Roma coach Luis Enrique has urged his side to play without fear in Saturday’s Serie A game against Inter Milan.

Enrique expects a drastic improvement from his players after they followed their 1-1 draw against Bologna with a 4-2 defeat at Cagliari on Wednesday.

“We have made mistakes against lower sides and those errors have cost us to lose some games,” he said. “But I see a team that has the potential to become great provided it gives 100% in every game. When we were 2-1 up against Cagliari, my players relaxed and thought they had already won the game. I am nevertheless confident that the team will do much better from here on. Against Inter I expect a difficult game and I hope the fans will give us great support as always. We have to go on the pitch without fear because we can beat Inter.”

The result in Sardinia ended Roma’s six-match unbeaten run and dropped the Giallorossi to sixth place, five points behind Inter.

Inter travel to the Stadio Olimpico also looking to bounce back from disappointing results. The Nerazzurri followed their 1-0 defeat at Lecce with a 4-4 draw against Palermo in midweek. The result left Inter five points behind Udinese, who hold the last Champions League qualifying spot.

Inter captain Javier Zanetti has warned his team-mates to expect a battle in the Eternal City.

“We expect a tough game in Rome and it will be even trickier because Roma lost against Cagliari while we weren’t able to win against Palermo,” he said. “Both sides will be determined to get the three points.”

Inter coach Claudio Ranieri, who resigned as Roma manager a year ago, will be bolstered by the return of defender Walter Samuel.
Samuel missed the clash against Palermo with a muscle injury.

“On a personal level it’s always nice to go back to Roma. I was lucky enough to coach them but that’s all in the past and now we have to look ahead. It’s an important match for us, but it is for the Giallorossi, too. They are a team who attack and attack well, create many scoring opportunities, but also give many away. We’ll have to be sharp and take advantage of those.” Claudio Ranieri is going back to the capital for the first time as Inter coach, and, during the pre-match conference, he analysed the Nerazzurri situation at this point in time.

“You can’t expect to win every match,” explained Ranieri referring to the defeats against Napoli and Lecce and the draw with Palermo, “and that’s a fact. We must keep on working and get back onto the path we were on as soon as possible. Am I worried? I can’t be because I never expect things to be easy. We have a lot of work to do; I’m not worried, I’m focussed.”

Ranieri spoke of how he expected Roma to play: “They are a team with a different mentality than the other Italian teams: they attack a lot, keep possession not just horizontally but vertically too, with a Barcelona-style philosophy. I also think the club made an excellent move by bringing in Luis Enrique: he has shown he can win the players over and he’s doing well and will do even better next year. Will the loser of this match be out of the Champions League zone? I don’t know. It’s been such a strange championship this season as when it started everything seemed difficult and now anything can happen. I don’t think this match will influence things so much.”

He spoke of the match, which had originally been scheduled for tomorrow evening, being brought forward to 15:00, on account of the bad weather: “I read some ideas in the papers about how we could make changes to avoid such a long season and having to play in freezing conditions. Reducing the number of teams in the league would be an important first move, then as a nation we are not used to living with snow. Of course seeing empty stadiums even when it isn’t only related to cold or snow isn’t great either, because players like to play in front of crowded stands.”

In the squad list for the match Wesley Sneijder’s name does not appear: “All the tests came up negative, which is good news, because I was really worried. He won’t be playing tomorrow but I hope to have him back for Inter v Novara.” There are only 4 midfielders available: “That’s what we have got and that’s what we are taking to Rome. I preferred to leave Crisetig to play for the Primavera team.” Without Sneijder will mean 4-4-2, Ranieri neither confirms nor denies it: “It is you who say I’m reverting to that formation, not me.”

Ricardo Alavrez won’t be with the team in Rome either: “He picked up a knock to his knee,” explained the Nerazzurri coach, “it began to swell up, but I don’t think it’s serious. He should be available for Novara too.”

This will be the second call-up for new signing Angelo Palombo: “He has settled in really well, he was able to read the play, and got free when we had the ball and was able to spread it around well.”

Goals galore and a revival for Diego Milito: “As a coach I never feel positive aspects first, but rather negative ones. With Diego, I kept my trust in a champion who was nearly there, he was always in position, working hard, but the ball just wouldn’t go in, however as long as I see a positive person, I’ll always play them. This is a victory for him, for his family and for him as a champion.”

He went on to talk about Forlan making a comeback to the team (“he’s just the same as always. You’d need to chain him down to stop him because he always wants to get back playing”) and about new signing Fredy Guarin: “It’s something we’ll have to see day by day, doctors and physiotherapists are beginning to get to grips with the injury. They’ll decide what’s best, but I’m not in a position to say when yet.”

Finally, thinking back to Roma again, Ranieri was asked how he could summarise his Roma experience in a photograph: “I only have one photo in my mind anf that’s of the Curva Sud, that’s the one I would choose. Francesco Totti? As long as there are standard-bearers like him, like Zanetti and Del Piero, football will be great. Totti has been scoring a lot recently as well…let’s just hope he doesn’t tomorrow.”

Diego Milito spoke to the Inter channel ahead of this Sunday’s trip to the capital to play Roma and had this to say about a fixture that brings back fond memories with Milito on the score sheet:

“Yeah, that 5 May was a fantastic day. I scored and it was the first of three trophies. Hopefully we’ll be able to beat them again this time, playing a great game, neutralising their qualities and getting the win. We need it.”

Roma and Inter, who will now face off on Sunday afternoon, have both changed a lot this season:

“But I think we have changed more than they have. At least they have had the same coach since the beginning of the year, with the same playing style and mentality. We’ve changed both our coach and our way of playing.”

Following the ruling made this afternoon by the Prefect of Rome – that the adverse weather conditions in the Rome area meant it was unsafe for the Roma v Inter match to go ahead on Saturday 4 February 2012 at 15:00 – the Lega Nazionale Professionisti Serie A has rescheduled the match for Sunday 5 February 2012 at 15:00.

Inter skipper Javier Zanetti has denied telling Inter fans to shut up after Wednesday’s 4-4 draw with Palermo at the San Siro.

Italian media reports had surfaced that Zanetti had responded unkindly to jibes from the Nerazzurri faithful following Fabrizio Miccoli’s late equalizer that eventually resulted in the stunning 4-4 result.

Zanetti however, has revealed he was embroiled in a conversation with a single fan.

“Last night, in the first red ring [of the stadium], there was a fan, only one fan, who insulted my team-mate,” he told Inter Channel. I spoke, I thought it appropriate to do so because what was happening felt like too much to me. I have always respected my fans but this one had crossed the line. I understand that after a game there are a lot of emotions but …”

Inter has submitted the 31 members of its squad for the round of 16 knockout stage next month. The list includes 3 club-trained players, 4 association-trained players and 8 List B (youth) players. It is good to see Diego Forlan finally in the squad.

Inter Milan Champions League Squad
1 Julio Cesar;
4 Javier Zanetti;
5 Dejan Stankovic;
6 Lucio;
7 Giampaolo Pazzini (association-trained);
9 Diego Forlan;
10 Wesley Sneijder;
11 Ricardo Alvarez;
12 Luca Castellazzi (association-trained);
13 Maicon;
17 Angelo Palombo;
18 Andrea Poli;
19 Esteban Cambiasso;
20 Joel Obi (club-trained);
21 Paolo Orlandoni (club-trained);
22 Diego Milito;
23 Andrea Ranocchia (association-trained);
25 Walter Samuel;
26 Cristian Chivu;
28 Mauro Zarate;
37 Davide Faraoni (association-trained);
44 Matteo Bianchetti (List B youth);
48 Lorenzo Crisetig (club-trained);
55 Yuto Nagatomo;
72 Riccardo Melgrati (List B youth)
91 Raffaele Di Gennaro (List B youth);
93 Daniel Bessa (List B youth);
94 Andrea Romanò (List B youth);
95 Marek Kysela (List B youth);
96 Giovanni Terrani (List B youth);
97 Matteo Antonio Cincilla (List B youth).

Inter President Massimo Moratti yesterday answered some questions from the journalists waiting outside the Saras offices about Inter dealings in the January transfer window. Here are some of his comments:

President, would you like to comment on the winter transfer window now that it has closed?

“I think we did some logical transfer business. It was about partly about rejuvenating the squad with important players and partly about bringing in some experience. And there was the Thiago Motta deal, which was destined to end the way it did also because it was what the player wanted, so I think it was a good transfer window.”

Claudio Ranieri would have liked to keep the player…

“He was right because Motta was undoubtedly important for our game, but that didn’t stop him being sold. And in any case it was a good deal for the club.”

What do you know about new signing Fredy Guarin?

“That he has to get fit again [smiling]. I’ve heard lots of good things about him and from what I’ve seen personally that seems to be the case.”

What do you think about the Sneijder situation?

“Part of the highs and lows that you get in relationships and within a group, but I think both Sneijder and Ranieri have the character, strength and desire to keep improving. I have great faith in Sneijder and I believe he will help our team a lot.”

 

It was a great night for Diego Milito as he scored four times, but those were only enough to earn Inter a 4-4 draw at home with Palermo.

It was a snowy night at the San Siro, and it looked like the defenders from both sides took the evening off, as both teams created lots of chances.

The first goal arrived in the 16th minute after both sides had already missed good opportunities. Palermo’s fifth corner of the game crossed the six-yard box with no intervention from an Inter player and Mantovani was alone at the far post to tap the ball in from a yard out.

Inter levelled just six minutes later, though, with Silvestre heading the ball straight to Milito, who slotted the ball into the far corner from an angle.

In the last second of the first half, Inter almost added a second when Esteban Cambiasso was preparing to score, but Federico Balzaretti slid in desperately to clear the danger.

Miccoli restored Palermo’s lead in the 52nd minute when he held off Andrea Ranocchia and shot into the far corner of Julio Cesar’s goal. A minute later, Milito missed what would have been a carbon copy of his first goal, this time shooting just inches wide of the far post.

Inter did not have to wait long before levelling, though, with Munoz pulling back Yuto Nagatomo inside the penalty area and Milito scored from the spot. Milito then completed his hat-trick to put Inter ahead for the first time in the 61st minute after he picked up Cambiasso’s header to take the ball round the goalkeeper and score.

Miccoli levelled five minutes later as he raced in to head Balzaretti’s flashed cross past Julio Cesar from six yards. Only two minutes passed before Inter went in front again with Milito netting his and the Nerazzurri’s fourth of the night with a bit of luck as Giampaolo Pazzini’s scuffed shot bounced up in front of him to just stick out his leg and divert the ball in.

The game was not over, though, and Palermo levelled again in the 85th minute with Miccoli completing his hat-trick. He beat the offside trap to race onto Josip Ilicic’s pass and send the ball low into the far corner, skidding off the snow on its way in.

As someone commented on Twitter tonight, without Walter Samuel in the line-up, Inter are not that good defensively. Yes it was great to see Milito continue his recent hot streak, but Inter should not be conceding four goals at home to Palermo. And to be 4-3 up with only five minutes left and not be able to see out the game is inexcusable.

The January transfer window ended up being much busier than any of us expected with three players coming in and five players going out. The impact of the UEFA Fair Play rules had a visible impact on Inter‘s deals as the Palombo and Guarin deals were structured to hit in the summer (re next season) and not this year.

In
Palombo is a holding midfielder with a good shot who can combine well with a playmaker in a 4-4-2 formation. He can also play in the diamond’s sides.

Fredy Guarin is terrific signing. He has stamina, good vision, nice touch, and makes always very clever runs and passes and is a prefect fit for Ranieri’s 4-3-3 formation.

Juan has been called one of the most promising youngster in Brazil. With Juan and Ranocchia, Inter seem to have a pair of centrebacks who can lead the defense for the next ten years.

Out
Thiago Motta is a big loss for Inter as I believe that he was one of the key-factors in Inter’s recent improved form. But it was apparent that Inter were not going to sign him to a new deal, so getting €10m for him is a good piece of business.

Coutinho & Jonathan are two talented players who need to play every week, something that was not happening to then at Inter. Sending them out on loan so that they can continue to develop makes sense.

Muntari: Inter have been looking to get rid of Muntari for two plus seasons, and finally he has left. Muntari was not getting into the Inter 18-man squads never mind the starting XI.

Viviano had the potential to be Julio Cesar’s replacement, but he never played for Inter since his summer move from Bologna after picking up a knee ligament injury in the pre-season. This one could come back to haunt Inter as I think Viviano will be better than Castellazzi.

Overall I thought it was a good transfer window for Inter. I would have loved to have seen them sign a top striker, but Fredy Guarin was a really good pick-up and he can become a star for Inter.

What did you think of Inter’s moves?

There is an interesting battle going on at Inter at the moment between Claudio Ranieri and Wesley Sneijder and it is a battle that Sneijder cannot win.

Sneijder was taking off at half-time during Inter‘s defeat at Lecce last weekend and when asked about being substituted after the game by Sport1, Sneijder said:

“The coach’s decision. I’ll probably talk with him about it tomorrow.”

The problem for Sniejder is that he does not fit into Ranieri’s style of play. Asked about Sneijder, Ranieri said:

“Sneijder must learn the language that Inter is speaking: everyone must attack and everyone must defend. I’m not worried about keeping great players on the bench.”

Talking specifically about the Lecce substitution, Ranieri went off to say:

“It wasn’t only Wesley, but also the two strikers should have interpreted the match better. We were too stretched as a team. Sneijder is an important element, but he must learn the language the team are speaking. At Barcelona everyone fights to win the ball back. There are no big egos. The best teams in every league play well whether they are attacking or defending. I said it would be wonderful, but difficult, to slot in quality players like Sneijder and Forlan. If these players fit into the the framework of the team, we can improve. If this doesn’t happen I won’t waste time thinking about it too much and will fall back on the team that has been getting the results so far.”

Ranieri said there had been no run in with Wes for the time being:

“I haven’t spoken to Sneijder yet, I probably will during the technical meeting this evening. I see him playing behind a lone striker or behing two forwards: to make an attacking midfielder successful behind two players requires sacrifices on the part of everyone. When we play compact, we get results. If we can’t playing two forwards and Sneijder, I have no scruples about making changes. It doesn’t take me long to work things out. Having players available has never been a problem for a coach. A quality squad allows variations in the formation, so you can use the players who are fittest and gradually slot in the others.”

To me those quotes sound like a manager that is convinced that Sneijder does not fit into his style of play. As I said this is a battle that Sneijder cannot win, and I expect to see Inter sell him during the summer, and use the proceeds to make Inter younger and more athletic.