As of right now , these teams are all better than Italy. Germany Argentina Chile France England , yes England.100 percent record in qualifying. Belgium, far better squad than Italy's. You can say they lost to Wales, whatever, quarter finals at the World Cup and a far better squad than Italy's. I'd say Portugal are better too as they've picked up after a shaky start in qualifying and have a new manager. If also favor Spain in a knockout game over Italy. You want to talk about 3 years in Russia and all this potential crap the same can be said for every other team pretty much. As of right now anyway those teams are better than Italy. If the euros would start right now the euro teams mentioned are all better. Who have italy beaten in qualifying? Croatia are the strongest team with Italy and once again they fail to beat them both times .
Hasn't even been capped yet as your post clearly says yet he's going to light it up. Once again all this potential crap, let's see him do it first before we can say that. " he's going to " All you guys talk about the future like it's the present. So many times it doesn't eventuate like Cassano or Giovinco or Gilardino, guys who we're going to light it up but did absolutely ******** all. Gio and Cas were meant to be the next Baggio's according to you guys. Pazzini, El sharrway, that other Milan players who amounted to nothing who you guys talked up. You guys need to take off your Italy goggles.
Luca Toni, Gilardino, and Di Natale were all world class strikers. Oh and I think the five contenders for 2018 will be: Italy (us), France, Germany, and Argentina. Its hard to say now though. We must wait until Euro 2016 to really tell. The only teams to me that look to have a lot of young talent are: Italy, Argentina, and France.
I don't think you can tell who will do well in a WC from the Euros. If we recall the Greeks in 2004 where they won the whole thing but did not qualify before or after that tournament. Italy won the WC in 1982 and didn't qualify for the Euro in 84 and they came in second to Brazil in 94 and exited the first round of the Euros in 1996.
Yeah maybe somewhat but its been my experience that everything changes every two years. Also, for some reason Italy , with the exception of the last few years does much better in the WC than in the Euro. I also believe most of the players are gone or at least out of national team consideration after two years as others emerge and take their place..
Yup. But I use in between tournaments to speculate on the teams. If the team is rebuilding it won't do so well. I also look at players retirement plans. Like in 2004 Italy were rebuilding especially in the midfield when Pirlo came, and new strikers like Cassano and Luca Toni and with Vieri aging a little. So I didn't expect much but keep in mind we got the same points, it was just goal difference that made us exit early. But in 2006 the team was fully developed and we found the best way to play our new world class midfielders: Pirlo, Gattuso, and Camoranesi along with our forwards Totti, Toni, and Gilardino. In 2008 we did okay but I think with the squad we had we could have went much further if the Sub coach for 2 years got tactics and formations better. He was experiencing different formations which is never really a good idea. Coaches should pick up 2-3 formations before the W.C. starts that the team has proved to do really well with. On paper we had the best squad in 2008 out of the rest of the teams honestly. For 2008 I would have used these 2 formations: -------------------Toni--------Cassano/Di Natale-------- ------------------------Del Piero--------------------------- -------De Rossi----------Pirlo--------Gattuso------------- ---Grosso----Materazzi--------Barzagli----Zambrotta--- --------------------------Buffon---------------------------- ------------------Del Piero--Toni-------------------------- --Perrotta------Pirlo----------Gattuso----Camoranesi--- ---Grosso----Materazzi--------Barzagli----Zambrotta--- --------------------------Buffon---------------------------- Or Maybe Del Piero behind Toni. Then in 2010 I think we had a good squad on paper, although a lot of our forwards retired and Lippi didn't pick Cassano which made things harder. I still thought that Di Natale and Gilardino would be okay leading the attack. But again I think a huge problem was that we had players that were aging mixed up with many young players that are world class now but were young and developing back then. I would have used different formations then as well anyway though. Also a really young Marchetti because of Buffon injured and Pirlo getting injured as well made it worse, however I would have started like this: -----------------Di Natale---Gilardino-------------------- -----------------------Camoranesi------------------------- ----------De Rossi--------Pirlo----------Gattuso---------- ---Zambrotta---Chiellini--------Cannavaro---Maggio--- ---------------------------Buffon--------------------------- But in truth not having Totti or Del Piero messed it up and especially when Pirlo missed the first games, I could see the midfield being all over the place. I might have considered putting De Rossi in the center and Marchisio on the left but Marchisio was young back then and wasn't nearly as good as we see him now, so I am not sure if Marchisio would have done much. In 2012 I was quite surprised how well we did. I never liked Prandelli though and even though we reached the final, I did think we could have been much better if we used different formation and tactics and could have gave Spain a way tougher fight in the final. My 2012 formation with the squad would be: ------------------Di Natale---Cassano----------------- -----------------------Giacherinni---------------------- ----------De Rossi--------Pirlo------Marchisio-------- ---Balzaretti----Chiellini-------Barzagli----Maggio--- ---------------------------Buffon------------------------ Then in 2014 Prandelli left good players at home, bad formations and horrible tactics. We should have gone further. My 2014 formation: -----------Insigne------Cassano-----Candreva---------- ---------Marchisio--------Pirlo-------De Rossi----------- ---Darmian-----Bonucci-------Chiellini----De Sciglio-- ---------------------------Buffon-------------------------- This team should have got way further.
I actually agree with him - we have not had a lethal striker since Vieri. Of course, during that time we've won a World Cup and reached a European Cup final. You don't actually need a lethal striker to do well.
I think Super Pippo Inzaghi had some goals with Italy as well from 1997-2007. He actually scored 2 more than Vieri did
Pippo wasn't the feature striker in any tournament except Euro 2000, from what I recall. Weird for a guy who was around for so long and scored a ton. I had mixed feelings on Vieri. Yeah, he scored, but it seemed to be at the expense of a fluid attack. He was not one of those greats who made players around him better.
In 2006 he was finally picked and scored but Lippi only picked him because Vieri was hurt. From what I remember when I lived in Italy, the rumor was Lippi didn't like Pippo because he had a relationship with his daughter Stefania. Also, Bobo Vieri and Inzaghi also had a falling out during that time because of a love triangle with Elisabetta Canalis who then ended up with George Clooney. At least that was the story I remember from the tabloids.
Wasn't Iaquinta there because Vieri was injured? Lippi was gonna take Vieri I think but because of injury he was replaced with Iaquinta.
He picked Inzaghi because Vieri was injured and also didn't want Cassano. Vincenzo Iaquinta was a huge promising player around 2002-2003. Everyone thought he was going to turn int this great player. I remember seeing him playing on an Under 21 team and how they commented on him being from Cutro , Calabria and what a player he was going to turn into. He ended up being ok and scored a nice goal in the WC 06 but never quite lived up to his promise. He did well at Udinese and somewhat ok at Juve scoring 30 goals but on a team like Juventus, you have to be on your game every week and I think it hurt him being there. Too bad he was out of the game at only 32.
Yeah, Iaquinta was a decent support striker at that time, so he came into the fold when dough boy went off of the rails.
Giovinco: "I'm playing better than I was in Europe" http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/aug/25/sebastian-giovinco-toronto-fc-mls
These teams are currently better, yes, but Conte wasn't able to call up who he truly wanted because of the u21 qualies for their respectove Euro Cup. Now that its over, expect him to call up a bunch of the u21 kids. Once he does, they automatically become better than England, Chile and maybe even Argentina.
Berardi, Zappacosta, Rugani, Romagnoli just off the top of my head can easily make Conte's next call ups
Defensively, we are heading into another golden generation similar to those of the Maldini's, Canavaro's and Nesta's.
Vasquez and hopefully that bum Insigne can get better in the trequartista role for Napoli, time will tell. With that said I think Giovinco at least deserves a call up and some time in the next set of fixtures