Inter vs Man City

[Gibbo]

Just watching it as i have nothing better to do with my time,
Patrick Viera just got sent off, and I saw an image of Rafa on the line doing his hand movements in his Inter suit, and i could help but think

I miss you, you fat goateed man.
Just a thought on the goatee, if the rumours are true - reckon if we win the league he will still shave it.

[Shaggy]

Yeah 3-0, was just gonna post about this. Actually I still am doing...

BALTIMORE, Maryland (AFP) – Nigerian winger Nsofor Victor Obinna scored one goal and set up another to lead reigning European champion Inter Milan past 10-man Manchester City 3-0 in a football friendly on Saturday.

Obinna opened the scoring in the 38th minute and fired a shot in the 54th minute that deflected off the leg of Manchester City defender Joleon Lescott and into the net, the Englishman helpless to deny the goal.

Cristiano Biraghi finished the scoring in the 74th minute, blasting home a 35-meter shot into the upper left corner of the goal.

"I am really pleased with the performance of the team. They played really well," Inter manager Rafael Benitez said. "Our idea is to improve our fitness and also give time to our young players on the pitch. We got to do both."

Manchester City, which will open the Premiership campaign against Tottenham in two weeks, was without manager Roberto Mancini, who departed Friday because of a family illness and was replaced by assistant Brian Kidd.

The English Premier League side went down a man in the 21st minute when Patrick Vieira, a Senegalese-born Frenchman, was given a red card for a hard foul against Marco Materazzi.

"Pat was going for the ball," Kidd said. "It's difficult for the referees. It's split-second. But there was no intent there."

City, playing the final match of a pre-season US tour, used reserve goalkeeper Joe Hart in the first half and starter Shay Given in the second.

"Certainly playing a man down was too hard too overcome," Given said.

Inter forward Mario Balotelli, the 20-year-old striker whom reports have linked to a possible move to City, was not in uniform.

The match attracted 36,569 spectators, the largest crowd of City's US tour, to the home pitch of American football's Baltimore Ravens.

CITY: Hart (Given 46mins), Zabaleta, Kompany (Ireland 79), Toure Kolo (Boyata 63) , Bridge (Cunningham 46); Vieira, Toure Yaya (Lescott 46), Barry (Wright-Phillips 55); Johnson, Jo (Richards 29mins), Adebayor.

INTER: Castellazzi, Zanetti, Cordoba, Materazzi, Chivu, Mariga, Cambiasso, Obi, Coutinho, Pandev, Obinna.

GOALS: Inter – Obinna (39mins) Lescott (og, 54mins) Biraghi (74mins); BOOKINGS: City - Kompany (19mins) Zabaleta (61mins), Inter – Pandev (19mins), Chivu (31). SENT OFF: City – Vieira (24mins). REFEREE: Baldomero Toedo (Mexico). ATTENDANCE: 36,569.

All the action here:

http://www.freesoccerhighlights.com/soccer/highlights/2010/07/31/inter-milan-3-0-manchester-city-friendly-match-saturday-july-31-2010/

Maybe merge with the Rafa thread? I think it's gonna be a popular thread next season.

[Fernandinho]

what are you doing up shaggy???

[Shaggy]

It's 6.55am man, nothing too outrageous. You do know I have an 18 month old kid right?

[Fernandinho]

Didn't think of that, I just assumed every Pom would have been out drinking beer last night and wouldn't dare be up this early

[Shaggy]

Those days are mainly behind me.

[Fernandinho]

Sad times ahead

[Shanks]

Even with 10 men, that was a very strong City side...

[IN_RAFA_WE_TRUST]

..

[Shaggy]

Materazzi is one cheating cunt, that was never a red card.

Rafa looks sooooooo wrong in charge of them.

[Shaggy]

We need a Rafa Watch thread.

And yet, in Niketown NYC last Thursday when Inter unveiled its new kit for the upcoming season, the Benitez I met couldn't have been more different. Relaxed, beaming and happily settled into his new job and life in Milan, Benitez looked comfortable in his new role, and excited to start anew, although there was still clearly a touch of the melancholy about his time on Merseyside when asked how he and his family were adjusting to life in Italy.

"They are still in England and so they still have time. We are looking around for a house [in Milan]. We're from Spain so I think we'll be OK [with the adjustment to Italy], but we were really happy in Liverpool, really pleased, but they think Milan will be a nice city.

"I am sure we will go [to Merseyside] on holidays, but I'd like to stay for a long time with Inter which will mean that maybe we'll be successful. But we still have our house in England since we were really happy and the family were settled down there really well."

Full article:

NEW YORK -- By the time Rafael Benitez's six-year tenure as manager at Liverpool drew to a close this summer, it was clear to longtime observers of Benitez that he was a changed man from the once-quietly confident Spaniard that had first walked through the doors at Anfield. Appearing visibly stressed at times, the constant political infighting with the club's board, and the continuous criticism from sections of the English media seemed to have finally taken its toll. When he succeeded Jose Mourinho at the helm of Inter Milan in June, one wondered if he would have been best served taking a year off and recharging his batteries instead.

And yet, in Niketown NYC last Thursday when Inter unveiled its new kit for the upcoming season, the Benitez I met couldn't have been more different. Relaxed, beaming and happily settled into his new job and life in Milan, Benitez looked comfortable in his new role, and excited to start anew, although there was still clearly a touch of the melancholy about his time on Merseyside when asked how he and his family were adjusting to life in Italy.

"They are still in England and so they still have time. We are looking around for a house [in Milan]. We're from Spain so I think we'll be OK [with the adjustment to Italy], but we were really happy in Liverpool, really pleased, but they think Milan will be a nice city.

"I am sure we will go [to Merseyside] on holidays, but I'd like to stay for a long time with Inter which will mean that maybe we'll be successful. But we still have our house in England since we were really happy and the family were settled down there really well."

At Inter, Benitez couldn't have chosen a harder act to follow. Coming off a two-year span under Mourinho, the Nerazzurri have swept all before them, culminating in last season's spectacular treble. In a sense, you have to wonder if Benitez isn't setting himself up in a lose-lose situation. Win the treble again and he'll have merely matched Mourinho's achievements with what would be considered largely Mourinho's players. Anything less and he'll have fallen short, or even worse, perceived to have failed. However, comparisons with Mourinho are not a concern that seems to trouble him.

"You have to also give credit to the players, because for years they had been winning already. They were winning with [Roberto] Mancini, they were winning with Mourinho, so credit to them," said Benitez. "We have the majority of players still, so if we can keep winning, for me it means that, yes, the club is strong enough. It's not talking about if you win, it was [solely down to] the manager or the coach, the players will play a key part in this situation."

Although the personnel remains largely the same (minus a couple of potential moves this week that could see forward Mario Balotelli leave the club, and the possible arrival of defensive midfielder Javier Mascherano from Liverpool for a fee in the $35 million-range), expect Benitez to make some minor tweaks to the Inter system. It's still uncertain if he'll adopt his favored 4-2-3-1 formation, but it's clear that he wants to improve Inter's ability to retain the ball.

"The team is a good team, that is obvious, everyone knows this. The way that they played last season was good for them because they were winning. Talking with the players, speaking with a lot of people around the club, maybe we can improve a little bit on things and keep the things they were doing well. Part of this idea will be to have more possession if we can, so we will try."

As for former club Liverpool, there's no doubt that it retains a place in Benitez's heart, even after his acrimonious departure. On his way out, Benitez wished the team well and mentioned that he wasn't surprised to see star striker Fernando Torres re-commit to at least the upcoming campaign, but did note that "I was speaking with Fernando before and I know he wanted to win trophies and he wanted to play in the Champions League, so it was a difficult situation for him."

[Baracus]

What ever happend to the Evans or Ged Houilleur watch?

Mancini to Get Sacked and Rafa to takeover

[Assassin]

We need a Rafa Watch thread.

[Shaggy]

I see Inter lost 3-2 to Panathinaikos in a friendly the other day, the goalscorers for the Greek side were Djibril Cisse with 2, and Sebastian Leto with the other.

[Mike]

You cant make this stuff up.