Sampdoria – Lazio
Serie A
Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris
20:45 CET
www.myp2p.eu

So here we are, once again, at the dawn of a new season. Serie A is already underway with Genoa grabbing the three points in Udine and relegation favourites, Rioma sharing the spoils with Scudetto wannabees, Cesena. Yes, you could say there is something amiss about that sentence but there are no easy games in Serie A anymore, especially not on the opening weekend and we can certainly take nothing for granted when we tackle Sampdoria tomorrow evening.

TEAM NEWS
All signs point to an incredibly attack-minded approach from Edy Reja although I say that with caution as the 3-4-2-1 he looks set to implement could so very easily revert into a 5-2-3. Personally, I am worried. First things first, this is an away game and in away games, I would like to see Brocchi on the field with the sole task of winning the ball back off the opposition. Instead, we are likely to see Ledesma, Matuzalem, Zarate and Hernanes all working together in a confined space, all of whom are creative players who like to push forward. This is a narrow system if ever I saw one, if it gets any more compact in there, the FIGC will be introducing on-field congestion charges. I cannot for the life of me understand how it could even be considered as a feasible formation. With this philosophy, Cristiano’s tip that Floccari could find himself being the capocannoniere come the end of the season is a sturdy bet. However, it would most certainly come at a cost.

Let’s try and restore some optimism by running through the probable teamsheet. Muslera, as always, will be the safe pair of hands between the sticks. Nowadays, Radu doesn’t need to be informed that he starts and he should be joined by Dias and surely to the dismay of many, Biava. Stendardo will make the bench at best it seems. The centre of the midfield has already been discussed and flanking those boys will be the ever reliable Lichtsteiner and the never reliable (in terms of fitness and I would stress in terms of fitness) Del Nero. Floccari is preferred to Rocchi in attack. Keep one eye on that situation over the coming days; Sergio is the main man, rumour has it Tommaso has requested to play the vast majority of our games this season or he will quit the club, Maurito is linked with Tottenham who are incidentally prepared to spend in excess of 20 million euro on a new striker and Santa Cruz is inbound. In a word, problematic.

Lazio (3-4-1-2): Muslera, Radu, Dias, Biava, Del Nero, Ledesma, Matuzalem, Lichtsteiner, Zarate, Hernanes, Floccari.

THE OPPOSITION
Gigi Delneri built a team on simple values. Samp played 4-4-2, when going through the middle, they looked for the underpants (Cassano) and they would regularly spread the ball out wide and whip crosses into Pazzini. It was predictable but it was effective, it stopped them from losing any home games last season and it won them a spot in the Champions League qualifying rounds. Under Di Carlo, most pundits will tell you they will lose some of their formidability. Cristiano agrees and as it happens, so do I. That is not to say we should expect anything from the game tomorrow because frankly, we shouldn’t. However, over the course of the season, I do believe they will struggle and after a disappointing and tiring exit from Europe’s main competition, they have wounds for us to deepen. In saying that, with our formation, we look like we could also be carved open with ease.

Samp are expected to come out with a 4-3-1-2 with Guberti in a trequartista role. I am slightly surprised as I would have expected them to prepare to use width against us. They may still do but it does appear as though Mimmo is running scared to a degree and wants to counteract our creativity. That can be done when you have a player like Palombo in your team. My point earlier was that Reja thinks differently to most Italian coaches and by not having Brocchi in the team when playing against a side who has Palombo at their disposal, you are conceding defeat in particular battles before you even begin. Whether that is brave or stupid remains to be seen. What I would be keen to reiterate is that this is, give or take, the same squad that nabbed the Blucerchiati 4th place last season. You don’t suddenly become a bad team in a few months. I expect a stubborn defense, a controlled midfield and need I say any more on their forward line?

Sampdoria (4-3-1-2): Curci, Ziegler, Lucchini, Gastaldello, Zauri, Dessena, Palombo, Semiolo, Guberti, Cassano, Pazzini.

THE VERDICT
For me, this game goes one of two ways. Either the opposition come out of the blocks slow and sluggishly and we take advantage of any rustiness they possess from their midweek fixture or we find ourselves on the end of a lethal backlash to stare at a two or three goal deficit within long. That is pessimistic, yes, but it is also realistic. They will have two of the best forwards in world football looming large in the penalty area all day and if they take the initiative, it will quickly become a case of damage limitation. An early goal would settle our nerves and put us firmly in the driving seat but that is easier said than done against this defense. I cannot even begin to call this one but I can hope for the best. Forza Lazio!

So you may of noticed that in the past few days the Italy Offside hasn’t really been updated. And some of you may have disappointed, while others were probably saying “yes that stupid blog isn’t being updated! finally!”. But the fact of the matter is, I haven’t been updating because I’ve been working on this season preview. It might seem easy to write up a brief summary on the 20 Serie A clubs, but it isn’t, trust me (especially when you just decide to write everything from memory like I did. I promise I did not look up one single thing). Another problem is the transfer window isn’t even over yet, so if I bash some team and then next week they make excellent last minute signings and have a great season, I look dumb. So just remember that this preview is pre-transfer window closing. I think I say this every year, but this Serie A season is shaping up to be very interesting. Inter come off the greatest season in their history and start anew with Benitez, 11 of the 20 Serie A sides decided to hire a new manager, no more moviola on tv, Zlatan Ibrahimovic might be back in Milan but with a different jersey, and there are already people betting on who the first manager sacked will be (I’m going with Cesena’s Massimo Ficcadenti). So, sit back, relax, and read my Serie A preview (if you want of course).

Bari

Last season Bari returned to the top flight for the first time in 8 years and were one of the revelations of the season. Giampiero Ventura’s side played an attractive style of play home and away, and weren’t afraid to really attack the big teams. Fast forward to this season, and it’s hard to say if Bari can have a similar season. A big problem is that they lost their great defensive pairing from last season of Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Ranocchia (they went to Juventus and Genoa respectively). Those two young starlets were a big reason why Bari did well and without them their defense isn’t as strong, especially since they didn’t do the best job of replacing them on the transfer market (Marco Rossi and Andrea Raggi are nothing special). Giampiero Ventura spent all summer praising Sebastian Giovinco in the press and stating his intent to sign him over and over again, but in the end the small fantasista never showed up. It’s a shame, because he really could have given Bari that extra attacking edge, especially since their current attack lacks flair besides Edgar Barreto. They have made some decent signings, like Algerian striker Ghezzal from Siena and promising young winger Marco D’Alessandro on loan from Roma. Bottom line: I don’t think Bari can repeat last season’s magic, and while they are good enough to avoid relegation, that’s all they will do this season.

Bologna

If there is a Most Improved Team award, I think it has to go to Bologna, at least on paper. The most important thing for Bologna is that the clueless Menarini family is gone, and new owner Sergio Porcedda seems really enthusiastic and willing to spend money to make Bologna better. Bologna have narrowly survived relegation these past two seasons and the fans want a more tranquil season. This year looks pretty promising. Rather then buying veterans that are passed their sell-by date, Bologna have to decided to bring in promising youngsters that are hungry to do well. Rene Khrin, Albin Ekdal, and Luca Siligardi fit this category. Riccardo Meggiorini has been brought in to partner Marco Di Vaio up front. They covered the fullback department with Matteo Rubin and Gyorgy Garics. They still have some weak spots and their bench isn’t great at all but all in all big step up for Bologna. If all goes well, they can really hope to achieve a tranquil salvation this season.

Brescia

Brescia are finally back in Serie A after 5 years of trying to get back. Will they stay for more than a season? I honestly don’t think so. A short while ago I had written a post about what to expect from the three promoted teams. At that time they had only made one signing: veteran goalkeeper Matteo Sereni. Since then, they finally decided to make some more moves on the transfer market. And I have to say, they are two pretty good moves on the transfer market. Alessandro Diamanti and Eder are the newest additions to a Rondinelle side that lacked excitement. With Diamanti and Eder, they improve in the excitement category. Eder is unproven in Serie A, but if he really is going to be the top player everyone expects him to be he needs to explode some time. Diamanti has Serie A experience and had a pretty good campaign in the EPL with West Ham last season. When he’s on form, he can really make the difference. The question is if these two players will be enough to keep Brescia in the top flight. Like I said above, I honestly don’t think so. They still have a largely Serie B caliber roster, and Iachini isn’t a great manager. They’ve finally reached paradise again, but it will be a short stay.

Cagliari

Cagliari has used the same method every season since getting back to Serie A in 2004 and it has worked so far. A very under the radar transfer market in which relatively unknown players are bought. Those players usually go on to shine and surprise everyone. The group is built around the same core players that know each other well and get the job done. On paper Cagliari have one of the weaker Serie A rosters, yet every season they finish in a great position. This season will be without Max Allegri, but in comes Pierpaolo Bisoli, who led Cesena to Serie A promotion last season and played at Cagliari in the 90’s and knows the environment. Goalkeeper Federico Marchetti may be sold before the transfer window ends because of an argument with Massimo Cellino. It’s rumored that if he’s sold Cagliari will buy ex-Roma goalkeeper Ivan Pelizzoli. Cagliari bought two of Serie B’s top players this summer: midfielder Simone Laner, and fantasista Alex Pinardi (who has played in Serie A with Lecce and Atalanta). The main issue for their season is basically if this same group of players can again play another extraordinary season. Bisoli, although unproven in Serie A, is a smart manager and is capable of steering the ship. We’ll see how it goes.

Catania

Italy’s version of an Argentinian All-Star Team (but the players aren’t really stars) is ready for another year of Serie A action. Another season, another bunch of translators hired. The Sicilians have a new manager in Marco Giampaolo, who has always been considered one of the brightest young Italian managers. One thing that Giampaolo knows how to do well is to put out an organized team with a tight defense. The problem he may face is having to manage this mixed-nationality locker room. Catania bought some new random South Americans this summer as well, an Argentinian named Alejandro Gomez and a Brazilian named Martinho, both midfielders. They kept hold of Maxi Lopez, which is very important, especially if he picks up where he left off last season (scoring goal after goal after goal). And of course, keeping Giuseppe Mascara is always a plus, he’s the real heart and soul of the team, as well as it’s main creative force. If Giampaolo can get the squad organized and under control, they should have a pretty decent season.

Cesena

Cesena are back in the top flight for the first time in 20 years. Many people may immediately write them off and consider them relegation fodder, but Cesena is the type of team you don’t write off. Like I had stated in my post on the promoted teams, teams like Cesena are hard to predict. They could be brilliant or utterly dreadful. The owner Igor Campedelli is young and enthusiastic, and brought in many new faces to reinforce the squad. Cesena can rely on experienced players like Stephen Appiah, Giuseppe Colucci, and Fabio Caserta to help them. And added to that, they have god himself, Erjon Bogdani (please note the sarcasm). I didn’t understand the sale of Brazilian fantasista Do Prado, who was clearly their star player. However, they recently made an interesting signing in goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri from Liverpool, and he could be a pleasant surprise. The bad side is their manager is Massimo Ficcadenti, who’s last Serie A stint at Reggina failed miserably. I think Cesena should have went with someone more experienced. However, if they can survive the rough patch of the first couple of games, Cesena could be a surprise of the season.

Chievo

Chievo starts the season with a new manager, Stefano Pioli, who takes over from Mimmo Di Carlo. Pioli’s only previous Serie A stint was back in 2006/2007 when he was at the helm of hometown club Parma, and was sacked in February for poor results before Claudio Ranieri came in and saved the day. Since then, he’s had some good stints in Serie B and has found himself back in the top flight. Chievo had the usual quiet summer, doing well to keep hold of star goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino and star defender Andrea Mantovani while making some decent buys with Roberto Guana and Mariano Bogliacino. They have given striker Davide Moscardelli his first shot at Serie A since impressing in Serie B for years and their best signing of the summer is defender Marco Andreolli. They don’t have the greatest squad but with good managing from Pioli the team can dream to achieve salvation again. But if Pioli screws up, it could be a tough time for the Flying Donkeys.

Fiorentina

Fiorentina starts the post-Prandelli era with Sinisa Mihajlovic. After 5 seasons we will see someone new on the Viola bench. Last season was bittersweet for the Viola. They did extremely well in Europe, only being eliminated because of refereeing errors vs. Bayern Munich. However in the season they weren’t the same and wound up finishing outside the European spots. So, Fiorentina will only have Serie A and the Coppa Italia to focus on this season (the low amount of season tickets sold reflects that). Usually every summer sporting director extraordinaire Pantaleo Corvino comes up with these great signings, but this summer it seems like he’s out of ideas. The only players brought in have been midfielder Gaetano D’Agostino (which is a good signing), Alessio Cerci (if he finally explodes it’s a great signing), and Polish goalkeeper Artur Boruc (which I didn’t understand if they have Sebastien Frey, one of the best goalkeepers in Serie A). With Stevan Jovetic’s big injury lay-off, this team lacks flair, and with Mutu serving his suspension until October, the most creative player is 18 year old Serbian Adem Ljajic, who isn’t exactly experienced on the Serie A stage. This may also be the season where 17 year old Senegalese striker Khouma Babacar explodes onto the scene. Mihajlovic is a no-nonsense manager than puts out a team that fights, but can Fiorentina once again aim for high objectives like Champions League qualification? Maybe, just maybe.

Genoa

If Genoa don’t at least challenge for the 4th Champions League spot this season, owner Enrico Preziosi will spend a long time thinking how much more money he has to spend to get Genoa in Champions League (he tried to buy Serie B promotion once in 2005, that didn’t work out). Preziosi is aiming high this season, and his signings reflect that. First, Luca Toni was handed a big contract to be the team’s main goalscorer. Then he managed to sell Andrea Ranocchia to Inter but keep him at Genoa at least for this season on loan. After that he brought in two of Portugal’s World Cup stars: goalkeeper Eduardo and midfielder Miguel Veloso. Then he brought in exciting Brazilian fullback Rafinha. And finally, he bought promising Argentine midfielder Franco Zuculini. He even hinted that he might bring in one more signing before the window ends, and it’s an attacking talent (the names of Gio Dos Santos and Giuseppe Rossi are being thrown around). Giuseppe Sculli was supposed to leave for Inter but then the Nerazzurri canceled the deal, so that benefits Genoa. Genoa have clearly been the best Italian team on the market. If Gasperini, now in his 4th season at the helm of the Rossoblu, can gel all these players together into his 3-4-3 system, Genoa should be quite the force this season, and can definitely aim for a Champions League spot.

Inter

Well, we know that Inter had their best season in their history last season. We know that it will be very hard to repeat. We know that Mourinho left. We know that Balotelli left. In comes Rafa Benitez, and he will look to erase memories of Mourinho from Inter fan’s heads. It’s going to be hard, but they started on the right track with the Italian SuperCoppa win over Roma. Next they will look to win the European Super Cup vs. Atletico Madrid. The transfer campaign was pretty tranquil, and most of the summer was filled with the Maicon and Balotelli sagas. Maicon decided to stay, Balotelli didn’t. Young winger Jonathan Biabiany was brought back to base after an impressive season at Parma. Brazilian fantasista Phillipe Coutinho, who was bought last summer, arrives after staying at Vasco da Gama for one last season. Benitez has a hard task in front of him, and it seems like if he fails to win the Scudetto or something most of the blame will be placed on him, so he’s under some pressure. The players know each other, and who knows, they might still have some magic left in them.

Juventus

Let’s just get to the bottom line with Juve. This is a new era and a new Juve, and the Bianconeri are looking to get rid of these past few post-Calciopoli years and start anew, and aim to win something. Gigi Delneri is handed the keys to this new Juve, while Beppe Marotta has the reigns behind the scenes on the transfer market. He has put together a largely Italian team (which I guess goes well with Juve’s away jersey this season), and brought in Pavel Nedved’s twin (only looks-wise) in Milos Krasic and Uruguayan winger Jorge Martinez (who I still consider a waste of 12 million euro). Lippi favorite Simone Pepe is now playing for Lippi’s favorite team. What a coincidence. Diego has not been given another chance and was sold back to the Bundesliga today. With that money, it seems Juve are bringing in Fabio Quagliarella on loan, and that could be a good signing (Marotta brought Quagliarella to Sampdoria a few years back). For me, the best signing is Alberto Aquilani. If Aquilani can stay healthy (which is a hard task for him), he will be one of the best midfielders in Serie A without a doubt. David Trezeguet, after years of threatening to leave, looks finally set to go for real, and Mauro Camoranesi is on the way out as well. Nobody wants Fabio Grosso, who has declined severely, and has a high salary. Many are unsure what to expect of Juve, especially since many think they just bought many average players who can’t make the difference. But if that works to the advantage of anyone, it does to Delneri, who last season took a fairly average group of Sampdoria players to Champions League qualification.

Lazio

Edy Reja now had a whole pre-season to mold his Lazio team into his style of play, and now we’ll see what the fruits of his labor are. Claudio Lotito sacrificed Aleksander Kolarov for a pretty big fee and used that money to bring in Brazilian midfielder Hernanes, who has been linked with all the top teams in Europe over the past few seasons. It will be interesting to see how he adapts to Serie A, if he explodes Lazio could have a real gem on their hands. One of the things Reja has to try to do though is to get Mauro Zarate to play like he did in his first Italian season rather then last season. In his first season, Zarate looked like Maradona. Last season, at times he looked like Maradona’s illegitimate Neapolitan beach soccer playing son Diego Maradona Jr. Will the real Zarate show up this season? If he does, Zarate and Hernanes could be quite the duo. All in all, Lazio have a good squad, and this season they can look to qualify for Europe instead of floundering around the relegation zone like last season.

Lecce

After one year in Serie B, Lecce finished in first place last season and were crowned Serie B champions. Now they find themselves back in Serie A and hoping to stay more than a year (also the Bari-Lecce derby is back in Serie A for the first time since 2001). Can they last longer than a year? I don’t think they can. They’re squad is ok, but they don’t have a proven Serie A goalkeeper, and their defense is almost all new. Up front, they did well to bring back Javier Chevanton to Lecce. Chevanton is a hero in the Pugliese city, and he made is name with the Giallorosso jersey on. His last appearance with Lecce was in 2004, and now after playing abroad he’s back to lead the line again. Manager Gigi De Canio has always been known as a salvation specialist, but with this squad it might be a little tough. But you never know, anything can happen.

Milan

Milan are different then they were in past years. How you ask? Now they claim to be “low-cost”. They closely watch their books and Berlusconi doesn’t seem to want to put out the money anymore. However, this summer he said he would only pay an extraordinary fee for a player if the player was a superstar. And that player this summer seems to be Zlatan Ibrahimovic. While at the moment both sides are saying they are unsure if the transfer will go through, I’m pretty sure Ibra will be a Milan player by Tuesday. If they do get Ibra, Milan instantly become Inter’s main rivals for the Scudetto. An attack of Ronaldinho-Ibra-Pato makes Milan fans salivate. And let’s not forget Ibra is still only 28 and has some good years left. But enough about Ibra, as it isn’t even certain. At the current time, Milan have a good team. Old, but the players still have quality. They can’t buy anyone on the transfer market because they have too many players with enormous salaries. Years ago Galliani and Co. made the mistake of renewing contracts of players who didn’t deserve a renewal, and giving them a lot of money. Players like Kaladze for example. Most of these contracts expire in the summer of 2011 (including players like Pirlo, Gattuso, and Ambrosini), and next summer the Rossoneri will have to decide what direction they want to go in. In the meantime, they have a bright young manager in Max Allegri who has made the jump from Serie C to Milan all in 3 years. Does Allegri have the personality to manage and succeed at a top club? That remains to be seen. A lot will rely on the health of Nesta, who when in shape is still world class, and Ronaldinho’s desire to actually make an effort. The Boateng signing was good and he can do well, but when Milan is obtaining players on loan from Genoa and not the other way around you know something is wrong…

Napoli

Napoli were terrible last season…..[long pause]…..with Donadoni. Once the ex-Milan winger was sacked and Mazzarri came in, Napoli started playing great football and really made a push for the Champions League. In the end they had to settle for the Europa League, but De Laurentiis knew with Mazzarri he had something good in the works. The Partenopei got rid of players that didn’t find room with Mazzarri like Cigarini and Hoffer, and even though they were quiet on the transfer market, they pulled off a big coup, bringing in striker Edinson Cavani. Cavani and Lavezzi will be a scary pairing for opposing defenses. Cristiano Lucarelli was brought in to warm the bench in a move I really didn’t understand. A surprise could be Argentinian midfielder Jose Ernesto Sosa, signed from Bayern Munich. Sosa is a Lavezzi-type player and he could be a pleasant surprise for Napoli fans. In the defensive side of things, Fabiano Santacroce is finally healthy after a season of injury. Santacroce has always been considered very promising, and maybe he can shine this season. News today was that Fabio Quagliarella will be leaving for Juventus on loan, it should be official tomorrow. If he does go, maybe Napoli are clearing up space to bring in one more big signing. Anything can happen. If Napoli can handle the burden of two competitions they can have their say this season.

Palermo

Palermo are coming off a great season, just narrowly missing out on a place in the Champions League. Palermo’s situation was similar to Napoli. They started with Zenga, and when he wasn’t doing too well he was sacked and replaced with Delio Rossi. Under Rossi the Rosanero became a great side, and started pushing for a Champions League. Fabrizio Miccoli had the season of his life last year, and unfortunately his injury will keep him out until late September/early October. Two players should really explode this season for Palermo: fantasista Javier Pastore and strike Abel Hernandez. Pastore didn’t start out well last season, but as the season went on and he adapted he grew and ended with a bang really playing well, even earning a call-up to the World Cup. He has been excellent in the preseason and this season he will be one to watch in Serie A. Hernandez was signed in January of 2009 very young and mostly played with Palermo’s Primavera side. But he was always on the cusp of the first team and made appearances here and there. Now, it looks like he’s ready to be a protagonist, and has showed that in the preseason. Filling out the attack, Palermo signed Siena striker Massimo Maccarone who has always been a consistent scorer in Serie A and Chilean Mauricio Pinilla, who was the second best goalscorer in Serie B last season. They also bought two promising foreign youngsters (Glik and Kasami), and 19 year old Argentinian defender Ezequiel Munoz from Boca Juniors. Palermo should challenge this season, especially if Miccoli can play like he did last season.

Parma

If Genoa hadn’t made all those signings, Parma would be my pick for best transfer campaign. They haven’t signed the biggest names, but made smart signings to improve the club and catapult them to a Europa League-caliber team. It looks like Tommaso Ghirardi finally knows how to run a football club as well as he can eat a wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano and a leg of Prosciutto di Parma in less then 10 minutes. First, Pasquale Marino is at the helm. Marino is not only tactically organized but also attack-minded, which means Parma fans will have fun this season. Marino’s sides play a quick style of play with the ball always on the ground, which leads to football that is a joy to watch. The biggest signing was without a doubt Sebastian Giovinco. After wasting away on the Juventus bench, many fans have come to the conclusion that Giovinco will never be anything special. But I say we can only judge him after this season. Giovinco will finally be a protagonist and play all the time, which should lead to a spectacular season and maybe even a national team call-up. They also signed two excellent defenders in Massimo Gobbi and Gabriel Paletta. In midfield they signed two unknown midfielders in Fernando Marques and Danilo Pereira, but they could become pleasant surprises. Their attack isn’t too shabby either, with Bojinov, Crespo, and Paloschi all hungry to impress. It should be a good year for Gialloblu fans.

Roma

Rossella Sensi finally put her beloved Roma up for sale. That’s good news for Roma fans that didn’t like her or that want an owner with lots of money. The bad news is that meant Roma couldn’t have a high-spending transfer market this summer. They had to satisfy themselves with free transfers (Adriano and Fabio Simplicio) and loans (Guillermo Burdisso and Paolo Castellini). They finally mustered u enough money for Nicolas Burdisso today with the sale of Alessio Cerci. However, what Roma do have is a group of players that have been together for years and know how to play together. Combine that with the tactical know how of Claudio Ranieri and you still have a pretty good team. Many consider Roma to be Inter’s main rivals still, and if they play the way they did in the first half of the Super Coppa they should have a good year. After two years of underachieving, it looks like Jeremy Menez is finally ready to play to his potential, which is a huge plus for the Giallorossi. They also make their return to the Champions League this season after missing out last year. Another exciting thing for Roma fans is Totti’s chase for 200 goals. If he can hit 13 in Serie A this season, he will have reached the legendary 200 Serie A goal club and only be 5 away from Roberto Baggio. I think he’s going to do it.

Sampdoria

Samp had a wondrous season last year. Nobody expected them to go on that great run in the second half of the season and qualify for the Champions League (unfortunately they were knocked out). However, gone are two big parts of that: Gigi Delneri and Beppe Marotta. Delneri found a way to use Cassano to his best ability, and motivated a group of above average players to reach an unthinkable dream. He is replaced by Mimmo Di Carlo, who showed promise at Chievo but I’m unsure how good he can be. The real loss is Marotta, who was really great at discovering talents and making deals for players (he was the one that brought Cassano to Samp). The new sporting director Sergio Gasparin hasn’t been very active, only buying Gianluca Curci as his starting goalkeeper. All their other new players were either co-owned by Samp and bought fully or brought back from loan. For this side to play good, they need their three stars (Palombo, Cassano, Pazzini) to play good. I’m also expecting a big season from midfielder Andrea Poli, who in my mind was the biggest revelation in Serie A last season. Another one to keep an eye on is fullback Massimo Volta, who played very well in the Champions League preliminary. I don’t think Samp can repeat their Champions League qualification, especially with the two competitions, but they can definitely aim for a Europa League place.

Udinese

Francesco Guidolin has returned to Udinese as manager. He was manager of Udinese in the 98/99 season. It’s up in the air with Udinese this season. They lost Simone Pepe, but that means more playing time for Alexis Sanchez, who had a good World Cup and is ready to be a protagonist. Antonio Di Natale refused a transfer to Juventus and wants to retire an Udinese player. German Denis was brought in to add some weight and power to the attack. They lost midfield maestro Gaetano D’Agostino, but he is replaced by Antonio Candreva who returns from his experience at Juventus. They also kept hold to World Cup standouts Kwadwo Asamoah and Gohkan Inler, which means their midfield is still strong. Udinese have a good team and a good manager and can surprise, but if the players that are looking for a move away have no motivation this could be a disappointing season in Friuli. I think they will have a tranquil season though.

Just doesn’t seem fair, does it?

Not after this:

Marotta knows his contract, inside and out. He knows whether he has a recission clause, whether he can leave if Samp fail in the Champions League…why? Because he wrote it.

As I’ve been saying for about a year and a half now: Pazzini, bitches.

Also, here are the highlights from the Villar Perosa friendly today. Check out Libertazzi’s goal at 5:00. Audacious doesn’t even describe the attempt, much less the finish, for an 18-year old making his Juventus senior team debut. (though unofficial) Also scored one of the earlier goals…one to remember.