++ [ originally posted by Zizou ] ++
Oh God. The spells you mention usually last from the 1st minute to the 65/70th minute (Except for the Bologna match). It's in the last 20 minutes were we lack the concentration. Last night after the match, it was being discussed with Lippi this issue of letting in too many goals in the last 20 minutes and after a lengthy discussion it was general opinion that it's cos Juve score many goals early on and then they relax and take it easy.
Lazio are not playing well and Parma depend on Adriano so don't tell me they play better. Roma against us played better in the last 30 mintues while we played better in the first 60 minutes.
Yeah we don't play like Real Madrid in terms of spectacular matches but we are definitely not on Inter's and Liverpool's level. And don't forget that most of the teams we played against in Serie A are teams that close down with all men behind the ball so it's extremely difficult to create chances.
I never did talk about the complete capitulation in the last 20mins so its irrelevant. The spells I talk about are usually extended mediocrity rescued by flashes of individual brilliance.
Bologna and Olympiakos come to mind as particularly sh!te ones. Galatasary makes for good sedation. Chievo and Roma gave us a game and more than a scare. Empoli and Ancona were simply helpless.
Lazio has a flow to their football that we simply don't.
Whoever said anything about Real Madrid? What I said was we're better than Inter in terms of play but not by much. That particular instance was sparked by your denial of us hoofing the ball, which we happen to do quite often.
Let's run down the Serie A match list,
1. (Roma, Chievo) 2 of the most attacking-minded teams in the Serie A.
2. (Empoli, Ancona) teams which were simply helpless even if they tried.
3. Reggina wasn't all that negative.
4. Only Bologna could pass off as one.
That's 1/6 and you call that 'most of the teams who put all their men behind the ball'?
Lippi cannot do anything right eh? And Sociedad would have defeated us if Nihat and DE Pedro had played from the start?
I said we played pretty well didn't I? Lippi DOES cock up in big matches and that's exactly what happened to Real Sociedad, no? Didn't the Spaniards make it easier for us than it would have been if they hadn't abandoned their gameplan? Again, who said ANYTHING about them beating us otherwise? Don't take everything as a personal attack against Lippi coz it isn't.
Look, there's no need to get so defensive. You prefer to see it half-full while I see causes for half-empty. Take the positives for all their worth but they don't cover the negatives to the extent that we can close our eyes, clap our hands and forget about them.