Actual Changes Revealed

Good to see the two southerners going at it!!

Cazzo is making the group not as nervoso imo.

I agree, right now all I care about is points, doesn’t matter to me if it’s anti-football or not. so hopefully we’ve got grosso – shnoz – pannucci – zambro to lock up the back line and run up and down the sides to provide much needed support. Up front I would love to see ADP/Cassano playing just behind Toni, i think that would be an absolutely killer trident.

I understand the risk of picking Cassano for the team, but if you’re gonna pick him, why the hell not play him? Am I crazy?

No Joey, you’re not.

He says only 3 changes then who is it gonna be?? ADP and chillineli for sure- then what hopefully De Rossi n cassano??

He says only 3 changes then who is it gonna be?? ADP and chillineli for sure- then what hopefully Grosso but what about De Rossi and Cassano??? i dont like the sound of this……

I’m looking for:
Grosso-Chiellini-Panucci-Zambrotta
—–De Rossi-Pirlo-Aquilani——
—————ADP—————-
———–Toni-Di Natale———

Would like to see Cassano on for ADP (don’t know how his legs will hold up) if we’re tied/down at 60, maybe Borriello for Toni if he’s missed some chances and looks frustrated (good odds on this).
I think a lot of the reason we had Ambro, Matrix, and Barzagli in the lineup against Holland was their height. Mutu is not quite the aerial presence of Ruud, so hopefully Don is not afraid to play a smaller, more talented lineup.

Victor, you raise a very interested point on the height concept…never thought of that, and dont think the Don would either, but its a thought.

Bear in mind, too, that this is Romania’s second consecutive match on this pitch, at this hour. Virtually a home game for them…

Grosso-Chiellini-Panucci-Zambrotta
—–De Rossi-Pirlo-Aquilani——
—————ADP—————-
———–Toni-Di Natale———

this would be 5 changes to the lineup looks like its gonna be this:

Grosso-Chiellini-Panucci-Zambrotta
—–De Rossi-Pirlo-Gattuso——
—————ADP—————-
———–Toni-Di Natale———

Stasio, I agree yours is more likely. I would like to see Aquilani, but I doubt it’s going to happen. As long as Gattuso drinks some red bull before the match I think he will also be a good fit- Pirlo and ADP should be able to create enough chances if Gattuso is winning them balls.

gianfranco, the reason you didn’t think of it is because it’s a stupid, defeatist strategy – which is why I think The Don probably thought he was a genius for it. Smug bastard.

Also, who is on yellow? Gattuso, Toni…Matrix?

Victor’s right. I think that’s particularly why Ambrosini was in. Chiellini is tall and good in the air too though.

Speaking of Chiellini, he recorded the fastest spring time in the squad in Euro2008. That should help on the counters, compared to, oh say Materazzi.

*Sprint time. No Di Natales defending the goal in this game.

Giorgio’s ready to go. He’s had one season at CB, and he’s never had an extended run for Italy or the Champion’s League, but he was arguably the best CB in all of Italy this year. There’s always the possibility of him flopping horribly, but I don’t see it coming from him. He always upped his game in the big ones, I’m sure I don’t have to remind anyone how he completely marked out Ibrahimovic, twice. This man is a fighter and I think he will do well tomorrow.

Oh, and he’s former captain of the U-23 team.

Stasio’s formation is good for me, though I’d much rather have Aquilani for Gattuso and Cassano for ADP (Di Natale deserves another chance… remember how Grosso’s first game in 2006 was disappointing). Hopefully they’ll get some playing time in the second half anyway.

Just as long as Ambrosini and Perrotta are kept on the bench. That’s all I ask. Unfortunately, Don is likely to play at least one of them.

Oh, alessio – with all due respect, Chiellini was hardly the best CB in Italy this year. I’ll get flamed for club bias again (despite my Perrotta hostility), but I thought Mexes and Juan (when healthy) were both miles beyond Chiellini. I also think Milan’s CBs are in with a shout.

Roma conceded 3 goals to Juve, and 5 to Inter over 4 games. I’d hardly consider that a stellar defensive record. Roma and Juve conceded the same amount of goals, but considering the rest of Roma’s defense+ their experience, Giorgio was the best CB.

Obviously this is my interpretation of this, but I’m trying to be as unbiased as I can. Cordoba would be up there until his injury, he was a rock.

yes, alessio, but i believe juan (and mexes after the red card when inter scored) were not in the second inter game and juan did not play in the second juve game where roma conceded 2 goals. roma also played with 10 for 60 min in the first game with inter when they gave up 4. isolating those two opponents as examples probably isnt a fair judgement of their worth this year.

to be fair, mexes did struggle in the first 1/3 of the season but managed to close out the season very well. juan was in my opinion the most impressive cb this season in serie a when he actually played (and taking into account that he is a serie a rookie). i cannot recall even one poor showing. to the best of my knowledge (and relative ignorance of serie b) chiellini has only played this one season as cb so based on that alone, he was pretty damn impressive.

I wish Mexes was Italian.

Good luck, Italy!

well, the 2nd game was the better one to be in. the first one was where you got slaughtered 4-1, and the first game was where juve forced 2 goals, in rome. im not trying tto start a flame war, im just saying Chiellini was a beast and I dont think Roma, Milan, Inter, or anyone else had a better CB. i imagine legrottaglie is like barzagli in that he’d fall apart if he didnt have someone rock solid next to him. hope the duo stay our CB next year.

I really want someone in the Italy camp to suggest the 4-1-3-2. I do think that it is the most effective formation/tactic Italy could employ. Even the players Donadoni is thinking of adding to the starting 11 would fit in nicely:

LB=Grosso, RB=Zambrotta, CBs=Panucci and Chiellini

Gattuso or De Rossi could play just above the backline as the 1. The midfield would be more goal-oriented with Pirlo and Aquilani or Camoranesi along with Gattuso/De Rossi (whoever isn’t the defensive mid).

And Del Piero can play just behind Toni as a Supporting Striker or as a centre forward with Toni.

I thought Chiellini was a top 3 CB this year. Gamberini was up there too. Simply mind blowing that it takes a 3-0 loss to realize that young, strong, fast players need to play. There’s so many good young defenders that didn’t get called, the NT really pisses me off sometimes. Stendardo is another name that comes to mind that probably could have done a job better than 1/2 our national team CBs.

I really don’t know which way he’s gonna go with the forward line. There’s a lot of quality there so he really can’t get that too wrong. I don’t see Di Natale having a huge game if he’s playing closer to the goal, but let’s hope he proves me wrong and pulls off a game like he had in Ukraine. I see Cassano being perfect for this game if we are holding a lot of possession b/c he will drop back to get the ball, or just touch it back to the midfielders. His movement off the ball is really good, which is what I think we will need. Di Natale’s movement isn’t all that great unless he’s flying down the left side touchline on a counter.

JP, I don’t think you want Gattuso playing behind Pirlo in a 4-1-3-2. For the NT, his whole game is based off being slightly in front of him and reading the pressure Pirlo will be receiving. De Rossi for that 1 in front of the back 4, please. But I do like that formation very much.

Yeah Ricci, good point. The thing is, De Rossi is so talented he can play deep but push forward for a goal as well. I’m Milanese through and through and Gattuso is one of my favorite players, but Italy needs to win the next two matches and in order to win you must score. Right now, Gattuso could be benched because we know goal-scoring is not his job. Once we get out of this god forsaken group and are in the qtrs, Gattuso could come back and do his dirty work against Xavi and Iniesta (I think we’ll be playing Spain in the qtrs).

Victor you make too much sense. Which means Donadoni won’t go with that line up.

ADP is a solid bench player now. de Rossi should absolutely start.

Alessio and company, can you imagine how easy things would have been if Nesta came out of retirement…he was the CB at Milan better than Chiellini.

Yeah Ricci, good point. De Rossi is talented enough he can play deep but can also push forward and score or set up goals. I’m Milanese through and through and Gattuso is one of my favorite players, but right now Italy need to win and in order to win you must score. So I’d be OK sending Gattuso to the bench because we know goal scoring is not his job. Once we get out of this god forsaken group, Gattuso can do his dirty work and close down the opposition.

Heard a rumor, goal.com and la repubblica are reporting its gonna be a 4-3-1-2

Buffon
Zambrotta Panucci Chiellini Grosso
De Rossi Pirlo Perrotta
Cassano
Del Piero Toni

I LOVE IT! Besides Perrotta, I would like Aquliani there instead. But THIS is a winning line up!

Alessio dont get me wrong though Chiellini had a great year.

this guy is a complete idiot. were finished tomorrow

“Buffon
Zambrotta Panucci Chiellini Grosso
De Rossi Pirlo Perrotta
Cassano
Del Piero Toni”

Like this lineup a lot. Cassano is the one guy who can fill in for Totti at the “1″.

Lets hope for the best!

I’m one of ADP’s biggest fans but I think he’s taking on a little bit more than he can handle. I mean every article or news report out there is about how ADP is coming to the rescue. I would have opted to start Cassano and bring ADP off the bench but he seems to one the responsibility of rescuing the Azzurri. I just hope the poor guy doesn’t let anyone down…especially himself because it looks like he’s trying to prove he is ACHILLES. If they do crash out I’m afraid ADP is going to go into a depression which he might not ever get out of. I wish him and the Azzurri the best of luck!

I swear if they haven’t scored by the 60th minute and Cassano and Aquiliani are still on the bench I’m getting on the next plane to Zurich!!!!!

Just had a thought haha…imagine Nesta and Totti were still on the team and Canna wasnt injured…also imagine if Cassano that moron didn’t leave Roma and ‘break up’ with Totti…I can’t imagine how a team with all of them would lose!! But these perfect things just don’t happen!!!

Bobo: for sure…it’ll be me, a baseball bat and donadoni’s thick stubborn head…

btw i doub’t thats the formation for tom…because apparently the don only mentioned ADP and Chiellini for sure..and said 4 or 5 changes..he also told reporters to assume certain players are going to play for sure..

sorry..he told reporters NOT to assume certain players are playing for sure tom…

actually, gianfranco, nesta was pretty good this year too and bonera also showed glimpses of quality there this year too. i really wonder if nesta was even contacted…maybe declined because he was on holiday? we certainly wouldnt be discussing this cb issue had he come back. nesta / chiellini would have been great and pretty much a ‘no-brainer’ (which likely means the don might have been inclined to choose them both as well)

ricci, you are bang on with stendardo. i remember looked good when he played against inter (with juve). i had forgotten about him. then again, i tend to ignore anything laziale-related.

ADP is a great fighter and unlike Nesta and Totti didn’t bail out on his national team after winning the WC, claiming he’s too old or whatever…

not related to formations or anything really, but i found this video funny:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=yBLxTlUEA3g

the good thing is that both Cassano and ADP probably fancy themselves as the savior of the azzuri in euro 2008. Ideally, both of them run rings around defenders and Toni etc gets the freedom of the stadium to score. But I am optimistic that even if one is on song, Italy will be in good shape.

Mike, that video is really amusing.

Gianfranco, I’ll give you that. I’m not sure if Nesta was better than Chiellini but he is a class act. He’s the only defender in Serie A I seriously wondered if Juve could beat this season. Had he been on the field in the 3-2 game, it may have been a different result.

Link: http://www.goal.com/en-US/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=731756

I know thats goal.com…but my Aunt just flew in from Rome today on Alitalia and had some papers with her, most reporting the 4-3-1-2.

We CANT play as bad as last time with this formation/personnel.

I hate the night before a big game, it’s like anticipating christmas but being too old to believe in the fat man and knowing that the man that will place your parcels under the plastic tree is the one who’s liqour you drank and cut with tap water. Well at least when you’re fifteen that’s the fear, now i guess the fear is the ridicule that awaits in the work place and in the papers. Cassano will save us, he’s a petulant psycho-path but he’s a verified mutant, Peter Pan, Fantantonio, El Pibe de Bari, Il Gioiello di Bari Vecchia,Talento di Bari Vecchia, Talentino, whatever you want to call him is of another breed, he even moves different and thank god he’s got some kind of talent because he’s short on looks and personality there isn’t much else going for him. Forza Italia!

Alessio,

Don’t you feel that Nesta’s positional awareness and ball skill is more refined or at least was than Chiellini’s? Don’t get me wrong, I love Chiellini but Nesta in 1994 was a wall. I think they are two different types of defenders. I love Chiellini because of his physicality and he’s the only man that can put Ibrahimovic in his back pocket and strike actual fear into the Swede.

Chiellini doesn’t anticipate as well as past central defenders like Nesta and of course Cannavaro. But he’s an absolute upgrade from Materazzi. If that’s the lineup then it’s a winning one in my opinion.

i was thinking about it, and I do not know if that height thing would make sense. De Rossi is 184cm or six feet, give or take a little bit. Ambro is 182cm or about 5′10″. Those two inches would make a big difference I feel.

thats just me being bored and thinking about tomorrow.

Pretty sure they’re both around 6 ft, the height advantage thing is BS b/c he started Gattuso and benched Aquilani who is much taller. It’s just another reason to give these Milanistas to start Ambrosini. Fact is, De Rossi has scored on a few headers this season as well.

Regardless of whose in the backline, this is Italy. We expect a good defensive performance. Clearly, losing Cannavaro hurts, but it has shown us that there may be an alarming lack of quality defenders to play for our Nazionale.

False hope or national saviour?

I’m not convinced ADP will be the Azzurri’s white knight.

joemaica.wordpress.com/2008/06/13/italy-vs-romania-12-hours-to-go/

Ditch Toni!! Play Cassano!