Re: Italian National Team Thread

[zarola]

Great overall performance from Italy. Love Darmian and Candreva. Great hold up play from Balo. Dat Marchisio strike <3

Darmian is the FREAKING AWESOME. LOVE him.
Candreva did well as well too!
Overall we played well.... I mean, I complain and complain about Paletta, but he was very poor at times and okay at other times, like maybe he'll do okay, I've seen worse

Marchisio is awesome.

Barzagli anyone? That goal saving tackle.. beast.

[DeviAngel]

Great overall performance from Italy. Love Darmian and Candreva. Great hold up play from Balo. Dat Marchisio strike <3

Darmian is the FREAKING AWESOME. LOVE him.
Candreva did well as well too!
Overall we played well.... I mean, I complain and complain about Paletta, but he was very poor at times and okay at other times, like maybe he'll do okay, I've seen worse

Marchisio is awesome.

Barzagli anyone? That goal saving tackle.. beast.

If you ask me Barzagli currently is one of the best CB's in the world. No mistakes

[zarola]

Great overall performance from Italy. Love Darmian and Candreva. Great hold up play from Balo. Dat Marchisio strike <3

Darmian is the FREAKING AWESOME. LOVE him.
Candreva did well as well too!
Overall we played well.... I mean, I complain and complain about Paletta, but he was very poor at times and okay at other times, like maybe he'll do okay, I've seen worse

Marchisio is awesome.

Barzagli anyone? That goal saving tackle.. beast.

If you ask me Barzagli currently is one of the best CB's in the world. No mistakes

Agreed and been saying it for a couple of years. Also the best looking, without a doubt   

[Guest]

thank god italy had pirlo de rossi marchisio keeping midfield in control darmian had great world cup debut.

prandelli made such a big mistake playing paletta. i understand the fact that buffon and de sciglio is a massive loss.. but in the game of this magnitude prandelli should have played bonucci. juventus have really strong backline and barzagli bonucci chellini has known each other for years!!!

dont know what prandelli was thinking but that was just too risky to play paletta. it was so damn obvious that the likes of sterling sturridge and welback would exploit that weakness and boy.. england was so close ... everytime they made counterattack they were hella close to scoring...

paletta was tootally outpaced and he made so many mistakes... he was the most nervous guy on the pitch for italy..

i m still finding it hard how the hell is getting selected when so many good players didnt get chance to go to world cup.

i would even take ranocchia ahead of him...


prandelli has to thank misfiring england today

[Forza]

Mariooo!! Stramaledetti gli Inglesi!!   

@Xifio: that is but one of several possibilities. If you want to put a bet on that formation being used with those players for Italy's 1st game, take it to the betting thread and I'll happily wager against it.

hah, what say you now?

Should have taken it to the betting thread.

^ This. But also, congrats on doing a really great job with your prediction.   

[adun101]

You guys keep saying Darmian was great... whatever, but he and Chiellini were snapchatting at England's goal

[sportsczy]

For those people saying Bonucci would be better..... you haven't watched Bonucci this year.

[dostoevsky]

Bonucci has always performed well for Italy regardless of his performances for Juventus, whilst importantly he already has an understanding with Barzagli and Chiellini, something Paletta must still work on. Whilst you're of course correct about his disappointing season, I still think it would be preferable to see him play, though obviously the ideal situation it to return Chiellini to the centre once De Sciglio returns from injury.

Also whilst it's fair enough to point out that Darmian was out of position for England's goal, he was struggling to recover after being left so far up the pitch when we carelessly gave the ball away. Chiellini was absolutely left for dead running back by Sturridge and Paletta ended up marking empty space. It was fundamentally a breakdown across the whole team, no one earnt any glory on that play.

The return of De Sciglio should add a degree of balance to our play as our hand was forced by the lack of drive down the left and we were fortunate that England were simply unable to prevent the overload down the right flank through Darmian, whose tireless running was at the heart of all of most of our best moves. Our attacking play seemed uninspired though and whilst Balotelli did very well when given the ball, he was left too isolated at times. Prandelli has spoken of the need to avoid the mistakes of 2012, hopefully he begins the rotation of the squad to avoid fatigue at an early stage, as risky as this perhaps is. We still miss Cassano's inventiveness in the final third as the perfect cross that Candreva provided was as much a product of probability as it was quality. If you launch a thousand balls into the box, one of them is bound to stick.

Both Uruguay and Costa Rica failed to adequately defend set pieces today and it's an area we should definitely look to exploit in our upcoming games. We should control the midfield without too much trouble against these sides, we simply need to avoid giving the ball away when we're not adequately set up to slow down and halt counters, whilst defending set pieces ourselves will be integral. England failed to really test us from corners due to repeated poor deliveries, this may not be the case in the upcoming games. Sirigu did well mostly, however he had a few nervous moments when coming out and failing to claim the ball.

The most important thing as always though was the result. A fantastic way to start the cup which provides a great platform from which to win the group to importantly avoid an early meeting with Brazil. Not to mention that bragging rights over England were the most important consideration in the entire group.

[sportsczy]

Yeah but don't you think that it's better to develop a younger CB in this WC?  Chiellini, Barzagli and Bonucci are all getting up there in age and i think it would be very wise for the future.  For once, Italy doesn't have a plethera of CBs to choose from...  so they need to develop the talent instead of picking a ready piece.

Excellent play by Italy overall.  Was really impressed by Candreva btw...  he owned his side of the pitch.  Pirlo was a master of course.  Also, i know a lot of people will criticize Verratti's performance but i thought it was fine... he's not a great defender and never will be.  At best, he'll reach Modric' level on defense.  But he does do a ton in terms of helping possession and handling pressure... I don't think it was a coincidence that Italy could not keep possession well once he got subbed out.  Of course, i understand that Pirlo/Verratti is very weak defensively.  If you have a lead in the 2nd half of a difficult game, you must take Verratti out for a better defensive player.

After Pirlo leaves NT, i think Verratti will very seemlessly take that role. He's nowhere near that level of course right now... but i think he can do the job and has plenty of up side.

[flameas]

Bunucci must replace Paletta. The later one was way to slow to mark Sturridge and looked unconfortable under pressure.

Alos, Prandelli should have bought on Cerci or Insigne instead of slower Immobile to run at the tired english defenders.
Verrati played well, hold and passed the ball, changed positions and opened well - was always passable.


Great win, lets hope more of the same.

[dostoevsky]

That would certainly be ideal, I agree, there's a bit of a generation gap at the moment in defence, one that may lead to issues in the future when the next transition of personnel takes place. There's a significant gap between the best we have to offer and those competing for the last spot in the squad and there have been very few youngsters appearing on the scene to potentially replace Chiellini and Barzagli in the long term and certainly not by Euro 2016.

Granted, defenders peak later than anyone else and experience is so paramount that you can't expect players to be competing at an elite level so early, however if you look at the names, there's a definite gap in recognised names. Bonucci (27), Paletta (28), Ranocchia (26), Ogbonna (26) are all defenders who could potentially still be in the running for a starting spot come 2018, however there are a very few names around the age of 20-23 who could command a spot, even just for the experience of participating in a squad, on merit. Antei, at 22, is probably the most promising name coming from the U21 side and even then I mention him only because others have spoken highly of him. Whenever I've watched him he's failed to stand out, however in fairness I only ever tended to watch Sassuolo get demolished and I saw a limited number of games, so I can't really pass judgement. It is always wise to include a handful of players to develop in situations such as these and to an extent we've done that as far as possible. De Sciglio, Perin, Verratti and Insigne all represent the future of the squad and they'll gain value experience at the highest level in this tournament, whilst Destro and Florenzi were on the edges of the squad in the final year and will likely be thrown in straight after the tournament's end. There's simply a deficit in talent in central defence for Italy at the moment and in the absence of a young gem to polish, Bonucci represents the best of the rest. His performances at the last Euro proved that he can definitely have an impact at this level as he was arguably our best defender of the tournament. He's a player who plays his best football with his back to the wall. Concentration and complacency are some of his biggest weaknesses, however it's less of an issue against sides that command respect.

Completely agreed on your second and third paragraphs sports, whilst I certainly agree with the spirit of your first. I simply think it's the lack of an appropriate central defender to throw into the fray rather than the wisdom of such a move.

[Robespierre]

Despite the victory , Gazzetta dello Sport gave 4.5 to Paletta as vote

i try to translate :

Green light. In the sense that the  British CFs run as trains and  he let passing them all . He misses easy assists , he is dribbled, browned. It is hoped that De Sciglio heal quickly so as to recompose Barzagli-Chiellini as partnership.  But is it possible that there are not  better BC than him ? . Paletta is better than Ranocchia ? "

Agreed with this harsh judgment about Paletta
tbf I've always rated Ranocchia better than him , but it seems Prandelli doesn't like Inter players, I remember when Cassano left the NT after his transfer to Inter and he is returned in NT with Parma

[M99]

Guys what are your predictions on Italy's line up vs Costa Rica? I think we will see some changes despite the victory. I expect Veratti to get benched and possibly Cerci to start. Of course De Sciglio should be back and that scrub Paletta will be benched. And I have not heard anything of Buffon, when is he expected to return?

[Forza]

Yeah, MDS will come back and Chiellini will return to CB. No need to start Bonucci.

[flameas]

Guys what are your predictions on Italy's line up vs Costa Rica? I think we will see some changes despite the victory. I expect Veratti to get benched and possibly Cerci to start. Of course De Sciglio should be back and that scrub Paletta will be benched. And I have not heard anything of Buffon, when is he expected to return?

I think Verratti should continue - Uruguay lacked creativity in midfield and they were punished. With Pirlo and Verratti we will open Costa Rica. Maybe replace Marchisio with a more attacking player, Cerci or Insigne. Also, give Cassano some minutes.

Chiellini to middle and MDS to the LB position

[Robespierre]

Yeah, MDS will come back and Chiellini will return to CB. No need to start Bonucci.

It would be definitely the best thing . all rotates around MDS ' recovery

[dostoevsky]

Mattia De Sciglio feels he’ll be ready to face Costa Rica, but Gigi Buffon reportedly won’t return until Uruguay.

Italy won their opening World Cup game, beating England 2-1 despite losing two key players just hours before kick-off in Manaus.

Milan left-back De Sciglio was a particularly heavy blow, as it forced Giorgio Chiellini to go wide and brought Gabriel Paletta into the centre of defence.

“I am feeling much better now. I think I’ll be ready to play against Costa Rica,” De Sciglio told journalists.

The Azzurri face surprise Group D leaders Costa Rica in Recife on Friday afternoon, kicking off at 17.00 UK time (16.00 GMT).

However, according to the latest reports it looks as if Buffon won’t be available for that showdown with the side that beat Uruguay 3-1.

The goalkeeper sprained his left ankle in a training session the day before the England game and it reportedly caused an inflammation to the tibial tendon too.

Salvatore Sirigu put in a fine performance in Manaus and the Paris Saint-Germain shot-stopper is expected to start at least the next match, possibly all the group fixtures.

This isn’t the first time Buffon has been unlucky with injuries at a major tournament. He missed Euro 2000 when fracturing a finger during a warm-up friendly against Norway and hurt his back in the first half of the 2010 World Cup opener with Paraguay.

------------------------------------

Source: http://www.football-italia.net/50564/de-sciglio-and-buffon-updates

Most recent information on the injuries. I'm content with Sirigu starting again, though I feel that a key difference remains the confidence each keeper brings to the team. Buffon has a swagger that never falters, whilst Sirigu and the defence are still building confidence with each other and in themselves. It's such a pivotal characteristic of the relationship between a goalkeeper and defence and without it, mistakes are more likely to occur. It can only come with time though and results such as these enhance the confidence of a keeper, hopefully he can maintain this momentum from the Ireland and England games.

[sportsczy]

Only think to watch out with Sirigu... and it's the only weakness i've noticed from him...  he gets hesitant and messes up when he has to come off his line to get the ball, whether it's in the air via a cross or on the ground with a through ball.  The CBs for Italy need to expect that they will need to play every ball even if they think the keeper should get it.  He doesn't have the feel for such balls.

Thiago Silva and Alex pretty much defended all the way to the goalline.

[Forza]

Only think to watch out with Sirigu... and it's the only weakness i've noticed from him...  he gets hesitant and messes up when he has to come off his line to get the ball, whether it's in the air via a cross or on the ground with a through ball.  The CBs for Italy need to expect that they will need to play every ball even if they think the keeper should get it.  He doesn't have the feel for such balls.

Thiago Silva and Alex pretty much defended all the way to the goalline.

Martin Tyler noted that in the commentary of the Italy - England game too.

[The Franchise]

I noticed an intentional and very deliberate insistence on passing the ball out from the defence. Even if the guys were pressured, they would knock it back to Sirigu who would look to make another pass. I liked seeing that attitude from Italy.

[Tomwin Lannister]

Yeah he almost always played it short, which is good but nerve racking. Maybe that's more of a Prandelli decision than a Sirigu one. I guess it helps when the team is stacked with great passers. Might as well play to your strengths.

[Tomwin Lannister]

You guys keep saying Darmian was great... whatever, but he and Chiellini were snapchatting at England's goal

That's what happens when a team counter attack you. Both Chiellini and Darmian spent most of the game in the opponents 3rd. Darmian was overlapping Candreva all night long. Of course if the ball is given away they can't run at 30 MPH to recover. It's not their fault. Paletta lost his man (the only *bleep* man) in the box for the goal.

[The Franchise]

They seemed fairly comfortable. Goalie messed up a couple kicks but that's almost a given really.

I think it was smart, when you got Veratti and Pirlo in midfield you have a great chance to play through them. You cant get tight to both and both are incredible playmakers.

Plus wacking it long to Balo just isnt going to work, he'll get annoyed by the service and he has a somewhat bad habit of refusing to move for anything which isnt directly to his feet.

[Arquitecto]

I agree with Dosto on the goalkeeping situation. Gigi Buffon out leaves nowhere near as big as a gap as he did before in his absence, not because of his age, yet now Italia have a world class back-up in Salvatore Sirigu and a very talented Mattia Perin. Sirigu has reached a quiet and steady level of rapport with the backline to which is typical of his adaptation he reached in Paris and now gli Azzuri.

Yet where do we place the divide? Gianluigi Buffon, like Goalkeepers in the form of Iker Casillas, Petr Cech, or even Julio Cesar provide a very intangible element to which can go a long way for a victory. It is that paramount chemistry and familiarity that these generals between the sticks exude and what they also provide is this confidence that transcends onto the backline whether through their commands, saves or presence alone. Buffon has over 140 caps for Italia as that is pedigree you cannot condition. That is an aura forged over years of command that can make the difference only when you see them return in place of their counterpart.

I have 100% confidence on both our back-ups yet this is where Buffon STILL remains the undisputed champion.


As for Dani's comments on the passing. Prandelli continues to evolve his ideas seemingly only on display during tournaments as a dynamic change between tempos to control the game not just on-the-ball yet off it; Danielle De Rossi being the most important player of Italia leads that format. It has been coined lightly as "Passenaccio", a calculative system which minor instructions such as to ALWAYS keep your head up, think before the pass, use your neck and crane it to allow vision, build slow from the back and elevate the tempo up front, be two-footed (or you are done), take your time with the ball and invite pressure rather than avoid it in order to create space where the onrushing opposition are bound to ignore. Prandelli is a victim of constant scrutiny due to the risks he takes and admittedly rookie decisions regarding the squad yet you have a mind in this man that represents all that Italia needs to move forward.

[Xifio]

I noticed an intentional and very deliberate insistence on passing the ball out from the defence. Even if the guys were pressured, they would knock it back to Sirigu who would look to make another pass. I liked seeing that attitude from Italy.

passing and possession are a hallmark of Prandelli's Italy ...

passes completed vs. England? 554 (out of 595 attempted) ... that's the highest total at this World Cup so far ... but more impressively, it's the highest pass completion rate (>93%) in a World Cup match since 1966 ...

[adun101]

For those people saying Bonucci would be better..... you haven't watched Bonucci this year.

Well, as far as I can remember, he played only one game in a 4 man line, against Real and he was ok. He's usually bad in that position, while being great as the 3rd CB, just like he was for most of the year. I don't know what are you talking about.

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