[TAZZ]

Yes yes you all know what i am gonan talk about and its teh midfield BUT!!!!!!!!!

What i am gonna say i don't think was ever discussed before here.

It is the question why our midfield has been so poor and must always depend on our number ten behind the strikers.

Italian midfielders are mostly very very good. Decent players like Albertini DiBiagio Fiore and Conte. Wings like Zambrotta and Pesotto.

But does anoyone notice anything? there is something very similar about all these players. None of them can truly carry the ball at their feet. Fiore has teh ability but is not physically strong enough to ward of body checks.

Not one of these guys carry the ball at their feet.

THAT!!!!!! my friends is the problem. Yes it is lal fine and dandy (i hate that word) when we don't have possession and DiBiagio and Albertini are out there running like Michael Johnson...ooooops sorry.....running like Maurice Green......oooooooooops sorry.....Running like uh-duh o.K. you get my point. Sure Gigi and Demetrio run their socks off when we lose the ball and win it back but once they get the ball they almost always look to pass the ball. This has been a chronic weakness in teh Italin midfield for about two decades now.

Almost never does the midfield carry the ball and hold onto it. And often when they try to do this they fail and concede possession. Its ridiculous.

There is a certain kind of player who can do this. A player who has a passion for hard work and the technical ability to hold onto the ball in order to keep possession.

Examples of such hard working but technically gifted players are found in many places but all outside Italian nationality.

think of this there are four teams in the world that are definately and visibly better than Italy.

they are Brazil Argentina Holand and France....i shoudl probably throw in teh Czech Republic too.

Look at teh midfielders on these teams.....all players with the physical toughness and passing ability of teh Italians BUT!!!!!!! they have the ability to carry the ball that the Italians lack from midfield.

Czech Rep.
Nedved Poborsky Jankulovski and to a lesser extent Bejbl

Brazil
Emerson ZeRoberto Assunscao Vampeta ZeElias Djalminha and even themuch maligned Flavio Conseicao.

Holland
Davids Cocu Seedorf Zenden VanBronkhorst

France
Viera Petit Micoud Djorkaef Dalmat Luccin Karembaeu and even Zizou himself also does his share of defencive work

Argentina takes the cake
Redondo Zanetti Simeone GustavoLopez Veron Kily Cambiasso Gallardo even Almeyda at times can carry the ball forward.

these players all have defencive capabilities as well as the technique needed to out play the Italian midfield at any time.

What i am not saying is that all these can beat Italia....what i am saying is that Italy wil lnot be a world beating team until they invent these type of midfielders.

The only player lke this in the Italian entre system is probably Baronio....a big strong player with a liking for hard work with the technique to carry the ball at his feet.

Its all down to Baronio isn't it?

 

[Debs]

And your topic, Tazz my firned, can once again bring up that age-old debate: are too many stranieri ruining the Italian game???

Both Maldinis and Dino Zoff have come forward from time to time saying that with all the foreign players, it is getting increasingly difficult to find the talent the azzurri needs to be competitive. What can be done to combat this? As we all know, the Serie A teams insist on having THE best players in the world and are willing to pay for that talent. In fact, I think we see that most of the European leagues feel the same way. One could almost--and notice I said ALMOST--say that the most talented players in many of the leagues are not natives to that country, whatever country you speak of. Considering the competitiveness and the expectations of these teams, I don't think we'll see an end very soon to foraging for the top players.

BUT...that still leaves us with the problem of how do we find better players for the azzurri? Is it going to get to the point of the league having to set a quota saying teams MUST have so many Italian players for each position? Tazz, your post is good and thought-provoking....

 

[TAZZ]

Yes you see there is that massive foreigner problem.

i for one am very very proud that INTER has taken Milan's example and bought many young Italians.

Honestly DEBS if Pirlo and Baronio line up in midfield alongside either Albertini or DiBiagio i think our midfield problem will eventually be solved.

Look at Lazio Roma and Parma.....each one of them with only one Italian midfielder that will probably make it through the season. Baronio Totti(midfielder/striker) and Fuser and mabye Mr. Libero wanna be Dino Baggio

Its gonna be tough but i really hope both Milan teams are successful this season to prove that Italian midfielders can indeed play and they only need playing time to reach the levels of the Davids and the Zanettis

 

[IL TORO]

This has been a problem over the years. However now I don't think it is a prblem anymore. Albertini doesn't carry the ball well but he is a hard worker and brilliant passer. Ambrosini, Fiore, Zambrotta and Conte can all carry the ball quite well I think. At euro2000 the only flaws in the team I think were Del Piero, Inzaghi and DiBiaggio. Del Piero and Inzaghi for the obvious reson they can't score and Di Biaggio because he, like you said, couldn't carry the ball and his passing wasn't up to scratch. With the introduction of Baronio and Gattuso I think our midfield will be very good.

 

[Debs]

Baronio, Pirlo, Comandini, Ambrosini, Gatusso...if you list the names of the young players our midfield problems do indeed seem to be on the verge of being solved. My hope is that Trap is not going to follow exactly in his precessor's footsteps and keep calling up the same people. OR, maybe I should say, my hope is that Trap will have the guts to do some experimenting. Zoff had started to and I think we started to see what the squad is really capable of.

Tazz, I agree with you...put one of 2 of the talented kids alongside the experienced older players, let them learn the tricks of the trade. It's as I've said all along, a team NEEDS a balance of youth and experience.

 

[Il Lupo]

Guys don't forget C.Zanetti from Roma,
this guy with Baronio are the future,and i can guarantee that he will find enough room in our lineup as Capello has great confidence in him!!

 

[theLegend]

Yes C.Zanetti is a great talent and if Capello gives him the chance he can develop into a great player , ( at least thats what he did in my CM game ) .

And answer to the problem Itazz was talking about is F.Totti, did you see that guy in the final ??

In my opinion he is the best player in the world in his position, Fiore needs to grow a bit, and it was stupid of Zoff giving him so much playing time.

Totti should have played there.

Hopefully Il Trap will continue on the good work that Zoff had begun.

We should play with 3 men behind.

 

[TAZZ]

But guys what ou have said about Albertini is exactly the problem. Yes he can split a defence.....most defences in the world but he doesn't carry the ball.

As for Totti he doesn't exactly carry the ball either taht is why i think he hsould be a striker for the rest of his career with the national team.

ALbertini gets the ball and splits the defence up to one of the strikers. DiBiagio gets the balland does the same. Movement with the ball is the key not just tackling retriving possession and then passing it to the strikers. SOMETHING MORE MUST BE DONE.

That my friends is carring the ball and that lies with Pirlo and Baronio. Not with any one else.

Ambrosini is a good improvement on DiBiagio and Albertini but i am beginning to wonder if he will be the star alongside Baronio or if it will be C.Zanetti because he too has this ability to carry t he ball at his feet.....DRIBBLE and he is just as physically strong.

Anyway Ambrosini doesn't lack technique either so we will see

 

[IL TORO]

I think that Totti is a very good ball carrier. It was visible in all his games. His only problem is that he is a little slow but he more than makes up for that with his other skills. Forza Totti!!!
Del Piero is a brilliant carrier of the ball but he is useless at other things.



ITALIA, ITALIA, ITALIA!!!!!

 

[TAZZ]

Totti IMHO doesn't carry the ball at all.

He is a better player than Beckham but in my opinion has the same dribbling problems as Beckham.

Also Del Piero does cayyr the ball but is a sissy in front of goal recently.

Totti should be striker with the national team allowing Pirlo to be a playmaker.