Can Anyone Stop Italian Giants, Inter?

Can Anyone Stop Inter?

Internazionale may start the new Serie A season with a new coach but many football fans will be surprised if there is a different winner come next spring.

Scottish Football Writer Mark Holloran breaks it down for us.

The special one may have departed and been replaced by Rafa Benitez ( surely under pressure to deliver the goods after a disappointing last couple of years in Liverpool) but the treble winning squad of last season remains largely the same, minus the talented, but underused last season Mario Ballotelli. Added to that squad is the talented Coutinho from Vasco de Gama and it is easy to see why Inter start favourites, but what of the others?

Juventus had a torrid time last season and finished a disappointing seventh. A new coach has arrived in the experienced Luigi Del Neri and a host of summer signings have followed, the pick of which appear to be Italian internationals Simone PepeSimone Pepe, on a season long loan from Udinese ,and Leandro Bonucci a big money buy from Bari.

If Bonucci and Giorgio ChielliniGiorgio Chiellini can form a quick understanding in the heart of the defence and Trezeguet and AmauriAmauri stay injury free up front then Juve could surprise a few but perhaps a top three finish is more realistic after all the troubles of last season.

Milan also arrive with a new coach in the highly rated Massimo Allegri but with largely the same tired looking squad of last season. Yepes from Chievo is a good signing but unless Silvio BerlusconiSilvio Berlusconi comes up with some big name quality signings ,then another season behind neighbours Inter beckons.

Finally, RomaRoma had an excellent season last year and gave Inter a fright in the race for the Scuddeto ,before finally losing out on the final day. However a similar season in 2010 -11 looks unlikely. The club has been in serious financial difficulty for some time and is up for sale at around £130 million.

Therefore only a handful of new signings have arrived to date, the pick of which is Adriano, but whether he can stay injury free and trouble free is open to question. The responsibility for a successful Roma season will no doubt rest on the ageing shoulders of Francesco TottiFrancesco Totti once more but for how long can he keep delivering the goods?