@Robespierre

@Italy

@Juve

Imagine slaving to get into this Italy side only to not make WC

@rincon

@Jorginho

wtf

don't even want to laugh, I thought they were through already

WC is gonna suck without the likes of Italy and Netherlands

Count me in

Italy @rincon @Luca

Dem amazing young(old) Italian talents. I'm floored. Kudos.

not confirmed yet, still another leg..smh, gonna be a jinx

Oh this is 2 legged

RIP

yeah..as banterous as it would be if they don't qualify, Italy in the WC is like Unique at a UKIP rally, couldn't imagine not seeing it.

kneejerk af

Firenze wrote:don't even want to laugh, I thought they were through already

WC is gonna suck without the likes of Italy and Netherlands

Yeah, just like CL sucked without United... oh wait

Stop getting swayed by the big names and let's put some respek on the smaller nations.

What difference would it otherwise make if Italy go through? They'll probably get knocked out in the groups again anyway especially under this coach.

Nothing to say, it is deserved.
This was the Helsinborgs - Inter for Italy.

S wrote:

Firenze wrote:don't even want to laugh, I thought they were through already

WC is gonna suck without the likes of Italy and Netherlands

Stop getting swayed by the big names and let's put some respek on the smaller nations.

We saw how that worked out for the Euros, smaller nations suck most of the time and just leads to a poor quality of football.

It's just a lot more exciting when the bigger nations are good.

Lol Italy will do it in the 2nd leg. They always perform when there is pressure.

Ventura is a terrible manager though. Said that on day 1.

Great Leader Sprucenuce wrote:

S wrote:

Firenze wrote:don't even want to laugh, I thought they were through already

WC is gonna suck without the likes of Italy and Netherlands

Stop getting swayed by the big names and let's put some respek on the smaller nations.

We saw how that worked out for the Euros, smaller nations suck most of the time and just leads to a poor quality of football.

It's just a lot more exciting when the bigger nations are good.

Well then blame Italy or Netherlands if they can't get past these smaller teams that 'suck most of the time'

Afterall , this is not a one off

Big team or small team, quality of football was poor in general in the Euros . The final was atrocious for example.  On the other side of the spectrum, a team like Wales got to play in the semi finals.

Please stop blaming small teams if the big ones are incompetent.

Can't really see Italy scoring two goals in a match these days, our game is defined by Candreva trying to cross the ball in and nothing else.

Now we will even lack Verratti, which I'm not even sure is a disadvantage after today, but it is another creative piece missing

Ya'll suck

Sack Ventura and hire someone else for the 2nd leg. Leaving an inform El shaarawy and Insigne on the bench. Playing a past it DDR and Parolo in midfield. What a time to be alive.

RealGunner wrote:Sack Ventura and hire someone else for the 2nd leg. Leaving an inform El shaarawy and Insigne on the bench. Playing a past it DDR and Parolo in midfield. What a time to be alive.

I see a lot of these claims today but these are the ideas that Ventura has had since qualification has commenced, I can't find myself surprised. He's a man without ideas managing a team without desire, basically Montella

Great Leader Sprucenuce wrote:

S wrote:

Firenze wrote:don't even want to laugh, I thought they were through already

WC is gonna suck without the likes of Italy and Netherlands

Stop getting swayed by the big names and let's put some respek on the smaller nations.

We saw how that worked out for the Euros, smaller nations suck most of the time and just leads to a poor quality of football.

It's just a lot more exciting when the bigger nations are good.

Sure, more quality does equate to a better tournament most times. However, if Holland is doing dog shit and Italy is losing to Sweden, exactly what you want UEFA or the lesser teams for the matter to do?

What's with these fears of a world cup without Italy? they sucked so bad in the last two they might as well not have been in them.

farfan wrote:What's with these fears of a world cup without Italy? they sucked so bad in the last two they might as well not have been in them.

That's a statement that would encompass a number of top national teams I feel

Doc wrote:

Great Leader Sprucenuce wrote:

S wrote:
Stop getting swayed by the big names and let's put some respek on the smaller nations.

We saw how that worked out for the Euros, smaller nations suck most of the time and just leads to a poor quality of football.

It's just a lot more exciting when the bigger nations are good.

Sure, more quality does equate to a better tournament most times. However, if Holland is doing dog shit and Italy is losing to Sweden, exactly what you want UEFA or the lesser teams for the matter to do?

You're of course right. That's why such a notion as the 'historical merit' factor in CL quali is so fundamentally ridiculous.
Football is easy. You win, you're better. At least that's the most adequate way to decide who's better.

I would much rather see Sweden in the World Cup than the boring ass Italy and Netherlands. I would say the same for England but at least they provide the banter.

We do have an International Section, not to mention a thread for Italy NT

Noone cared about Sweden players before yesterday (who really know them ? )  while all know Italy players.
That is enough why most ppl rather Italy to advance I suppose

lol who really cares if italy doesn't make it. they're not filled with prime vieris del pieros tottis and the likes on their team anymore. same with netherlands. outside of the fact they are big footballing countries, there's really nothing or nobody i would have really looked forward to watching on those sides at this point. italy was at the last world cup and outside of suarez biting chiellini, they were barely noticed. they've needed to rebuild since like 06