Italian National Team

Originally Posted by boring

I would prefer Rossi or Pazzini over Balotelli though the former is eventually going to demand the starting place.

Motta over Santon? Its a tough choice.

Motta over Santon isnt acctually a hard choice,Italy is playing with wingbacks,the wingbacks have a very very important role in attack,and Santon is in defense very solid but in attack he doesnt add much,thats why Motta should get the nod ahead of Santon.If we have to defend a 1-0 lead then Motta should get out for Santon.

And i dont think Pazzini should be chosen over Balo,ok Pazzini is doing a great job at Samp,but really the guy isnt good enough for the starting XI at Italy NT for sure,and Rossi hasnt body,we need at least one player who has a good physique upfront,with already Giovinco in the team,Cassano also isnt that big,teams like Amerika will have no problem to deal with our small strikers....

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2...-the-world-cup

Originally Posted by pirlofanusa

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2...-the-world-cup

i saw the photo of the article, and already agreed.

haha i was the one who wrote it, i hope you liked it

The players called to play against Switzerland for the Italian team:

GK: Gianluigi Buffon (Juve), Federico Marchetti (Cagliari)

Defenders: Salvatore Bocchetti e Domenico Criscito (Genoa), Fabio Grosso (Olympique Lione), Fabio Cannavaro e Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Davide Santon (Inter), Gianluca Zambrotta

Midfielders: Andrea Pirlo (Milan), Mauro German Camoranesi e Claudio Marchisio (Juve), Angelo Palombo (Sampdoria), Gaetano D'Agostino (Udinese), Simone Pepe (Udinese)

Strikers: Antonio Di Natale (Udinese), Alberto Gilardino (Fiorentina), Fabio Quagliarella (Napoli) Vincenzo Iaquinta (Juventus), Giuseppe Rossi (Villareal).

Calciomercato predicts a kind of 4-4-2 with the players in bold ...

I didn't like what said Lippi about the two new players of the NT (Criscito and Marchisio) ...

That looks a pretty weak team to me.

What did he say Geo?

That they have to be ready now and he doesn't want to see any other bad performance because we are nearer and nearer from the next WC ... so he said OK for young players, but they have to be ready for the WC or they won't come, as simple as that (it seems there is a battle in Italy between Lippi and medias, Lippi seems to want to keep his "oldies" whereas the medias ask for a fresh new team).

I don't think it is the best way to welcome new players ...

And yes about the weak team, what worries me is that he still uses Camoranesi, actually, he is going to play something like:

--------------- GK ---------------
------------ Defence ------------- <= why not trying Criscito in the centre of the defence with Santon on his left ...
---------- Pirlo - Palombo ---------
Camoranesi -------------- Marchisio <= in second half, we'll see Pepe ... pffff
----------- Gila - Rossi ------------ <= probably Iaquinta replacing one of them ... pffff again

I can't understand that when you know he could play some kind of 4-3-1-2 with Cassano and some other players included in this formation instead of Camoranesi and Marchisio (Italy has no great winger, whereas they have plenty very good classical midfielders).

this lineup looks nothing like the eventual lineup. I think Lippi needs to play the players he intends to play. I dont believe Gila has the presence so Toni maybe the answer up front.
It would be nice to see Cassano up behind him.

----------------Buffon----------------
Zambro Santacrocce Cannavaro Chiellini
---------Gatusso Pirlo De Rossi--------
--Casssano-------------------Rossi---
----------------Toni------------------

I would also be weary of Canna playing too many games so I would have Santon ready to step in (Depending on how he does this season) at left back so Chiellini can slip in at centreback.

Chiellini is set to be a starter as a CD for the next WC ...

Italy better hope Amauri decides to play for them once he gets his passport (next month, apparently), as Toni, Gila, Iaq etc. simply aren't good enough.

Also, is Marco Motta injured? If not Lippi should've called him; he's the best Italian fullback out there.

Lippi should call Cassano up period.Italy cant only depend on Pirlo to do everything and they also need another good distributer who can bring the ball from midfield to attack,and Cassano is that kind of player,Amauri will also be available and he could future for Italy,then they have FINALLY got a good attacker as the rest of them(Gila,Toni,Iaquinta)are crap for NT.

Amauri,Cassano,Santacroce,Motta are the answers to all problems.

Originally Posted by Dutchie-Milan

Lippi should call Cassano up period.Italy cant only depend on Pirlo to do everything and they also need another good distributer who can bring the ball from midfield to attack,and Cassano is that kind of player,Amauri will also be available and he could future for Italy,then they have FINALLY got a good attacker as the rest of them(Gila,Toni,Iaquinta)are crap for NT.

Amauri,Cassano,Santacroce,Motta are the answers to all problems.

The main issue for Italy is that Lippi tends to play with 2 DM (Gattuso and De Rossi) around Pirlo in his usual first team.

It's the same issue as for France with Domenech who seems to like his Lassana Diarra-Toulalan (2 DM) association in midfield. For example, against Feroe Islands, the 164th team in the FIFA ranking (or 168th, I don't remember lol), the guy still used 2 DM to play against this amateur team ... and they only won 1-0.

Once you put these players, you can't have a fast attacking team, it's always with built actions that you can score. That worked in the past as for example, Brazil was a very attacking team but tactically, they were not that good (even when they were the best team, anyway they probably still are the best team despite Dunga being thei coach ). The problem is that nowadays, all teams have improved in many areas and tactically, all the best teams are at the same level or almost.

So you have on one hand teams like Spain, Brazil, Argentine or Netherlands that are very complete nowadays and have some extra talent in their team (Torres-Villa, Kaka' and co, too many players for Brazil, Messi and Aguero, the attacking players for Netherlands), the difference between them is in their mentality, especially in the round robin games, and on another hand, you have teams like France or Italy that seem to have some talent but the teams haven't improved, they didn't change their way to play and the coaches tend to keep their oldies and their ideas, even when that doesn't work anymore ...

Originally Posted by GeoTav

The main issue for Italy is that Lippi tends to play with 2 DM (Gattuso and De Rossi) around Pirlo in his usual first team.

It's the same issue as for France with Domenech who seems to like his Lassana Diarra-Toulalan (2 DM) association in midfield. For example, against Feroe Islands, the 164th team in the FIFA ranking (or 168th, I don't remember lol), the guy still used 2 DM to play against this amateur team ... and they only won 1-0.

Once you put these players, you can't have a fast attacking team, it's always with built actions that you can score. That worked in the past as for example, Brazil was a very attacking team but tactically, they were not that good (even when they were the best team, anyway they probably still are the best team despite Dunga being thei coach ). The problem is that nowadays, all teams have improved in many areas and tactically, all the best teams are at the same level or almost.

So you have on one hand teams like Spain, Brazil, Argentine or Netherlands that are very complete nowadays and have some extra talent in their team (Torres-Villa, Kaka' and co, too many players for Brazil, Messi and Aguero, the attacking players for Netherlands), the difference between them is in their mentality, especially in the round robin games, and on another hand, you have teams like France or Italy that seem to have some talent but the teams haven't improved, they didn't change their way to play and the coaches tend to keep their oldies and their ideas, even when that doesn't work anymore ...

The problem is those are undoubtedly italy's best players especially when on form. De rossi is 1 of best cm's in the world. Gattuso is best DM on form and a leader on the pitch in big games. Pirlo is the best playmaker italy have.

The issue with italy since 2006 has been defensive mostly. The iron curtain defense of 2006World Cup is gone. Cannavaro is error-prone. he lacks a real consistant partner and at FB italy has been inconsistant.

The other big ussue, which i think lippi deserves to get fired for is using the 4-3-3 after donadoni flamed out on it. Its not the best use of italy's talent. As far as i'm concerned italy should go 4-3-2-1 or 4-3-1-2 w/ cassano and rossi off a targetman. Perhaps even a 4-4-1-1 and use players like foggia as a winger. But he refuses to call up cassano even though he is the best italian attacker for 2 years now.

IMO best italian squad now would be...

Pazzini

Cassano---Rossi

Gattuso---Pirlo---De Rossi

Grosso--cheillini---cannavaro---motta
buffon

and that defense is still not good enough to get past quarter finals IMO. But what can you doi? Italy cannot compete w/ attacking teams by attacking

Bring back Nesta! Nesta and Cheillini is a better partnership than Canna and Cheillini, IMO.

----------------Buffon/Consigli---------------------------------
Motta/Santacroce---Bocchetti----Chiellini-------Criscito/Santon--
----Marchisio/Gattuso---Cigarini/D'agostino----Dessena/De Rossi-
-----------------------Rossi/Giovinco---- ----------------------
-----------Balotelli/Cassano---------------Paloschi/Amauri-------

4-3-1-2 is the formation i prefer,did i miss someone?

italy has a very bright future,at least on paper