In the back line I think it’s time to go and beg Nesta to come back for one last season. Totti? If he really WANTS to play, then he’d be welcome, and only played if/when he really deserves it. And yes, I agree De rossi and Aquilani should hold back in a play-making facility, with Aquilani thrusting the team forward at the right moments.

Forza Italia!

Francesco

now, back to tomorrow´s match, iam really tensed up after reading this..
After qualifying for the Champions League, Anorthosis Coach Temuri Kestbaia believes Cyprus can shock Italy this weekend.

“Without doubt tomorrow’s game with be fantastic,” said the former Newcastle United hero on goal.com.

“Italy are a world class outfit who will visit Cyprus on their own turf. It is an exciting event for this country and we hope many friends will rush to cheer the team on.”

The 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign kicks off in Cyprus as Marcello Lippi’s Azzurri aim to defend their title.

The Larnaca stadium is used by Anorthosis Famagosta and will be seen in the Champions League this season.

“It’s true that this is not an easy task, but the Cypriot team national team has the players to really cause an incredible upset.”

This will be the seventh meeting between Italy and Cyprus and the Azzurri have won all but one, scoring 17 goals and conceding two.

The most recent clash was a Euro ’92 qualifier won 2-0 in Foggia on December 21, 1991 with goals from Gianluca Vialli and Roberto Baggio.

come on Italia, we need to concentrate for entire 90 minutes and get goles

Quagliarella is interesting, though.

the thing that Quagliarella offers is unpredictability and the capacity to produce goals from almost nowhere that are almost impossible. this not only makes him a direct threat, but it makes him a constant menace. with the ability to score from 30 meters out, or from wide angles from which few other Italian forwards can score, he is able to ‘bend the game’. that is to say, draw the back line up, or draw defenders away from other capable strikers, thus increasing opportunities for other players to score. in this respect he brings a whole other dimension to the game that few other players are capable of.

a do think that Gilardino is really the one that needs to be vetted. he has not proven himself even depite being fielded several times. and i do agree that Iaquinta has great strength, a quality also lacking in many Italian forwards, but his recent performances have been inconsistent as well … though i know this is because Juve have been limiting him as a starter, but this deserves equal consideration from Lippi. Plus Iaquinta and Toni combined is a bit repetitive in some ways.

As for that combo, it probably won’t work. Neither of those two guys are world class imo. We saw at the Euros that Christmas tends to choke in big games (put him in a friendly though and he’ll score a hat trick), and I’m still not entirely sold on Gila. Toni choked at the Euros but I have a feeling that with the right coach he’ll be back on his feet