Current Azzurri Depth Chart

Your first team is bang on and if they play as a cohesive team we will go far.

Man for man this team is more talented than anybody in our group.


Prove me wrong US NT fans !!!

 

Strikers

Totti - plays better as a striker, everyone must admit. Less responsibility
Toni - Our most in form striker, should he carry it into the summer we'll be in good shape.
Gilardino - Up and coming targetman, if you give him service he will score goals and set them up.
Cassano - An enigmatic but supremely talented player, he always performs for the Azzurri as well.
Del Piero - older and more experienced than most our players, slower, but still decent and played ok in Holland friendly.
Bonazzolli - deserves a call-up IMO, he's been scoring regularly. Has an amazing shooters touch, with volleys being his forte, great in the air as well.
Iaquinta - hardest working of our strikers, he'll put himself about to win the ball back. Good in the box, very powerful.
Guiseppe Rossi - young American born second striker, kinda like a Beppe Signori. Sweet left foot, would be awesome if he were called.

Midfielders

Pirlo - one of our only elegant midfielders, his freekicks are an added weapon.
Gatusso - purely defensive, his energy can ignite the team at times. Makes poor decisions.
Camoranesi - Can hold the ball and dribble, crosses well, good for the occasional goal.
Diana - fast and direct, a decent crosser. Played well versus the Ivory Coast.
De Rossi - was once promising, but seems to be languishing with a slightly underperforming Roma side.
Fiore - having a great year with the Viola, but Lippi doesn't like him. Combines hard work and skill well, a two way player.
Barone - a hardworking destroyer who occasionally scores.
Perrotta - a hardworking destroyer who passes well.
Maresca - a hardworking but talented player who can score from freekicks, penalties, and passes extremely well. Flair.
Liverani - talented passer and reader of the game. A good replacement for Pirlo possibly. Great left foot.


Defence

Cannavaro - Captain. Best man marker in the world. Short, but incredible leaps. Can score with head on freekicks and corners.
Nesta - Prone to errors of late, still the best center back in the world. Reads the game well, fast, good in the air.
Zambrotta - Tireless, good on either flank, or in midfield. Our most versatile, consistent player.
Barzagli - Big strong centerback, having a decent season with Palermo.
Grosso - best crosser of the ball on the team, good left foot on freekicks. Slow.
Zaccardo - Made some mistakes in his first call-ups, but improved and is a decent right back who can also play in the center.
Oddo - deserves to be on the team, a tireless worker with good crosses and freekicks.
Mandelli - having a great season with Chievo.
Chiellini - tall, strong leftback, great at going forward and gets some goals as well. Doesn't seem to be in Lippi's plans at the moment.

Goalkeepers

Buffon - our number one, but injured. On the mend.
De Sanctis - good keeper, had a tough champions league campaign.
Amelia - former under-21 keeper who is playing great for Livorno.
Perruzzi - old but still a fantastic shot stopper
Abbiati - playing well at Juventus, on loan from Milan, has had a few clangers this season but has great reflexes and size. More experienced than Amelia.

Please correct me and add your contributions.

 

I think that abbiati may have a place ont he team. He is palying for the best team in Italy right now and one of the best teams in the world. he has strted league games and has played well in champions league also. He may be called up along with or in the place of Buffon depending on what happens with those 2 keepers in Juventus.

 

Abbiati has been playing pretty well, but in my opinion, still makes too many errors. I like him, but I guess I'm biased from his time at Milan.

 

Marco Amelia should definitely be considered as the third or even second goalie. He's really a great, solid keeper who rarely makes mistakes and is young.

 

2 guys on Everton.... Pistone and Ferrari ? they wouldnt make 4th team?

Di Viao Tomassi Liverani Perrotta Oddo Peruzzi Lucarelli Bonazzoli

 

Forgot about Bovo. He's actually doing ok for himself in Roma.

As for Totti: Italy's weakness has always been midfield possession IMO, which has a way of fooling the uninitiated (not you) into thinking there is a problem with the strikers when the team isn't scoring, or there is a problem with the defenders when the team can't keep goals out. When Totti is a striker he does a strikers job AND he helps the midfield. But when he is an attacking midfielder he shurks his defensive responsibilities, gets called for dumb fouls, and generally jogs about. I guess I'm more concerned about a fast team like Ghana or the US outworking Italy and winning the midfield battle rather than creating and scoring goals. An old-fashioned approach, admittedly, but with such a lightweight midfield line, can you blame me?

 

sempre you dont have fiore or oddo on any of your teams im guessing you just forgot them right?


i aslo would have liked to see morfeo and di vaio on one of your lists. oh and nice to see bovo on your list, im counting on him to take-over for canna and partner nesta in euro08

 

i would put favalli on the 3rd squad instead of dimichele, he has been amazing this year, also italy really has strong depth in defence, up to there 3rd squad i think this postion won't be a problem when nesta and canavaro leave, theres alot of great young defenders

 

ferrari is awlful

 

Hey, just wanted to chime in and add a different point. When the World Cup comes along, don't you think it would be good to play different lineups, for different games? For instance, you mentioned that Totti isn't as good defensivly when playin the withdrawn midfield, and it might hurt us when we play a fast Ghana team. Now what if for that game we play a 4 4 2...wit Totti as an attacker and say a faster/young midfield, Gattusa Pirlo Camronesi, and just a name a De Rossi type player. I always thought that you have to change up your game style when playing a team to counter balance their team, change to a degree I mean, granted we might not win 3-0 with an amazing attackin game, but as long as we get the win, whats that matter? Well thats my 2 cents

 

Oh i will never realize my dream of seeing Lucarelli in World Cup play!!

 

Good Post...now we're talking.

As jaws mentioned and I have mentioned also.... our weakness tends to be in midfield and has always been.... this is one of the main reasons why we are always biting our nails and hands when we see the azzurri play. Not that we don't play hard in midfield but we have no flair - creative flair for that matter and is Totti the only player Italia has to do magic in midfield - why are we relying on one player to do it all for us - pull him out and then what? This is why the Italians have looked dull and lacklustred when playing. The people who think that Italia play too defensively don't know nothing about our style of play! And for those who understand and know the game...know that we sport some of the hardest and strongest attacking machines on the planet. We Italians are master tacticians and often play on the counter-attack and not catenaccio as so often people think. Our genius stems from the ability to have the other team do all the work and we on the ( counter-attack ) position ourselves to exploit and most but not least become opportunists, and I say this could be one of the reasons we don't focus and produce creative magicians on the midfiled so much. Why we have fallen out of favour with the rest of the world. Some say we are dull - and they are right because of this simple attitude. Don't the Italians play better and stronger as they move up the ladder. Think about it...why would they do that - conserve energy, minimise on the injuries ...Counter-attack all the way! Save the better play for the stronger teams , don't you think? Sure, it's boring and dull but it works and we always squeek by right? Not attrative football to say the least.

Things are changing and we can see it and feel it.... Italia now should make it a mantra to sport and nurture creative midfielders and attacking ones to boot. Why do you think Brazil plays so amazingly good and you see beautiful football. midfield...midfield...midfield....attack...attack...attack! We all know the phenomenal talent that are in these areas for Brazil. Italia should adopt this approach and we with our tactics should rule the universe forever and ever! Revolving around Totti in midfield is a bad choice of tactics and a lot of pressure for one individual I say.

I would like to see a 4-4-2 or a 2-5-3.... these two formations would suit Italia nicely

My Choices:

​

Cassano - Toni
Maresca - Totti - Pirlo - Camorenesi
Chellini - cannavaro- nesta - zambrotta
Buffon​

or/

Cassano-Gildardino
Ambrosini - Totti- Pirlo - Del Piero - Camorenesi
Canavaro - Nesta - Zambrotta ​

Amelia​

Options 1 and 2 are very good ... sempre - I like your choices.

Lets Talk

Viva L'Italia

Viva La Roma

 

Nice work Sempre. I often think of Italy's talent in this manner. It's conforting to think that Italy produces players like Maresca, Di Michele, and Donadel who are not on the national team yet still play high quality football. I agree with most of your choices although I would have found room for Liverani, Brocchi, and maybe even Esposito on the chart. Liverani outclassed everyone in Juve's midfield on Sunday and Brocchi always impresses with hard-working performances and no small dose of skill. I actually think Brocchi means as much to Fiorentina's midfield as Toni does to thier attack. As far as Esposito, he was lost, but I think he'll make a come back in the second half of the season. He's very talented and a threat on multiple levels. Personally, I would include any of these three on the second or third team of the depth chart.

 

I'm surpised about Esposito this season, but I think you can blame the change of coaches and such for his problems. He's really a great player, he's the only Italian Robben-like/winger we have.

 

gee I wonder which club it is you dislike in italy....

the lists are very good. But some of those names aren't under consideration by Lippi, especially those like Maresca and Miccoli playing abroad. You dont list Peruzzi but I believe he'll be the backup GK at the WC.

As some have mentioned here, I think Liverani, Fiore or someone like that deserves a look. Far too often our midfield reserves in these tournaments are the workmanlike players....if Totti gets injured/suspended it would be nice to have another creator.

 

youve left off Chiellini. is that a glip or on purpose? hes now playing regularly for Juve after Zambrotta switched to right-back. i think he should be on the team. if not as a starter, atleast as a sub.

 

Phillips10 - thats a good sense of what our Italian midfields are like - workmanlike players... and I add - robotic ball pushers.

Liverani and Fiore could really add depth to our midfield and this is the direction we should go with , I hope Lippi considers these two players. They might not be " creatively " briliiant in midfield but, they have a good sense of area space and grit to do the job good.

lets talk.

 

After Sempre's post, I made that list off the top of my head pretty quickly, so I forgot a bunch of potential players. But, thanks for reminding me.

I think our most balanced side would be this sort of a 4-3-3 or 4-5-1, whatever you want to call it. Toni is supported by Cassano and Totti. Fiore Pirlo and Gatusso do the bulk of the running. Grosso and Zambrotta come forward and serve balls in.

---------------------------Toni
----------------Cassano ----------Totti
---------------------------------------------
--------------Fiore ---------------- Gatusso
---------------------------Pirlo
-------Grosso -------------------------Zambrotta
----------------Cannavaro---- Nesta
------------------------ Buffon

 

No Gattuso???

 

Am I blind? I see no mention of Vieri ~ I realize he is not the best option up top but you'd have to figure he'll be in the mix.