Mancini: "Too many chances wasted"

Sunday, 23 September 2007

LIVORNO - Roberto Mancini analysed his team's performance against Livorno in a post-match interview with Sky Italia.

He said: "We wanted to win this match and we would have if we had taken full advantage of a few of the many big chances we created in the first half.

"But we're only in the fourth round of the championship. It's normal to have difficult moments during the season. We had some at the start of last season and we overcame them by working and believing in ourselves and what we were doing.

"We have to try to improve and correct the mistakes we made. For Livorno's first goal we were asleep. You can't let yourselves be surprised by a sixty-metre pass into the area. We were incredibly naive but I'm not worried because this doesn't normally happen to us.

"We started playing well after their goal and we produced a series of good chances - four or five incredible ones, that we should have done better from. But we didn't do well in the second half.

"We didn't play badly but we bungled it a bit. For how today's game went I think the draw is the right result, but we should have done better from some of those incredible chances in the first half.

"The positive aspect is that we have ample margins of improvement and that in our team we have great champions who are reaching peak physical condition, so we have to stay calm and continue to work well without being affecting by anything or anyone. We know our strength, we will get back to winning regularly.

"Adriano did better than last Sunday and created two or three good chances. However, for him it is fundamental to continue to work like he's doing and continue to improve. He's on the right track but he needs time.

"Maicon's dismissal? He was wrong and he shouldn't have got himself sent off. We could have created more had we remained with eleven men but by getting sent off he made it hard for us and we risked losing."

http://www.inter.it/aas/news/reader?N=27462&L=en&IDINI=27465

Ibrahimovic: "We just lacked a bit of luck"
Sunday, 23 September 2007

LIVORNO - Inter and Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored his second brace of the season in Livorno after his double against Empoli in Serie A Week 2.

"We just lacked a bit of luck today," he said. "When we get it back we won't have any problems winning. Livorno played a great game and this result is like a win for them. It's not easy when you concede a goal in the first minute because you're forced to attack and score two to win.

"We did everything we could, I liked the team's performance and we have forgotten the Istanbul defeat now. We dropped two important points but there are still many games to go. We're taking it one match at a time. We all gave our all today but it was harder after we were reduced to ten men.

"Adriano's in form and the understanding with him is working."
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Mancini: "Samp? Tough nut to crack"

Tuesday, 25 September 2007

APPIANO GENTILE - Part three of Roberto Mancini's Inter v Sampdoria news conference:

How are Dejan Stankovic and Nicolas Burdisso?
"I think both will play tomorrow."

On (Italian television station) La7 last night president Moratti said he had no request from you to renew his contract, and that was him who decided the extension and wage adjustment in order to repay the coach who won him the Scudetto. What might the president do for Mancini if you win the Champions League?

"I don't think we should even talk about these things, and I'm not referring to Moratti or his reply. Some topics are not logical. You do this job not to earn more, but because you like doing it. If things go well there are those who reward you and they should be thanked. This aside, I think the world is full of envy, rancour and nastiness. Take, for example, the people who go on TV and talk as pundits. I don't think they have anything else to do. I think it's better if they don't go because they make fools of themselves. Because they haven't given anything after being players and I also believe they have nothing to give. It's in bad taste to always talk badly of others, which is a habit in Italy now. Am I referring to ex-players? There are those who talk about football and I think this is a good thing because they know what they're talking about. And there are others who go and lecture on TV. They have tried to do other things after their playing careers and have made a mess, so then they go on TV and always say bad things. I can't understand this. You can say that a team is not playing well, and this might be right, but they always go on to other things that are out of place. Am I referring to anyone in particular? No, I'm talking in general... When you talk about football there can be criticism and you accept it. (Smiles) But regarding what the president has done concerning my contract, I can only say that he has done very well..."

Do you feel that the team is a bit behind in terms of physical condition?

"Unfortunately these are problems related to the fact that we had players return late after the Copa America. We hope they reach condition as soon as possible. Stankovic has had a small problem with his foot but I don't think he did that badly in Livorno. If we add the physical problems to those of condition, we still haven't managed to field our ideal team of last season. This may be a small problem but it also gives me hope. If we're still up there despite all the problems it means that if we can stay up there until the break it would be very positive ahead of getting all our players back. And we won't have any more problems if we manage to be in front."

Who will play in attack tomorrow?

"Definitely Crespo. Tomorrow morning we will look at the condition of all those who played on Sunday. Today we did a light session so every player could recover."

What difficulties are you expecting to have in the match against Sampdoria?


"The ones that we've had in every game since the start of the championship. We have faced teams who fight and who are difficult to overcome. Sampdoria are an excellent team in terms of their technical level. They might have players who still have settle down and who aren't one hundred percent, but they are very good and dangerous. Is the Blucerchiati environment ideal for Antonio Cassano. Yes, I think it is."

What is your reply to those who say Inter are dependent on Ibra?

"It's normal for a great champion to be decisive. It's the same for every team. I hope Ibra is always decisive for us, but he's not a robot who can score two goals in every game. He has the ability and sooner or later the time will come when he can do what he wants on the pitch. But it's fine by me to be dependent on Ibra if he continues to score two goals every game."

Many say Roma have overtaken Inter as favourites to win the Scudetto. Do you agree?

"They are two points ahead of us, so they have overtaken us. Roma, like Inter, Milan and Juventus, are a great team. These are opinions and if someone wants to express them, it's right to. There are no problems saying Roma are favourites compared to us. The Giallorossi play better than Inter? Roma might be playing well now, but they played better last year..."

More photos of Tuesday morning's training session











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Serie A: Inter 3-0 Sampdoria


MILAN - Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored his third brace of the season and Luis Figo added the other goal as Inter outclassed Sampdoria at the Giuseppe Meazza.

The 3-0 victory puts the Nerazzurri level on points with Roma, held 2-2 in Florence, ahead of Saturday's top-of-the-table showdown in the capital.

The day's heavy rainfall in Milan made for a slippery pitch and both sides made a cautious start to the game.

Inter broke the deadlock on 23 minutes when Ibrahimovic collected in the Samp third and made a darting run on goal before firing low past Mirante from the edge of the box.

The Genoa outfit failed to rally and it was Mancini's team who went close to doubling their lead before the break.

Mirante made a smothering save to deny Crespo a close-range chance and Cesar could have done better with his angled shot from the left, firing wide after meeting Dacourt's deft through ball.

Ibrahimovic's second goal four minutes after the break was nothing short of sublime. The Swedish ace outwitted three opponents with a dazzling piece of skill, creating space to drill home a left-footed shot from inside the area.

Luis Figo made sure of victory with his first goal in black and blue since his penalty against Torino on the final day of last season.

The Portuguese veteran collected a Crespo pass and entered the box before crashing his right-foot shot past Mirante.

With the points in the bag Mancini had room to experiment. The Inter coach introduced Adriano in place of Ibrahimovic, handed Portuguese youngster Pelé his competitive debut, and brought on Suazo in the closing stages.

The Nerazzurri created plenty of chances for a fourth goal, with Suazo, Cambiasso and Maxwell all firing wide from inviting positions and Pelé having a shot saved by Mirante.

Inter 3-0 Sampdoria (HT: 1-0)

Scorers: Ibrahimovic 23, 49, Figo 58.

Inter: 12 Julio Cesar; 4 Zanetti, 2 Cordoba, 25 Samuel, 6 Maxwell; 7 Figo (29 Suazo 83), 15 Dacourt, 19 Cambiasso, 31 Cesar; 18 Crespo (30 Pelé 75), 8 Ibrahimovic (10 Adriano 63).
Subs not used: 1 Toldo, 5 Stankovic, 9 Cruz, 16 Burdisso.
Coach: Roberto Mancini.

Sampdoria: 83 Mirante; 16 Campagnano, 14 Sala, 6 Lucchini; 77 Zenoni, 21 Sammarco, 17 Palombo, 19 Franceschini (99 Cassano 54), 3 Ziegler; 11 Bellucci (40 Delvecchio 63), 29 Caracciolo (13 Bonazzoli 71).
Subs not used: 1 Castellazzi, 22 Kalu, 28 Gastaldello, 46 Pieri.
Coach: Walter Mazzarri.

Referee: Paolo Tagliavento (Terni).

Booked: Ibrahimovic 57, Ziegler 70.

http://www.inter.it/aas/news/reader?N=27503&L=en

This post has been edited by scorps: Sep 27 2007, 06:47 PM

This post has been edited by scorps: Sep 27 2007, 06:57 PM

Mancini: "An almost perfect match"

MILAN - Roberto Mancini was delighted with Inter's performance against Sampdoria. "Inter played an excellent match, an almost perfect match," he said. "The team was compact in every department. Why almost perfect? Because it's always hard to reach perfection - you always make mistakes."

Ibrahimovic was the star of the show with his fifth and sixth goals of the season. "Zlatan is one of those who can decide when he wants to score because with his technique and physical strength, defenders can't stop him," Mancini said. "Can he win the Ballon d'Or? He'll win it one day, he still has time."

Mancini also commented on the performance of Figo: "He played very well. He didn't slow down in the second half compared to other matches."

Looking ahead to Saturday's clash with Roma, Mancini said: "It would have been better to have more time to prepare for it. It will be very hard in Rome and to get a result we'll have to concede nothing.

"We will have our injured players back soon so if we can stay at the top it will be very interesting because the team is improving match after match."

Ibrahimovic: "Feeling better and better"

MILAN - After his doubles against Empoli and Livorno, Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored his third brace of the season in Wednesday's 3-0 win over Sampdoria.

"I do everything I can to help my team win," said the Swedish striker, who came off to a standing ovation in the second half. "We played well today and deserved to win an important match, which gives us tranquillity.

"I'm very pleased about my two goals but I wouldn't be able to do so well without the help of my team-mates. I do my best to help the team and everything I do is thanks to the help of the team. We won on a difficult playing surface tonight. We played well and we're feeling better and better.

"There's still a long way to go in the championship but Saturday's match against Roma is very important for us. As always, we will try to win."

Crespo: "Difficult game in Rome"

MILAN - After Wednesday's convincing victory over Sampdoria at the Meazza, the Nerazzurri can turn their attention to Saturday's top-of-the-table clash against Roma.

"It will be a very hard match and we will have to approach it in the best way possible," Hernan Crespo told Sky Italia after today's training. "After the defeat in Turkey and the draw in Livorno we needed this victory (over Samp) and we played well to get it so there was no better way to prepare for the game in Rome.

"Every player wants to play these kind of matches. They might not be that important in terms of the table but they can earn you important points that you carry forward with you and that count when May comes."

Hernan scored five against Rome last season, and will be looking for a repeat of that kind of form on Saturday evening. "Yes, it's true, I scored a lot against the Giallorossi last year but we have to try again now. We will see if this trend continues.

"It's certainly nice to watch Roma play but I still feel Inter are the strongest team in the championship because of their squad. There's always a replacement for every player.

"The big matches count for the Scudetto but so do all the other matches. Consistency counts. You win the championship at the end, not before, and playing well helps you win.

"The only thing that hasn't gone right for Inter in this start to the season was the Italian Super Cup final. We wanted to do well and win it but we lost.

"As for all the rest I think we're on the right track and indeed we are first in the table. And now we have the chance to overtake one of our title rivals, but Saturday's game will be very hard and certainly won't be decisive."

http://www.inter.it/aas/news/reader?N=27518&L=en

Moratti: "Rooting for Ibra"

MILAN - Inter president Massimo Moratti spoke briefly to journalists today outside the Saras offices in Milan's city centre.

Dr Moratti, it was a good win against Sampdoria yesterday, but now you face Roma in Saturday's big match...
"We played a good match yesterday, it will be a different game against Roma. It won't be an easy match but we're hoping to put on a good show. We hope to win the necessary points game after game."

Roberto Mancini seemed to be irritated when he heard it said that Roma are playing a lot better than Inter...
"I'm not sure he was irritated... However, this is normal and in any case I think there have been other things that have irritated him more, and maybe this is the least important one. Inter and every other team have their own style of play because of the players they have and the formation they decide to use."

Will Saturday's match also be a great duel between Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Francesco Totti?
"They are two champions. I'm rooting for Ibrahimovic."
Can Inter win in Rome?
"Let's hope so."


http://www.inter.it

Serie A: Roma 1-4 Inter

Saturday, 29 September 2007 19:52:42

ROME - Defending champions Inter thrashed ten-man Roma 4-1 at the Olimpico to move three points clear at the top of the Serie A table.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic opened the scoring from the penalty spot after Giuly was red-carded for hand ball.

Simone Perrotta struck a second-half reply for the Giallorossi who were finished off by three quick goals from Hernan Crespo, Julio Cruz and Ivan Cordoba.

Roberto Mancini opted for a surprise 4-3-3 lineup, flanking Ibrahimovic with Cesar and Figo in a three-pronged attack in front of midfield trio Stankovic, Dacourt and Cambiasso.

Roma made the brighter start and could have taken an early lead but Julio Cesar kept out Totti's thunderous free kick and Mancini's left-footed follow-up shot.

The Nerazzurri's first chance fell to Ibrahimovic who shielded from Mexes and turned quickly before sending a weak shot at Doni.

Inter kept up the pressure and went close again when Cambiasso tested the Roma custodian with a volleyed effort from the edge of the box after Zanetti's right-wing cross spun off Juan.

The breakthrough came after a counter-attack on 28 minutes. Doni parried a Cesar shot and Giuly was shown a straight red for handling Ibrahimovic's subsequent header. The Swedish forward dispatched the resulting penalty low to Doni's right to put the Nerazzurri in front.

Inter lost Ibrahimovic and Dacourt to injury early in the second half. Mancini threw on Argentine forwards Crespo and Cruz and reverted to a 4-4-2 formation.

Roma took advantage of the Nerazzurri's tactical switch and equalised through Simone Perrotta who lashed home from close range after a defensive mistake by Maxwell.

But the Giallorossi's leveller was short-lived as Inter stepped up a gear and stunned their opponents with three goals in nine minutes.

Cruz struck the post with a sweet right-foot shot from just inside the Roma box.

Crespo restored Inter's lead on 57 minutes, volleying in after Cambiasso's shot was parried by Doni.

Cruz then opened up a two-goal advantage with a low screamer from distance after receiving from Figo.

Cordoba killed off the game in the 66th, rising at the far post to power home Figo's pin-point left-wing cross.

Roma 1-4 Inter (HT: 0-1)

Scorers: Ibrahimovic (pen) 29, Perrotta 53, Crespo 57, Cruz 60, Cordoba 66.

Roma: 32 Doni; 2 Panucci (3 Cicinho 69), 5 Mexes, 4 Juan, 22 Tonetto; 16 De Rossi, 7 Pizarro; 14 Giuly, 20 Perrotta, 30 Mancini (9 Vucinic 69); 10 Totti (18 Esposito 76).
Subs not used: 1 Curci, 21 Ferrari, 29, Barusso, 33 Brighi.
Coach: Luciano Spalletti.

Inter: 12 Julio Cesar; 4 Zanetti, 2 Cordoba, 25 Samuel, 6 Maxwell; 5 Stankovic, 15 Dacourt (18 Crespo 51), 19 Cambiasso; 7 Figo (30 Pelé 77), 8 Ibrahimovic (9 Cruz 51), 31 Cesar.
Subs not used: 1 Toldo, 10 Adriano, 21 Solari, 29 Suazo.
Coach: Roberto Mancini.

Referee: Nicola Rizzoli (Bologna).

Booked: Samuel 45, Pizarro 73.
Sent off: Giuly 28.

unbelieveable???
believe it!!

Figo: "No doubts about our strength"

ROME - Luis Figo commented on the 4-1 thrashing of Roma at the Olimpico. "We had no doubts about our strength and potential," he said. "We were highly efficient for ninety minutes and we had the fortune to be in numerical superiority for a long time. But it looked like we were going to win even before the dismissal of Giuly."

Asked if Inter are dependent on Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the Portuguese midfielder replied: "I'm happy that he plays with us, but all our strikers are very good. The attack isn't a problem for Inter because whoever plays scores goals."

Inter's next opponents are PSV Eindhoven in Matchday 2 of the Champions League. "Let's hope we do well again in the Champions League on Tuesday."


http://www.inter.it/aas/news/reader?N=27540&L=en

Photos: Roma 1-4 Inter
ROME - Photos of the Nerazzurri in action against the Giallorossi at the Stadio Olimpico:

ROME - Photos of the Nerazzurri in action against the Giallorossi at the Stadio Olimpico: