The Official Azzurri thread 2

[maro]

No doubt you mean on the part of the coach who's failed to select him, right?

[RomaShield27]

How have Astori and Gastaldello being playing this season? Obviously they've done enough to impress Prandelli to earn a call up – a first for both, I think – but are they likely to keep their places in future squads?

And what about Ledesma? Another oriundi – are people happy with that? I don't see a problem with it myself, but its more the fact that he's quite a shit footballer which would bother me.

[juventino_italiano]

[RomaShield27]

Yeh, Ledesma will probably be just given the one cap, or maybe a few more in meaningless friendies, but I dont think he's good enough to stick around for much more than that. Plus, he's a dirty lazie bastardo who will only disrupt the dressing room.




MILAN, Nov 15 () - Italy coach Cesare Prandelli has been able to field his favoured frontline only once during his tenure and Wednesday's friendly with Romania will see yet another new attack.

The trio of Amauri, Antonio Cassano and Mario Balotelli linked up in Prandelli's first game, the August friendly loss to Ivory Coast, but ever since at least one of them has been injured. This time Prandelli has left out Cassano, impressive on his return to the Azzurri during their Euro 2012 qualifiers, after the forward was suspended by club Sampdoria for swearing at the president and refusing to attend an awards dinner.

"I will not abandon Cassano but he must resolve his problems with Samp," Prandelli told reporters amid speculation that the striker might even quit the game if Samp forced him out after an arbitration hearing.

Brazil-born Juventus striker Amauri has struggled for full fitness since the Ivory Coast game so has been overlooked but Manchester City's Balotelli is back despite serving a ban after a red card for kicking out against West Bromwich Albion.

"I was there when he was sent off, it wasn't violent. It was a normal thing, a committed player in a committed match," added Prandelli, who has called up four new players including Argentina-born midfielder Cristian Ledesma.

GROIN PROBLEM
A new front line of Balotelli, Alberto Gilardino and Giuseppe Rossi looks the most likely for the game, bizarrely being played in Klagenfurt in Austria for commercial reasons.

Romania, struggling in fifth in Euro 2012 Group D in contrast to Italy who top Group C, also have problems upfront with Adrian Mutu missing having just returned from a drugs ban. The striker, who plays his club soccer in Italy with Fiorentina, has a groin problem.

Romania's next qualifier is the March 26 game in Bosnia, after they lost their last game 2-0 in France. Italy's previous encounter was the abandoned qualifier with Serbia which resulted in a 3-0 walkover win for the Azzurri because of crowd violence. Their next qualifier is in Slovenia on March 25.

Teams (possible):
Romania: Costel Pantilimon; Cristian Sapunaru, Gabriel Tamas, Cristian Chivu, Razvan Rat; George Florescu, Bogdan Stancu, Ciprian Deac, Adrian Ropotan, Cristian Tanase; Ciprian Marica

Italy: Emiliano Viviano; Mattia Cassani, Leonardo Bonucci, Andrea Ranocchia, Domenico Criscito; Daniele De Rossi, Andrea Pirlo, Alberto Aquilani; Giuseppe Rossi, Alberto Gilardino, Mario Balotelli

[maro]

Ledesma's a good player - a very good player, really. His selection is terrible, though. Prandelli should never have even considered him or Amauri for selection.

[RomaShield27]

That makes no sense. You say he's "a very good player" yet Prandelli " should never have even considered him". Why? He is fully entitled to play for Italy.

[maro]

It makes perfect sense, as you know full well.

[RomaShield27]

No, it makes no sense whatsoever and is clearly contradictory. Ledesma is "a very good player".... "he should never have even considered for selection." Please explain Professore.

[maro]

thredzo, I think we're all pretty familiar with the arguments here. We may not agree on the issue, but I don't think we need to rehearse the arguments even in the interests of maintaining the appearance of a bustling thread.

[Bagg10]

I don't think Maro is debating whether he's a good player or not.

[Carlo Romano]

Even if it wasn't for injuries we could surely assume that in this friendly there would be experiments? Before he started officially as CT, Prandelli made it known he would select "oriundi" as and if necessary. His calling Ledesma or someone like him is no surprise to me. Nor was his statement of yesterday where he made it clear Cassano is still a part of his plans despite this ongoing wrangle with his club.

[RomaShield27]

22 minutes ago

MILAN, Nov 16 (http://www.Reuters.com) - Italy coach Cesare Prandelli has continued his policy of experimentation by handing debuts to four players, including Argentina-born midfielder Cristian Ledesma, for Wednesday’s friendly with Romania. The Lazio midfielder, who gained Italian citizenship in 2008, will join the likes of Mauro Camoranesi and Amauri in representing the Azzurri without having been born in Italy. “I feel 100 percent Italian,” he told reporters.

Genoa centre back Andrea Ranocchia, who could join co-owners Inter Milan in January given their injury problems, also wins his first cap when he will be reacquainted with ex-Bari central defensive partner Leonardo Bonucci—now at Juventus. Palermo fullback Federico Balzaretti and Brescia’s ex-West Ham United playmaker Alessandro Diamanti will also make their debuts in the friendly in Klagenfurt, Austria with a number of experienced players such as Andrea Pirlo rested.

Italy, who top Euro 2012 Group C as they recover from a woeful World Cup, also have a new look frontline given Antonio Cassano has been omitted from the squad after being suspended by club side Sampdoria for swearing at their president. Mario Balotelli returns after injury to spearhead the attack despite recently being sent off for Manchester City in the latest episode of immaturity.

“I don’t think Mario will suffer tomorrow from the pressure of all the attention on him,” Prandelli said. Alberto Aquilani is back for the first time since Feb. 2009 but fellow Juve midfielder Claudio Marchisio is out injured.

Team:

[p_maldini_3]

rossi as the prima punta? whose idea is that??

[red]

Is it confirmed the shape will be 4-2-3-1?

I would expect those players to be deployed as a 4-3-1-2, with Mauri playing as part of the midfield three and Balotelli playing as a forward.

[RomaShield27]

Yeh I just quickly threw them down like that using the centre function. Waever. That is the line-up alright but not the formation, its likely to be as Red said as a 4-3-1-2, with Balosmelli and Rossi upfront.

Prandelli about it:

“I want quality and fantasy from my side against Romania. I'd rather concede four or five counter-attacks than be timid going forward. I want answers from Rossi and Balotelli. I want to play with two movement-based strikers without a real centre-forward. I am expecting to see the same Balotelli that I saw in England 10 days ago. I am convinced he will do well.”

[Giacomo]

Progressive thinking from Prandelli. I am impressed.

[RomaShield27]

So did no one watch the Azzurri match last night? No one at all? Where are all the supposed Italians on our forums?

[RomaShield27]

ROMANIA 1-1 ITALY



– November 18, 2010

Italy striker Mario Balotelli says he is growing weary of hearing racist abuse when playing football after being subjected to taunts - reportedly from his own fans - during Wednesday's 1-1 friendly draw with Romania.

Balotelli, 20, earned his second Azzurri cap in the draw but the Manchester City forward's appearance was marred by abusive chants, directed at him every time he touched the ball. The game was being played in Austria, but it is believed that most of the abuse directed at Balotelli, who is the son of Brescia-based Ghanaian immigrants, came from his own supporters.

"Honestly, I don't know what to say," Balotelli told Mediaset. "If I have to hear those chants every time, you can't go forward like that. I leave others to do the judgment. I am happy to be in the national team.''

While at Inter Milan, Balotelli was the victim of racist chants from rival fans and, in April 2009, Juventus had to play a match behind closed doors as punishment for the racist chanting a section of their fans directed at him.

Plans to stop play or abandon matches if fans make racist chants are already in place, though Balotelli believes it is not fair that the majority of the supporters that turn up to the stadium should suffer because of the behaviour of a minority.

"It wouldn't be right to stop a game because a few fans that turn up to the stadium behave like that,'' he said. "We need to change these people but it's not me that has to do it. Where I live, the people don't reason like these people. A multi-ethnic Italy already exists and we can do better.''

Balotelli then took a swipe at the media in England, saying: "I would like to see that in Manchester they speak of these problems and not of my girlfriends."

Italy coach Cesare Prandelli said he was "disgusted'' by the latest abuse that Balotelli received, while Italy federation president Giancarlo Abete handed his support to the striker. ""This is something that must be condemned,'' Abete said. "This is unacceptable behaviour.''

[maro]

[RomaShield27]

I didn't know Italian athletes play women's sports like hockey.