++ [ originally posted by swag
] ++
Good question. This is a sort of debate I've managed to skirt, because everyone else has done so well at beating it to death.
As for the trident, I think we seriously need some offensive threat when it comes to the two-game eliminations of the CL's later rounds. We should expect to be there, but we should expect to win. And while some teams can come at you with their gameplan telegraphed in advance and still beat you, a la Greece in Euro 2004, I think that's a terrible strategy fit for only those teams that have no other choice.
We should have more weapons at our disposal and learn how to use them. We should learn how to employ more than one gameplan -- to add an edge of uncertainty to whomever we play in big games, to account for injuries and the sagging form of individual players, etc.
Last season Capello got more out of the squad than I thought we were necessarily capable of with the squad we had and the competition we faced. Particularly in the Scudetto campaign. For that, I have to give him credit where Lippi was starting lag. But in the CL, our one trick pony act may have come just one erroneous offsides call on DP from putting us through to the quarterfinals, but we needed a far more varied game plan than the 1-0 victory.
Expectations are higher this season. Thus far, Capello seems to be doing what he knows, and we know, works in a long and steady Scudetto campaign. I cannot knock him there. But it's the big games, and particularly the elimination CL matches, that present the next real hurdle for our squad and for Capello's abilities as a manager. And from what I see now, it doesn't look like we're prepared to take the risks and learn from them to give us that extra edge in the CL.
And you can only win so many Scudettos without CL success for that to wear tiring and thin on many fans.
EDIT: Oh, and I'm recording Alana at the moment myself.
Buy on AliExpress.com
