Fiorentina: not unbeatable but hard to beat?
I have just been watching the Roma-Fiorentina match today (Sunday) and it got me thinking about a number of points regarding our forthcoming Uefa Cup games against them.While they did not by any means look an unbeatable team by any stretch of the imagination, I do feel that they nevertheless will be a difficult team to beat over two games. Firstly, defensively, they look a typically well organised Italian team and seem capable of retaining possession for prolonged periods even when under pressure.
An issue here for Everton, coming up against better opposition than we have encountered so far, is that the passing and ball retention incapabilities of players such as Hibbert and Neville are likely to be exposed. In addition, much as I admire and congratulate Lee Carsley on the job he does so consistently, I do hope that he calls on all his international experience to curb any reckless tackling ? especially during quick counter-attacks near the box.
Neville I feel is a real liability in this area and the Italians will be only too ready to exploit his tendency to give away the most stupid of free kicks in vulnerable areas around the box. And while Everton's pressing game will undoubtedly disturb the Italians, they are past masters at taking the sting out of this by going down too easily and prompting the inevitable yellow/red cards.
I am sure that Everton have enough in their attacking armoury to win the tie, but I just feel that players such as Neville, Hibbert, Carsley etc MUST be disciplined and that players such as Piennar, Arteta etc MUST avoid giving the former two too much possession and to prevent them launching aimless long balls which surrenders possession that demands wasting precious energy in trying to win it back again.
We have enough to win this tie, but it will be difficult and ? without real professional discipline ? could be very difficult.
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After Mutu?s injury they clearly lacked a match winner & chased the rest of the game. For me if we win the midfield... we win the tie.
Although he impressed, Krøldrop looked a bit shaky under pressure. I still doubt his Premiership credentials & I believe a relentless Johnson, Yakubu & Anichebe might prove to much.
We have more match winners, a better midfield, can play at high tempo for 90 minutes & a hungry Yak!
With caution we will win!
http://www.tribalfootball.com/article.php?id=80204.
I know they still have a load of good players in the team but this can only be good news for the blue boys.
First job though City tonight. coyb
Chances are few and far between, and you have to be clinical.
The Yak is starting to hit form, so lets hope AJ, is on the top of his game.
They didn’t look that good in fact they sore on the eyes.
Another chance to see them next Sunday on Ch 5 away to Juventus.
Howard
Neville Yobo Jagielka Lescott
Arteta Carsley Osman Pienaar
Cahill
Yakubu
Soak up the pressure in midfield and get them on a set-piece or unleash big Vic in the last 10. A score draw would not be that bad but I do think a goal is a must.
From past bitter experience they can be as much a factor as the opposition.
http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/feb25i.html
That of course means he will miss both legs of the Uefa Cup tie. Mutu has been in pretty good form lately, so his absence can only enhance our chances of making the last eight.
I do think though that Hibbert has been showing a bit of an improvement recently. Neville is the one that worries me. He ALWAYS looks like he’s about to give a free kick away.
However, overall I think that they are probably more concerned about us than we are about them and rightly so on current form. They are on a good run in Serie A but its not the same standard as the Premier League. The redshite beat Inter, their league’s best team and we all know how poor the redshite are at the moment.
A good injury free performance and hopefully a win against City tonight will be the perfect tonic and keep confidence high. COYB IMWT.
COYB
I watched Fiorentina play Roma and they seemed very slow at the back , lightweight in the middle of the park and any goal threat went when Mutu went off. They relied on getting crosses in to Vieri who looks like he is knocking 45 and played like it!
We can have this bunch!!
Fiorentina are the last Italian Uefa Cup representative and of them their best players are a knackered 34 year-old Vieri and a defender that couldn?t replace David Weir.
If they had our players and we had theirs, then yes that's a worry!
However, Krøldrup was pants against Premiership opposition, and even if he has improved... who gives a monkey?s... were bringing the YAK!
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1 Posted 25/02/2008 at 00:46:12
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COYB.