Toni is not Inzaghi, Gilardino is not Inzaghi, Di Natale, Pazzini and Osvaldo are not Inzaghi (who I rate and rated very high) but nevertheless they are good strikers (well two were world cup champions and scored hundreds of goals in their career, in fact...) and Italy has need for a 9. Because we are not Barca, and in 4 or 5 friendly matches going to the WC, you have no time to change a team si radically that it could be ready to play with a 9 and without a 9. I don't remember when we played without a centre-forward. He could be a target man, he could be a poacher, he could have the more different skills but he had to be a centre forward or one who really could play as that (Massaro probably being the only exception but he was actually playing as centre-forward in that particular moment in Milan after Van Basten repeated injuries). The names you cite could very well end up being selected, depending on their form, but I think not at the expenses of a more "natural" sub for Balotelli. We have space and Prandelli seems to give occasions to everybody... but really as of now they don't have more rights to a call than those i mentioned abvove. I think we have space for Balotelli plus 1 sub, Rossi plus 4 offenive players, maybe 5 (if you count a player like Giaccherini). As of now only Insigne seems to be almost sure as a result of his increasing in popularity and his inventive style. The rest is very open for everybody. And that's true also for attack and defence, given the poor proof of players like Aquilani, Marchetti, Pasqual, Astori, Candreva, Abate, and so on... Buffon, the juve defense, Pirlo, De Rossi, Montolivo, Balotelli and Rossi are as of now already sure of a place.
Totally agree on the fire power for Italy - we are in very good shape...but my concern is our creative and attacking mids...big question mark? and I hope Prandelli choses wisely and smart!
Yup! They straight out questioned on the Domenica Sportiva if Juve have 'un problema Buffon'. IDK, what is it, 10 goals in 8 games already with basically our national team defense we are talking about!?! I think it is time to start giving De Sanctis a try. Buffon should still be on the team b/c of the experience he adds to the locker room and is also a great replacement, but with only 1 goal in 8 games I think De Sanctis has earned it. They also mentioned on Domenica Sportiva how few Serie A teams actually have Italians as their starting centerbacks. Crazy to think that this was once our bread and butter department. Midfield is another department we are having a crisis in. Pirlo had a good performance against Milan the other week, but those kind of games are becoming more rare for him. Prandelli has mentioned capping Jorginho of Verona.
I had visions of after WC... a vision that will be probably remain just that knowing italian coaches (and they're probably right) .....verratti ......... de rossi florenzi .. insigne .. el shaarawy ................balotelli that would be quality....
Ok for POST-WC. Actually this lining would be too much of a gamble in brazil. If Prandelli remains (which I doubt) he could try it for postWC, IF the young players cited will fulfill their promises which at the moment is not sure.
And IF we find a couple of worthy fullback to have a decent four line men, which at the moment seems not probable
Some of the Juve players are in poor form, but players should be picked on the technical qualities they bring, not their short term form. Besides, defensively we have don't have many other CB options than the Juve guys. Only other player i can think of is Astori, maybe Bocchetti.
my formation for WC 2014 3-5-2 buffon abate - chellini - ogbonna pirlo - ddr - Pasqual verrati - insigne balotelli - rossi _________________________ 4-3-1-2 buffon abate-chellini-ogbonna-pasqual pirlo-ddr-veratti rossi balotelli - insigne ________________________________ 4-2-1-3 buffon abate-chellini-ogbonna-pasqual ddr-pirlo veratti insigne-balotelli-rossi _____________________________ 4-4-2 buffon abate-chellini-ogbonna-Pasqual veratti-ddr-pirlo-florenzi balotelli-rossi Subs Defense : barzagli, maggio, balzaretti mids: florenzi, candreva,marchisio forwards: giabadini, diamanti, el shawary
I would not at all be opposed to bringing Quags, regardless of how he's performed with Juve. The man simply has the ability to score brilliant, timely goals. I still remember that 3rd match of the WC 2010 group stage when he was brought in as a sub and basically took the match over on his own. I honestly believe we might've even advanced to the next stage had he actually STARTED that match. He's an impact player, plain and simple.
when I see abate on a NT lineup I start crying... and Baby Jesus follows p.s. I know, I know the current alternative options are not much better...
[/quote] We'll see. What I saw from him is not exactly Maldini's class. And neither Zambrotta... but could be sufficient. Regarding Abate, having seen him play a season in Modena, I still can't think that such a mediocre player is in the national team.
1 goal in 9 games!!! De Santcis must start! Buffon to the bench. Hopefully Prandelli doesn't do a Lippi and guarantee people places even though their form is bad.
what do u guys think of Perin ? Genoa's keeper? hes only 20 and the games i've seen him in, he has been pretty good. but i dont watch many genoa games unless they're playing juve or some other strong team....is he good or is he just occassionally good? because out of all the italian keepers, marchetti and de sanctis are too old for the future. but sirigu and perin seem to be the future.
In regards to Perin... he needs time at club level before La Nazionale, Marchetti and Sirigu are much better right now. By the time Buffon retires from Internationals he might be ready, but he got his confidence completely wrecked at Pescara last season. Genoa's defense is slightly better, which isn't saying much, so he might grab some form now.
So is Totti but everyone is trying to get him back. Perrin is awesome! People try and disparage him by the amount of goals Pescara gave up in Serie A, but they neglect to keep in mind that he did not have the defense that goalies with better goals against average had. Since those goalies face fewer shots as a result of the better defenders in front of them, the only way to compare is with the saves they actually make. Perrin may not have the big game experience as some of the others, but the athletic prowess he shows on some of his saves, as evidenced by the save he made on Pirlo this last weekend, is unmatched. Hopefully he doesn't have to wait until his mid 30's to get to wear the blue shirt.
i meant future of Perin. i'm not saying he should be called up now. But it seems like in a couple of years, he can get somewhere. But some of these mid table or top teams need to give him a chance. Like Milan has been stuck with shitty abbiati and amelia, they should give this guy a chance. maybe milan is too big, but i dont see why some other teams wouldnt wanna pick him up.
http://www.football-italia.net/41129/psg-switch-verratti-pogba If this is true I think it would be great for the National team, as Verratti can learn from Pirlo.
Perin had some amazing games with Pescara last year (the Fiorentina game that Pescara won, for example) and had some shockingly bad games other times. He first needs to achieve consistency before he gets near the NT...hopefully that will come with time and experience.
This is a post from Sempre. My account has been locked, and I have not been able to log in, so I am posting as "Free Sempre" until I can resolve the problem. For my first post under my new identity, I thought Brazil 2014 would be a great topic. I'm feeling optimistic about next summer, because I think there are a variety of reasons why Italy could be seen as a contender. We have a good coach in Prandelli who is able to motivate his players when it counts. We're not as deep as some countries, but a number of our first-choice players are truly special, "champions" who know how to change or save games (De Rossi, Pirlo, Balotelli--and I include Buffon in this mix though his recent form is shaky). There is also a very exciting crop of youngsters who can make an impression in Brazil. Insigne, Florenzi, De Sciglio, and above all Verratti have big futures and even presents. Giuseppe Rossi, while not quite a youngster still, is back and may be the perfect foil for Mario in attack. For all that, I won't be watching the World Cup next summer with high expectations. What we've learned during Prandelli's tenure is that, for all his virtues, Italy have the fighting spirit but not the depth to beat the very best teams in key tournament games--we've tied Spain twice recently, but were blown out when we had injuries, and Brazil out-gunned us when Super Mario wasn't there to lead the line. Lack of depth is just one issue, as Prandelli's indecision over formation and personnel also have me wondering if the team is settled enough heading into next summer. Finally, there are other teams who will be as ambitious as us, and possibly more talented. Spain, Brazil, Germany, and Argentina all look like a tremendous threat. Hopefully, we can catch some breaks and meet those teams when we're at our best. If so, maybe we have a chance to be in the final at Maracana.