Italy vs Republic of Ireland discussion.

Borini to get in and score right on spot

Cassano with a brace

Borini

Italy to draw with Ireland. I know Italy from watching Serie A for decades and watching their national team almost as much as mine. Ireland will score first because they will attack with nothing to lose and Italy will be nervous and have a difficult time to score and will end up drawing and will be eliminated. We will be eliminated too so I will not have to watch the Euro anymore and I can get some work done.

Italy won't qualify, they will draw.

I hope Abate starts over Maggio,his athleticism is much needed. btw,is Barzagli available ????

red&blacklegion wrote:I hope Abate starts over Maggio,his athleticism is much needed. btw,is Barzagli available ????

Yes,has been training with the team.

paxtonpale wrote:Italy won't qualify, they will draw.

wanna bet?

"We need to win against Ireland first and foremost. We need to win against Ireland, to play well and to show that we have truly arrived," Barzagli told Uefa.com.

"At the end of the game we'll then have to see what the other result is. But, before that, we must concentrate on our own game.

"We have the potential to score three goals as we have great forwards. They can play well and get a feel for the goal.

"When you don't score or when you're losing, it's a problem the whole team has to try and deal with. We have to help [the strikers], we have to create chances and get the ball near the goal.

"The rest of the team will have to help a lot."

The Milan website said that Abate would start.

after netherlands ireland will be the next team to finish with zero points

im hearing that prandelli is going to revert back to 4-3-1-2 with host of changes, barzagli will come in, balzaretti will be LB, abate as RB, the most disastrous news is that montolivo may play as trequartista. if that would be the case, azzurri can kiss goodbye to euro 2012.

dont understand why 3-5-2 has to be changed, in that system the team work is excellent... just individual performance was lacking a bit in which prandelli can change just few players...
hope prandelli is sticking to his status quo with just player changes.....they play 4-3-1-2 with montolivo im actually feeling irish will beat italians....

3-5-2 was great ffs... Don't change it. Italy had the potential to beat both Spain and Croatia if they weren't so wasteful.

If Montolivo is the trequartista...

One problem Italy have faced over the past couple of games have been the issue of fatigue in midfield. Nobody can deny that Italy played extremely well against Spain and Croatia in the first 45 minutes but what we saw in the second 45 was quite contrary to that. I believe Pirlo, while he is the most important member of this Italy squad, is too old to play 90 minutes and over-reliance of the Italy team will be costly for them at some point.

Italy need to score early like Croatia and Spain did. Otherwise they can find themselves more and more frustrated as the match goes on because Ireland is a team that can defend.

I'd personally prefer to see a backline of Abate---Bonucci---Barzagli---Chiellini, even though I would often prefer a more attacking fullback on the left given Abate's strengths are mostly defensive, however Bonucci has played well and I simply dislike Balzaretti, however hopefully he puts in a capable performance. He can do it, however not consistently.

Ireland have conceded very soft goals, very early on in proceedings in the other two games as danyjr said and given that they are playing for pride, with nothing to be gained out of this tournament but our scalp, the luxury of an early lead could be integral to achieving the desired result. I'm quite disappointed to hear the news that Balotelli likely won't be starting, however hopefully Toto shines in his place.

Doesn't matter what Italy do, it is certain that Spain-Croatia will be a high scoring draw.

I'm quite worried about this match mostly because I have a feeling that Prandelli won't know what players to put into the already confirmed 4-3-1-2.

See normally I endorse this formation yet it has received criticism mostly because Italia play players who are not suited to the formation.

Maggio is an adventurous RWB who is too restricted as a RB and therefore is inconsistent there so then I would put in the defensively superb Abate who has proven his forte in the formation. Bonnuci is known to be inconsistent in the 4 man despite his early Italia performances in the 4 man. Barzagli coming back is a blessing yet even he is more comfortable in the 3 man along with how Cheillini is being wasted at LB while Balza can do a better job there and looks comfortable every time.

DDR back in the midfield is a godsend considering he is simply world class there yet many issues have been raised that DDR and Pirlo cannot combine all to effectively since both like to undertake a playmaking role and are used to this within their club. I would suggest Pirlo to continue with his usual en devours while DDR takes a more disciplined role in terms of box to box attack yet more restrained when in defense. Alongside him I would start Marchisio who has been stunning in this tournament.


Up front? The worry I have is that Cesa will start Monty as a TQ as people who follow Montolivo will know he is NOT and NEVER will be a TQ. The misconception remains yet I still maintain that Monty is and can be a great asset for Italia when played to his original deep role in which he has performed well (Germany, Espana).

Cassano and Di Natale should start as Balo must sit out this game. He has cost us points with his poor finishing in this tournament while Di Natale has shown he can live upto the mark.

I also think an option can be that Cassano starts as TQ while Di Natale and Balo combine up front.


So.... 4-3-1-2

-Buffon-
Abate-Barzagli-Cheillini-Balzarhetti

Pirlo-DDR-Marchisio

Cassano
Balo-Toto

Sad thing is that this formation didn't prove useful last time when we played Trap's Ireland and lost.

If it is a 3-5-2 then:


Bonnuci-Barzagli-Cheillini

Maggio-Pirlo-DDR-Marchisio-Balzarhetti

Cassano-Toto


I personally think the lack of scoring within Italia comes down to the lack of confidence which has been taken away the few games prior to the Euro's along with many change of plans. It also comes down to lack of penetration since Italia lack a true Prima punta as Di Natale is more closer to an SS than a striker.

Fitness levels must also be taken into account which is why Cassano (due to unfitness) and Maggio (due to his noted fatigue) might have to be replaced in HT.

I predict a loss or a draw for Italia since Trap and Ireland historically are very good against Italia along with that Ireland WILL want to salvage pride and have nothing to lose. Wiser watchers will understand how dangerous that is.

Ireland should be motivated about this game despite of them being already out; playing in a major tournament is rather rare for them. I can see them putting up a fight.

Italy might have too much quality up front, though.

its being said via football italia, twitter, and goal that italy lineup vs ireland will be


4-3-1-2


buffon

abate - Baragli - Chiellini - Balzaretti
DDR - Pirlo - Marchisio
Motta
Cassano - Di-Natale

ffs motta TQ????????????????????????????????????????????????????

giovinco might start

Antonio Di Natale will lead the Italy attack in Monday night's must-win meeting with Republic of Ireland, with coach Cesare Prandelli having decided to drop Mario Balotelli to the bench for the Euro 2012 Group C clash in Poznan.


The Udinese striker, who netted in the Azzurri's tournament opener against Spain, will make his first start of the tournament after being paired with Antonio Cassano up front.

Elsewhere, the expected switch in formation from 3-5-2 to 4-3-1-2 sees Daniele De Rossi return in midfield alongside Andrea Pirlo and Claudio Marchisio, with Thiago Motta moved forward into the trequartista role.

Federico Balzaretti takes over from Emanuele Giaccherini on the left-hand side of the defence, Christian Maggio makes way for Ignazio Abate on the opposite flank, while Giorgio Chiellini has been paired with fit-again Juventus team-mate Andrea Barzagli in the centre.

Italy must defeat the Irish and hope that qualification rivals Spain and Croatia do not draw 2-2 or higher in Gdansk if they are to progress to the last eight.

Italy (4-3-1-2): Buffon; Abate, Barzagli, Chiellini, Balzaretti; De Rossi, Pirlo, Marchisio; Motta; Cassano, Di Natale.



and there you have it. prandelli is a bigger panzi than allegri. playing a pure DM in a TQ position. y is it that for all the teams i cheer for have absolutely idiotic coaches?

F*CK BALANCE MAN!!! WE NEED GOALS!!! ffs!!!!!!!!!!!! didnt work out for 2 years during qualifiers and friendlys with motta and monto as TQ, y not go back to it in the biggest game of his tenure? dumbass..

SMFH.

only Abate and Pirlo can save Italy now

ITALY: Buffon, Chiellini, De Rossi, Barzagli, Abate, Balzaretti, Pirlo, Motta, Marchisio, Cassano, Di Natale... Subs: Sirigu, De Sanctis, Maggio, Ogbonna, Giaccherini, Montolivo, Diamanti, Nocerino, Balotelli, Borini, Giovinco.

IRELAND: Given, O'Shea, Dunne, St Ledger, Ward, Duff, Whelan, Andrew, McGeady, Doyle, Keane... Subs: Westwood, Forde, Kelly, McShane, O'Dea, Gibson, hunt, Green, McClean, Walters, Long, Cox.