Serie A Superthread

Babacar should start for fiorentina.

If Suning are serious about wanting to get back into the Champions League they HAVE to back Spalletti and help him with a couple of decent additions in this window. Yes, the FPF disaster left by previous owners makes things difficult but there is room for manoeuvre particularly with someone as expert as Sabatini in finding plusvalenze before the end of June. Fiorentina were light years ahead tonight and even though the equaliser was conceded right at the end, the players can consider themselves lucky not to have been hammered. A defence at the end of the game of Nagatomo, Skriniar, Santon and Dalbert only serves to show how thin the squad is. Hopefully the fact that Lazio will win tomorrow and we'll effectively be missing our objective will wake up the Zhangs.

ERG89 wrote: »

https://twitter.com/footballitalia/status/949402406122676225

Ouch. Him & Renato Sanches have stunk the last 18 months.

The problem tonight above all was his attitude. Yes, people, including myself, get annoyed and give out about players performing poorly but not actually bothering is another thing altogether. Nagatomo is a prime example, he's had horrendous matches and poor seasons but you could never fault his work rate and whilst every Interista knows he's not a brilliant full back there's a begrudging soft spot for him in most as he's a trier. Joao Mario just literally didn't bother tonight and that's unforgivable, particularly for people as passionate about the club as lo zio which is why I suspect he has made that comment.

Though that tweet is skewing what he really said:

"Primo tempo di Joao Mario imbarazzante! Quello che ho visto adesso non lo voglio mai vedere da nessun giocatore. Non ha neanche mai accelerato. Scarica dietro con una sufficienza, nemmeno il senso del pericolo."

"Embarrassing first half from Joao Mario! What I saw just now I don't want to see from any player. He never even sped up. He gave up and felt like he had done enough (doesn't translate literally but that's the gist), without even sensing the danger". (So he really said he doesn't want to see that kind of attitude again rather than not wanting to see Joao Mario again, though I'd forgive him if he had).

Is there a better finisher in Europe than Iccardi? I don't think so.

Wow Atlanta have been unreal

They really should be 3 up at this stage

I actually think VAR has been good in general, it has had it's problems but they can be ironed out and if implemented correctly it will work really well. Today I think they were saying the other player was offside and ruled he was interfering with play, I don't agree with it myself but I still think VAR gets more right than wrong.

Anyone else watching Lazio v Chievo? The VAR was used after the ref blew for a penalty but it was a clear dive and he reversed it correctly. My question is why didn't he book the player for diving?

FCIM wrote: »

I'm listening to Tutto Il Calcio... and heard about the VAR all right. Referees often back out of booking a diving forward; they shouldn't but they do. You, like I was, should've been hoping VAR broke down at that moment .

Haha, in fairness VAR has gone in our favour a couple of times this season too so we can't complain.

I just think that refs should be booking players for it because otherwise it only encourages diving, if there are no consequences then they'll never stop.

FCIM wrote: »

I have no complaints about VAR whatsoever. I don't even think it drags things out half as much as commentators would like to have us believe. I also don't think it would be a good idea to show the images to the crowd as, unlike with other sports, it could incite trouble.

Completely agree, things can be interpreted differently and fans will have bias so showing the crowd at a stadium a replay would be a bad idea and could end really badly. I'm also happy with the VAR, refs have an impossible job so anything that helps them to do their job better is good with me, plus it would make cheating much more difficult because it would be too obvious.

ERG89 wrote: »

Nice hat trick for Quagliarella but Fiorentina have been destroyed the last few years. Bought average players & sold everyone of the good except Chiesa and Badelj

It's all their own fault too, still amazes me how they forced Borja Valero to leave even though he wanted to stay.

dor83 wrote:

It's all their own fault too, still amazes me how they forced Borja Valero to leave even though he wanted to stay.

Bernadeschi, Vecino, Marcos Alonso, Ililic, Tomovic, Tatarusano, Gonzalo & even though he's been bad this year Kalanic all left in the last 2 years. Brought in mainly very average players.