Basically the seniors are crap and the youths are much more interesting currently! I just wanted to know anyone who follows the U21's what they think the team should be? Here is mine: GK: Agliardi (Brescia) Cassano (Empoli) Berni (Ternana) DF: Piccolo (Reggina) Mantovani (Torino) Bovo (Parma) Potenza (Parma) Coda (Empoli) Scurto (Roma) Chiellini (Fiorentina) MF: Aquilani (Roma) Loviso (Bologna) Donadel (Sampdoria) Mannini (Brescia) Rosina (Parma) Pagano (Sampdoria) Lodi (Empoli) Montolivo (Atalanta) ATT: Pazzini (Atalanta) Bianchi (Cagliari) Quagliarella (Torino) Corvia (Roma) Pepe (Piacenza) That would be my squad and my team: ---------------------Agliardi------------------- -----Potenza---Bovo-----Mantovani--Chiellini--- ----------------------Loviso-------------------- ---------------Aquilani------Montolivo---------- ------Rosina----------------------------------- -------------------Bianchi----Lodi-------------- I really like Francesco lodi and I would put him in the team with either Pazzini or Bianchi in attack. At the moment Bianchi is in great U21 form so I would choose him. I like 2 strikers so maybe Bianchi-Pazzini is still the better option than playing Lodi but believe me he will be class. The best players from the team are Bovo, Mantovani, Chiellini, Aquilani, Montolivo.
I like the way they play and there's lots of interesting players in there. (I would add Rosina and Donadel to your final list) Even Gentile is forced to play attacking football with that team... i didn't happen to see Lodi play so I can't jugde him. I really like Donadel I would have liked him to play for Cagliari instead of seeing him sitting in the bench with Samp (what they needed him for if they already have Volpi? he deserves to play IMO not to be a substitute) I really enjoyed Bianchi's performances in U21... I would also like to see him do something similar when he plays for Cagliari... I admit though that cagliari's tactics don't fit well his characteristics. Anyway he demonstrated that he has the potential, that's good. Ma tu perchè sei così ben informato sui giovani? p.s. My team is similar to yours. i would put Donadel instead of Loviso (who is another interesting player indeed)
The problem is you already know that for however good these players may be only a handful of them will really become world class players if that many. Reading through another site back in 2000 I saw so many good things said about Donati, Fissore, Baronio, Zanchi, Brighi, De Zerbi (now of Arezzo), Lazzeri and so on. Its depressin gto actually know that some of these are just ok players playing in mid-table teams and others are not even at the top level. The problem is that a player can be good at U21, but their skills may not move on... in 1 way or another due to motivation or just because they cant get any better... Another reason for me is also the lack of playing time in big teams when they are younger. Playing in th small teams will not improve you so much as if you played for the bigs. Which is why I am so keen for Aquilani to play at Roma even if sometimes he will play bad. Lets hope this U21 team will be successful. The last U21 team has had some players going on the get Italian caps. My only problem with this is that a player like Pinzi I cant see improving so much. He is ordinary to me... Barzagli has room for improvement but can be another Legrottaglie for me, Bonera looks like he will remain on the same level all his life unless he moves on to a bigger club (sorry Parma). Only Gilardino looks the real deal currently and Caracciolo can be but again only 50/50 for me.
Very true, Return. I am not sure though that being in a big team is always the right thing for a young player. They need to play. I think that what's more important for them is having the right coach. p.s. Add De Rossi to the real deal list.
To me Christian Zaccardo is a very promising player from 2004's european winning team. Andrea Caracciolo is vastly underrated for me. Alberto Gilardino Daniele De Rossi Andrea Barzagli Cesare Bovo Andrea Caracciolo Giampiero Pinzi These guys are international calibre players. I don't agree with statements saying players playing for small clubs cannot play for national team. My argument is that a player must start for his club at very worst be a frequently used sub to play for NT, no matter how big the club they're at. Enzo Maresca Marco Marchionni Antonio Di Natale for me should be key men in the NT but seem to overlooked far too often with Enzo Maresca having yet to evn earn a debut.
Most people argue that ITALY NT's biggest current problem is lack of midfielders. Mauro Camoranesi (is in the form of his life) Add to that the EURO u-21 champions of the recent past and other great young stars :- Andrea Pirlo (A.C.Milan) Enzo Maresca (Fiorentina) Manuele Blasi (Juventus) Daniele De Rossi (A.S.Roma) Marco Marchionni (Parma) There u already have world class young midfielders to spread across the middle of the park and provide the drive for thr NT for years to come.
Look Im not saying all players from small clubs are bad, but the more you stay at a smaller club the less likely you will improve your game. Mainly because you are not playing in big comps like CL's to allow you to improve against the best. Di Natale is a perfect example, 2 years ago he was said to be a phenomenon and looked quality for his age.... 2 years on he is exactly the same if worse than he was back then and now is definitely not international standard. Players should at least be playing for Fiorentina at worst if they want to step up their game. Andrea Pirlo (A.C.Milan) - Yes quality fr Milan but the players he plays next to (Kaka, Sheva etc.) make him look better also. When he plays for Italy he is much worse. Enzo Maresca (Fiorentina) - I really like him but he hasnt even played for Italy yet so we cant really count him. Manuele Blasi (Juventus) - A typical ball winner, not going to change Italy in any way. Daniele De Rossi (A.S.Roma) - I'm a Roma fan and he is clearly over-rated. He is inconsistent and also gives away the ball too much. Still has a lot to learn but he will become a more complete player in the future I hope. Marco Marchionni (Parma) - Over the years he has become slightly slower than he was. I remember he used to be very fast and even Marco i dont think is totally International standard. Camoranesi is better than him anyway. As for the list you gave me of the potential young stars from the old U21 team... Gilardino and De Rossi should become very good but Barzagli is questionable. He looks quite dodgy at times and Bovo I thought was much better than him, but Bovo has not started at Parma very well as yet. Zaccardo looks ok too but a little like Barzagli also. Pinzi is not international quality and anyone who says so must think Italy have gone down hill. Not even for the future is Pinzi a player because I see no difference in hm to the Fillippini bothers and Antionio and Emmanuele are nowhere near international standard. Caraccioli can be very good but first he needs a bigger team to believe in him.