Italy – Superlega Unipolsai 2016-2017

  • Very deserved victory by Lube. All the player played a wonderful match as single and overall they finally look as a real team, digging like hell!
    My 'instinct' MVP was Sokolov too, but thinking better about it almost every player could have been MVP.


    When I wrote the first post I lacked time, so let me add now that it's always a great pleasure to watch Grebennikov playing and to see Kovar back to this level (and he can do even more!).


    About my Trento, I think they tried almost their best against a team that played an amazing match.
    Imho this time (unlike, for example, in the last match vs Perugia) when Trento had problems it was mostly because of Lube merits, and not for their own demerits. Yes, too many serve mistakes in the first set and an awful end of the third, but beside that I had the impression that they fight as well as they were able too (it recalled me of the defeat in semifinal vs Kazan at the World Club Championship).

  • I think one of the keys for Lube's success is Kovar return. He guarantees a good level of play, mostly in reception and defense, he's reliable in attack too.. and he's italian. This can let Lube have Grebennikov as libero, which is of course a great advantage. A reception line with Grebennikov and Kovar is solid, so Juantorena can concentrate more on the attack and Christenson can play as he wants, especially showing good connections with the MBs. If you add Sokolov in great shape and excellent blocking, you can easily understand why they won.. congrats to them!

  • I think one of the keys for Lube's success is Kovar return. He guarantees a good level of play, mostly in reception and defense, he's reliable in attack too.. and he's italian. This can let Lube have Grebennikov as libero, which is of course a great advantage. A reception line with Grebennikov and Kovar is solid, so Juantorena can concentrate more on the attack and Christenson can play as he wants, especially showing good connections with the MBs. If you add Sokolov in great shape and excellent blocking, you can easily understand why they won.. congrats to them!


    BTW I think that after this tour de force (5 or 6 matchs in row as a starter) Kovar should rest (maybe after Resovia). We all know that Jiri's body is....well we know. Kaliberda and Cebulj can guarantee a good level too. In my opinion, against weaker teams, Pesaresi, Kaliberda and Cebulj (with Cester instead of Stankovic in the line-up) are quite good in order to win the game and to allow for Juantorena, Stankovic and Kovar a good refreshment for more important matchs

    Per un pir, un pam un persec per na brogna e na rumleina, nuetr'a sam d'la Ghirlandeina nuetr'a sam da rispeter





  • BTW I think that after this tour de force (5 or 6 matchs in row as a starter) Kovar should rest (maybe after Resovia). We all know that Jiri's body is....well we know. Kaliberda and Cebulj can guarantee a good level too. In my opinion, against weaker teams, Pesaresi, Kaliberda and Cebulj (with Cester instead of Stankovic in the line-up) are quite good in order to win the game and to allow for Juantorena, Stankovic and Kovar a good refreshment for more important matchs


    It looks like they heard you: Kovar didn't play against Resovia (while Juantorena didn't play the last league match). Lube has a long bench and maybe except for the opposite, they have to use it. The problem is that now they're facing strong teams in the league, so I don't know if Juantorena or Kovar will have much rest.

  • Another (not so) big match Verona - Modena

    Per un pir, un pam un persec per na brogna e na rumleina, nuetr'a sam d'la Ghirlandeina nuetr'a sam da rispeter




  • According to the 'darling of pre-game interviews 'Mr.Zaytsev; everything has changed since the second week of January, he has transformed into a different player just in two weeks. He will rock, destroy opponents (from what I understand)
    http://www.gazzetta.it/Volley/…erugia-180686625072.shtml
    And according to this report;
    http://www.oasport.it/2017/02/…to-verona-modena-da-urlo/
    Title 'Zaytsev against all, fighting for the first place'
    'Civitanova will find its former big star: Ivan Zaytsev. He will be the star of the afternoon,will give a great performance (exact translation or maybe not too exact :whistling: ) He has announced that we will see a different player and we must be all just curious .'
    I checked if Zaytsev's wife wrote the article but no, it was a different writer.


    Now,I understand why Civitanova is scare to death ;) , I'm very curious.
    Let's see who will be the star of the post-game ones

  • Sportube for sure (but you need to pay 2,9 euros), I don't know if somewhere else...



    scarpetta, I also hate this kinda of declarations, especially if pre-match, and lately I often think that Zaytsev lost too many opportunities to shut up :P, but despite that I must underline that you are partially misreading what the Zar (or the writer) said.


    For example, he didn't state that he will 'destroy the opponents'.
    He simply said that is a match to win (obviously). He also said that the match will help them to understand what they need to improve to be superior to Lube (so, he is indirectly admitting that they are not, at the moment).
    May be you can accuse him of arrogance because he said that it will be point-to-point, which would be a good result anyway vs this Lube ;)


    And this:

    Quote

    will give a great performance (exact translation :whistling: )


    isn't at all the literally translation of this line:

    Quote

    chiamato a una grande performance


    The translation is that he is asked to do a great performance (which is a perfectly normal statement), not that he certainly will!



    About 'being a new player', I'll report precisely what he said.
    It's not very far from what you wrote, but reading the whole piece it's possible to get the whole picture.
    I mean, you can understand why he believes he will be different, you can see that is not a thing said to be cool or a meaningless promise.

    Of course, the fact that he believes he is changed doesn't necessarily mean that he actually is, about that I agree with you ;)


    Quote

    D’ora in poi vedrete uno Zaytsev diverso...".
    Diverso?
    "Non voglio entrare nei dettagli, ma da metà gennaio in poi per me sono cambiate tante cose, avendo mutato il mio metodo di lavoro e essendo riuscito a limare alcune situazioni delle quali sono sicuro che ne trarrò un grande beneficio. Soprattutto quest’ultima settimana, avendo saltato la trasferta di Belgorod, è stata fondamentale. Ma non vado oltre e spero che ve ne accorgerete, perché mi sento bello carico e con la spalla pronta a girare sino al termine della stagione".


    Quote

    "Form now on you will see a different Zaytsev."
    "Different?"
    "I don't want to get to the details, but from the second half of January for me several things are different, having changed my work method and having been able to adjust a little few situations form which I'm sure I will get a great benefit. Especially the last week, since I skipped Belgorod, was fundamental. But I won't say anything else and I hope you will notice, because I feel very well and with the shoulder ready to go until the end of the season.


    [And today we will find out that he simply cut is hair :lol: :lol: ]

  • Kk15 thank you :)

    Quote

    For example, he didn't state that he will 'destroy the opponents'.


    Haha I know. This wasn't a direct translation. This is what I think he is trying to say :P

    Quote

    The translation is that he is asked to do a great performance (which is a perfectly normal statement), not that he certainly will!


    I hate this writer.According to him world turns around Zaytsev. Maybe this is not exactly he wrote, but sure this is what he expects. BTW Podrascanin is the real former great of Lube but no one mentions him.


    I hate the fact that Italian journalists force us to believe Zaytsev has created the volleyball last summer. Actually Zaytsev has been one of my favourite volleyball players but this PR machine is too much

  • I hate the fact that Italian journalists force us to believe Zaytsev has created the volleyball last summer.


    I agree with you. Zaytsev is a drama queen.


    I think today Perugia will lose again, they always fail important matches. Sometimes they seem to be afraid to win.


    Tey were out of Coppa Italia, they lost twice vs Modena, once vs Trento (they won the home game), once vs Lube (today there's the other match). So, basically, vs the strongest teams, they won once vs Trento and, if we consider Piacenza and Verona in the group of the strongest teams, twice vs Piacenza (but not in Coppa Italia) and once vs Verona.

    It's possible, you just have to believe in yourself and really not care what other people say, because I've heard it all.
    If you let someone else dictate what you're going to do in life, then you won't get there.


    Non so neanche come onestamente: in due mesi ero di nuovo in campo.



  • I hate this writer.


    yeah, I don't like him (her?) too.
    Since he wrote that it was going to be a piece of cake vs Portorico in 2014 :lol:
    Well, I don't even know if the writer is the same, but I rarely read that blog since then...


    Zaytsev is a drama queen, but he is also the one that is trying hardest to publicize volleyball, making the best of all the offer he receives to go public and also looking for opportunities by himself... So, I can't be deeply disappointed by him being a drama queen, for the sake of Italian volleyball ^^
    I do believe that he love being the star, anyway :P :mirror:

  • What a start for Russell .He is putting a show right now.Zaytsev is so tense,thinking too much. There isn't a single good reception by Juantprena so far. His reception is making the difference . 16-13 for Perugia
    Update: Not sure if De Cecco's service was out :whistle:
    Ahahaha Atana
    What a set 33-31 Lube
    Both setters are absolute stars of the match.Too many serving errors

  • And Modena looses in 3-0. Uros hair is funny for me :lol: , but I think he must be such a cool guy to hang out with.


    BTW, I don`t get all the hate towards Zaytsev. I just love him, in and out of the court. Sometimes I dream about him, just like last night :cheesy: