UDINESE CALCIO

[D-Kin]

Well I'm surprised Udinese didn't put up more of a fight but Palermo won as I predicted.

It's good to see Caracciolo scoring again.

[D-Kin]

Udinese are seriously considering the future of Coach Giovanni Galeone after the 2-0 loss to Palermo on Sunday.

channel4.com - Football Italia

[Forza_Roma]

This is crazy. Teams 4th-15th is separated by only 7 points. Udi are only one win away from Champions League...Instead of changing coaches, they should bring in reinforcements to help them!

[D-Kin]

Exactly, and not many teams will win away to Palermo this season.

People just need to get some perspective.

[D-Kin]

Giovanni Galeone has been sacked, Alberto Malesani is now the new head coach of Udinese.

channel4.com - Football Italia

[Forza_Roma]

We'll see what impact he can provide. But the team is what it is. Hopefully he can lead them to a CL spot. Uefa Cup seems more suited for them.

[D-Kin]

They won't get a CL place but the UEFA Cup is definitely within their reach.

It just depends who leaves in the summer, the likes of Iaquinta and Felipe may go.

[D-Kin]

Serie A Week 20 - 21/1/07 (14.00 UK)
Udinese - Messina

Stadio Friuli

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New Coach Alberto Malesani will get the feel of his new side in Week 20 as they face Sicilian opposition. This Sunday’s game between 11th place Udinese and 17th place Messina at the Friuli looks like a predictable affair, but it will be anything but. With Udinese having lost their Coach and Messina having found their self-belief recently, this is going to be a result that will be harder to call than comparative League position might suggest.

Udinese were hit hard by a rejuvenated Palermo side in Week 19, they never really got into the game before the Rosanero made sure they were out of it. That and the fact that the Bianconeri’s last win came in mid December was all too much for the board and they said goodbye to boss Giovanni Galeone.

The home side’s tactician will have a clean slate and a talented squad to work with. He is being careful not to let too much slip, as far as his ideas for the tactical setup of the team are concerned, but having only arrived on Tuesday, he may not have time to implement all the changes he has in mind before the game against Messina.

At the moment, it seems as though a four-man defence will be protected by a midfield with Sulley Muntari, Cristian Obodo, Gianpiero Pinzi and Paulo Barreto, behind Vincenzo Iaquinta and Antonio Di Natale. That could all change however, as players such as Roman Eremenko, among others, will be desperate to impress the new Coach.

The Sicilian guests will be keen to take advantage of the on going confusion, just as they did last time out against Roma, when a defensive howler gifted them a penalty and a point. Bruno Giordano’s side will have to do without star defender Alessandro Parisi, who found enough time after scoring the spot-kick in the 99th minute to get himself sent off as well.

Ivory Coast international Marco Zoro looks likely to replace Parisi at the back. New signing Andrea Giallombardo does not look like he will recover from injury, it may be that Salvatore Masiello will move into midfield allowing Arturo Di Napoli to come in and partner Sergio Floccari in what would be a two-man attack. There will be no Marco Storari in goal after he joined Milan on Wednesday.

Man on fire: Vincenzo Iaquinta (Udinese) – The World Cup winner deserved to be on the winning side against Palermo, but he was constantly thwarted by goalkeeper Alberto Fontana.

Last season: Udinese 1-0 Messina

Form guide: Udinese (L W W L L) Messina (L L DL D)

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Udinese (probable): Paoletti; Zenoni, Natali, Zapata, Dossena; Muntari, Obodo, Pinzi, Barreto; Iaquinta, Di Natale

Messina (probable): Caglioni; Zoro, Zanchi, Iuliano, Rea; Lavecchia, Pestrin, De Vezze, Masiello; Floccari, Di Napoli

channel4.com - Football Italia

[D-Kin]

Fiorentina are eyeing Udinese youngster Vitor Barreto.

http://www.tribalfootball.com/article.php?id=25788

[TrentBlue]

Tomas Sivok will join Udinese from Sparta Prague at the end of the month after he signed a four-year contract.

Source: Channel 4

Good signing, Sivok is very talented.

TrentBlue.

[D-Kin]

That's a very good signing in my opinion, he looks like a promising young player.

[Jager]

Good move by Udinese, he is rated highly. He will surprise in Serie A.


Iaquinta on the way out?

[TrentBlue]

Originally Posted by Jager

Good move by Udinese, he is rated highly. He will surprise in Serie A.


Iaquinta on the way out?

I suppose it depends on how the relationship is between Iaquinta and Udinese is after the contract rows.
He's been linked with Milan constantly but so have many strikers.

TrentBlue.

[Jager]

Yeah, but I think Milan is gong to let that Olivera chap go, and Pippo might leave also...just a hunch.

If Sheva is not back next year, I expect the striker position to be main priorities for Milan, and Iaquinta was on their watch list.

However Milan need to find a playmaking "two" if they hope to get the others going.

[TrentBlue]

Originally Posted by Jager

Yeah, but I think Milan is gong to let that Olivera chap go, and Pippo might leave also...just a hunch.

If Sheva is not back next year, I expect the striker position to be main priorities for Milan, and Iaquinta was on their watch list.

However Milan need to find a playmaking "two" if they hope to get the others going.

Alot of the rumours linking Iaquinta with Milan were thrown around because Gilardino, Oliveira & Inzaghi were all miss firing.

Oliveira just hasn't settled well in Italy, I think his Milan record is 2 goals in 18 games which really isn't good enough. There's massive pressure on him as he's touted as Shevchenko's replace.

If Inzaghi were to go, where would he go? Back to Piacenza?

TrentBlue.