Inter - Pick Your 1st XI

[adriano10]

Inter Milan announced earlier this week that they would be signing no more players this summer. Although this has since been revised following a spate of injuries, it is unlikely that anyone who does come in is anything more than a stop-gap replacement. In view of this, who should Jose Mourinho select in his strongest Inter starting XI?

Below is the senior squad from which to choose from:

Goalkeepers: Francesco Toldo, Julio Cesar, Paolo Orlandoni

Defenders: Ivan Cordoba, Maxwell, Maicon, Nicolas Burdisso, Marco Materazzi, Nelson Rivas, Walter Samuel, Christian Chivu

Midfielders: Javier Zanetti, Dejan Stankovic, Luis Figo, Luis Jimenez, Patrick Vieira, Olivier Dacourt, Esteban Cambiasso, Sulley Muntari, Pele, Francesco Bolzoni

Attackers: Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Julio Cruz, Adriano, Hernan Crespo, David Suazo, Amantino Mancini, Mario Balotelli

[adriano10]

It seems as if Mourinho will be playing his preferred 4-3-3 system (to start with) even with many questioning it's effectiveness in Serie A....

so I'm following that formation....just a little unsure of LB so i've chucked Chivu there...



----------------------Julio Cesar------------------

Maicon------- Samuel---------Cordoba-------Chivu

Zanetti-----------Cambiasso----------Mancini

Balotelli-----------Adriano-----------Ibrahimovic

[Montanha|Campeo]

---------------------Cesar-----------------------
Maicon------Cordoba-------Materazzi-------Chivu
---------------------Veira-----------------------

----------Figo------------------Cambiasso-------

Muntari--------------------------------------Stankovic
---------------------Ibrahimovic-----------------------

[# 9]

great squad, tipping inter for back to back titles

[Piola]

I'm tipping them for the double, simply cause they no longer have a tactical imbecile in charge

no idea what system they are going with, cause I havent followed their pre-season and Jose has been very secretive about it all anyway.

Looks like Stendardo might arrive as a backup, in exchange for Pele. Possibly also Ledesma for cash.

[totsreds08]

wow what a squad

---------------cesar---------------
maicon---cordoba---materazzi---chivu
zanetti------cambiaso--------mancini
balotelli----ibrahimovic----cruz

[Piola]

how good will they be out wide.

Don't think Cruz will be a starter. People forget about Adriano, but if he is anything like he was 2-3 years ago, they'll have probably the world's best front line.

Could be stronger defensively, but don't think it'll cause them any extreme problems. Imagine if they had a Cannavaro-esque defender there. Good times to be an Interista, no doubt. Made even better by the overnight result in Moscow.

[Translator]

early days and paper doesn't mean anything.

Cordoba & Chivu return will be vital, need them fit by rd.1. Currently not even training with the squad past warm up exercises. Then you have Samuel who should hopefully be fit by Christmas. Ibra still has his knee problems and has struggled to play three games a week since he's come to Inter. Just there you have nearly half of the first team coming into the season with fitness concerns.

Personally our success will be measured by how well Muntari goes. If he plays well, we'll be ok. Adriano (if he manages to prove to Mourinho that he's worth keeping) might be a wild card for us as well.

Julio Cesar

Maicon Cordoba Samuel Chivu

Zanetti Cambiasso Muntari

Balotelli Mancini
Ibra

Add in Maxwell, Rivas, Burdisso, Deki, Jimenez, Cruz & Suazo and you got your 1st 18.

If we get anything from any other player other than the 18 I've mentioned it would be a bonus but I've got no expectations.

We're better than last year but just need to stay healthy and hopefully Mourinho doesn't persist too long with any new formations that doesn't pan out.

[adriano10]

if Adri's half the player he once was, next to a (Hopefully) fit Ibra and a young gun in Balotelli... with the Gardener coming off the bench.... we're Laughing all the way to having the world's best frontline...

problem i see with this 4-3-3 is that when Mancini tried it early in the season 06/07...it just didn't work...
then again Mancini was tactically challenged...fuckn storto.... hopefully the special one (he's fantastic if you watch 'I'm on Setanta Sports') makes it work....with the strikers inter have, a 3 man frontline fully functioning and fit would scare the shit out of the best backlines in the world...any day of the week

[INTERISTA]

how good will they be out wide.

Don't think Cruz will be a starter. People forget about Adriano, but if he is anything like he was 2-3 years ago, they'll have probably the world's best front line.

Could be stronger defensively, but don't think it'll cause them any extreme problems. Imagine if they had a Cannavaro-esque defender there. Good times to be an Interista, no doubt. Made even better by the overnight result in Moscow.

[Translator]

how good will they be out wide.

Don't think Cruz will be a starter. People forget about Adriano, but if he is anything like he was 2-3 years ago, they'll have probably the world's best front line.

Could be stronger defensively, but don't think it'll cause them any extreme problems. Imagine if they had a Cannavaro-esque defender there. Good times to be an Interista, no doubt. Made even better by the overnight result in Moscow.

meh got more of a kick out of the injuries to Nesta, Borriello & Kaka. Club Football results from June-August means nulla.

[Piola]

meh got more of a kick out of the injuries to Nesta

lost a bit of respect there.

Sant'Alessandro deserves more respect than that.

[Translator]

meh got more of a kick out of the injuries to Nesta

lost a bit of respect there.

Sant'Alessandro deserves more respect than that.

If he wants my respect he'd leave Milan

[Jay Walking]

Inter Milan announced earlier this week that they would be signing no more players this summer. Although this has since been revised following a spate of injuries, it is unlikely that anyone who does come in is anything more than a stop-gap replacement. In view of this, who should Jose Mourinho select in his strongest Inter starting XI?

Below is the senior squad from which to choose from:

Goalkeepers: Francesco Toldo, Julio Cesar, Paolo Orlandoni

Defenders: Ivan Cordoba, Maxwell, Maicon, Nicolas Burdisso, Marco Materazzi, Nelson Rivas, Walter Samuel, Christian Chivu

Midfielders: Javier Zanetti, Dejan Stankovic, Luis Figo, Luis Jimenez, Patrick Vieira, Olivier Dacourt, Esteban Cambiasso, Sulley Muntari, Pele, Francesco Bolzoni

Attackers: Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Julio Cruz, Adriano, Hernan Crespo, David Suazo, Amantino Mancini, Mario Balotelli

Very decent squad. Should be able to with Champs league with any of those players playing

[Juventino]

Plenty of depth in the squad with the chance to use at least 3 different systems.

4-4-2

-----------------Cesar
Maicon----Samuel-----Cordoba---Chivu
--------Cambiasso----Muntari
Zanetti------------------------Mancini
---------Ibrahimovic---Cruz/Balotelli

4-3-1-2

-----------------Cesar
Maicon----Samuel-----Cordoba---Chivu
----Zanetti---Cambiasso--Muntari
---------------Jiminez (i'd play Ibra here personally)
---------Ibrahimovic---Cruz/Balotelli

4-3-3

-----------------Cesar
Maicon----Samuel-----Cordoba---Chivu
----Zanetti---Cambiasso--Muntari
Mancini------Ibrahimovic---Balotelli

Not sure about the role of Adriano to begin with, hence why I have not included him in any squad. Though he could certainly be a target man in the 4-3-3 and have Ibra feed off him. I like the second formation the best but you get the feeling they bought Mancini for a reason and he is not there to not be fitted into the system.

[pires7]

Jose = Yella!

[Madridista612]

4-3-3

GK Cesar
RB Maicon
CB Samuel
CB Materrazi
LB Chivu
RCM Zanetti
CDM Cambiasso
LCM Muntari
RST Mancini
CST Ibrahimovic
LST Cruz

[adriano10]

I have a feeling under Mourinho, Cruz will go back to being the player he was in the early days at Inter... coming off the bench constantly... rarely starting...making way for youth...

[reggina]

GK - Cesar
RB - Maicon
CB - Cordoba
CB - Samuel
LB - Chivu

RM - Zanetti
CM - Cambiasso
LM - Muntari

RW - Mancini
LW - Balotelli
ST - Ibrahimovic

Not sure how Balotelli will play out wide - he did some last year and i noticed he took over the set pieces towrds the end. But is it his natural position? Viera will be fill ins, as will Figo, Cruz, Suazo. Talk of Cambiasso playing at CB along with Burdisso until Cordoba & Samuel are fit. Rivas maybe needs one more year to break thru. Still...looking formidable.
And by the way, sorry Pesce - i cant see your man in there either...just my opinion ofcourse. Hope your gloves are ready for next season.....