Rafa Watch

[Zapater]

Can't be bothered making a proper post, but I just had to mention that I found it hilarious that someone is making a case for Inter not having a good enough squad depth. When they're missing all kind of players and started with 8 internationals and 2 youth international. On their bench, 3 full internationals and 2(?) youth internationals. Most teams with those kind of injuries could only dream about fielding a team like that.

Ageing or not, there's still enough quality in this Inter squad to win trophies; I think that's fairly undebatable.

[red g]

What changed since my first post in this thread?

I had a look at the squad and compared it with the other top clubs.

Inter weakened the team and the rivals got stronger.

I watched a lot of Serie A games and saw that the referees changed what is allowed on the pitch by a mile or so. From being a slow paced game with a lot of free kicks it is now much quicker and a lot fewer free kicks. Something that doesn't suit Inter at all with so many older players.

The referee thing is a key point because it affects the whole game and what type of players it suits.

Also I think the grass is a bit longer now this season as well. It doesn't suit Rafa's attacking pressing play.

[Craig_H]

The goal posts are a bit whiter too, and the ball is slightly rounder.

[Mattshark]

One relevant point there. The injuries have to be taken into account. But to say as Arn does that Moratti must spend £100m to challenge again is a joke. Regardless of injureis, Rafa is not cuttinmg it at present with the players he does have available.

Well that is intrinsically tied to the lack of depth and they have lost players without really getting replacements, which is a problem.

And yes 100m is ridiculous, 2 or 3 players to boost the depth would do fine.

[Darkon]

The whole ageing squad thing is a bit much IMO, The average age of Inter's first team squad is 26.59 years, and that is including their two reserve keepers of 37 and 39 years of age. Tbh. ~27 years is a good average age indicating both young and experienced players in the squad, and while many of the young players are not getting a chance, it's not the same as an old squad. On comparison our squad is 26.33 years old on average, and I wouldn't say we have an ageing squad.

Rafa have the hardest act to follow, no doubt about it, and many times such a succesful team have a hard time getting in form the season after, and not least in the CL where the famous winners-curse are present.

But Rafa have unfortunatly not done well so far, and trailing by 10 points close to halfway in the season, is a lot poorer than anyone expected Inter to do. Such a succesful squad perhaps need change, and Fergie has partly remained a succes in manchester because he has always been willing to ship away his stars that have won all and replace them with hungry players, and that is perhaps a problem with the Inter squad right now.

I hope Rafa gets to win the World Club thing, to get some positive running and come back to the serie a with it. He is facing a huge challenge to get back on track this season, and I hope he gets the time to turn it around.

oh and also: :haha @ the ref thing

[Rich]

Point scoring by posters on both sides of the Rafa debate is a little pathetic IMO.

Love Rafa but he's struggling to follow in Mourinho's footprints - no shame in that.

Virtually all the players won the lot last season that'll be mentally and physically difficult to get over, add into the mix the terrible injury list and I think it goes some way to explaining the current situation there.

I don't think Rafa will be there next season and it'll go down as his first real failure post Valencia. But so what, he's still a manager out of the top drawer.

[The_weatherman]

Well that is intrinsically tied to the lack of depth and they have lost players without really getting replacements, which is a problem.

And yes 100m is ridiculous, 2 or 3 players to boost the depth would do fine.

Where they failed IMO was investing in one or two top players to freshen up the squad and keep the hunger, they just won a treble and played a lot of games plus a world cup, one or two top players would have freshened things up a bit IMO.

[anfieldreds]

The Spaniard's position at the San Siro has become a subject of debate with the European champions only sitting sixth in Serie A. But Reina, who played for Benitez for five years at Liverpool, believes Inter could yet win a sixth successive Scudetto and has urged them to heed a lesson from his compatriot's time at Valencia.

"Rafa is a great manager," Reina told ESPNsoccernet. "I remember when he was at Valencia, he had a match to save at the Montjuic, Espanyol's [old] ground, they were losing 2-0 at half-time. They won their game 3-2 and they won the league that season [2001-2].

[Arn]

The goal posts are a bit whiter too, and the ball is slightly rounder.

One suggestion. Watch a few Serie A games

The referees allow much more on the pitch now. That is a fact.

That means that it will suit some players and don't suit others. You need to build the squads in a different way just as you would need to do if you built a squad in Spain or England because it is a different game.

When the referees change what is allowed then they change game a lot. It was boring to watch before but now you can enjoy to watch the games again because it flows much better.

If the referees changed what is allowed in England and give more free kicks for example then it wouldn't suit squads that is built to play physical for example. Then they would have to change and sell some players and sign others to suit the new times.

You are really fun Craig that don't believe it affects some squads very much when the referees change the style of the games.

Why do you think Eto'o and Ibra totally dominates out there? The reason is that the new much quicker games suits them very much. Eto'o can use his speed in a totally different way now. He couldn't do that last season because they were up against much more organized defences and the reason was less counter attacks because of all the free kicks.

Watch a few Serie A games

Look at the way Inter have built the squad. Not much pace is it? Many slow players. Look at the way Napoli built their squad. A lot of pace. That means that it suits Napoli much better and don't suit Inter as much.

Look at the type of players the top clubs signed up. Not many slow players. They signed up skilful and quick players. Like Ibra, Robinho, Krasic, Hernanes, Cavani etc.

[Tee]

Just utterly laughable arguments Arn. I ama big Rafa fan as well but FFS.... milk in a bottle mate.

[Drago]

Stuck £20 on Inter to win the league at 5/1. They're far too good to be playing like this and have the cash to make big changes in January.

Have a feeling the manager will be one of those changes though.

[Craig_H]

One suggestion. Watch a few Serie A games

The referees allow much more on the pitch now. That is a fact.

That means that it will suit some players and don't suit others. You need to build the squads in a different way just as you would need to do if you built a squad in Spain or England because it is a different game.

When the referees change what is allowed then they change game a lot. It was boring to watch before but now you can enjoy to watch the games again because it flows much better.

If the referees changed what is allowed in England and give more free kicks for example then it wouldn't suit squads that is built to play physical for example. Then they would have to change and sell some players and sign others to suit the new times.

You are really fun Craig that don't believe it affects some squads very much when the referees change the style of the games.

Why do you think Eto'o and Ibra totally dominates out there? The reason is that the new much quicker games suits them very much. Eto'o can use his speed in a totally different way now. He couldn't do that last season because they were up against much more organized defences and the reason was less counter attacks because of all the free kicks.

Watch a few Serie A games

Look at the way Inter have built the squad. Not much pace is it? Many slow players. Look at the way Napoli built their squad. A lot of pace. That means that it suits Napoli much better and don't suit Inter as much.

Look at the type of players the top clubs signed up. Not many slow players. They signed up skilful and quick players. Like Ibra, Robinho, Krasic, Hernanes, Cavani etc.

You patronising twunt

I watch plenty of Serie A games Arn.

Everyone is laughing at your pathetic suggestions and excuses - take a look mate.

[Maxiedge]

Arn, we're trying to help you out here. Go with these instead:

Love Rafa but he's struggling to follow in Mourinho's footprints - no shame in that.

Virtually all the players won the lot last season that'll be mentally and physically difficult to get over, add into the mix the terrible injury list and I think it goes some way to explaining the current situation there.

I don't think Rafa will be there next season and it'll go down as his first real failure post Valencia. But so what, he's still a manager out of the top drawer.

Where they failed IMO was investing in one or two top players to freshen up the squad and keep the hunger, they just won a treble and played a lot of games plus a world cup, one or two top players would have freshened things up a bit IMO.

[Chris]

The referees allow much more on the pitch now. That is a fact.

Is it?!

Theres plenty of valid excuses out there, theyve been torn apart from injuries and as I said earlier you only need to look at Bayern Munich and Chelsea to see the impact it can have as well as Inter. Sneijder has never struck me as that fit and he looks completely exhausted after all the big games last season then getting to the World Cup final. They weakened the squad in the summer. etc etc

But, he's made mistakes aswell, despite the injuries they should still be beating teams like Brescia and Lecce, leaving Maicon exposed against Bale in the second game was awful after what happened the first time etc.

But come on, this referee stuff is absolutely laughable. Its even more laughable when the team currently top of the league is slow as ****, Pirlo, Gattuso, Seedorf, Nesta, Zambrotta, Ambrosini, surely these new referee rules would **** Milan up aswell?

[Vermilion]

You patronising twunt

I watch plenty of Serie A games Arn.

Everyone is laughing at your pathetic suggestions and excuses - take a look mate.

You speaking for all of Est now too ?