M
Mikey
Guest
"The Serie A Is So Hot Right Now!"
THE STATS
Former Thread Legend: Zauli/LucaToni for being banned twice. We await his return with an inconspicuous name like Barzagli or FrancoBrienza
Potent Potables
* Bologna, Brescia and Atalanta relegated
* promoted sides Genoa (matchfixing) and Torino (cash money) expelled from Serie A
* Empoli, Treviso and Ascoli promoted to Serie A
Europe Places
Juventus,Milan,Inter and Udinese qualify for CL first group phase.
Sampdoria, Palermo and Roma (through Coppa Italia) enter Uefa Cup
Considering how outstanding I did last season with my predictions (http://soccergaming.tv/showthread.php?t=107928&highlight=Serie+Thread , scroll down to what i say after picture of Galliani in first post), its probably debateable whether or not I should be the one to be make a legitimate Serie A preview. However, I do have twenty minutes to spare, so I think that pretty much qualifies me.
Contenders for WWF title (Scudetto):
Juventus
Milan
Inter Milan
2005/2006 Scudetto Champions: Inter Milan
Im just gonna go ahead and say the most cliche line of the past 15+ years, 'This is Inter's year.' Well, it better be, because if they dont win this year than they have no chance next season, when Adriano will be playing for either Real Madrid or Chelsea. In the close of last season, they were the most impressive club (being out title race, no pressure, probably helped). All they need to do is turn all those draws from last season (most of which were criminally undeserved) into victories which they did in closing months of last campaign. I think they've made the perfect moves over the summer to do this. Maybe their too deep in midfield, but that can only make guys like Veron and Stankovic raise their game, knowing players like Pizarro, Figo and Solari are waiting for their chance to take the starting spot. It's just a shame that they could win the Italian championship with little to no Italians in their lineup. It worked for Team France (Arsenal) for a few years, so why not. With Vieri gone, I think this will only raise Adriano's game, who by the end of this season, and the World Cup, will be the undisputed best player in the game. So, hopefully he can give Inter fans a scudetto as his parting gift.
Juventus won the scudetto last year, and have only strengthened their team over the summer, so why wouldnt they be my automatic choice? They gots the Champions League on their mind, unlike Inter who would be willing to rest Adriano for a CL semi-final if they have a crucial away fixture against Livorno a few days later. I just dont see Juve having the same aggressiveness and hunger for the Scudetto as Milan and especially Inter will. And there's one other thing. To me, if Juve lacked anything last season it was offence from midfield, especially with Nedved's injury problems. Theyve done nothing to fix this, and actually lost Appiah. Oliveira is trash, and I dont think a lot of people would say otherwise. Regardless, Juve has a solid team and should be heavy favourites to win the Champions League. If things dont come together for Inter, theyre my picks over Milan
In my books Ancelotti shouldve been fired after the Liverpool disaster. For the players at his disposal, he's been playing far too stale of late and I think a change of coach is exactly what they needed. People call Inter the career killers, but Ancelotti hasnt exactly given players a fair chance either. Last season, no matter how poorly Seedorf and Kaka were playing at certain periods of time, guys like Rui Costa, Serginho and Ambrosini would never get a legitimate chance to win a place. I think 3rd place for Milan this season, and maybe even falling out of title race by April.
Contenders for Intercontinental title (4th-6th Place):
Roma
Palermo
Fiorentina
Sampdoria
Udinese
Lazio
I'd be shocked if Roma doesnt finish fourth, and comfortably at that. And if Totti has an excellent year (which i bet he will, approaching world cup), than I think 3rd place isnt out of the question either. Out of the rest, I think Udinese probably has the best and most complete side, but playing in Champions League could distract them, so I think Fiorentina will grab 5th spot. They lack some depth across the board, but Fiorentina made some solid signings (and theyll be more in January) and led by Prandelli Id be shocked if they're not playing for a european birth on the last day of the season.
Womens Title (Just Looking To Avoid Relegation) :
.... the rest
Any of the remaining clubs could easily find themselves going down. There's no doubt in my mind Ascoli is going down. They werent prepared for Serie A (only getting promoted a couple weeks ago), and finished 6th in Serie B so for them to stay up to me is the equivalent of Livorno grabbing the 4th CL spot. Although Tavano will shine, Empoli hasnt done enough on transfer market to stay up. There will likely be a repeat of last season, with so many clubs capable of going down at the end, but I feel Reggina, Lecce and (hopefully) Chievo will be in trouble. Treviso were in same boat as Ascoli, but already have a Serie A potential star (Reginaldo) and have made some great signings in the past 2 weeks. Theyll stay up.
Most Exciting teams: Roma, Inter, Fiorentina, Palermo
Most Excruciatingly Boring Team: Chievo Verona. I advise you all to steer clear of watching them play at all costs. I hate the flying donkeys with a passion.
MVP: Adriano. No doubt.
Projected Standings:
Inter
Juventus
Milan
Roma
========
Fiorentina
Udinese
========
Palermo
Lazio
Sampdoria
Siena
Messina
Parma
Livorno
Treviso
Cagliari
Chievo
Lecce
========
Reggina
Empoli
Ascoli
THE STATS
Former Thread Legend: Zauli/LucaToni for being banned twice. We await his return with an inconspicuous name like Barzagli or FrancoBrienza
Potent Potables
* Bologna, Brescia and Atalanta relegated
* promoted sides Genoa (matchfixing) and Torino (cash money) expelled from Serie A
* Empoli, Treviso and Ascoli promoted to Serie A
Europe Places
Juventus,Milan,Inter and Udinese qualify for CL first group phase.
Sampdoria, Palermo and Roma (through Coppa Italia) enter Uefa Cup
Mikey's Serie A Preview
Presented By Doritos New Xtreme Cheddar®
Presented By Doritos New Xtreme Cheddar®
Considering how outstanding I did last season with my predictions (http://soccergaming.tv/showthread.php?t=107928&highlight=Serie+Thread , scroll down to what i say after picture of Galliani in first post), its probably debateable whether or not I should be the one to be make a legitimate Serie A preview. However, I do have twenty minutes to spare, so I think that pretty much qualifies me.
Contenders for WWF title (Scudetto):
Juventus
Milan
Inter Milan
2005/2006 Scudetto Champions: Inter Milan
Im just gonna go ahead and say the most cliche line of the past 15+ years, 'This is Inter's year.' Well, it better be, because if they dont win this year than they have no chance next season, when Adriano will be playing for either Real Madrid or Chelsea. In the close of last season, they were the most impressive club (being out title race, no pressure, probably helped). All they need to do is turn all those draws from last season (most of which were criminally undeserved) into victories which they did in closing months of last campaign. I think they've made the perfect moves over the summer to do this. Maybe their too deep in midfield, but that can only make guys like Veron and Stankovic raise their game, knowing players like Pizarro, Figo and Solari are waiting for their chance to take the starting spot. It's just a shame that they could win the Italian championship with little to no Italians in their lineup. It worked for Team France (Arsenal) for a few years, so why not. With Vieri gone, I think this will only raise Adriano's game, who by the end of this season, and the World Cup, will be the undisputed best player in the game. So, hopefully he can give Inter fans a scudetto as his parting gift.
Juventus won the scudetto last year, and have only strengthened their team over the summer, so why wouldnt they be my automatic choice? They gots the Champions League on their mind, unlike Inter who would be willing to rest Adriano for a CL semi-final if they have a crucial away fixture against Livorno a few days later. I just dont see Juve having the same aggressiveness and hunger for the Scudetto as Milan and especially Inter will. And there's one other thing. To me, if Juve lacked anything last season it was offence from midfield, especially with Nedved's injury problems. Theyve done nothing to fix this, and actually lost Appiah. Oliveira is trash, and I dont think a lot of people would say otherwise. Regardless, Juve has a solid team and should be heavy favourites to win the Champions League. If things dont come together for Inter, theyre my picks over Milan
In my books Ancelotti shouldve been fired after the Liverpool disaster. For the players at his disposal, he's been playing far too stale of late and I think a change of coach is exactly what they needed. People call Inter the career killers, but Ancelotti hasnt exactly given players a fair chance either. Last season, no matter how poorly Seedorf and Kaka were playing at certain periods of time, guys like Rui Costa, Serginho and Ambrosini would never get a legitimate chance to win a place. I think 3rd place for Milan this season, and maybe even falling out of title race by April.
Contenders for Intercontinental title (4th-6th Place):
Roma
Palermo
Fiorentina
Sampdoria
Udinese
Lazio
I'd be shocked if Roma doesnt finish fourth, and comfortably at that. And if Totti has an excellent year (which i bet he will, approaching world cup), than I think 3rd place isnt out of the question either. Out of the rest, I think Udinese probably has the best and most complete side, but playing in Champions League could distract them, so I think Fiorentina will grab 5th spot. They lack some depth across the board, but Fiorentina made some solid signings (and theyll be more in January) and led by Prandelli Id be shocked if they're not playing for a european birth on the last day of the season.
Womens Title (Just Looking To Avoid Relegation) :
.... the rest
Any of the remaining clubs could easily find themselves going down. There's no doubt in my mind Ascoli is going down. They werent prepared for Serie A (only getting promoted a couple weeks ago), and finished 6th in Serie B so for them to stay up to me is the equivalent of Livorno grabbing the 4th CL spot. Although Tavano will shine, Empoli hasnt done enough on transfer market to stay up. There will likely be a repeat of last season, with so many clubs capable of going down at the end, but I feel Reggina, Lecce and (hopefully) Chievo will be in trouble. Treviso were in same boat as Ascoli, but already have a Serie A potential star (Reginaldo) and have made some great signings in the past 2 weeks. Theyll stay up.
Most Exciting teams: Roma, Inter, Fiorentina, Palermo
Most Excruciatingly Boring Team: Chievo Verona. I advise you all to steer clear of watching them play at all costs. I hate the flying donkeys with a passion.
MVP: Adriano. No doubt.
Projected Standings:
Inter
Juventus
Milan
Roma
========
Fiorentina
Udinese
========
Palermo
Lazio
Sampdoria
Siena
Messina
Parma
Livorno
Treviso
Cagliari
Chievo
Lecce
========
Reggina
Empoli
Ascoli
I saw the post while you were still working on it and assumed you were done
