Blog News and Possible Formation for Northern Ireland

Best wishes to Paul on his future endeavours. He always knew how to stir up the emotions in some of us Great Job and Good Luck!

As for the azzurri's next match, it seems as though Prandelli is looking to a very similar line up that appeared in the Faroe Islands match. I'm not sure about Mauri, but the others are basically confirmed. The gazzetta also reports that he's contemplating a move towards a diamond midfield.

paul the octopus!!!

Is rather see pazzo and Rossi than peep and boriello but otherwise it's looking good

Sorry pepe not 'peep'!!

marco can write, i'd give it to him.

just he's not allowed opinions on de rossi

lol, he plays like a 'peep' though!

could be that prandelli's possibly saving the bigger guys for the harder game against serbia next week. I reckon borriello and pepe could handle northern ireland. We really shouldn't struggle against that team….we really shouldn't!
im interested in how his diamond shape midfield would work with this shape though.something like this is what i'd imagine:

–de rossi
pepe —-mauri
——pirlo
borriello—cassano

but then it would be a shame to lose cassano's playmaking abilities by putting him up front….
thoughts anyone?

i like marco too. FORZA MARCO

with those players on the pitch, I'd be more inclined to run a christmas tree formation.

Mauri – DeRossi – Pepe
Pirlo – Cassano
Borriello

- but even then I'd prefer to at least see
Rossi-cassano
Borriello

with Pirlo moving back, and Pepe moving back to Udine. Just a thought.
When Camoranesi was on the team, and in peak form, he was a monster offensively on the right, and able to track back and take care of business in the rear. But he also had a capable zambrotta covering the rear. In this case, Im not so convinced by pepe's abilities both coming forward and tracking back. But, your probably right… Prandelli is saving the big boys for a more tactically challenging Serbia. While, Northern Ireland are playing at home, I reckon the speed of Pepe down the right or left flanks will cause some problems – judging by the game we played against them in '09, it was through speed and ball movement that we dismantled them, the same is likely true for friday.

Not in agreement with Pepe, but against N. Ireland his workrate and no-skillz will be less vulnerable and could trouble the opponent a bit. Against Serbia I think it might be different.

We should be able to win this game, in fact, we might NEED to win this game.

Boriello to start and Pazzini on for the second half would be ok, just hope Cassano is up for it

that game was the only good one of lippi's 2nd tenure and he too used a diamond shape and tried out more interesting players. foggia was on fire that night, the only time he's played for the team. shame he's no an ption these days it seems.
as far as the camoranesi situation, you only have to look as far as schelotto to fill those boots. he's a gun down the wings and a constant threat for cesena. Hope he continues to develop well for us.

i hope G.Rossi starts ahead of Pepe.

Good Luck Paul. Do come by and post comments (if not a whole article) yeh?

Cheers mate!

so it says: “Cesare Prandelli experimented with Stefano Mauri, Marco Borriello, Simone Pepe and Antonio Cassano for the Northern Ireland match.” I hope G.Rossi starts ahead of Pepe, looking at the performances of their clubs G. Rossi is far better than Pepe.

If what is football-italia and news has posted in regards to the squad line-up for Belfast game, then I am sure the game will be very close and I hope Italia will win the game, it will be difficult due to lack of harmony, if Cassano plays his best along with Pirlo then we are fine other wise it will be a tough one.

IMO opinion, Cassani & Balzaretti are Italy's best fullbacks for now. Bonucci is still quite rough around the edges and though Ranocchia is potentially a better-suited partner to Chiellini, Bonucci's club partnership with Cheillini might tip the scales in his favour.

Up front, I really don't see why Prandelli bothers with Mauri. In Borriello, Cassano, Pazzini,Rossi, Iaquinta and perhaps Macheda he has sufficient variety and options.

Prandelli needs to be over and done with the 'test-running'/'chopping-and-changing' real soon. The allure of a new regime is fading quick and results will soon begin to matter above all else.

Thanks Marco haha. I'll still be around to comment and occasionally throw a post in, but college life (and being an Architecture major) has taken up all of my free time. It was definitely time to have a real co-blogger, so I'm happy everything's working out.