The Official Azzurri thread

[Carlo Romano]

It's sounding like this for the Montenegro gig...

Buffon; Zambrotta, Cannavaro, Chiellini, Grosso; Pirlo, Palombo, De Rossi; Di Natale, Iaquinta, Quagliarella.

This is reputedly a 4-3-3 formation with Pirlo, Palombo and De Rossi in midfield supporting the trident of Di Natale, Iaquinta and Quagliarella. It's my betting if Lippi starts with a tridente he won't continue with it through the second 45...


http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_ ... ar25w.html

[Messinterista]

Should be interesting to watch...

[RomaShield27]

Hostile reception reports irk Italy coach Lippi
http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=r ... &type=lgns

ROME, March 27 (Reuters) - Italy coach Marcello Lippi has been rankled by media reports he could receive a rough reception for overlooking Sampdoria’s Antonio Cassano when the world champions host Ireland in Bari on Wednesday.

Lippi again looked elsewhere when picking his squad for Saturday’s World Cup qualifier in Montenegro and next week’s visit by joint Group Eight leaders Ireland, despite the Bari-born playmaker’s excellent form in Serie A.

“I’m very annoyed about certain articles I have read that would make one think we’ll encounter a hostile climate in Bari,â€

[Carlo Romano]

[SuperPippo9]

does anyone know anything about RAI international not showing the Montenegro game in the US? Ive looked in all the guides and its not anywhere what the fuck????

[RomaShield27]

Check out this site: http://www.livesoccertv.com/competition ... ualifying/

Lippi conferma tridente bianconero
Eseguita la rifinitura pre Montenegro

http://www.sportmediaset.it/calcio/arti ... 1945.shtml

A poche ore dalla sfida contro il Montenegro, Marcello Lippi non sembra intenzionato a riservare sorprese di formazione. Nell'ultimo allenamento prima della partita di stasera, il ct azzurro ha fatto svolgere un leggero riscaldamento e poi schemi sui calci da fermo. Dalla sessione di lavoro sono uscite confermate le indicazioni della vigilia sull'undici titolare: Quagliarella-Iaquinta-Di Natale sarà il tridente d'attacco.

"Mi aspetto determinazione ed entusiasmo, le qualità che alla fine fanno emergere la differenza tra le squadre. Quando tre attaccanti persa palla si fermano e tornano camminando non si va da nessuna parte, quando tornano correndo allora va meglio", ha detto Lippi, che ha ricevuto una visita di cortesia da parte di Dejan Savicevic, presidente della Federcalcio montenegrina.

L'ex campione del Milan di Capello ha salutato il commissario tecnico in mattinata al centro tecnico della federazione locale, sul cui campo gli azzurri hanno svolto la rifinitura pre partita.

Le probabili formazioni di Montenegro-Italia gara in programma questa sera (ore 20.45) a Podgorica e valida per le qualificazioni ai Mondiali del 2010 in Sudafrica:

Montenegro (4-4-2): Poleksic; Pavicevic, Tanasijevic, Batak, Zverotic; Pekovic, Djalovic, Drincic, Novakovic; Jovetic, Vukcevic. Allenatore: Filipovic

Italia (4-3-3): Buffon; Zambrotta, Cannavaro, Chiellini, Grosso; Palombo, Pirlo, De Rossi; Quagliarella, Iaquinta, Di Natale. Allenatore: Lippi

Arbitro: Atkinson (Inghilterra)

28 marzo 2009

[Messinterista]

[Carlo Romano]

[ricky2882]

[ricky2882]

[morra10]

[RomaShield27]

So by all accounts it seems like Italy were woeful to watch while still getting the job done. Doesn't sound like a big surprise really. Montenegro ain't an easy place to go though so the result is good for the Azzurri, but you's were just lucky they were missing Vucinic, who would of scored a hat-trick against Cannavaro.

Speaking of Cannavaro, how the feck did he not get sent-off for that 'tackle' on Jovetivic? What a terrible decision by the ref, he bottled it. Prick. He must of thought he still played for Juventus or something. Not only would it of changed the game last night, it obviously would of meant he would be suspended for (at least) Wednesdays game as well. Hmm, now that I think of it, perhaps its better for Ireland if he does play – he's too old and a disaster waiting to happen, Keano and Doyler will run rings around him.

Highlights: http://www.101greatgoals.com/videodisplay/2289267/

Ireland were poor last night against Bulgaria, and to be honest, Italy have little to worry about. There is a sense of doom among the Irish public and things are not looking positive, and Trapattoni is now taking a lot of slack. In the game itself he selected two defensive-midfielders in the centre – Whelan and Andrews – and really that is where the problems lie. Its the same old Trap I suppose, ultra-defensive and negative and sacrificing any attacking flair for extra cover at the back. Whelan and Andrews are good solid, hard-working battlers in the middle (although Whelan is probably out of his depth), but there was just no creativity on willingness to get on the ball last night and our forwards suffered. Bulgaria had all the possession and the better chances, and certainly deserved at least a point.

The problems with Trapattoni and why he is receiving criticism is his reluctance or failure to call up certain attacking creative players who would of made all the difference last night. He has publicly fallen out with Andy Reid of Sunderland, which started back when Trap didn't call him for one of his first games in charge and Reid wasn't to happy, and the two haven't seen eye-to-eye since. The situation wasn't helped when the injuries piled up for last nights game, with Stephen Reid and Damien Duff both out, he still refused to call up Andy. Then there is the Stephen Ireland saga. Stephen Ireland is currently ripping it up for Man Citeh, making Robinho and co looking like amateurs and has really been on fire. Its not particularly Traps fault, he inherited the Stephen Ireland problem from the previous manager, the mentally challenged Steve Staunton, and has said he can rejoin the team whenever he's ready. Ireland first caused problems when he refused to make himself available for a match, making up a story when he said his grandmother had died just so he could return home (seriously, its been called 'Grannygate' over here), which turned out to be false. Then when he did rejoin the squad he got a lot of slagging over that and also because he magically regained his hair – again, seriously, see – and he couldn't take the jokes from the other lads in the dressing room and hasn't returned since. Needless the say he's a bit of a headcase, but a very talented headcase. Ireland or even Andy Ried would make a huge difference for this current Ireland side, but unfortunately for us neither of them look like rejoining the squad anytime soon.

So things are not looking good for Ireland at the moment and morale is now a bit low in the side. We have problems in midfield and are suffering to play any real meaningful fluid football. Its not been all bad though, Trap has established a good strong defence and (had) instilled some believe and organisation in the side. For Bari on Wednesday, however, things don't look so bright, but you can never right off the Irish and the belief we have in the green jersey. Just ask .

[maro]

Edzo, actually I thought Italy played pretty well in the second half - they didn't get on the ball and dominate the game, but they broke quickly and could have won by four or five. The problem for us, though, was just that the first half had been so poor that many were too depressed and brow-beaten to care or notice that things improved a fair bit in the second half. On the whole, though, I think Lippi would have been very happy with the performance as well as the result.

The real problem with Toni, I think, in terms of the balance of the side, is that he carries no threat in behind and so needs to play alongside players with some real pace and in a team which dominates possession and presses quite high up the pitch. Italy has none of those characteristics at the moment - as I think I've said before, I'd be surprised if they weren't overall the slowest side ever to win a WC and surely they've got slower in the three years since. And because they're not quick at the back, they can't push high up the pitch. Iaquinta's a hideous player at this level, really - worse than Heskey, probably - but Pazzini might be better. Both, anyway, can make runs that Toni can't, while neither has his quality with his back to goal. Gila is massively over-rated, I think - I've claimed that for about five years so I'm hoping he doesn't really tear things up at Fiorentina and prove me wrong at the last. He can get goals, but that disguises the negative effect he has on the overall balance of the side (he's not skilful or clever enough to contribute in other ways).

Populusque, I think my ideal formation for the Azzurri would probably be some kind of 4-2-3-1, though perhaps our struggles this season have shown that that's no good these days. The problem for Lippi, I suspect, is that the first two names on his team-sheet (well, after Buffon, perhaps, but before Canna even) are DDR and Pirlo, but it's difficult to figure out how to play those two together. Pirlo likes to be the regista in the middle of the midfield, making things tick in front of the back four, but defensively he's not strong enough there. DDR is the perfect fit there, but then where does Pirlo play, since you want him right at the heart of things making things tick. Last night he tried Pirlo in front of DDR and Palombo and in the second half it worked well. And that despite the fact that Palombo had a very, very ordinary game. My problem with Pirlo there is that he's not quite quick enough or dynamic enough, though actually he did some nice things in the second half. I don't think you can play the 4-3-1-2 guys have suggested above with a player like Cassano as the trequartista since he'll offer you nothing defensively. I know Milan have played something similar with considerable success with players like Seedonk and Kaka in the midfield mix, but I would worry that it would disrupt the balance of the side. To my mind, it looks a little like the way Spags has us playing at the moment, but with Pizza in Brighi's or Taddei's role and Baptista behind the front two - and that looks to me like a recipe for disaster.

I would like to see a 4-2-3-1 with DDR-Pirlo behind something like Cassano/Rossi-Aquilani-Camoranesi/Di Natale and then you could have anyone of the options leading the line - Toni would be fine in that formation as would Pazzini. Or Perrotta or Brighi for Aquilani. Perhaps that shows my Roma bias, but Aquilani brings both technique and dynamism to that role in a way Pirlo doesn't. Pirlo will never get up beyond the striker or even really close to him in that 4-3-3 and that's partly why it makes Italy look so stodgy. They could also play something like a 4-4-2 with Cassano or Rossi alongside Toni or Pazzini, Camo down the right, and someone like Perrotta or Brighi down the left because Grosso would give the width getting forward there and the midfielder could tuck in a little bit more without disrupting the balance of the side. I suppose I just like Italy when they play intricate stuff through the middle and you have to have someone like Totti or Cassano or Rossi on the pitch for that to work.

[morra10]

[Carlo Romano]

Ed, yes, Ireland don't need the "same old negative Trap," they need more of what he once gave his excellent Juve and Inter sides. Apologies, Steve, I honestly think his time is ending...

Tom, the 4-3-1-2 would seem to be becoming more of a popular choice with coaches these days. As we all know, it worked well, years ago, in the day of the fantasista. I'm honestly not a Cassano basher by definition, I've learned in business that you shelve personal feelings for the good of success. But like you I can't see Cassano in a Baggio type role and unless Lippi considers a need for drastic change then it's not something we'll see during his time as CT of our nazionale.

Morra, as soon as I saw Canna was the one having to act on Palombo's early case of nerves I knew what was coming...yeah it can be argued he was prepared to be punished for the good of the team. He and we got lucky. Of course there is "moviola" and Uefa may suspend him.

[morra10]

[Bagg10]

[Bagg10]

[morra10]

[maro]