Impossible. He has criticized for years Serie A top teams (Juve to be exact accusing them of enhancing players performance by doping substances), he has expressed too many non-conventional thoughts, ideas which Italian football establishment doesn't like much.
even if prandelli calls di natale and/or miccoli, they will have how many friendlies before the euros? not even remotely enough time to get familiar with their azzurri teammates. prandelli dropped the ball, he should have called them when cassano and rossi got hurt. the u.s. defense was looking world class against our forwards. di natale and miccoli would have exposed the u.s. defense.
I suppose they will have two friendlies before the euros.... Maybe Prandelli doesn't call Di Natale and Miccoli because they are too old.
We currently have an Italian coach that is already instilling a different type of mentality. Just because a coach was born in a different country that doesn't mean he's suddenly going to revolutionize the NT as we know it. I also hear a few people throwing Capello's name around. Little do you realize that he had been offered the job on numerous occasions in the past, only to turn it down every single time. His dream for some reason was always to coach the English NT, so you can pretty much drop his name from this discussion altogether. Also, I thought we were trying to break away from the traditional mentality. You seem to forget that Capello had also frozen Cassano out of his squad during his last season with Real, so it's not like he's any less of a hard-assed disciplinarian than Lippi was.
I don't see Miccoli being given a look at this point. Di Natale will surely be given a place though. especially if he continues his current form and Cassano isn't good to go by that time.
Zeman is Italian. Capello bleeds azzurro, I'm sure he'd accept the job regardless of how much money he's offered. Brandelli can focus on his new cinepanettone actor career. Losses to Uruguay, Ivory Coast, USA, Ireland in a year and a half...Balotelli at home and Marchisio and Matri in the starting 11...bullshit moralistic rules which don't belong to our culture in the least....worst NT coach in the last 30 years by some distance.
Have to agree, Capello would energize the Azzurri if he takes the helm right away, especially after his leaving the English NT, rather than continue the slide downhill we would have a great chance to win at 2012, sadly that will not happen, and my expections although a bit higher than Lippi 2010 are not that optimistic. Prandelli did well to qualify, but his preparations leading to the tournament are fatal... Mind you he is not stubborn as Lippi and might correct his mistakes in time, but time is running out, and we should have the core of the team chosen with 1 or 2players to fine tune the final selection Instead he is experimenting and seams not sure of the final selection. Lets hope he does the right thing,
Disappointing thread. Two weeks before World Cup 2010, DDR and I predicted Italy would go three and out--the same prediction we both made (correctly) before the disastrous 2009 Confederations Cup. I remember those bad old days but some of you seem not to. Poor tactics, old, washed out players, no sign of a new generation. Slow, defensive, ugly football. It was a nadir for Italian football. It's different now under Prandelli and maybe we've gotten a bit spoiled. He has brought in new players, a better morale, and a more attractive, possession-based, attacking style. And he gets results, too: we qualified almost impeccably for Euro 2012, scoring goals and rarely conceding along the way. I don't think we'll win Euro 2012, because we've lost two key attacking players before the tournament. (Imagine, say, Holland losing Van Persie and Robben). But I still believe in Prandelli's long-term project, and I'll always be grateful for the facelift he gave to the Azzurri in their lowest moment.
Thanks for the feedback... Long term plan? If Prandelli loses the Euros, his butt is canned for sure.. and then some other coach comes in a picks the players that he wants. Italy needs a coach that can make us win, NOW!
Italy ARE winning now--we qualified for the Euros without a loss! But it's also true that Prandelli has had to completely rebuild and revamp the Azzurri. I honestly think you don't remember the 2010 World Cup. Do you? Every single part of the team has had to be re-created since then with new players nurtured and brought in. How can Prandelli possibly focus only on short-term wins when entirely re-building a new generation of Azzurri? Mind you, I expect Italy to do well at Euro 2012. But even if we don't win, Prandelli should be fine in his position so long as people have faith in his project. A good analogy for 2012 is 1978--it's all about making a positive impression with a bright new group of players. In time, they may become world-beaters.
You are making valid points Sempre but Cyclonis' not-so-secret message is pick Miccoli, kick to Miccoli and win the Euro. That plan would only sound good if Miccoli had the record to attempt such a plan. For instance, if Perugia won the Coppa Italia in 2003 or if Palermo qualified for the 2010-11 CL season and went on to win the CL, then building the team around Miccoli would make sense. BTW, the comparison with 1978 is a valid one. Mind you, Facchetti had dropped out because of injury and Graziani was the CF throughout qualifying until Rossi emerged. Borini could be like Rossi and Cassano like Roberto Bettega. Bettega was the main goalscorer in qualifying but he couldn't get it done at the actual tournament. At least Cassano has the excuse of the operation.
I don't understand the obsession with Miccoli. He's had his chance but it didn't happen for him. Is he a player for the future? I don't think so. I don't even think Di Natale would be in Prandelli's plans if not for all the injuries. We need to let him nurture the next generation--players like Borini and El Sharaway.
Di Natale and Miccoli are both players that do well on a small team. Di Natale in particular is a mentally fragile choker who will never replicate his club form for the National team, I don't care how many goals he scores each year. I'd take Inzaghi in a wheelchair over both of them any day of the week.
You'd take Inzaghi over Di Natale right now?? A few years ago, yes, I would agree with you but there is no way I take Inzaghi over Toto now. He plays maybe a few hours a year while Di Natale has been the capocannoniere the past two seasons in a row.
although this will be the 3rd year in a row di natale will get the top scorer of the league.....but i agree with u on that.....it became evident to me this summer when he choked on that penalty to put arsenal away for that CL spot. That was his moment of greatness, he coulda made up for the euro 08 choke. If he did that and took udinese to CL and possibly made a good run then it woulda made a really strong case for his NT come back. But they failed, and are barely staying in europa league.
When did he have his chance? If they are any good, they will do that at their clubs. The national team should be for the best players, not prospective hopefuls.
My plan, as outrageous as it seems, is to pick the best players. Italy must have had to sign some clause after WWII that keeps them from capping their best players, b/c this mentality seems to never go away. It could be that they see themselves as ambassadors of the game and want to spread out who wins these tournaments, but this is getting ridiculous. Just don't straight out lie by saying meritocracy and that everyone has a chance when it is blatantly not true. Prandelli lacks integrity and should be suspended on account of violating his own code of ethics.