Borini called up instead of Balotelli...

for Italy.Thoughts?

ignore/delete this thread if Balo is injured or suspended

and yet we stuck with fenando stupid torres rather then giving borini one start

Balotelli is just being punished by Prandelli for the Scott Parker incident, something which personally annoys me, however I'm happy to see Borini given a go. Personally I'd have also given Destro an opportunity to show his worth and I'd like to have seen greater experimentation in the midfield, however at least he's recalled Astori and Ogbonna may get another chance. He needs to ensure that the squad's back-ups have opportunities otherwise one injury will ruin our Euro campaign, as has happened before.

I think El Shaarawy not only is he better than Borini but he plays the kind of role that would really replace Rossi and Cassano. I know he hasn't played that much but when he does the Milan crowd is behind him and he works hard offensively and defensively.

With that being said, the Balotelli incident in my eyes was unintentional and in everyone's eyes clearly he had no idea where that guy's had was. With that being said, that was a long time ago.

IDK, to me, I think we should stay away from old farts, but at the same time I think someone like Borini is in the inbetween stage, like he's probably gonna be something big in the future but I wouldn't wanna see someone like him taking on Spain in the euro final, but someone like Balotelli, Totti, etc. I wouldn't sweat it at all.

I'm kinda really becoming disappointed with Prandelli atm. If he starts Ranocchia or even if someone else pairs chiellini instead of Barzagli, it will push me over the top. And if Criscito and Maggio aren't the fullbacks, I'll go absolutely insane.

Borini and SES shouldn't be called up at least until after the Euro imo....They simply arent ready,idk about Borini,but SES is not on a NT class yet,technically nor mentally.

Ganso wrote:Borini and SES shouldn't be called up at least until after the Euro imo....They simply arent ready,idk about Borini,but SES is not on a NT class yet,technically nor mentally.

if by "techically" you mean in terms of skill and passing... he definitely has it.

Just his strength, positioning and experience worry me that's it really. And he doesn't really have that much of an eye for goal yet.

But still, if someone like Borini were really special national team quality then Roma wouldn't be in the position they are now.

I think Destro would be excellent for Italy now. Also, i do agree that El Shaarawy is not ready Physically, as for Borini he might fit in now or maybe later. Italy's future is looking really bright with talents like Veratti, Poli, El Shaarawy, Borini, Balotelli, ogbonna, abate and many others coming up the ranks.

Some of these comments about Borini are perplexing:

- SES and Borini don't even have the same roles. How can one be better than the other?

But still, if someone like Borini were really special national team quality then Roma wouldn't be in the position they are now.

Kid has scored 8 goals this season. He's now our top scorer. What more does he have to do to be considered "special national team quality". His call up is completely deserved. Destro and SES have not done enough and have not had the impact that Borini has had this season. Only Balotelli has had a bigger impact on his team.

We're in the position we're in now NOT because of Borini because our defense is in shambles, as is the norm. Borini has done all he can do and yet he's somehow still not seen good enough. That astounds me.

i said ses isnt ready,idk about borini because i really dont watch roma

McLewis wrote:Some of these comments about Borini are perplexing:

- SES and Borini don't even have the same roles. How can one be better than the other?

But still, if someone like Borini were really special national team quality then Roma wouldn't be in the position they are now.

Kid has scored 8 goals this season. He's now our top scorer. What more does he have to do to be considered "special national team quality". His call up is completely deserved. Destro and SES have not done enough and have not had the impact that Borini has had this season. Only Balotelli has had a bigger impact on his team.

We're in the position we're in now NOT because of Borini because our defense is in shambles, as is the norm. Borini has done all he can do and yet he's somehow still not seen good enough. That astounds me.

mind you, I am speaking from a position where I do not think many of the Italian strikers are not Italy-worthy. This includes Pazzini, Matri, and ESPECIALLY Osvaldo. I'd much rather see Borini play than Osvaldo.

My god I just saw how young Borini is... awesome I hope to see him progress.

But still, my comment about Roma and Borini.... amazing players make the best out of their team, good defense or not. Look at Cassano for Sampdoria, when he was there, he made everyone around him better, he scored, set up goals, and boosted the confidence of his own defenders so that they looked good, but once he left... the team collapsed. Borini is still very very very young, but nevertheless Balotelli is only a year older yet has done much more. In terms of me saying SES > Borini... I just think in terms of technique and ability El Shaarawy is better, and I did state I know they have different roles and I think Italy is in more need of a creative striker over a goal-scoring one, hence why I'd rather see SES called up.

TWO not so random questions:

1. what happened to Di Natale getting called up?
2. Ranocchia is injured right?

I disagree about Destro not having the impact that Borini has had, he's been a major part of pretty much every scalp Siena have claimed this season, even if statistically he doesn't appear to be overly impressive, however it can be quite deceptive. Against Palermo he was part of three goals however all he has to his name is one assist from the game. His movement, work rate and what I like most about him, his hunger to be on the ball and to shoot, really makes the difference for Siena.

At this point in time, I still feel that Borini and Destro offer more to the team if they're not scoring or assisting at the moment, though El Shaarawy is of course still a hard working player. The more consistent game time the others receive from week to week is the main reason for this and whilst I think El Shaarawy's the most exciting prospect of the three, the others seem more immediately useful, though the Pharaoh does have many of the characteristics one wants in a surprise card.

Italy starting lineup: 4-3-1-2

Maggio - Barzagli - Ogbonna - Criscito
De Rossi - Pirlo Nocerino
Thiago Motta
Giovinco - Matri

This is very interesting, most notably Thiago Motta as a trequartista, and the exclusion of Montolivo (idc) and Chiellini. I wonder if he thinks that they are already guaranteed a spot so now it's time to test back ups. Or is his mentality that these five midfielders are too good to bench so they must all fit in somehow?

zarola wrote:Italy starting lineup: 4-3-1-2

Maggio - Barzagli - Ogbonna - Criscito
De Rossi - Pirlo Nocerino
Thiago Motta
Giovinco - Matri

This is very interesting, most notably Thiago Motta as a trequartista, and the exclusion of Montolivo (idc) and Chiellini. I wonder if he thinks that they are already guaranteed a spot so now it's time to test back ups. Or is his mentality that these five midfielders are too good to bench so they must all fit in somehow?

Friendly = time to experiment/give other players a shot. Montolivo and Chiellini have started most of our qualifiers, don't mind seeing them sit out this one to see what the others could do. I'm most curious to see Ogbonna and Giovinco, though the latter will be on the squad for the Euro unless he gets hurt as well.

I don't really see Motta in that position, nor do I really see Nocerino being as effective as he could be if he were played there. But, Prandelli usually likes to rotate that 4-man diamond midfield depending on how things go, so it will be interesting to see what set-up he prefers.

From Football Italia...

Borini keeps on running
Ahead of Fabio Borini’s Italy bow, Scott Fleming recounts the tireless youngster’s journey from West London to the Welsh Coast to the banks of the Tiber, with a knife between his teeth.

He never stops running. Watch the eight goals Fabio Borini has scored for Roma this season and you’ll find almost all of them are the culmination of lung bursting runs. But he doesn’t stop there. He doesn’t catch his breath or accept the congratulations of his teammates, he keeps on running, as if he doesn’t understand the game and isn’t aware he’s scored, like a little moustachioed Forrest Gump. He gallops off towards the sidelines, a big smile on his face, his right hand thrust between his teeth.

As celebrations go it’s fairly naff, not quite as cool as Francesco Totti’s thumb sucking or Pablo Osvaldo’s machine gun routine, but it does provide us with some important insight if you’re wondering what made Chelsea sign Borini when he was just 16 – or what has compelled Cesare Prandelli to give the now 20-year-old his first international call-up for Italy’s friendly against the USA in Genoa.

“I’ve been planning that celebration for a long time,” he said after scoring his first senior goals in March last year, a brace for Swansea versus Nottingham Forest. “In Italy it means you’ve got the knife between your teeth – it’s when you want to achieve something so badly that you are angry to reach your goals.”

Borini, who is a full three years younger than anyone else in the Azzurri squad for tomorrow’s game, has had the good fortune to work with a bevy of respected Coaches in his short career to date, from Carlo Ancelotti to Brendan Rogers, Ciro Ferrara, Luis Enrique and now Prandelli, and not one of them has a bad thing to say about the boy from Bentivoglio.

If there’s a theme to the praise lavished upon Borini by bosses past and present it’s this – his mental qualities, hunger, passion, the ‘knife between his teeth’, distinguish him and promote him above more naturally gifted teammates. “I was left very impressed by his determination,” says Prandelli.

“Fabio lives for goals, first and foremost he expects to score in every game he plays,” commented Rodgers, whose Swansea side have been adulated for their attractive football in the Premier League, but might still be in the Championship if it wasn’t for Borini, so influential was the young Italian in his two months on loan at the Welsh club. Rodgers, who had previously worked with Borini in his capacity as reserve team Coach at Chelsea, attempted to bring the Azzurrini forward back to the Liberty Stadium even after Parma’s summer swoop, but the Roma deal was already done. Borini headed for the Eternal City before he’d made a single competitive appearance for the Gialloblu.

Signing for such a big club seemed premature, and the Bologna youth product was little more than a bit part player until Osvaldo was struck down by injury in January. Enrique could have drafted in former Barcelona colleague Bojan Krkic as a replacement. If it was just a matter of God given ability he would have. “Enrique can no longer do without the tireless running of Borini,” declared the Gazzetta dello Sport after the Giallorossi’s 4-0 victory over Inter at the start of the month. “He ran himself into the ground and did the work of two players.” That game was Borini’s breakthrough, he scored two splendid goals and left Inter’s defenders Lucio and Walter Samuel wheezing and reaching for their zimmer frames.

His style of play is old fashioned, as is his hair, his moustache, even his position – not quite a winger, not quite a forward, more of a wing forward. But while Borini may lack Bojan’s sophistication he more than makes up for it with good old-fashioned graft. And that’s what makes him arguably the most exciting player Italy have produced since the man whose place he has took in Prandelli’s squad, Mario Balotelli.

One of those situations where perhaps it's well deserved but clearly we all know who's the better player.

Borini is an intriguing player,very balancing.......

Keeping De Rossi and Pirlo in the midfield isn't experimenting, he's just taking an unnecessary risk. Motta should be given an opportunity at the base of the formation or on the left, not as a trequartista.

Very glad to see Ogbonna and Criscito in the backline though, hopefully Astori is brought on at half time as well.

Even if it costs us a lead, I want to see three forwards on at some point.

Thiago Motta as AM.

Marchisio is in the lineup, not De Rossi.

Can't complain about that one lol.

Another two goals in two games for Borini...

3 goals in 3 games actually lol. Scored our lone goal against Atalanta too.

That Euro 12 place is getting closer and closer for him.

Fully deserved

Chelsea FC, the worlds stupidist football club

What does his goal celebration mean?