[Primo]

We back to this. :depress:
The mentality of the Italian National Team has been battered by year's of catennacio and preserving 1-0 leads. We, as a team, stand at a great crossroads in time ahead of this Thursday's match.....will we continue to leave the likes of Montella, Del Piero and others riding the bench while we play head games with the opponent? Or will we do what we all know we are capable of and produce some fine calcio? No one here can say they can predict what Azzuri will show up, mainly, once again, because of coach has crawled himself into shell of his own making. Another coach that dropped Baggio and Fiore and other creative players for piano carriers. He said he wanted to aviod injuries. Geez, what do we have now? He's stripped this poor team of any imagination and fantasy and now we ask: Does he even have the balls to play the match that's needed vs. Mexico? Will he allow his players to perform soccer? Will he throw out this cautiousness and tepidness once and for all? Or is he and the federazione gonna ride this mentality all the way to the bottom?
WHAT'S IT GONNA BE ITALIA?

 

[DIECI10]

Good point.

This is when we find out what our team is made of. Will they show up and fight over the adversitiy that faces them or will they surrender as the French did. Trap must start Vieri and Montella with Totti supporting them, this is a must! If they do go ahead early 1-0 them must keep attacking at least for one more. A 1-0 lead is not enough, WHEN WILL THEY LEARN?? It drives me crazy to see the retreat into their defensive shell after taking 1-0 leads. If they do this against Mexico they risk an early exit because Mexico has looked great in their first 2 games and an all out defensive tactic will be suicide against such a team that is determined and will surely attack tomorrow....

FORZA ITALIA!!!
***+1

 

[Mikey]

Sometimes, and all too often, our players play within themselves, in some kind of shell. It's like we're so afraid of failure that it eventually overcomes us, but i ask why? This squad has more than enough talent to beat any team.

I hate to bring you know who up (RB ) but there's no Italian that's stronger mentally, it's something that makes him the person that he is.

Of course there should be a special metion to our coach - his ideas have worked - in the past, now is the time to freshen up our tactics and expose weaknesses in opposing defences with our forward players.

Against Mexico, I do not believe 1 goal will be enough, they look more than capable of scoring, or at least causing us plenty of trouble.

 

[DIECI10]

I'd feel much better if we had R.Baggio out there tomorrow

 

[De Zerbi]

thursday is a decisive match in italian soccer history....will trap finally use the formation he has been playing with forever or maintain his "i'm scared of losing" formation of 4-4-2....if italy wins, and wins convincingly then we might see the new generation of italian soccer...remember there wasn't always catenaccio.......

Di Biagio- definitely hurt
Nesta- questionable

 

[Catenaccio]

We will have to eventually. Nesta and Cannavaro are great. But Maldini will retire and he is struggling at the moment. Materazzi and Iuliano are not up to the usual Italian high standards in defence. You can only play effective Catenaccio when you have the best defence in the world together with fast counter attack. That is the case now but it won't be soon.

If you had rate each part of the Italian side out of 5.

GKs = 5/5
DEF = 4/5
MID = 2.5/5
FWD = 4.5/5

What Italy needs is another big striker like Vieri or Klose or Tommasson, Trez etc.

We need really young Nestas and Cannavaros

AND we need a Davids!! or Emerson or Vieira!!!! (2 of them)

I would try using Doni closr to the centre. i.e

______________BUFFON_____________

PANUCCI___CANNA___NESTA___MALDINI

___ZAMBROTTA___TOMASSI___DONI____

_______________TOTTI______________

__________VIERI___MONTELLA________