ferguson on maldini, zola,totti, defensive calcio, napoli

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that he once made
the mistake of asking about the transfer status of Paolo Maldini.

Speaking
to the Corriere dello Sport during a visit to Rome, Ferguson was
questioned about which Italian player he would have liked to have signed
for the Old Trafford outfit.

[b]“I once asked Maldini’s father Cesare about him,” the manager noted. He looked at me as if I was a madman and that response was enough to understand that the answer would be no.”

“I also loved Gianfranco Zola a lot. He always played with a smile and with the right sporting spirit.”

Being
in the Eternal City, Ferguson was inevitably asked for his thoughts on
Francesco Totti given his difficulties so far this term.

“Totti
is the symbol of Roma, he’d never want to leave the club just like Ryan
Giggs and Paul Scholes at United,” Ferguson added. “Totti needs
to be kept at a certain level for Roma, just as I do at United. I may
not let Giggs play every week but he’s always there. It could be the
same for Totti.”

Turning to tactics, Ferguson hailed the work of
Arrigo Sacchi in the late 80s for changing the face of the Italian game
with his 4-4-2.

“Sacchi changed Italian football. He got
rid of Catenaccio by proposing a high pressing game, with a Maldini who
pushed forward on the flank. It was a change of mentality and it was the same for Fabio Capello’s sides.

“The
Italian mentality was to attack with caution. Then all of a sudden
there was no Catenaccio, but a four-man defence, with a side that
attacked rather than waited to counter-attack.

“It was a great change, so when people talk of Italian football and talk about it being too defensive, I really don't see too much fact in it at all if i'm honest. Since the early 90's Italian football hasn't been defensive, not like the Catenaccio era anyway. It is more similar to the football in Spain”

The
Scot was also asked for his thoughts on Napoli’s chances in the
Champions League after being paired with Bayern Munich, Villarreal and
Manchester City.

“Napoli are in the most difficult group, the
group of death,” he noted. “If they can get through that group then they
can do anything. When there is a draw you hope to avoid long
trips, to avoid Turkish and Ukrainian sides because those far away games
are a problem. The other thing is to pick up 10 points.”[/b]

mauro=beast wrote:ferguson has moved up in my estimation of him. congrats

he is now at 1/10

mauro=beast wrote:ferguson has moved up in my estimation of him. congrats

he is now at 1/10

mauro=beast wrote:ferguson has moved up in my estimation of him. congrats

he is now at 1/10

mauro=beast wrote:ferguson has moved up in my estimation of him. congrats

he is now at 1/10

Chris wrote:sorry man dont wanna jack thread but dont wanna die either.

A girl died in 1933 by a homicidal murderer. He buried her in the ground when she was still alive. The murdered chanted, "Toma sota balcu" as he buried her. Now that you have read the chant, you will meet this little girl. In the middle of the night she will be on your ceiling. She will suffocate you like she was suffocated.