The Official Azzurri thread

[Bagg10]

[Carlo Romano]

It would just have to be old auntie BBC last night who made the same point I did last week about these current times reminding me so much of the 1984-86 era, Enzo Bearzot's Italia being in a transition period where he gave too much loyalty to the 1982 campioni and not enough to the volti nuovi!

That aside, all I can add is our wing backs were less effective because Egypt's were more so, themselves pushing forward and therefore not allowing Grosso and Zambro as much opportunity as against he USA. Not enough width...with our backs not getting forward as often, we were trying to force the issue through the middle or hold up till our backs could offer wide support. Pepe offered a little width when he came on but up to which level is is Pepe effective? Please, no sick jokes on the rumours of my Roma wanting him! Gattuso is clearly not up to the required standard of fitness after his injury and we already know he has lost his pace...

Can we also please have a defender on each post as cover on corner kicks?

As for our missed scoring opportunities...Christ, some things never change against stronger opposition and we had plenty of warning that Egypt are nobody's fools!

Beat Brasil on Sunday? Dunga may rest key players but you can bet those who do play will take great delight in knocking us out! We have to hope for another backs to the wall performance from our Azzurri but it's too openly obvious some hearts just aren't in this tournament!

[tonykart]

The bottom line is that this team needs a fantasista/trequarista. Obviously, this means Cassano. Without this type of player in the lineup, our CMs are having to push too far forward. I don't mind them pushing up and they should, but it should be on their own terms, not because they have to in order to generate attack.

De Rossi needs to be a destroyer. He might be decent going box to box, but his value to Italy is in being the filter for the defense. He is strong, smart, and hard-nosed... play defense.

Get Gattuso out of there. Keep him on the bench and have him only come onto the pitch to lock down a lead.

Pepe, Quagliarella, Gilardino, and Dossena all can go. Quagliarella is the only one in this side that MIGHT have a chance of being useful. But, I would take The Waterboy over him any day of the week.

We can make some changes to the starting lineup and adjust our tactics however our little imaginations desire, but this team will never win the World Cup without a key, creative attacking player like Cassano.

Now... panic and criticism aside. We can still win this pointless cup. We usually perform well in big matches, but unlike in the knock out stages, we have to win in regulation. Lippi needs to go with an intelligent starting 11 against Brazil. We need to commit to defense, because this will be the most attack-minded, highly skilled team we have seen so far. Brazil will give us the opportunity to play counter-attacking football, and this could be our best opportunity to shine.

We need speed up top. We need a target man as well. And we need our CMs to get their heads out of their asses and play well. Our defense played well last night. They did. It was our completely absent CM that cost us (mainly De Rossi whose turnover setup the corner kick and it was De Rossi's man who was wide open). The midfield is the heart of the team, and they need to start pumping now.

Maybe this loss will be the kick in the ass we needed to finally start playing with some passion. Maybe this loss is the beginning of the end. I guess we will find out this weekend.

My lineup vs Brazil:

------------------------ BUFFON

ZAMBROTTA - CANNAVARO - CHIELLINI - GROSSO

- CAMORANESI - PIRLO - DE ROSSI - MONTOLIVO

------------------ ROSSI
----------------------------- TONI

I want to see Iaquinta replace Toni as a sub. De Rossi to stay the fuck back. Camoranesi will bring his grit which should help against Brazil. Montolivo should get more space, because Brazil are playing with a narrow CM. Rossi will be there to spring the counter-attack, and Toni to control the front line.

The key with this formation is Montolivo's linkage with Grosso on the left hand side. Maicon is the best RB in the world and I think Monty presence out wide will keep Maicon more busy than he would be if we played with a midfield 3. The CM we are playing with now, with Pirlo on the same side as Grosso leaves a gaping hole. Maicon will certainly exploit it.

The other side of the formation will see Camoranesi and Melo in a nice physical battle. A battle that I think will even itself out again. De Rossi will have to play physical with Kaka. Kaka likes to dive and might give Brazil some chances, but I think you have to let De Rossi get mean with him.

We need to play our most disciplined game yet. Because we are better tactically than Brazil and if we bundle up, Brazil (even though they don't have to) will get impatient and start doing their typical overlapping. Once that happens, we need to be ready.

I like our chances, but it is really up to Lippi to make the right choices.

[morra10]

[tonykart]

[marco]

4 man midfield would be the best option against brazil. it seems to me that we dont have the legs to operate with three men against a team like brazil and grosso (assuming he gets the start over santon again) just cannot help himself getting caught up the field on counters so the extra body would provide cover for him on the left. regardless, i cant imagine lippi converting to a 442 overnight for such a critical game when he has been working with the same 433 formation exclusively for a while. i would hope that if he insists on the 3 man mid, he could at least consider not starting gattuso, ffs. that would be a step in the right direction. even if we lose with either palombo or montolivo in there, id be somewhat content that at least either guy got some valuable experience at this level. there is no silver lining if we lose with gattuso in his current form. i cant imagine it taking lippi 3 games to figure out gattuso just isnt up to the task at the moment.

[tonykart]

If we got with a 3-man midfield, De Rossi should play on the left side instead of Pirlo.

[Bagg10]

I like TK's line up.

[p_maldini_3]

[juventino_italiano]

[juventino_italiano]

[RomaShield27]

Cannavaro equals Maldini's Italian appearances record
Sun Jun 21, 2009 7:31pm BST Email | Print | Share | Single Page [-] Text [+]

PRETORIA, June 21 - Fabio Cannavaro equalled Paolo Maldini's all-time appearance record for Italy when he won his 126th cap in the Confederations Cup match against Brazil on Sunday. The 35-year-old defender, his country's captain, made his international debut in 1997 and won his 100th cap in the 2006 World Cup final when Italy were crowned world champions.


How nice. Now he should be hung out to dry with the rest of these has-beens in this current team, with Lippi the first to go. Italy are a complete sham at the moment.

[ricky2882]

Wonder what Lippi has to say now. Italy didn't take the tournament seriously enough? The players were just tired and needed more time to gain full fitness? We were just terribly unlucky?

Maybe some rumors about Lippi possibly getting the sack might wake him up.

Cassano, Pazzini, Motta and D'Agostino have to be called up for the next set of WC qualifiers.

[Carlo Romano]

Ricky, add Foggia to that list. The Sky Italia panel were quite right to suggest he on the left and Pepe on the right wings would give us more. Pepe isn't world class by any means but he put in some reasonable crosses. He can do us a service until we find better. Aquafresca is worth a senior place too even if he's only a reserve. The only difference of opinion you'll get from me is to say that with Rossi, we don't need Cassano.

Too many old farts and not enough young blood in our existing squad! Ed's sentiments with different phrasing...

[morra10]

Add half of the U 21 team to that list. This was by far the worst Azzurri team I've ever seen.

Hopefully we'll see something like this at the WC:

--------------------Buffon--------------------

----Motta-----Canna-----Chiellini---Santon----

---D'Agostino/ Marchisio----DDR----Pirlo----

-----------Cassano-----Giovinco------------

---------Rossi/Acquafresca/Pazzini----------

[ricky2882]

On the contrary Carlo, I think both Cassano and Rossi are vital for the squad. Imagine a Rossi - Pazzini - Cassano front three. Cassano and Rossi flanking a center forward is the best way to go in my opinion. That Pepe was one of the better players today only showed how bad the whole team was. All Pepe did was cross the ball into the penalty box a few times, something that a RB should have been doing. I'd rather have a more creative player in Pepe's place.

While Morra's squad shows a clear Juventus bias ( no offense Morra), I love it. Two creative forwards with a poacher; a packed midfield; and young, fast fullbacks. That's the way to go.

[p_maldini_3]

[Messinterista]

[tonykart]

[Messinterista]