++ [ originally posted by Tom ] ++
Well the Liverpool games were at the forefront of my mid actually yeah.
In the Liverpool games the defence and keeper did alright on the whole, and the strikers, considering they hardly got a touch of the ball, did all they could. The midfield was the department that was completely anonymous particularly in the second game.
AFAIK Camo was fully fit in that game and played for the majority of it - he did bugger all to influence the game and looked very lethargic - as it must be said he always does when I watch - maybe its just me but I'm yet to be convinced of his abilities at the top level. He doesn't get enough goals and he's very frustrating in possession.
I know the likes of olivera and Nedved played in the game as well but Olivera is only a fringe player and Nedved - well I'm prepared to grant him an off day due to the fact he's been so decisive in many a game over the past few years. Camo though - well I was beginning to get a bit miffed at his performances - I'd swap him for Pires in a heartbeat.
Well, I see people indeed do not have very long memories. Camoranesi was the best player on the pitch in the match against Real at the Delle Alpi, taking on players left and right, troubling and keeping RC at home during the whole match, making Gravesen and Samuel look completely foolish and out of place. He made our midfield tick in that match, one that we thought was already lost. He also was a force in the Bayern matches as well. Please...to say Camoranesi does not show up in big CL matches is a rather ridiculous statement.
The defense was alright "on the whole" in the Liverpool matches? Are you kidding me? The whole first half at Anfield was a complete joke for the supposed "best defense in the world." Thuram made three ridiculous mistakes in the span of 20 minutes, one costing us a goal. Emerson let Luis Garcia slip by him and the ball ended up behind an out-stretched Buffon who should have perhaps done better. Then in the second leg I almost killed myself watching Paolo Montero fumble around at the back without any decent ideas in midfield at all...that's right, it was the whole midfield: Emerson, Olivera, Nedved, and even Del Piero coming back to pick up the ball. Every single player on the pitch was lethargic as far as I'm concerned, from Zlatan to Montero to Camoranesi. Can't pin this down entirely on Camo's shoulders.
Camoranesi was very good during the entire season, basically being our best player coming out of midfield. Last term I counted over ten assists from Camoranesi's boot, which is right up there with Zlatan's flick and head-on helpers. I don't even think you can name a better winger in Serie A last season to be honest.
Now, if Camoranesi has not really impressed you in the CL, how about Pires in the past two seasons? He WAS a very good player, yet in the Champions League he went missing often as well. To throw away Camoranesi for a 31 year-old has-been sounds like something Moratti would think up.