Serie A 2009-10

Yogi, I read a match preview which said Sneijder may be available for tomorrow's game vs Barcelona.

Here is a blog from the Guardian doing what was discussed here in praising Parma's start to the season but also describing how the club have rebuilt themselves this year:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/20...-sister-serie-a

I have an extraordinary group of players," said the Parma manager, Francesco Guidolin, afterwards, though a quick glance down his squad list suggests he should be giving himself rather more credit. His is a group cobbled together in great part through loans and free transfers, made up of unproven youngsters supported by journeymen who might not be over the hill quite yet but several of whom are certainly approaching the summit.

That is not to say there is no talent within the team. The 24-year-old midfielder Daniele Galloppa won his second Italy cap against Sweden and is wanted by Inter, Valeri Bojinov is displaying the kind of form that persuaded Manchester City to buy him in 2007 and Alberto Paloschi, injured on Saturday, has shown great promise. Christian Panucci will turn 37 in April, but might just be the value signing of a summer, acquired on a free after being released by Roma and still more than capable of mixing it at this level.

More than anything, though, the players just seem motivated. The captain Stefano Morrone makes up for his limited talent by setting about his defensive duties in midfield with a rare enthusiasm. McDonald Mariga provides relentless box-to-box running wherever he is deployed. Cristian Zaccardo's sheer persistence from the right wing-back position, rather than any great display of pace or creativity, proved arguably the most important element in unlocking a Fiorentina defence that had previously conceded just twice at home all season.

Francesco Guidolin has always been a wily manager so maybe we all should not be too surprised with his current success at Parma even if he does not have the most talented roster around. Players like Panucci are just perfect for a club like Parma. They still can play, set good examples for the younger players and have enough of a chip on their shoulder to show the rest of the league they can still play.

Palermo were not the only club making a coaching move, Siena have changed their coach on Monday for the 2nd time this season. Alberto Malesani now has the tough job of trying to save this team, currently on the bottom of the table.

Here is an article saying Luca Toni wants out of Bayern Munich, where he does not play, and wants to return to Italy so he can regain his spot on the national team:

http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/news?slug=a...v=afp&type=lgns

Toni hints at a move to Roma. But do they have the money to sign him?

No, they don't. And they already have Vucinic.

Toni would have been back in Italy last January if anyone had been willing to pay Bayern's asking price, but no one appears inclined to do so.

Toni's problem is that too many people have seen him play!

Van Gaal has told Toni he is free to leave in January. So let us see if someone is willing to fork over some money for him. If not Bayern may have to look to loan him out for a half a year. Toni needs to leave Munich and get some playing time if he wants to make the World Cup.

And Luca Toni is not the only Azzurri veteran not happy with his current playing time with his club. Gennaro Gattuso is not happy he's been odd man out in Milan's midfield,

http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/news?slug=a...v=afp&type=lgns

Gattuso is unhappy at no longer being an automatic first choice in the Milan team after 11 seasons at the club.

"I'm Rino Gattuso and I shouldn't have to wait until someone is injured to be able to play," he told reporters.

"I still feel strong and I'm disappointed to not be showing that but I won't accept the thought that I am no longer indispensible.

"Will I go? There's still five or six matches to go before the Christmas break, I have to talk to the club and with (vice-president Adriano) Galliani because it's not nice after 11 years to play only occasionally."

Gattuso has made only seven starts in Milan's 20 matches this season and has played only 37 minutes of their five Champions League matches, although he has had some small injuries and a suspension.

In coach Leonardo's preferred 4-4-3 formation he has been competing with club captain Massimo Ambrosini and Mathieu Flamini for the third midfield spot alongside Andrea Pirlo and Clarence Seedorf.

And with former England captain David Beckham due to arrive in the new year, midfield competition is set to get even tougher for the former Rangers player.

As we were discussing several months back, Gattuso looks a half step slower this year so his challenges instead of being well timed are now often just a bit late and result in a foul. There is a reason Ambrosini and Flamini are playing more often than he.

The weekend calendar;

Saturday
Udinese v Livorno
Genoa v Sampdoria

Sunday
Lazio v Bologna
Inter v Fiorentina
Chievo v Palermo
Cagliari v Juventus
Atalanta v Roma
Parma v Napoli
Bari v Siena
Catania v Milan

The Genoa derby should be a good match this weekend. Hard to figure Genoa out this season though as the last month and a half they've been pretty inconsistent. But a local derby is as good a time as any to turn your season around.

Inter after their poor game in Spain come home to play Fiorentina, the one Italian club who won this week in the Champions League. Parma should have another good test this weekend playing Napoli, a team who since their coaching change look like a different club. Palermo and Siena are both on the road debuting new coaches in league play while Milan travel to Catania. About Gattuso, I do agree with raconteur, he has lost a little speed but I would hope he can stay with Milan, the club will need quality depth but with his eyes on the World Cup, Gattuso is getting ansy for more playing time.

Genoa dominated Sampdoria in winning 3-0. And they did it while defending a 1-0 lead for most of the 2nd halfwhile playing down a man following Biava's 2 yellow cards. Even down a man they increased their lead through Rossi. Towards the end Sampdoria lost 2 of their own players so the game finished 10 vs 9 and Genoa grabbed a 3rd goal. Yogi, with this win genoa are now only a point behind Sampdoria and are in 5th place awaiting what Fiorentina and Parma do on Sunday. I was really mpressed with Criscito the Genoa left wing back, he was very dangerous going forward yet defended well when needed. And Cassano? He was there in body only.

A pretty fascinating weekend in Serie A. Inter beats Fiorentina 1-0 with a penalty by Diego Milito after he flopped inside the penalty area and the ref bought it. Gilardino hit the post for Fiorentina. Juve lose 2-0 at Cagliari as Nene scored on a wonderful long distance shot then Alessandro Matri in the 89th minute wrapped up the win for the Sardignans but not before Cagliari goalie Federico Marchetti saved a well taken Del Piero free kick and showed why he has now become Gigi Buffon's backup with the Azzurri. Juve's loss combiend with Inter's win means there is now 8 points separating the clubs before next weekend's game between them.

Milan have jumped ahead of Juve into 2nd but only due to Klaaas Jan Huntelaar, (yes remember him?), scoring 2 goals in injury tiem to give Milan a 2-0 win over Catania. Even I a Milan fan think that win was hardly merited.

Parma and Napoli drew 1-1 and in Saturday's game as discussed Genoa beat Sampdoria 3-0. But what was not said was 2 of Genoa's goals came from penalties committed by the same player, Sampdoria's Reto Zeigler!

The defender put an arm on Milito but he did go down easily, tough way for Fiorentina to lose the points in that game. If you are going to foul an attacker inside the area, get your money's worth like Reto Zeigler did, not once but twice! Two penalties conceded in a local derby, now that is what I call a nightmarish game!

A nightmare pretty well sums up Zeigler's game for Sampdoria. You guys are right, Genoa were not that far back before their weekend win so now they are back up in that group fighting for a Europa or maybe even a Champions League place. I was thinking they had dropped farther behind but their good start to the season has helped them keep up even during their recent slump. Good game from Genoa's Criscito as enganche noticed. He's building up some solid credentials to make the trip to South Africa next summer. And so is Cagliari's keeper Marchetti, who really has jumped ahead of all of the other contenders to be Buffon's national team backup. Cagliari are quietly putting together a pretty good season.

Huntelaar may have kept himself in Milan with his 2 late goals. It looked like he was headed out in January but those two goals, the first with some help from Andujar the Ccatania keeper, the 2nd a beautiful chip over the goalie's head, might convince Milan to keep Huntelaar as an alternative to Inzaghi and Borriello.