Scout Report: Yann M'Vila- Is Yann the Man?

Image taken from the Daily Mail

For Arsenal fans, the love affair between them and Yann M’Vila is a roller-coaster of on again off again intensity. One day he’s signing, the next day he’s on vacation, after that he’s had a tour of Colney, and then he realizes he left his stove on at home.


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Progress has been unbearably slow and at times unclear, but a transfer to Arsenal seems the most likely outcome of this lengthy saga. The question is, is Yann M’Vila a vital signing?


This writer says no, and for one reason only: Alex Song. Why spend upwards of £15m on a player when we already have someone equally capable, who contributed immensely last season? Not to mention the fact that Francis Coquelin is breathing down everyone’s neck for playing time. 


Why kill off a career with so much promise, and potentially bench a proven player while overspending in the process? For the sake of argument, let’s take a look at some important stats for a defensive midfielder in a three way comparison between the aforementioned players. 


Alex Song vs. Yann M’Vila vs. Francis Coquelin, by the numbers.


Player        Yann M’Vila Alexander Song Francis Coquelin


Appearances 38                    34                          6 (4)
Tackles 3.1 2.9 3.2
Interceptions 2.5 1.9 1.9
Fouls 0.8 2.1 0.5
Clearances 1.7 1.2 1.4
Was Dribbled 0.8 1.4 0.9
Blocked Shots 0.2 0.3 0.2




*All stats are an average per game, data provided by WhoScored.                


At first glance, all 3 players have similar stats and can’t be separated quickly as to who is the best of the trio. 


However, with a closer look at the finer details, we can get an idea of their styles of play outside of the standard duties of a defensive midfielder. 


Take fouls for example. We can easily pick out that Alex Song is the hardest tackler of the bunch, using his size at times to his detriment by conceding an average of 2 fouls per game. 


Recognizing the whole point of a defensive midfielder is to get “stuck in” and break up play, you still have to wonder why Song is so much rougher than his understudy Coquelin, and potential teammate M’Vila.


All three players show impressive stats in defence, but we know that in Arsène Wenger’s current system there’s more to being a holding midfielder than sticking your leg out and hoping for the best. 


Fluid passing and quick movement have been the style that Wenger has stamped on the Gunners since Day 1, and for the most part it has been successful. However, for years we have lacked a proper defensive anchor. No, not even Alex Song can be thought of as a midfield hard man. 


When you look at escapades like this, you have to wonder why he is often criticised for his lapses in concentration at the back. Like André Santos, Song isn’t a defender by choice, but out of necessity. 


Since our formation changed from a solid 4-4-2 to a more fluid 4-2-3-1, Arsenal have done away with one solid figure that sits just ahead of the back four in exchange for two players sharing defensive and offensive duties equally, behind a playmaker. 


Taking into account that Song and M’Vila are more suited to a more “balanced” central midfield role, we have to value their strengths and weaknesses in attack equally to their defensive contributions. We’ll leave Coquelin out of this for a while as he isn’t seen as a first choice player as of yet.


Strengths 


Yann M’Vila: Long Passes, tackling and concentration
Alex Song: Key passes, movement and dribbling


While both are strong passers, both players go about their game very differently in moving the ball around the pitch.


Last season, the Cameroonian completed 1895 passes out of and attempted 2248 - averaging 66 passes per game - earning a completion rate of 84.3%. 


He made an average of 3.3 accurate long balls per game, completing 111/164 and played a total 46 key passes, averaging 1.4 per game. 


M’Vila had more passes than Song, completing 2272/2730 - averaging almost 72 passes per game - earning a completion rate of 83.2%. 


M’Vila made a staggering average 7.7 long balls per game, completing 292/431 and played a total 43 key passes, averaging 1.1 per game. 


Both players can place a ball, that much is clear, but the way their affect the match with their passing couldn't be more opposite. Song sees the ball quite a bit less than M’Vila, attempting 482 less passes than the Frenchman over the course of the season. 


With similar successful pass and key pass percentages, the only things left to dissect are the ways in which these two players hugely differ: long passing and assists. 


For all his hard work picking out almost 8 long passes per game, Yann M’Vila has very little to show for it, having only 2 assists the entire season. 


Song, on the other hand, played a comparatively paltry 3.3 long balls per game, but his efforts came to fruition with 11 assists; the most of any Arsenal player. That, along with playing fewer passes but more key ones means that Song is the far better option for attacking.


Song is more incisive in his passing, and is capable of creating a goalscoring opportunity out of a seemingly harmless soft lob. M’Vila on the other hand, is the one who makes far more passes, but doesn’t expose the opposition’s defence nearly as often. 


You could almost compare their style to the two Euro 2012 Cup Finalists: Song being Italy, always trying to force their way through using fewer passes, being very direct in their buildup. 


Yann M’Vila being Spain with their tiki taka style of play that requires more passes and patience to provide a threat. 


Both have their merits, but in this case it’s as clear as day: Song is the better midfielder when on the attack.


Weaknesses 


Yann M’Vila: Offensive contribution
Alex Song: Defensive concentration


When you look at some of the best midfielders in the past and present, they all did the same thing really well: balance. Knowing when to rush forward, when to provide cover at the back. When to pass, when to shoot. When to tackle, when to wait to intercept. All these decisions and more separate the good from the great. 


We know for sure that Yann M’Vila is a bulldog central midfielder.The Frenchman is no goal scorer nor playmaker, that’s already been established. 


However, there’s no reason why he can’t be these things. He has a powerful physique, standing at 182 cm and 80 kg, and a very composed dribbler. 


He’s an accurate passer, but perhaps a little too conservative in where he puts the ball. If he were to be more direct in his play and perhaps be more flexible in his positioning, he could have similar attacking prowess to some of the world’s best. 


Sometimes when Song takes when step forward, he really should have taken two steps back. For all his good intentions to get up the pitch and help the team score a goal, he also has to realize he has equal responsibility in helping the defence prevent a goal. 


Everyone loves watching a bombing run forward from Alex. 


However, too often this season he’s been caught out of position on the counter attack, leaving Mikel Arteta to do most of the grunt work. 


Song needs to be more committed to protecting our backline, giving equal opportunity to Mikel Arteta to contribute in offensive play.


Fee


Over the past few months, talk of M’Vila’s price has fluctuated from an astounding £22m to a relatively bargain basement price of £10m. 


However, with Rennes seemingly eager to get a decent fee, Russian champions Zenit St. Petersburg have stepped into the fold, potentially sparking a bidding war between the two clubs. 


Keep in mind, this is Arsène Wenger we’re talking about. This is the man who signed both a German international with over 100 caps and Ligue 1 top scorer for less than £25m. Arsène loves a bargain, and is willing to haggle to the bitter end to get it. 


With interest from elsewhere however, Arsène rarely gets his man due to his reluctance to pay top dollar. Recent examples include Santi Cazorla (2011), Juan Mata and Phil Jones. 


Overpaying just isn’t his style, so don’t get your hopes up. 


Behavioural Problems


Yann is no saint, as evidenced by his knack for appearing on news sites for all the wrong reasons. On the pitch, however, he uses his aggression to his benefit. 


Still, the Gunners have had their fair share of troublemakers and eccentrics. Do we really need more drama in the dressing room?


My final thought on M’VIla is that he would be a fantastic signing, but I feel other areas need more attention, specifically at left back and in attacking midfield. 


If we do end up signing him, it will be at a cut price as his reputation is a large factor in the fee. If Wenger works his magic, then great. If not, I won’t be too bothered. 


Yes, M’Vila is a quality player. No, we don’t need him and probably never will.




Written by Anders Marshall
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The New Forward and the False Nine

Source: From the Banks of the River Irwell

The last few seasons of watching Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona dominate European football also saw a distinct change in the role of players in some positions. Namely Lionel Messi, although not solely Messi and not only players at Barcelona. 


Cristiano Ronaldo, Theo Walcott, RvP, Thomas Muller, Karim Benzema, Cesc Fabregas and Clint Dempsey, to name a few have all seen changes in their roles at their clubs. 


The “False Nine” formation which takes a very specific approach to football, however, remains the preserve of football’s highest elite for one obvious reason, which will be discussed later.


Many moons ago, Robin van Persie was a snotty little winger. Once signed by Wenger, RvP morphed into what surely must be considered one of the most effective strikers in today’s game, as his haul of 38 goals and 10 assists in all competitions (2011-2012 season) suggest. Robin’s metamorphosis from winger to striker is not an uncommon thing and it happens the other way around just as often. 


Goran Pandev and Rodrigo Palacios, both in Serie A, have flittered between both roles. Theo Walcott went the other way to RvP, becoming RvP’s go to guy for assists last season on the right wing (11 in all competitions) while chipping in 9 goals. 


Those stats suggest Wenger knows a thing or two about square pegs and round holes. Obviously Wenger is not the only manager to switch things this way, it happens at every club in the world but only a few stand out as ruthlessly effective....


Whereas most of the names mentioned in the intro have performed admirably in new positions over the last two seasons or so (Benzema striker to left wing and back, Dempsey right wing, striker or attacking midfielder, Muller wherever Bayern put him and Cesc in central and attacking midfield as well as forward roles for Barca), we’ve not seen such an effective force as either Cristiano Ronaldo or Leo Messi when charged with roles they’d never played before. 


We all stand, astounded by the sheer natural ability of those two artists. When speaking of attacking football nobody, not one other player, is at their level (give Neymar a few years). Ronaldo, as a precocious little winger developed a lethal eye for goal under Sir Alex Ferguson’s boot wielding hand. 


Since moving to Madrid he has literally been ridiculous with his goal scoring (71 goals, 16 assists in 64 games 11/12 season alone. What!?) All these goals have come not just from the wing but from a strikers position also. 


So prolific is this man that Gonzalo Higuain and Karim Benzema were, at times, replaced as the main striker. Ronaldo’s stats, for one season only remember, are terrific. However, one half man, half football programmed cyborg has done even better. You already know its Leo Messi. 77 goals. 27 assists. 70 games. 11/12 season only. 


Much like the joke about where some bloke’s pet tiger sleeps, where does Messi play? Anywhere he wants. This man, were it not for David Villa’s broken leg, would have kept him out of the team anyway. So effective is Messi as a natural goal getter, or goal maker, that Pep Guardiola was inclined to effect a new footballing mentality on the world.


Finally for you readers, I make it to the “False Nine.” There’s a specific reason you won’t see Stoke playing this formation. For that matter, you won’t find many teams at all trying this unless there’s an injury crisis. 


Does Italian football look as though it could get rid of it’s iconic goal poachers? Do you think Brazilian Ronaldo should have been anything other than that fearsome striker? What about Cantona or Ian Wright? 


The funny thing about those three strikers is that they are all retired. RvP, Wayne Rooney, Luis Suarez are all part of a newer breed of player. The need for diversity and fluidic football cries out for multitaskers. 


Capable on the wings or sat behind the traditional strikers role, an extra set of skills will see you play more games for your club. Leo Messi, in my opinion, transcends this desire. It is natural to this man.

Messi.... Transcends a new style and breed of footballers (Source: The Guardian)

Little wonder then, that with Xavi, Iniesta, Cesc et al vying for spots in the Barca lineup alongside Messi that Pep saw fit to change things for us all. 


“Why have a striker at all?” Pep probably mused, “When, in reality, they provide far less workrate to a team than having ten midfielders and a goalie?” 


I jest about that quote, it’s fake.  But even so, Mascherano and Adriano have been called into defence at times so there were eight midfielders in the lineup at points during the season! 


My point is; there’s only really two players at this point in time capable of operating effectively as that false number nine. Cesc tried it with Spain at Euro2012 to arguable success. 


Certainly he is no Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. The movement towards more versions of a false nine are coming slowly but surely. Until more CR7’s and Messi’s rock up to the pitch the transition will be slow. 


There were fears that 4-5-1 would have killed the attacking game when it replaced 4-4-2 for the elites. Alas, it has not. So perhaps a false nine will elevate the game even further?


(All player stats gleefully poached from ESPN Soccernet.)




Written by Alex Phillips
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Arsenal: Should the Gunners add more Samba to their style?

Taken from Ole Ole

The midfield is primarily the fiercest part of the 90 minute battle players face when they cross the white lines of the pitch. It’s paramount that teams set out with a midfield capable of outsmarting, overrunning and dominating the opposition. 


Whether you play 2 or 3 in the middle what is certain is that you need a good combination of attributes, movement and stamina to have the upper edge of your opponent.


There is a lot of talk about Arsenal’s midfield and whether the players at Arsène Wenger’s disposal are capable of facing the long and arduous contest that is a football season. 


There is no doubt that Arsenal’s squad is filled with quality; a central midfield rife with talent. Strong, dynamic players with technical ability comparable to most.  Players, though, are nothing without a formations set up to utilise the strengths they possess.

Arsenal could potentially take inspiration from the Brazilians. An interchangeable, dynamic midfield trio. Brazil set out with Sandro, Romulo and Oscar – Sandro and Romulo sit while Oscar roams ahead and creates. 


Romulo and Sandro are 2 tidy, efficient, mobile powerhouses who're equally as comfortable on the ball – comparable to Alex Song and Abou Diaby (the 2 DM’s Arsene Wenger has started with in pre-season). 


Both have the capability to get forward and aid the AM, whoever it may be, and, like Sandro and Romulo, when one attacks the other sits – and Oscar sometimes sits deeper than his starting position too, something the AM would be able to take note of. It allows fluidity; the formation occasionally switches to a 4-2-2-2 due to Brazil’s mesmeric movement. 


The AM (Arteta, for example, who’s also capable of starting the deeper role) would replicate Oscar’s duty and play just ahead of the defensive duo, spraying passes left, right and centre linking up with the forward trio then taking a step back when needs be.


Of course the movement and keeping of possession won’t win you games alone. You need penetration and off-the-ball prowess; pressing the opposition and forcing them into a mistake or winning the ball back – it’s all important. Each part of your play becomes a key clog in the machine that’ll get you to success.


Arsenal have players capable of using this formation – they play similarly already. Lukas Podolski and Theo Walcott as the possible wide-men can do Neymar and Hulk’s job: cutting inside or taking on a man, both with the ability to play centrally and both with pace to cause problems. It would help to perhaps let Theo and Lukas swap roles throughout – Theo could cut in from the left and Lukas from the right on to their stronger foots to unleash shots on goal. 


Olivier Giroud is the man most likely to start centrally and he can take Damiao’s job and make it his own: Damiao occasionally drops deep to collect and play off the defender, he can also play in behind, he’s a nuisance. 


As he drops to create he plays near enough alongside Oscar which allows Neymar and Hulk to push forward further, thus creating the 4-2-2-2 formation they sometimes end up with. 


Or one wide-man will cut in to play with Oscar and the other wide-man can push up alongside Damiao, also creating the 4-2-2-2 formation. Lukas Podolski, Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud would work just the same and just as effectively. The back-up players are more than capable also.


Arsenal play good, quick, positive football and this formation will only benefit that. Brazil work because they’re a unit. The midfield 3 all rotate well and combine with the forwards which creates confusion and bewilders the opposing players. 


To suit this formation in the Premier League players would need intelligence; freedom is a rarity in the premiership and intelligence makes the job so much easier.


With no official comeback date set for Jack Wilshere, and Tomas Rosicky out for a considerable amount of time Arsenal may need to purchase an attacking midfielder to accommodate this formation and replicate Oscar. Santi Cazorla, Nuri Sahin and Ganso have all been heavily linked though the only one likely to materialise is Santi Cazorla, but even there are some doubts over that deal. 


Chuks Aneke and Thomas Eisfeld are two bright talents but aren’t ready yet for constant first-team football and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain remains an option. On the defensive side Yann M’Vila has also been heavily linked but whether anything happens remains to be seen. 


The priority should be an attacking-midfielder, though – Francis Coquelin has shown plenty of promise and has pre-season to stake a claim in the side. 


A small but strong, aggressive, tenacious midfield battler with an eye for a pass, and also disciplined. He has enough experience after a season-long loan at Lorient, and playing many games last season, while also showcasing his versatility so stepping up even more should be no problem.


There’s no shortage of talent at Arsenal. They have an array of players suitable for this formation and it could a very fruitful implementation. What is clear is it allows great football, and great football is synonymous with Arsenal football club. It’s the perfect match. Maybe a match that may never meet however suited they may be.


It’s vital teams do not become predictable and one-dimensional. Most teams who are are easy to cope with – Arsenal have been that previously. 


There needs to be a new approach and this is an adoption of the current philosophy so the transition would presumably be a cinch. 


Until next time.




Written by Ryan Goodenough
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Pre-season Friendlies: What are they all about?

Taken from Vikings Bloggen

Before every season of every league teams play a couple of matches to test their match fitness and the teams preparedness for the coming season. Well that's what they say there for.


Preseason friendlies have become one of the most useless things in football. Matches that are scheduled to showcase a world class football team are degraded to an under 21 kick about. 


It is said that preseason friendlies can show how good a team will fare in their league campaign, but with most of the players that play not even remotely involved in the normal season this can be ruled out too.



Some of the preseason friendlies that have been played point to the obvious fact that they are not an indication of how good a team really is. 


The winners of two of the top leagues in Europe (Manchester City and Real Madrid) have each lost one preseason match against weaker opponents, but it would surprise few to see these two on the top of their respective tables come the end of next season. 


Preseason matches certainly do have a business appeal. Potentially any two teams can play no matter what league they compete in. Some of these matches (like the recent MLS all-stars vs Chelsea) are widely advertised and are more a marketing tool than a real competitive contest. 


These preseason matches would be a much more appreciated by fans if the teams took them more seriously. In recent weeks there have been two instances that teams have neglected the fans that come to these preseason matches. 


Barcelona neglected to play a worldwide icon Leo Messi and Manchester United didn't even take Wayne Rooney with them to Shanghai. Both occurrences led to angry and disappointed fans.


Some people like to watch these matches and judge the youngsters and teams from far and wide, but if you're anything like me you just can't wait for the new season to start already.


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Written by Deon Beauzeac
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Mario Gotze: The Future of Football

Taken from Footie

It is always a great pleasure to watch the young talents play football. One of the best talents around the world is the German international, the amazing and incredible Mario Götze. 


Götze is considered to be a potential world class player and in few years he might win the "world’s best player" award. He has a lot of abilities including his high speed, dribbling skills, who’s very creative with the ball and an excellent play-maker.


He made his Bundesliga debut in 2009 and his international debut on 2010 . A lot of his fans and critics are wondering where he will play in the following years, is he going to Spain or England. Or he will stay loyal to his club?!



A question I won’t be able to answer it but I will tell you this, leaving to Spain will destroy his talent and won’t help him, while going to England will improve his skills and will make him a better player, cause as we all know the EPL is the best league in the world and the greatest place to improve one’s skill and talent . 


Last season he had a serious injury where he played on 17 games and manage to score 6 goals with 5 assists. 


Despite that, he was able to participate and play in EURO 2012 with his national team, and they made it till the semi finals but they got knocked out by the Italian side, though he didn’t play a lot and he was a substitute during the tournament.

For me I’ve always admired his talents and skills, and I would love to see him in Arsenal more than any other player. I believe he will be one of the greatest ever, and it’s not just me who admires him.



German legend Franz Beckenbauer praised him saying, “There is no one playing better than him. He runs through opponents as though they aren't there.” 


That’s more than enough to let you consider him as a top talent and a future superstar.


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Written by Ahmad Ibrahim
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Inter Milan: 2012/2013 Serie A Preview and Predictions

The start of the Serie A season is fast approaching and over the summer there has been quite a few changes to not only Inter's squad but also to most of, if not all the top teams in Italy. We still have over a month left of the mercato to go too so there may be many changes still to come.  


I am really excited for the start of this season's campaign with Inter having many fresh faces ready to do battle in our sacred colours of Black and Blue, and also with the young and talented Andrea Stramaccioni officially at the helm we can be sure of some entertaining and exciting football for the Nerazzurri in the coming months.


In the pre-season so far there have been quite a few Inter players that are making a good impression and I hope to see them stamping their authority over the Italian league throughout the season, some of the names that have been impressing the most are:




Coutinho 

Taken from Goal.com

Our young Brazilian attacking midfielder spent the second half of last season on loan at Espanyol and during this time has come on in leaps and bounds in his confidence on the ball and his ability.


Now back with Inter he has dazzled Interista with his fantastic performances throughout our pre-season and even won the player of the tournament award during the Tim Trophy against our traditional rivals AC Milan and Juventus.




Fredy Guarin 

Taken from Footballcracy

Fredy spent the second half of last season on loan with us from Porto but spent much of that time recovering from a bad injury, but the few appearances he did make was enough to convince the Inter management that he belonged in the Inter squad. 


Over the summer Guarin has lost a bit of weight and in the preseason is looking focused and driven to do well in the squad. 


In my opinion he is going to prove to be a very important player for us and will become the engine of our new look squad and formation, I would even go as far as to say that if he can prove himself well enough he may even inherit Javier Zanetti's captains armband in the future.  


On an additional note after watching his performance in the friendly against Celtic I was very impressed with his tenacity when chasing the ball and he didn't stop running for the whole match, in this way he reminds me a lot of the footballing legend Edgar Davids who was famous for displaying similar qualities.  


My one criticism would be that he either needs to work on his long shots or look for better passes instead before trying them.

Ibrahima M'Baye

Taken from Tumblr

The young Senegalese defender has been promoted to the first team from the Primavera squad that won the Next Gen Series last season and has looked very promising at right back in the pre-season. 


Despite him only being 18 I'm hoping he will be given plenty of chances to prove himself in competitive matches over the coming months especially if Maicon does leave as expected, I think it will help him grow as a player and eventually maybe even emulate his hero, Giacinto Facchetti, whom he has paid tribute to by choosing the shirt number 33.


Obviously I have faith in all our players to do well and I could go on all day about them but in my opinion these three will be the ones to watch for us this season (out of the squad we have at the moment).

Serie A Fixtures

The upcoming Calcio season could be one of the most exciting and closely fought campaigns we have seen in recent years with a lot of clubs moving away from the stereotypical defensive style of play to a more flowing, attacking and modern style, this is partly down to clubs like Inter and Roma employing attacking minded and forward thinking tacticians like Andrea Stramaccioni and Zdeněk Zeman who employ entertaining tactics like the 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1. 


My first prediction of the season is that the top three spots this year are going to be fought over by Inter, Roma and Juventus and the Scudetto could go to any of them, though obviously I'll be backing Inter to claim their 19th Scudetti ;) 


I also think that the under-acheivers of the season will be AC Milan who this summer have lost a wealth of talent and experience and I think are heading in to a performance slump like the one Inter has faced for the last couple of seasons.


For my season predictions I'm going to go through the opponents and give my thoughts on how we will fare in both legs (I'm not considering other competitions in this, it is purely Serie A) as well as predicting how many points Inter will have accumulated by the end of the season.

Pescara - Away 26/08/12 - Win
                Home 13/01/13 - Win


Pescara would've been a worrying fixture for me if they still had Zeman in charge and the talented youngster Marco Veratti was still in the squad but luckily for us the Delfini have neither any more with Zeman at Roma and Veratti making the move to the French club PSG.  


So this should be an easy (ish!) win for the Nerazzurri maybe two or three goals up by full-time in both fixtures.

Roma  - Home 02/09/12 - Draw

              Away 20/01/13 - Lose

Our first home game of the season will also be our first real test of the season against Zeman's revamped Roma, already in the pre-season Zeman has worked wonders with Roma and with players like Mattia Destro and Lamela (Who I think Zeman will get the best out of)  this could be a difficult match for Inter. 


So much so I think it will end in a high scoring draw with both sides going all out for the winning goal. I think in the away leg  with home advantage the Giallorossi might just sneak a victory over us.

Torino - Away 16/09/12 - Win

             Home 27/01/13 - Win

Newly promoted team, Torino, of course have plenty of top flight history, so shouldn't be taken too lightly. I do however think we'll have enough about us to take three points from the away fixture without too much trouble and again when the two sides meet at the Guiseppe Meazza, Inter should dominate over the Turin outfit.

Siena - Home 23/09/12 - Win

            Away 03/02/13 - Win

I can't see Siena giving us too much trouble on home turf, especially as they no longer have their star striker of last season, Destro, and even when Inter travel to the away fixture I can't imagine there being any surprises for us.




Chievo - Away 26/09/12 - Win
              Home 10/02/13 - Draw


When Inter travel to Verona to take on the Flying Donkeys, Cheivo we will have to be cautious as they always have the ability to catch the big teams by surprise and cause an upset, though I have faith that Stramaccioni will anticipate this and come away with a hard-fought three points. 


Back on our home ground I expect to see Chievo to play ultra defensive and on the counter attack which ultimately will see them hold Inter to a well deserved draw.




Fiorentina - Home 30/09/12 - Win
                   Away 17/02/13 - Win


On the last day of September Inter are back at home against Fiorentina, but without Riccardo Montolivo I don't think Vincenzo Montella's team can match Inter, especially if the rumours are true and they lose their talented youngster Stevan Jovetić too. 


So again should be three points to our total with pretty much the same outcome when Inter take on the Viola in the reverse fixture.





Derby Della Madonninna: Milan - Away 07/10/12 - Draw
                                                       Home 24/02/13 - Win


The 7th October is the first Derby Della Madonninna of the 2012/13 season with Inter as the visitors. 


As I've said earlier I expect Milan to struggle this season, unless some big signings come in, but that doesn't mean this match will be a walk over for Inter! 


As any fan of the Milan Derby knows all previous form stands for nothing in this match and anyone can take the bragging rights at the end of the day but I do feel that in front of the Rossoneri crowd we will only manage a draw. 


The reverse fixture with the Nerazzurri at home will once again be the usual mixing pot of passion, emotion and tension on the pitch but in front of our own fans we will triumph once again confirming for another season that Milano is indeed black and blue.





Catania - Home 21/10/12 - Win
               Away 03/03/13 - Win


For some reason we struggled against Catania last season which is shocking to be honest, the home fixture saw us draw to them after previously losing the away fixture last season. 


This season however I'm sure we can put that right again with two wins for La Beneamata.




Bologna - Away 28/10/12 - Win
                Home 10/03/13 - Win


The end of October marks a busy period for Inter with 3 matches in a week. the first of these is on the 28th October away at Bologna who we should be able to beat convincingly and take home three points, and again when they travel to Milano in March I can't see them being a match for us and we should take another victory.




Sampdoria - Home 31/10/12 - Win
                    Away 17/03/13 - Draw


Just three days after the first Bologna match in a midweek fixture Sampdoria come to the Guiseppe Meazza to take us on. 


The recently promoted side are a bit of a tricky one when you consider that although they spent last season in Serie B but not that long ago in the 2009/10 season they finished in a Champions League spot so they are a club that is capable of producing the results needed, but again Inter should win this fairly comfortably. 


I think the away trip could end in a surprise for Inter seeing Sampdoria holding on to a draw on their home turf.





Derby d'Italia: Juventus - Away 04/11/12 - Lose
                                             Home 30/03/13 - Win



The first game of November is a really bad draw for Inter in my opinion just four days after playing Sampdoria we travel to Turin and the Juventus stadium.  Unfortunately this will probably mean a defeat for Inter! :( 


Just writing that makes me feel physically sick and is something that really pains me to admit but our players are likely to be tired after already playing two games within seven days of this one and Juventus have got a very strong squad so I just can't see us beating them on their home turf. 


The reverse fixture back at the Guiseppe Meazza at the end of March will be a completely different matter though with Inter showing a great strength and tenacity to overcome our old enemy in front of the Interisti faithful!




Atalanta - Away 11/11/12 - Win
                  Home 07/04/13 - Win


When Inter travel to their Lombardy neighbours, the other Italian Nerazzurri club, Atalanta for the week 12 clash I really can't see them causing us any major problems and again when we play host to them later in the season.  All in all this should be a fairly comfortable six points for Inter across the two matches.




Cagliari - Home 18/11/12 - Win
               Away 14/04/13 - Win


Cagliari are generally a mid to lower table team and even though they managed to hold us to a draw in their home fixture last season they shouldn't cause Inter any major problems on either fixture this season.




Parma - Away 25/11/12 - Draw
               Home 21/04/13 - Win


Parma are another one of those teams that have the potential to cause an upset for Inter, especially in their home fixture which will be played on November 25th which could possible end in a draw. 


When Parma travel to Milano on 21st April though it should be a comfortable win for Inter.




Palermo - Home 02/12/12 - Draw
                Away 28/04/13 - Lose


Palermo come to the Meazza on the second day of December and is the first of a tough last five fixtures in the reverse on 28th April.


I think Palermo could possibly hold Inter to a draw in Milano and possibly even beat us when we travel to Sicily, even though they are considered to be a mid table team they have got a strong setup and have the ability to cause upsets to the bigger teams.




Napoli - Home 09/12/12 - Win
              Away 05/05/13 - Lose


Napoli for the last few seasons have finished within the top 5 places in the table and as such should be approached with caution, even though they've lost Lavezzi to PSG they still have a strong squad, boasting stars such as Marek Hamšík and Edinson Cavani.  


Inter will have to play well to take away the three points when they host them on the 9th December. Inter travel to Napoli at the beginning of May and I think they will be unfortunately returning home empty-handed with Napoli taking the win at their home ground.




Lazio - Away 16/12/12 - Win
           Home 08/05/13 - Win


On 16th December we travel to Rome to take on Lazio who shouldn't cause us too many problems both on their home turf and also when they visit us on the 8th May. 


By no means will these be easy fixtures especially so close to the half way mark and end of the season but Inter should be the stronger team.




Genoa - Home 22/12/12 - Win
             Away 12/05/13 - Draw


The Rossoblu in my opinion tend to be one of them clubs that in recent times have under-acheived and have become what I consider to be one of Inter's feeder clubs, with players like Thiago Motta and Diego Milito coming to Inter from them.  


This however proves that they do tend to have quality players in their squads so although we should beat them when we play them at home, the return leg in the penultimate round of the season could be a frustrating one for us and I think they will probably be able to hold us to a draw.




Udinese - Away 06/01/13 - Draw
Home 19/05/13 - Draw


The Zebrette are a club that always frustrate me as I feel we should be able to easily beat them but they always manage to cause us problems on the pitch, this is in my opinion mainly down to their ability to discover young talent (Alexi Sanchez a few years back for example).  


This season's draw with Udinese is a bit of a mixed blessing because the first meeting which will be at the Stadio Friuli comes after the winter break so we will have had a bit of a rest and be refreshed to take them on (maybe even with new squad members) but the reverse fixture at the Guiseppe Meazza is the final game of the season and will be really tough for us.  


For these reasons I think the best we can hope for against them is a draw in each fixture.


So where does that leave us at the end of the season? 


If my predictions come true Inter's stats for the 2012/13 season would be:
 

Win- 25
Draw- 9
Loss- 4
Total Points- 84

In theory 84 points should hand Inter their 19th Scudetti and once again make La Beneamata the champions of Italy! 

Is this a realistic prediction?


I do believe that my predictions here are completely achievable with our current squad but ideally Inter do need to make a couple more quality signings this summer to reinforce our weak points in the team. 


In my opinion we need a center back and a fast striker, the center back is needed because although we have got five players already for just two places only Silvestre is a consistent performer, both Chivu and Samuel should only be considered backups and Ranocchia and Juan Jesus still need to prove they are ready to be our first choice in defence.


The need for another striker speaks for itself with the expected departure of Pazzini we are left with just an aging Milito and two unproven youth strikers in the form of Livaja and Longo as his back up.  


Of course if push came to shove we could use Palacio as a striker but I get the impression that Stramaccioni wants to use him in the attacking midfield mainly so a fast striker with an eye for goal would be a perfect purchase to fill the lone striker role in our 4-2-3-1 formation.


Of course anything could happen between now and the start of the season but as things stand I'm feeling fairly confident that the Nerazzurri are back on the up and we can expect to see a return to the Inter we know and love!




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