Global, Serie A

Derby della Madonnina arrives, but does anyone even care?

With Inter seven points ahead, Ravin Sampat looks forward to this weekend’s Milan derby - but does it even matter? This has been a very interesting week extremely active week in the world of Calcio. Firstly, who would have guessed that by December, Milan would be an astonishing 22 points behind city rivals Inter. Often this season [...]

With Inter seven points ahead, Ravin Sampat looks forward to this weekend’s Milan derby - but does it even matter?

This has been a very interesting week extremely active week in the world of Calcio.

Firstly, who would have guessed that by December, Milan would be an astonishing 22 points behind city rivals Inter. Often this season I have complained about Milan’s lack of a prolific forward. Alas, I cannot do that this week because Milan did not play in the Scudetto, but instead were in action at the Club World Club. Oh, and they scored four goals in the final against a very impressive Boca Juniors side. Does this mean anything? The only good thing coming out of San Siro’s red side is that Kaka won the FIFA World Player of the Year. No doubt, he deserved it, but this was not Milan’s moment, it was Kaká’s. Let us not forget that.

Secondly, Inter continue in their march towards that title. I am sitting here waiting for it to all crumble, but they look like the Arsenal unbeatables of 2003/04, albeit with a different style of football. I think a better comparison can be made with Mourinho’s first season at Chelsea. Energetic, determined, focussed. Mancini has a wealth of talent at that team. Despite threats to Massimo Moratti to buy two players in January to bolster the squad, Inter look a very classy act.

Juventus ended the weekend one point behind Roma, who drew with Juve’s Turin counterparts, Torino. But Roma still have a lot to say in this season’s Scudetto race, though their chances are likely to depend on their Champions League second round encounter. The draw this Friday, along with their Coppa Italia game, may well define how Spalletti approaches the rest of the season. There is no doubt, Roma are very capable.

More often then not, the performances have not been justified with the result. The Roma players put a lot into every game but the role of cup competitions in their season will likely answer the question on ever Roma fan’s lips: Can they win the Scudetto?

Special praise has to be given to Mirko Vucinic, who in place of the injured Totti during October and November, was outstanding in his role upfront, and cemented a place from the fringes of the first team to a more rounded first team squad player. Defensively, Roma are let down. Pace, but no determination. This is key for Roma in their efforts in continuing to push Inter.

Juve on the other hand are somewhat secretly going about their campaign. With no European football to be distracted by, Ranieri may find himself behind Inter now, but come May, he might be smiling when ahead of the champions. Inter have the Champions League to concentrate on, but whole heartedly, winning the Scudetto is more important, reason being if they win it this year, no one will question it. Juventus are back, there are no point deductions and they have not simply been handed the title like the one of two year ago.

Thirdly, the employment of Fabio Capello as England coach was a fantastic coup on the part of the English FA, and a great loss to Serie A.

Results are what matter and Capello focuses on how players perform based on their mental state and determination to commit on a longer-term basis

England fans: Expecting more when they should expect less?

Capello is not regarded as the most attractive football manager when it comes to style of play, but what Capello gives is something so much more. His interviews and pre-match conferences focus on psychology and mentality of players. This is something English football would have seen over the years with Wenger and Ferguson. In terms of style of football, Capello is a man who wants results.

Whilst at Real Madrid, before the mouth-watering prospect of the Barça-Real match the following weekend, the Spanish newspaper El Mundo claimed Capello got the results but that Real needed to play like Barcelona. Capello’s answer was to see his team perform at the Nou Camp as Madrid came back with a 3-3 draw. Results are what matter and Capello focuses on how players perform based on their mental state and determination to commit on a longer-term basis.

Emerson, his much-admired anchorman who joined him at Roma, Juventus and Real Madrid, claimed their relationship was strictly football based. Emerson was Capello’s protector in the mould that Lippi described Deschamps as his ”water carrier”. Outside of this, no relationship existed. Capello will certainly bring professionalism back to the England team. He wanted the job, unlike Jose Mourinho, who toyed with the English FA over the position and then rejected it. Capello stated from the outset that he would want it.

Every challenge he has taken on has been a difficult one. At Milan, he took over after the success of Arrigo Saachi, a man who created the modern day version of Ancelotti’s 4-1-2-1-2 system. In the European Cup final of 1992, I remember expecting Barcelona, led by Johan Cryuff, to demolish Milan in the final. Instead, I witnessed Savićević lob Zubizerretta, and Milan win 4-0.

At Roma, he took the helm with no expectations on him. But with money and a greatly assembled squad, he did what Roma fans had never anticipated. Not only did they win the Scudetto, but anyone who knows Italian football knows Capello won that title in style. The football was fantastic to watch, the players determined, and it was that season that we saw the rise of a now world-class player in Francesco Totti. Don Fabio’s seemingly ‘boring’ stints at Madrid have been largely down to the media portrayal of his tactics - and Capello does not care. My example of the game against Barça last season or his time in 1997 when he dropped Mijatovic for ”his own good” only helped Real. At Juventus, he job was to win the title, and did so. Of course, the titles were rescinded, but who cares, that was nothing to do with Capello. England fans may now have hope for the future.

So the weekend is drawing near, and these will sadly be the last remaining fixtures in Serie A before the winter break. The game of the weekend is, of course, the Milan derby.

Over the years, these games have more often than not produced some fantastic football matches for the neutral. Milan need to win. Being 22 points behind, with three games in hand, they must win them all and realistically they cannot afford to drop many further points on the way to the finish line. But even if this is achieved, Inter must lose a game, and as the facts show, they have not lost one in the league yet. Milan have so many problems at the moment. Ronaldo is reportedly on the verge of exiting the club, an extremely confusing situation. The club rushed him back from injury but now they want to sell him. January is just around the corner, and we shall see how the Milanese giants plunge into the transfer market if they do at all.

At the crux of the derby will be the midfield battle. Pirlo and Gattuso will be up against Cambiasso and Zanetti. Inter have the strength of a strong squad which means the midfield can be one of three types: a counter-attacking midfield using fast wingers, a containing midfield using three holding players, or a pressing midfield using a mix of pace, technique and grit. Milan’s midfield is almost as old as their backline. Gattuso and Pirlo will hold, Ambrosini will run like a marathon runner, and Seedorf will adopt a free role. It will be interesting to see Milan adopt a 4-3-1-2 against Inter, taking the game to the Nerazzuri. I think over the 90 minutes however, Inter have the ability to mix it up. Up-front they can call on Cruz, Suazo or Crespo, with Zlatan likely to start. The game is being hyped up but the realities of the league table do not do justice to this hyperbole.

Milan are hurt, wounded animals; Inter are fresh, and have won five times in a row. But with Milan 22 points behind and Inter on a roll, does the Milan derby even matter? Even if Inter lose, will it make a significant difference? This game is more about bragging rights than anything else. The blue side or the red side? On current form, Inter will take this game, but no one can discount Milan on the big stage.

Form book
Inter: W W W W W
Milan: L W D W D

Arrivederci

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FIXTURES
Fiorentina - Cagliari
Genoa - Parma
Inter - Milan TV
Juventus - Siena
Livorno - Atalanta
Napoli - Torino
Palermo - Lazio
Reggina - Catania
Roma - Sampdoria
Udinese - Empoli

RESULTS
Atalanta 1-3 Palermo
Cagliari 0-2 Inter
Catania 2-0 Udinese
Empoli 1-1 Genoa
Lazio 2-3 Juventus
Milan P-P Livorno
Parma 3-0 Reggina
Sampdoria 2-2 Fiorentina
Siena 1-1 Napoli
Torino 0-0 Roma

Quote of the week: ”I am afraid for the England players. Capello will scare them and get them from stars to world stars. It’s a long journey, but Don Fabio will get them there”. [Totti on Rai Uno]

Goal of the week: Donadel (Fiorentina) against Sampdoria

Player of the week: Alex Del Piero

Team of the week: Inter