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Who will qualify for WC?

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The coach matters, the same Lippi in 2010 wasn't the Lippi of 2006. Go back and read the threads about Trapattoni in 2002, Lippi in 2010 or Prandelli in 2014. Being the coach of the Italian NT isn't an easy job at all. This is the reason why you can't give the job to one random Ventura.
Are you, roadrunner, really telling me that Italy lost to Costa Rica in 2014 because Costa Rica had more talent? Come on!
No, no, I concede the point.

You said before the second leg why didn't they sack him after the group finished, but the extension they gave him in the summer - to boost his confidence and self-esteem I suspect - meant they could not sack him without a facing a big pay-off, which is now - sadly - not the case because there is a break clasue if we didn't make the WC.

Talking about coaches, I would let Di Biagio or someone similar take over for the remainder of this season, and then appoint a permanent successor in June, someone with a blueprint and who SIGNS FOR 4 YEARS, NOT 2!

What about Maurizio Sarri? I was told today that ADL has said he might not be Napoli coach next season so there is a possibility he will be available. He has the exact profile I feel we need. He is a student of football, plays intense football that is suited to international competition and has a track record of success at Empoli and Napoli while also being able to develop younger players. At this stage of his career the Nazionale would seem an appropriate move.
 
What about Maurizio Sarri? I was told today that ADL has said he might not be Napoli coach next season so there is a possibility he will be available. He has the exact profile I feel we need. He is a student of football, plays intense football that is suited to international competition and has a track record of success at Empoli and Napoli while also being able to develop younger players. At this stage of his career the Nazionale would seem an appropriate move.
A good coach doesn't necessarily make a good CT for Italy. Sarri is a very good coach (and for sure would know what to do with Insigne!). He would be an improvement on Ventura from a tactical point of view. That said, I'm not sure he has the charisma which is needed to be respected by the players and I also fear his attitude. He is perfect for Napoli because in Napoli a cry-baby is always welcome but the NT has different souls.
 
It's widely been acknowledged since that too many players over 30 is what led to the disastrous World Cup campaign in South Africa in 2010. Lippi had 6 players over 30 including yes Zambrotta and Gattuso who were already way past their prime there not to mention Cannavaro who was closer to 40 than he was to 30. There was absolutely no reason for Cannavaro to be in that roster, he had already showed he was nowhere near NT level anymore in the Confederations Cup the year before when Italy didn't get out of the group and lost to Egypt of all teams. He was considered to be one of the weakest players at the World Cup 2010 and this is a player who captained Italy when they won the World Cup 2006 and won the FIFA World Player of the Year award the same year. Obviously having too many old players is not the only reason for these kind of failures but it can't be overlook and Italy have a tradition of sticking with old players for far too long.
I'm talking about now, not back then, that entire 2010 team was shit, fueled by nostalgia and lazy managing of a team.




the team of past years all starters who were over 30 were the champions of the team carrying it more or less as the backbone.
 
I forgot to congratulate Sweden for the rocky performance and their coach, also for respecting the locker room. :thumbsup (1):

https://twitter.com/daniel_ekvall/status/930209320758923264/photo/1

Bad taste from the people who booed the Swedish anthem. I also read it wasn't performed very well? You have to be patient, most of Italians do not even respect their own things!

Good luck for the world cup!
Many people I talked to, few who where there, are super pissed at the italians major disrespect in anthem (and other ill will behaviour), and they are far from patriotic types, just pissed off at the idiocy of it and total lack of decorum. Told them shouldnt be suprised, violatile nature is the norm even more in high pressure game like this.



I applaude Gigi even more for applauding the swedish anthem while they were booing/insulting.
 
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I'm talking about now, not back then, that entire 2010 team was shit, fueled by nostalgia and lazy managing of a team.




the team of past years all starters who were over 30 were the champions of the team carrying it more or less as the backbone.
I'm not sure what you mean by the "champions of the team" but recent results have been dreadful, 9 goals conceeded in 12 games including the playoffs is not good at all. Failing to beat Macedonia at home and being outplayed at times in both games against Albania is pathetic.
 
Osman I don't believe your post was for me but I think Bonucvi Chiellini etc were definitely right to be called.

I'm just looking at the future now.
Bonucci and Chiellini, but not Barzagli.

Regardng Osman's post about weak younger midfielders, he forgot the best of all at the moment: Lorenzo Pellegrini, He has mobility, technqiue, vision and tackling ability to match the best in the world at his age.

Osman said Rugani is not near Bonucci or Chiellini level, but he won't be if he plays little at Juventus.

I'm sorry to hear about Romagnoli's injuries, I hope they don't undermine his career.
 
A good coach doesn't necessarily make a good CT for Italy. Sarri is a very good coach (and for sure would know what to do with Insigne!). He would be an improvement on Ventura from a tactical point of view. That said, I'm not sure he has the charisma which is needed to be respected by the players and I also fear his attitude. He is perfect for Napoli because in Napoli a cry-baby is always welcome but the NT has different souls.
But without many of the senators, he would have the opportunity to impose his leadership on the players who remain and the new ones added to the squad.

If not him, why not Giampaolo? He should have been far ahead of Ventura back in 2016 and he would be available at the end of the season in order to be appointed in June. As you know, he is an excellent coach.

We need someone for 4 years who has a clear blueprint about how to reform the formation and tactic that plays to our strengths while restoring confidence and self-esteem.
 
Please tell me you are joking? Was it the same Romagnoli I know at Milan, or there's another one? And Rugani? Their 'absence' weighed heavily at Italy's defense? You've got to be joking, or I misunderstood you.
Why wouldn't Rugani have helped? The goal they scored came partly from our defenders closing down to slowly.
It was a goal that could happen but the biggest failure was not scoring in 180 minutes
 
Toni, get this from Di Biagio!

Italy Under-21 Coach Gigi Di Biagio doesn’t want to talk about replacing Giampiero Ventura, but “we’ve been sending warnings for years.”

The Azzurri lost a World Cup play-off 1-0 on aggregate to Sweden, failing to qualify for their first World Cup since 1958.

A day later, the Under-21 side notched up a fourth consecutive victory, beating their Russian counterparts 3-2.

“It is not a good day for Italian football, so we had to face this game in the best possible way,” explained Di Biagio in his Press conference.

“I hope this is the Nazionale of the future we are seeing, as that would mean we’re doing our work well.”

People have called the World Cup elimination the start of ‘Year Zero’ for Italy, but Di Biagio sees a very different scenario.

“I think it was already five or six years ago, but nobody noticed. We’ve been sending warnings for years that the next generation had to be ushered in and there wasn’t enough playing time for young Italians at club level. It took a nasty result like this to open people’s eyes.

“It’s easy now to criticise, but there have been difficulties for some time. We looked like those who were trying to reform Italian football just for the good of the national teams, but we were doing it for all of Italy.

“We hope that we can grow and unify our forces.”

If Ventura is sacked, then Di Biagio is the most likely to take over – at least temporarily – until a more prestigious name is found.

“For now I am and remain the Under-21 Coach. In future, you never know, but I don’t think it’s respectful to be talking about that today.

“We must not forget the problems that derived from the last two World Cup campaigns. Nobody has asked me to do anything. If and when I am asked, then I will give my reply.

“I love working with these lads and would like to see all of them progress to the senior Italy squad.”
 
But without many of the senators, he would have the opportunity to impose his leadership on the players who remain and the new ones added to the squad.

If not him, why not Giampaolo? He should have been far ahead of Ventura back in 2016 and he would be available at the end of the season in order to be appointed in June. As you know, he is an excellent coach.

We need someone for 4 years who has a clear blueprint about how to reform the formation and tactic that plays to our strengths while restoring confidence and self-esteem.
because Giampaolo must stay at Sampdoria and win the scudetto. :D
Seriously, Giampaolo has to prove a lot before becoming the commissario tecnico dell'Italia. He is classy, contrarily to Sarri, but he is mentally not strong enough for a similar job. I think we should avoid choices which could be Ventura-esque, so it's either a coach grown inside the FIGC (Di Biagio or Evani basically, but IMO the former is mediocre, so basically Evani) or a coach who is a winner and respected as such (Ancelotti or Allegri or Conte).
I know Tavecchio is trying to save his arse with a big name so he will surely try to convince Ancelotti. Hopefully he will manage to convince Ancelotti, but that won't save his arse, because we are done with Tavecchio, from every point of view.
 
because Giampaolo must stay at Sampdoria and win the scudetto. :D
Seriously, Giampaolo has to prove a lot before becoming the commissario tecnico dell'Italia. He is classy, contrarily to Sarri, but he is mentally not strong enough for a similar job. I think we should avoid choices which could be Ventura-esque, so it's either a coach grown inside the FIGC (Di Biagio or Evani basically, but IMO the former is mediocre, so basically Evani) or a coach who is a winner and respected as such (Ancelotti or Allegri or Conte).
I know Tavecchio is trying to save his arse with a big name so he will surely try to convince Ancelotti. Hopefully he will manage to convince Ancelotti, but that won't save his arse, because we are done with Tavecchio, from every point of view.
But isn't there a risk of Ancelotti only wanting two years and then come 2020 we are back to looking for a replacement and the candidates might be fewer then. I would like to exploit this opportunity where people think the CT is the mosdt important job, at least fans do because of what's happened.

Evani would surely accept a 4-year contract.
 
Toni, get this from Di Biagio!“I think it was already five or six years ago, but nobody noticed. We’ve been sending warnings for years that the next generation had to be ushered in and there wasn’t enough playing time for young Italians at club level. It took a nasty result like this to open people’s eyes.
Again, Di Biagio is the guy who fielded an Argentinian nobody called Battocchio instead of Bernardeschi, and Bianchetti, who had been the captain of under 21, but wasn't playing one minute in serie A for Empoli, instead of Romagnoli, who was always in the starting lineup of Sampdoria... what are we talking about? He ignores the ones who play at club level and then pretends his players do not have enough playing time at club level? Maybe Di Biagio should watch more serie A games?
Do I need to bring up the formidable performance of Di Biagio against the Czechs a few months ago? Two awful euro tournaments, with a pretty good team both times, and yet, somehow, Di Biagio kept the job, when a gentleman like Claudio Gentile was showed the door after winning the under 21 euro and the bronze medal in the Olympic games. THIS is what is wrong in Italy! People get and keep a job for reasons which are "obscure". Surely not the performances! Di Biagio should have lost the job in the under 21 NT and Evani should have had it, after the brilliant world cup at under 20 level.
 
But isn't there a risk of Ancelotti only wanting two years and then come 2020 we are back to looking for a replacement and the candidates might be fewer then. I would like to exploit this opportunity where people think the CT is the mosdt important job, at least fans do because of what's happened.

Evani would surely accept a 4-year contract.
Evani would accept a 40-year contract. :D It's a risky choice, because Evani is good, I have no doubt about it, but lacks experience. This is the reason why he should have been promoted to the under 21 NT for Di Biagio.
 
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