Serie A – Round 1 – Strike …two
By David, BettingExpert.com | Edited
After striking for the first round of games the players and Italian football association agreed on signing a temporary deal that will last until the end of the season. Nothing has really been solved but all fans can get back to enjoying the football season after a whole summer of waiting for any contenders to dethrone Milan. The strikes will hopefully only be those on the pitch, and plenty of them.
Roma – Cagliari
Criticism leveled at Luis Enrique may have been justified in the past weeks, having crashed the team out by using fringe players and benching the top ones for most of the double encounter. Fans are already skeptical and with good reason. However, it seems the air has been cleared between the manager and the players.
Totti always seems to clash with the Roma managers. It looks like it is either him who takes centre stage or else he carried along influential players with him in creating contrast with the coach. Not being seen as the central striker in the team has pushed him to clash with the Spanish coach, who had been insisting on Bojan since he provides the speed and defence-slicing which he had envisaged. Totti seems to have won the battle for that role. Bojan and Osvaldo will be taking the flanks and moving in front. Totti is a valid player but he does not make the runs. His inspirational passes should serve the team well but they have not been what Luis Enrique had planned for his Barcelona carbon copy.
There are a number of new players who make go straight into the first Serie A line-up for the ex-Barcelona man’s debut in the league. Pjanic is a great signing and having already trained with Lyon, which kicked off their season in early August, fitness should not be a concern. Apart from him, Bojan, and Osvaldo, along with the first ever Dutch goalkeeper for the Giallorossi, Stekelenburg, the whole left half of the four-man defence will be new to the team. Heinze and Jose Angel.
Cagliari have made less changes. Only El Kabir in the starting line-up should be new to the team. Nonetheless, Cagliari’s president Cellino has contributed to a major change for the Sardegna club, sacking Donadoni after a disagreement on the signing of Suazo.
Verdict: 1
History is all for Roma and despite all the controversy surrounding Luis Enrique and the Roma players I still think they can back those records up. Cagliari should offer a solid display but the managerial change may affect them and contribute to Roma’s success. The Giallorossi have great speed and ability in attack and this can sting their guests.
Palermo – Inter
The victory for the Rosanero against Inter has always been elusive. They usually trouble the Nerazzurri in Sicily but getting it one notch higher is always tough for them. This season they did not start well either with club boss Zamparini going on another rampage of his. His rage targeted the manager, Pioli, who did not even get a chance to see his team run the field in Serie A after taking charge this summer. He did get the team eliminated from the Europa League qualifiers though.
Key midfielder Nocerino got sold on the very final day of the transfer market to Milan. Others departed and that has left the backline of the Rosanero quite weakened. In attack they can still count on talent like Pinilla, Hernandez, Miccoli and Ilicic so they can inflict damage. Bacinovic in midfield is injured though and that will force the caretaker manager to field newcomers Barreto and Della Rocca.
Inter have revolutionized things too, although perhaps not on the levels of those of Palermo. The manager is new and his style of play is something the players will need to adapt to. His three-man defence is already attracting criticism and president Moratti has already hinted at putting pressure on his manager to restore the team to its four-man defence if things don’t work out in the first outings.
Zanetti will be played out of position as one of the three central defenders since Chivu and Cordoba are both injured. Maicon is also sidelined so it will be new signing Jonathan who will cover the right flank, with Nagatomo on the left.
Newcomers Zarate and Forlan, both signed on the final days of the summer transfer market will flank central striker Milito in attack. Pazzini gets benched and spared for the midweek Champions League encounter.
Sneijder will also be warming the bench. His plans to get transferred failed and with new manager Gasperini demanding that he plays on the flanks. The Dutchman dislikes not being employed as a playmaker but there is no role like that in Gasperini’s 3-4-3.
Verdict: Over 2.5
Both teams have made substantial changes and the organization of their defence is their weak point. Goals should not be hard to come by.
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