrate their defense again by the virtue of judging them after the players that is not ready to play. when all is back they will be a very solid unit with a lot of pace and skill.

6. Roma. I will only say that I think it is very hard to judge them ATM.

7. Porto. Their offense, you think they will overperform this year or what? Derlei comes from a long injury and have proven nothing. McCarthy is just a average player that can have a occasionally good day. Luis Fabiano is unproven and have a temper that is sure to bring him trouble. Alberto is great to watch, but not much of a scorer. Postiga comes from a complete failure in England. I would never rate them higher than Juventus if we do not talk quantity, not to talk about all other teams that you rate them higher than. I belive that Porto is not much of a contender this year.

8. Agree on Liverpool (long since I saw Bayern play), their offense have a serious lack of depth. Just look what happens if Baros and/or Cisse is out. Mellor isn't really a striker (a left winger) and Pongolle is a young unproven player. Both Baros and Cisse likes to run WITH the ball and are very similar in their style, so they lack both options and depth... when I think about it I may even have rated them lower than you.

9. Valencia. I don't rate their defense as highly, individually they are not close to our defense. It is just that Valencia plays a defensive football and loads their midfield with hardworkers. Ayala is their best defender and he would at best be a sub in Milan.

10. Inter. Now here is another wild card, while their players is known, they are full of new names. First of all, I rate their offense higher than you do. It is clearly better than Porto's for instance. While Adriano is a machine I do not count away Vieri that easily. Recoba is not a "never has been", he is a "sometimes is" player, on his day he can take on anyone. and Martins and Cruz are both class to finish up a very strong teampart. I also noticed that you managed to put the failure Van der Meyde in your preffered lineup as you dissed Kily. Hah! I was the one that said that Van der Meyde would fail and that Kily would succed. VDM was never more than a average player that came from a good/great season in Ajax, while Kily is proven internationally for years.

Originally Posted by Josh

If I owned a football team, I would hire Haroon as a highly paid analyst. Congratulations on a professional preview. My hat off to you, young man.

I hope Haroon take this as only a funny comment and a nice praise. Otherwise it shows why you are not an owner of a footall team... but then again, that is just a money issue, RomanA may not be the most prudent user of his money.

Originally Posted by Haroon

There it is guys ... been exhausting but worth the trouble and they are complete way ahead of the first game

good work haroon!

only a few things came to my mind.

Chelsea:
Ok - I know it is randomly picked but...you will never see that lineup. I think Morinho will switch between 4-3-3 (wingers) and erm..something like 4-1-3-1-1. You will only see Kezman as a starter when Robben is fit and they play 4-3-3. He is a bit like Henry who needs to run at the ball. He can't do much against tight defences like Drogba can - or even Guddi.
Oh, and I tend to agree about Lampard not being the ideal creative leader - I wonder whether he will grow into the role -- or if someone like Joe Cole will. As far as I have seen he is more an imaginative 'ball-passer' than Lampard is.

Valencia:
You could have saved youself the entire preview becuase Ranieri is going to f!ck it all up anyway. (I HOPE I am wrong!)

Porto:
Quaresma on the bench? Just a question - not a comment.

Juve:
I agree with Kris here. Obviosuly you haven't seen enough of Zlatan because if there's a player who can create chances on his own - it is Zlatan.



Yay - I can't wait for the show to begin!