Udinese...

28-09-2012

Focus on the opponent: Genoa at the Friuli

The next guest of the Friuli stadium will be Genoa, opponents coming from a season spent on the rollercoaster and finished still in the Serie A but with the constant fear of relegation. The team has started the new season with a new, calmer, more self-confident squad, which has even given some trouble to Italy’s current winners, Juventus, and won away to Lazio (??), who had never lost until then. We are talking about Genoa, coached by Gigi De Canio, an old friend of Udinese.

What kind of squad are they? After a season of excess (“excesses”?), finally the first thing you can see is balance (“the first thing you can finally see is a balance”?): a close-knit, equilibrated (“balanced”?), young group with a few champions who have also experienced the Champions League (“Champions’ League”?): we are talking about Sebastien Frey, probably one of the best goalkeepers of the last decade, and Marco Borriello, the player who won the shield (“championship title”?) and fought for a European title with AC Milan and Roma and is now back to the place (“back in the place”?) where he grew up. No one has ever forgotten his 19 goals scored in 2007/08 so here he goes again with Genoa to form the attacking couple along with a young talented player who comes from a great season: Ciro Immobile, last year’s Serie B top scorer and winner of the championship with Pescara, he has already become an idol for the North Bank (??) both for his technical qualities and determination.

The offensive duo is usually supported by a playmaker, a role likely to be taken by Bosko Jankovic, who has fully recovered after years of severe injuries. The midfield area is given to Jurai Kucka, back at the levels of his first season, when he had drawn the attention of Inter. Apart from the Polish player, there are plenty of players to choose among (“to choose from”?): Berolacci and his incursions (??), the geometries of Merkel (he’s also a mathematician on the field?), the substance of Seymour and the coolness brought in by Tozsè and Anselmo.

Right behind, the defence is usually made of four men, even though De Canio has lined up a 3-5-2 in Genoa’s latest match against Parma. The benchmark is the Swedish player Granqvist: it took him only one season to be noticed by our top Clubs. This year’s new talented player is Michele Canini, who had been one of Cagliari’s top players for years. Either reserve or first-string player in a three-man defence is Cesare Bovo, back to Genoa after three years with Palermo. The fresh man on the flanks is Mario Samprisi, a 19-year-old player who, after a glimpse of Serie A last year was launched (where, on the moon?) as a first-string right centre-half. Opposite is Antonelli.

The first lunch game (will the players be eating on the field?) of the year is about to begin: we will need, as always, to see the best Udinese possible. After Turin, we are hungry for three points…. (and we readers are hungry for proper English!!!!).

Rome's Fiumicino airport!

The rather "interesting" sign at Rome's Fiumicino airport at the baggage retrieval! 

Udinese...

24-09-2012

Ranegie-goal: the beginning of a new era!

Arrived (“He arrived”?) on the last transfer market day, almost in silence, Mathias Ranegie had already had a taste of the Serie A in Siena, where he played the last minutes, and against Anzhi in the Europa League, but has become famous only yesterday, in the best way for a forward: by scoring (a run-on sentence?). Not in an ordinary game, but to (“against”?) AC Milan, breaking the deadlocks after 40 minutes.

An header (“A header”?) shot before Abbiati could save, taking advantage of his physical features: he is powerfully built (built what? Man? Player?), tall, dangerous on high balls. When you are 196 cm tall by 91 kilos, it can’t be otherwise. Born in Goteborg (Sweden) Mathias Ranegie’s lineaments (??) are anything but Swedish, his ancestors being from Guadalupa (“Guadalupe”?). The team he comes from, Malmo FF, is a warranty (“guarantee”?), but at the same time it is a burden because it is the Club that launched Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Ranegie, just like many others, is forced to live with this unfair comparison with the Paris Saint-Germain champion. His start at Udinese has been very good indeed, both with Anzhi and AC Milan. His scores (“goals”?) in the Swedish championship were encouraging and show a proper scorer (he was top scorer in 2011). Guidolin has surely found a new offensive solution to try out alternative game plans. To make Udinese more and more competitive.

23-09-2012

Guidolin: “Happy for the win, my squad is praiseworthy”

 “I am very happy and I think my squad has been praiseworthy for a series of reasons. Because in the first ten minutes AC Milan was doing very good (“very well”?) and they have taken us by surprise (“took us by surprise”?). I thought they would play with two strikers, but before putting four men behind and shaping a rhomb (??) with two players in the front, I took a few minutes to study them. The match has become (“became balanced”?) balanced as soon as I have understood them (“as soon as I understood them”?). We have won (“We won”?), and we are happy”.

The coach Francesco Guidolin, big smile on his face (“has a big smile on his face”?), commented on the first seasonal win of his squad and praised the performance of new signing Ranegie (??).
Did you fear to suffer the Europa League consequences?

When you play on Thursday, you have less strength in the final part of the game, but my players have done very well. We should have handled the ball better, but there are many young players such as Faraoni, Badu, Allan, Pereyra and Fabbrini and you can’t ask them to be experienced. A more mature and experienced squad doesn’t let the ball (“doesn’t give the ball”?) to the opponent when playing 11 vs 9.
Happy with Ranegie’s performance?

He was a good deal for the Club, he is showing the signals (smoke signals??) of an important player, he’s a quality player, not just a striker. The club has done the right choice. He is a technical, generous forward. I think he might become an unusual no. 10, some kind of Everton’s Fellaini. Time will work for him. He’s a fantastic boy, a Northern European. He’s quiet and professional, ready to learn.
Three points are useful, but has beating AC Milan given high spirits to the squad?
It’s an important win that gives us confidence, we are working very hard. This win makes us trustworthy and gives us a boost, the rest shall be earned on the pitch, one Sunday at a time.

Midfielders have been go-getting (????) even without Lazzari, happy (“are you happy”?)?

Our midfield is go-getting (???), but we’re not very able (“not very capable of taking”?) to take possession. Younger players have lots to learn. We have to improve, I’ve lined up Ranegie to have a better management of the ball.  What are AC Milan’s problems?

I couldn’t tell. AC Milan have been great (“were great”?) in the first ten minutes, I think it’s only a matter of time. When you lose and you’re used to win, you miss your safe points. I think they need to be patient.

Udinese...

20-09-2012

Pinzi: “We need to be careful”

The début at the Europa League is near and after a complicated start Udinese intend to change route and give this season a new life. During the eve (??) press conference, Udinese midfielder (“Udinese’s midfielder”?) Giampiero Pinzi has talked (“talked” or “spoke”?) about the problems Udinese will be dealing with tomorrow and about the determination to redeem (??).

Is it tough to reinforce the group with so many foreigners in the squad?
I think it’s stupid, after one month, to think that they can play perfectly. There are different paces and pressures.

How can you stop Eto’o?

We need to be careful. When he played for Inter, he would win matches almost all by himself. The team is not made of Eto’o only  (“is not only made up of Eto’o”?) but they are one of the best of the group. To stop him we’ve got to be careful.
Do you still have the same motivations as last year?

After an incredible season we’ve missed the chance to play Champions League (“Champions’ League”?) and perhaps we’re still suffering for that, but we don’t have to look back. It’s a tough group, but we’ll do the best we can because we deserve to be there.

Are injuries and preparation the reasons for these difficulties?
Preparation has nothing to do with this. It’s all about the head, we miss a win (“we’re missing a win”?).