The Azzurri Thread

[Mus]

The u21 team is strong, players like berardi and belotti arhave great potential

 

[Arnau]

Verratti is young and top stuff too and plays a key role. Immobile another interesting player.

 

[kp41]

If Serie A rises again teams will buy superstars instead playing homegrowns players and Italy will become England.

Nope, it's not a math, Look at 2003 final, both Milan and Juve had many Italian players ...

 

[Xifio]

squad for the crucial Croatia qualifier:

---------

Portieri: Buffon (Juve), Perin (Genoa), Sirigu (PSG)

Difensori: Chiellini (Juve), Moretti (Torino), Ogbonna (Juve), Ranocchia (Inter), Rugani (Empoli)

Centrocampisti: Bertolacci (Genoa), Bonaventura (Milan), Candreva (Lazio), Cerci (Atleti), Darmian (Torino), De Rossi (Roma), De Sciglio (Milan), El Shaarawy (Milan), Marchisio (Juve), Parolo (Lazio), Pasqual (Fiorentina), Soriano (Sampdoria), Verratti (PSG)

Attaccanti: Balotelli (Liverpool), Giovinco (Juve), Immobile (Dortmund), Pellè (Soton), Zaza (Sassuolo)

---------

El Shaarawy recalled, and good for him ...

but Mario recalled as well?! what? how? why? why now? I suppose Chiellini being the top scorer for the nazionale in the post Prandelli era has forced Conte to finally acquiesce, and admit that he needs to consider all his options ...

 

[Mus]

Maybe they will pass to him in blue

 

[Juventino]

That looks like the worst Azzurri squad ever.

 

[Deisler]

That looks like the worst Azzurri squad ever.

I don't think that is true. Pretty decent crop of players. Well except Ballo.

 

[yoyo913]

33 year old Moretti to make his NT debut? Why?

 

[Mus]

squad for the crucial Croatia qualifier:

---------

Portieri: Buffon (Juve), Perin (Genoa), Sirigu (PSG)

Difensori: Chiellini (Juve), Moretti (Torino), Ogbonna (Juve), Ranocchia (Inter), Rugani (Empoli)

Centrocampisti: Bertolacci (Genoa), Bonaventura (Milan), Candreva (Lazio), Cerci (Atleti), Darmian (Torino), De Rossi (Roma), De Sciglio (Milan), El Shaarawy (Milan), Marchisio (Juve), Parolo (Lazio), Pasqual (Fiorentina), Soriano (Sampdoria), Verratti (PSG)

Attaccanti: Balotelli (Liverpool), Giovinco (Juve), Immobile (Dortmund), Pellè (Soton), Zaza (Sassuolo)

IMO players who shouldn't be in the squad, or aren't of sufficient quality

 

[Xifio]

IMO players who shouldn't be in the squad, or aren't of sufficient quality

agree ...

33 year old Moretti to make his NT debut? Why?

excellent question ...

That looks like the worst Azzurri squad ever.

worst defensive depth ever, I'd say ...

EURO '96 is my personal pick for worst squad (overall) ...

 

[Arnau]

Johan Cruyff: Mario Balotelli isn't to blame for his bad-boy antics, it's his clubs' fault

lol

 

[Juventino]

In that interview I think Cruyff meant that he blames his football education; he blames the club that educated him, not the player himself. He wouldn't play badly educated players.

 

[Mandieta6]

Funny from the guy whose cheating on his wife nearly disrupted his World Cup.

 

[Arnau]

In that interview I think Cruyff meant that he blames his football education; he blames the club that educated him, not the player himself. He wouldn't play badly educated players.

He played Stoichkov

 

[Mus]

I'm all for blaming Inter

 

[Deisler]

Funny from the guy whose cheating on his wife nearly disrupted his World Cup.

Seriously, when Johan talks morality no one should listen.

And BTW Mus, you think Ballo is quality but Immobile is not? Based on what? Immobile player less and scores more. Considering the talent available to you right now he is serviceable off the bench.

 

[Mus]

Immobile has been atrocious in an Italy shirt thus far and is just an average player whereas balotelli still has great games up his sleeve


I also have watched nearly all of Liverpool's games (can't say the same for Dortmund though) and don't believe its balotellis fault at all, he's missed about 1.5 clear chances and that's all theyve given him, that team is a mess with no attacking plan

 

[Deisler]

I disagree. When Suarez was around they were the best attack in Europe arguably. Ballo stalls that offense with his lack of mobility. Something Immobile has. He is BVB go to guy in Europe and there is a reason they are 4 for 4. And to say Ciro was bad while playing for the Azzurri is a tad premature. He hasn't been capped enough to make a definitive opinion on how he has performed internationally.

 

[Juventino]

Funny from the guy whose cheating on his wife nearly disrupted his World Cup.

Nobody cares if you're the best player on the team. Balotelli is an easy target because he isn't productive.

 

[Mus]

I disagree. When Suarez was around they were the best attack in Europe arguably. Ballo stalls that offense with his lack of mobility. Something Immobile has. He is BVB go to guy in Europe and there is a reason they are 4 for 4. And to say Ciro was bad while playing for the Azzurri is a tad premature. He hasn't been capped enough to make a definitive opinion on how he has performed internationally.

They are playing completely differently than with Suarez now, players like Henderson push into the box prematurely and push Balotelli wide at least 5 times per game and he gets bypassed every time, Sterling also refuses to pass untill he has run himself into trouble and delivers a crappy ball that is hard to decide whether it was a pass cross or shot, they also aren't fighting relegation either


Italy will never play on the counter and it's the only thing Immobile is good at really, he isn't clinical nor powerful, doesn't craft his own opportunities either