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Italy: The greatest European footballing nation and the current world champions

gaga_4_parma

By gaga_4_parma,
in 2010 World Cup Forum

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Whirlwind

Whirlwind

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Ambrosini has been pretty good this season. I don't like him and it's purely personal. :D His performances do merit inclusion in the 30 man squad but I'm ok with him missing out.

No ADP is a little bit of a surprise. I do hope Borriello makes it. Hopefully at the expense of Pazzini. Quaggy could play a good role there......

Bloody De Rossi, form has been so ****, but looking around, who else is there? Maybe he just misses Aquilani. Speaking of whom, needs a full season of games to get going. Little flashes here and there but nowhere near good enough.

Forget about the fantasista. There is none.

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Whirlwind

Whirlwind

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I suppose their goalscoring form in the league has been about level. I just get the feeling Borriello's temperament is more suited for the ordeals of a World Cup and Pazzini is more likely to choke at that level. Like ADP in the Champions' League. :D

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gaga_4_parma

gaga_4_parma

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Bloody De Rossi, form has been so ****, but looking around, who else is there? Maybe he just misses Aquilani. Speaking of whom, needs a full season of games to get going. Little flashes here and there but nowhere near good enough.

Aquilani needs to find his position...no one really knows what role to play him in...at Roma he played various positions and at Liverpool Rafa has opted to give him his freedom but on the right and even in the advanced Gerrard position which worked out quite well iirc...

But yeah he needs more games...

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CrowBar

CrowBar

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Question: Why didn't he pick Totti? I don't know a lot about what's going on there in Italy's national team, can someone fill me in? I thought Totti wanted to go.

I understand why he didn't choose Toni, though.

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gaga_4_parma

gaga_4_parma

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Question: Why didn't he pick Totti? I don't know a lot about what's going on there in Italy's national team, can someone fill me in? I thought Totti wanted to go.

I understand why he didn't choose Toni, though.

Lippi doesn't really give reasons for selection...and Totti never really admitted that he wanted to go...he would play with the thought to the press but he never gave a concrete answer.

But had he called Totti for one it would be very hypocritical of Lippi after telling everyone Cassano has behaviour issues and thus no call-up but it would be ok for Totti to assault fellow players which is far more serious then a cassanata.

Ethics before individualism!

Hopefully Lippi keeps Cossu...if he doesn't go then the only creative outlet will be Pirlo...:D

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gaga_4_parma

gaga_4_parma

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Well Montolivo is more of a functional peripheral figure for club and country...Most of Fiorentina's game revolves around Jovetic nowadays...so he's become even more illusive then ever before.

Only Camo and Cossu would ever get brought into a game to specifically create and play that more advanced position...Montolivo on the other hand like Aquilani have yet to meet a specific need in the squad other then being seen as dynamic, versatile and a Pirlo-vice.

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gaga_4_parma

gaga_4_parma

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Montolivo would make the Juve set up even worse if you're planning on including him at the expense of Marchisio.

Candreva for 2010 \o/

I would take out Melo...Poulsen has been quite good this season.:D

pff...what are these crappy defenders? bring pannucci out of retirement. :D

I would rather bring Birindelli... :D or how about we bring back Bazzani upfront... :D

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UTT

UTT

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So who would be first choice left back? I know he's been rubbish this year but he's had plenty of times to drop him but hasn't. Can't see that happening really.

Criscito I would presume

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Astafjevs

Astafjevs

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Well, it will if he plays Criscito.

He does have another option - play Cassani/Maggio at right-back, and use Zambrotta on the left. I think that is a considerably weaker option, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him do it.

Either way, it shows Lippi is willing to make the tough decisions. I hope he leaves Borriello out now.

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UTT

UTT

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What other keeper will you probably take alongside Buffon and De Sanctis?

Marchetti has played a few times for Italy hasn't he but tbh i don't know anything about this Sirigu kid who has made the provisional squad.

It will be Marchetti, hes higher up the pecking order than De Sanctis really

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gaga_4_parma

gaga_4_parma

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Another interesting point - will he take 7 defenders, or will he include both Cassani and Maggio and take 8?

Cassani is definately going now that Grosso is gone. As Gazzetta said he has been promoted.

Bocchetti is almost certainly out. 4th choice CB after Canna, Chiellini and Bonucci . If Lippi decides to bring 4 CB's with him then it looks like Maggio vs Zambrotta for that RB spot seeing as Criscito is being touted as the starter.

As it stands;

Sirigu - Out

Bocchetti - Out...unless 4 CB's are brought in which case it becomes Maggio vs Zambrotta.

Cossu vs Pepe

Pazzini vs Borriello

Rossi vs Quagliarella

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gaga_4_parma

gaga_4_parma

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Bocchetti is a CB...he has made his career from being one...that he came on as a sub at LB hardly erases his career as a CB. :D

Gilardino has come on multiple times for seconda puntas is he a seconda punta now? How about Dossena in Camoranesi's advance position for Italy? is he now a creative force too ala Camoranesi? :D

Seems to me it is not I who lacks the logic but you two who jumped to conclusions based on Bocchetti coming on as a sub for Grosso in a one off game.

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tony_cfc

tony_cfc

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Got my Azzuri shirt today, ready for the WC. Really dont expect anything from the tournament though, anything further than the 2nd round would be a bonus.

Not good enough forwards, midfield isn't particularly great and I dont think the defence can make up for the frailties in the rest of the team like in some of the previous teams.

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tony_cfc

tony_cfc

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Am I right in thinking that Italy haven't lost over 90 mins to be eliminated from an international tournament since Euro 96. Previous tournaments have always been losses in ET, pens or eliminated after being undefeated in the group stages.

I supposed we can take some positives in that ;)

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Astafjevs

Astafjevs

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Well, we were eliminated in Euro 2004 at the group stages, on goals scored or something like that. But our recent record of elimination is quite impressive, if there is such a thing.

If you confine it just to World Cups, we haven't been eliminated in normal time since 1986.

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Whirlwind

Whirlwind

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The team has been poor for quite a while. Losing the likes of Roby Baggio and Maldini at around the same period was bad (I know they were old but I mean players of that calibre). Ever since Baggio stopped the new messiah has still not appeared.

Central midfield is our strongest area. It's as good as any other nation. It's everywhere else that's a let-down.

To be fair I had those exact same thoughts for WC2006. :cool:

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Astafjevs

Astafjevs

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Really? In 2006 we had probably the best centre-back pairing in the world, arguably the best right-back in the world, and a striker who had just scored 31 goals in Serie A and had a respectable record at international level going into the World Cup of 17 caps, 7 goals.

The other areas of the team looked pretty strong, and indeed apart from Toni, they performed as such too. This time, we don't have that.

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Whirlwind

Whirlwind

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Zambrotta, Cannavaro yes. Nowhere else were we world class (other than midfield). Never thought much of Toni (like Klose only not as prolific :D), Gilardino is just average (international level), Del Piero a screw-up. Though he wasn't bad there.

Maybe because I bought too much into the 'long-time sufferer' emotion, I just didn't have high expectations at WC2006. Gah, I didn't have any! This year though it really does look worse than ever. Still, if anyone can squeeze anything from this bunch, Lippi can. Believe in the godfather. :cool:

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Whirlwind

Whirlwind

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ridiculus thread title.

the greatest CHEATERS in football history, that is appropriate.

mamma mia!

So, so many people riled up. And that's what made it more satisfying. Ha, cheat. Along the way we bundled out the Australian team which consisted of not much more than a bunch of thugs. I feel sorry for Hiddink that his plan to conserve the subs didn't pay off, but if I could pick a team to win against in such a manner, it'd be France or Australia.

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