The Azzurri Thread

[modena_10]

Originally posted by JTNY
Italy. Need reliability back in the defence - Inter has done wha Inter usually does to players, decreased Cannavaro's powers, but still the defence is pretty tight.

Problem - Midfield. Italy need to have the ball most of the time. Sure, the defence can hold out for extended periods but, you need to win 8 times out of ten by controlling the midfield battles.

Remedy - Gattuso. The insane old fart Trappatoni does not seem to like Gattuso, of recent times. He wins the ball (giving Italy use of it) has shown some attacking insight this season for Milan.

Problem - Attacking formation and tactics. That 4-2-3-1 sucks balls. Del Piero is not a left wing. Camoranesi should not play, ever since he changed his nationality he has been mediocre. He is not quick and one the right I would rather see Fiore. If you use 4-2-3-1 (which I would not). It seems to rely on creative insight providing Vieri oppotunities, one automatically thinks, oh, Totti. Then again, one could easily pose the argument Totti has under performed for Italy.

How I would have the team:

-----------------------------------Buffon---------------------------------


Oddo-----------Cannavaro----------------Nesta----------Zambrotta


-------------Gattuso------------Pirlo--------------Perotta-------------


--------------------------------Totti/Fiore--------------------------------


----------------Del Piero/Totti----------Vieri----------------------------


This way, the full backs over lap and run forward as Zambrotta and Oddo do well. For this to happen the three midfielders have to be prepared to be true midfielders, getting back quickly (this is where having Gattuso pays off). As mentioned earlier in the thread Pirlo is the touch of class holding the midfield together, linking play.

Totti essentially in top form should own the attacking midfielder position, but, as shown in the past for Italy, he hasn't. With Totti in top form that should work, with Vieri banging everything home and Del Piero showing his skills. Fiore can always fit into that role. (Euro 2000 )

My opinion anyway.

i dont completely disagree with this system, its seems good on paper, but if trap had any intentions of using it he would have used it in the friendlies, its seems to be good though

and what you said about totti under performing is complete bull****, we all know that we put large expectations on our players and if they dont score the get hammered, but totti had a mediocre WC 2002 which brought him criticism although he had a couple of assists

anytime totti has been in the side, italia usually win, without him we struggle, he supplies at least 50% of vieris goals, he helped bring us back in from being dead in qualification to a direct spot into euro, he had a great euro 2000, great WC 2002 qualification, ok WC 2002, good Euro qualification, and i expect with the system that he has excelled in he will be in great form for euro

 

[northstar]

Originally posted by modena_10
and maybe thats the thing to get us away from, that defencive aspect, in WC 2002 we lacked the playmaking midfielder who could feed the forwards like totti, vieri and del piero. pirlo is what we need that will make us dominate teams, his vision is extraordinary, and his defencive qualities arent that bad

well there was some injuries, but Trap is the one what played a midfield of 4 defensive players against korea remember

 

[modena_10]

someone might as well start talkign about it, maldini has not said no to returning to the national team for euro. but he will wait till the end of the serie a season before he makes his decision. he will first meet with trap then go to the media.

please maldini, one more tournament, with him in this is how i would see it

-----------------------vieri----------------------

---del piero---------totti--------------fiore---

------------perrotta-------pirlo----------------

zambro----nesta-----maldini-----cannavaro-

----------------------buffon----------------------

i see cannavaro moving to the right because maldini and nesta have been a wall with milan and they have great chemistry, and cannavaro could benefit from playing outside, less pressure

 

[Virgo]

I'd rather have Baggio than Maldini

 

[claupastore]

Originally posted by modena_10


i see cannavaro moving to the right because maldini and nesta have been a wall with milan and they have great chemistry, and cannavaro could benefit from playing outside, less pressure

and that way we wont need oddo or panucci playing there

baggio can be replaced more easily without problems, maldini on the other hand its just a wall, and with nesta cannavaro and zambro damn it cant get better than that

 

[Walkeranz]

Maldini would be great wherever he plays just because he is that good of a player. Including him in the defense makes Italy look twice as strong defensively and I would feel a lot more comfortable with him playing.

 

[claupastore]

i think that milan winning the scudetto made him think that he can still win something with the national team

 

[northstar]

Originally posted by claupastore
and that way we wont need oddo or panucci playing there

I prefer Oddo to Pan boy but neither are really top class. Canna is OK as a RB? Not sure if I have seen him play there.

 

[jani]

Originally posted by claupastore
i think that milan winning the scudetto made him think that he can still win something with the national team

Yeah I agree with that

Maldini #3

Excellent

 

[italianstyle87]

seriously, if maldini comes back then gli azzurri have no excuse for not winning this tournament

ill understand if they go down in a match to a top team, but no excuse for not making a huge push for this gold

 

[IceBlu]

Zambrotta can play at Right back i think.


if thats the case, this would be awesome -


Maldini - Nesta - Cannavaro - Zambrotta





F*ck off Panucci !

 

[mark77]

Zambrotta never played RB and I don't think that EURO 2004 is the time to make changes. Maldini can't play LB anymore, that's why he moved on LCB with Milan.

I agree with the F-off Panucci but who could replace him. Oddo? Birindelli?

 

[IceBlu]

what i was thinking was that since Zambrotta is traditionally a right winger, playing as RB shouldn't be a problem...

but yeah you're right, they won't try something new right now.

and yeah, Oddo should play instead of Panucci.

 

[Walkeranz]

Zambrotta usually plays right back because there is no left footer to play it. (Coco - yeah right) Maldini plays central at Milan because there is no better central back at Milan. He could easily play left back for Italy, no problem. Zambrotta can play either.

 

[Pingtung]

Maldini would be absolutely great for the team. He may not be able to attack on the left wing anymore, but he would still bring so much just playing as a left back, besides Zambrotta's the younger one, so he'll run the full 90 minutes

 

[SB9Dragon]

Originally posted by IceBlu
Zambrotta can play at Right back i think.


if thats the case, this would be awesome -


Maldini - Nesta - Cannavaro - Zambrotta





F*ck off Panucci !

Canna would probably play on the left and Nesta on the right...

Though I must admit that that defensive lineup looks really strong.

BTW has Trap been calling up Gattuso? I can't remember

 

[santino]

i dont think trap likes gattuso, plus, he plays like sh*t on the NT

 

[italianstyle87]

id like to see Zambrotta in the MF, on a wing
slap panucci or oddo at RB

 

[modena_10]

zambrotta could play on defence, he could even play on the right mid with the three attackin players, because he did play on the right before moving to defence

 

[Walkeranz]

Zambrotta can play left or right wing and left or reight back. Watch him play. He is right footed but can cross almost as well witrh his left. You could almost consider him ambidestrous. Trap will definitely put him on the field because he is also solid wherever he plays. It dependes on wether Maldini plays or not and what formation Italy uses.
4-2-3-1 with Maldini on the left and Zambrotta on the right.
4-2-3-1 with no Maldini, Zambrotta definitely on the left.
Any other formation that has a left winger Zambrotta will fill that position though I feel that Trap will use either a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-1-2