Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

New La Dea Rising - Serie A 2020-21

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    New La Dea Rising - Serie A 2020-21

    With Gasperini's Atalanta stubbornly refusing to be a one/two/three/four season wonder I think it is now time to name the Serie A thread after them.

    Most striking about this season is the number of clubs starting the new season with the same coach as they finished the last one. In addition to Atalanta we have Milan, Inter, Lazio, Roma, Fiorentina, Verona, Napoli, Bologna, Sassuolo and Sampdoria all opting for continuity over knee jerk changes. In the case of the Milan clubs this was not a foregone conclusion, with Milan flirting with Rangnick since the end of last year and Conte threating to chuck his toys away, well the one called Christian Erickson. I suspect Pioli may well last the longest. Main change of coach, was the end after only one season of the underperforming Sari (never under-estimate the importance of the Coppa) with Zola, sorry Pirlo to replace him. A strange decision to appoint a novice, he does not get his coaching badge until the Autumn, when the squad needs a drastic refresh. Maybe this year we could have a different champion?

    Joining Serie A are Benevento, Crotone and for the first time ever Spezia. The promotion of Benevento sees the return of super Pipo Inzaghi who will try to disprove the idea that he is a better coach at Serie B then A. Joining Serie B are Monza now bankrolled by the oldest swinger in town (Silvio Berlusconi) and a welcome return for Reggiana.


    Last edited by Gert from the Well; 09-09-2020, 07:20. Reason: Added all the teams I missed

    #2
    Especially appropriate as they just got UEFA approval to play their home matches in the Champions League in Bergamo

    Comment


      #3
      Originally posted by Gert from the Well View Post
      Maybe this year we could have a different champion?
      One can only dream. Short answer: No. Juve will win again. They will likely disappoint in the CL again, will provide an excuse for pundits to feel like someone else can win, and they will win again to make it 10 (?) in a row.

      I never pay attention to transfer stuff unless the news is very big (e.g., Messi flirting with leaving), so I only know Roma's transfers that were discussed last season. Roma are kind of like an MLS side: young players that will be sold (not applicable to most MLS players) and old players that are just good enough for Europa League football. Pedro is perfect for the latter and yet Silva, who I think can still be useful, was not a target for Roma and ends up at Lazio. God forbid Roma ever try to replace Totti with a true #10. Instead they love buying old wingers that lack speed, can't stay healthy, and don't score any goals (e.g., Pastore). It's as if Totti retired and Roma decided never to replace that position on the pitch.

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by danielmak View Post
        Pedro is perfect for the latter and yet Silva, who I think can still be useful, was not a target for Roma and ends up at Lazio.
        Good news, he pulled a U-Turn shortly after it was announced and actually signed with Real Sociedad.

        The only reservations I have about Juve repeating their endless boot-stomping on the face of Serie A is installing Pirlo as a first-time coach in an apparent attempt at recreating Pep at Barca has spectacular potential to go tits up dot com and while all the other contenders have their various problems, one of Inter/Lazio/Napoli/possibly even Milan?!? should be strong enough to take advantage if the bed has truly been shat here. If nothing else, Inter's central midfield play should be lovely, Brozovic, Barella, and Sensi with more time to get used to each other is mouth-watering.

        Comment


          #5
          Napoli have coach continuity, too, for what it’s worth.
          Definitely see Inter as the main hope of ending Juve’s run of scudetti, though it’d be brilliant to see someone else have a real go.

          For all Juve’s late-season frailties, Suarez will score goals and they’ll be strong again.

          Comment


            #6
            Reggina update - Kyle Lafferty returns to Italian football. I assume Berlusconi didn't want the competition.

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by Felicity, I guess so View Post
              Napoli have coach continuity, too, for what it’s worth.
              Definitely see Inter as the main hope of ending Juve’s run of scudetti, though it’d be brilliant to see someone else have a real go.

              For all Juve’s late-season frailties, Suarez will score goals and they’ll be strong again.
              Not at all clear he'll be going to Italy.

              Comment


                #8
                Well Pirlo has one his first trophy of the season, voted 'sexiest coach in Serie A' in a poll by, check notes, Joyclub dating site. I have no further comment.

                Comment


                  #9
                  HT: Verona 0-0 Roma

                  Roma are without Dzeko (on the bench due to possible move to Juventus) and are playing Mkhitaryan as the false No.9 and Cristante is playing at centre-half. When they get the ball down they are playing some wonderful football. Despite the loss of three players since last season Verona still look good and the most likely to score.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Finished 0-0 in the end, considering the players Roma had missing they played well, though saved by the woodwork on two occasions,

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Yeah, Roma had players sitting but they laid down a marker that they are all in for a Europa League spot once again.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        HT: Juventus 1-0 Sampdoria

                        Juventus are looking good, Pirlo has them moving the ball really quickly with Ronaldo looking the most mobile I've seen him in a Juventus shirt. Great debut goal from Kulusevski passing the ball into the far corner. Sampdoria holding on but lack the quality to exploit some of the mistakes the Juventus back free are making,

                        Nice stat at the start, Pirlo got his qualification to manage in the top flight this week, Ranieri's first top flight game as a coach was thirty years ago.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          3-0 in the end, with Juventus playing like a Sarri team in parts. Bit unfair on Samp as the second-half performance was more threatening. Oh, and Ramsey had a good game.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Watched a Fiorentina-Torino replay last night, difficult match to judge overall as Torino were awful, presumably because they haven't had much time to work under Giampaolo. They did have good chance when the Viola gave away the ball horribly from a free-kick deep in their own half; Zaza badly overhit a simple ball to Belotti though and it went out of play. Fiorentina has a pretty middling-to-poor first half and then looked much better in the second, Milenkovic in particular showing why he's so highly rated, he's impressively mobile and skilled for somebody so large and the accuracy of his long balls was particularly good. Chiesa also looked better after the break, setting up the only goal of the game with a wonderful hesitation move and drive to the touchline to bend in a beauty of a cross. Man of the match for me was Alfred Duncan, who was playing as the deepest-lying midfielder for the Viola and displayed a wonderful combination of defensive solidity along with the ability to make high-tempo progression-oriented passes, mainly gorgeous bended efforts out to the wings. He also go far enough forward to have a couple long-range drives. Once they get Pulgar and Amrabat ready to play, they should be pretty set in the middle of the park.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Excellent pr?cis

                              Not withstanding his Eminent Edwardian moniker, Duncan is Ghanaian and "only" 27, having previously played at Inter, Samp and Sassuolo

                              Comment


                                #16
                                Roma handed a 3-0 defeat, after misclassifying Diawara as a youth player.

                                Comment


                                  #17
                                  Inter, Lazio and Atalanta are all in Pot C for the CL group draw taking place on October 1st. Last season Napoli were in Pot 2, Inter Pot 3, Atalanta Pot 4 (Juventus in Pot 1 both seasons). Luck of the draw is going to be a big factor.

                                  Comment


                                    #18
                                    HT: Torino 2-3 Atalanta

                                    Papu Gomez with a rocket and assist and Belotti with a brace and only 45 minutes played. The two games last season saw 12 goals, anyone's guess to the final score.

                                    Comment


                                      #19
                                      Now 2-4 with 35 minutes left to play...

                                      Comment


                                        #20
                                        Samp were dreadful against Benevento, despite being 2-0 up after 18 minutes the paucity of the central midfield and centre-halves was enough to gift all the possession and momentum to the visitors. Benevento thoroughly deserved their 2-3 victory and it's already looking like a long season for Sampdoria.

                                        At HT: Inter 1-1 Fiorentina, with the visitors taking the lead after three minutes, with Martinez equalizing deep into injury time.

                                        Comment


                                          #21
                                          Now 2-3, Ribery with two fantastic assists.

                                          Comment


                                            #22
                                            Looking like a long hard season for my il Granata.

                                            Comment


                                              #23
                                              They started OK against Atalanta, but did not have the quality or the energy to last the whole game.

                                              Comment


                                                #24
                                                Finished 4-3 in the end, an enthralling game. That's now 20 goals from the first 4 games of this weeks fixtures.

                                                Comment


                                                  #25
                                                  Roma leading Juve 2-1 at HT, second goal coming after a 3 v 1 break. This Juve defence is not as good as previous seasons.

                                                  Comment

                                                  Working...
                                                  X