Sport Everything Soccer

[dank420_]

RIPOSA IN PACE IL CATENACCIO

 

[BrunoV]

RIPOSA IN PACE IL CATENACCIO

We can only hope.

Catenaccio's single greatest modern exploit is allowing coaches to take the credit for the individual brilliance of players.

 

[BrunoV]

Actually, it doesn't deserve peace. It should rest in the boiling pit of shit that some people think Jesus is spending enternity in.

 

[doug85]

Italian football can be summed by the following:

1. Marco Palestra, 21 yo, is probably a top 10 RB/RWB in the world right now, if he's not he's extremely close;

2. Michael Kayode, 22, is probably a top 10 RB/RWB in the world right now, if he's not he's extremely close;

3. Matteo Politano, 32, is a competent journemen left footed RW, a bit of late bloomer who has forged a good career and won two titles with Napoli off the bench, who has done roles for Napol at RWB;

4. Politano starts at RWB for Italy because they like experience albeit that he is largely ineffective as an inverted full back because he doesn't have freedom to cut in (which is how he does most of his damage) and he's not good defensively;

5. Palestra comes on in the second half because he is the understudy;

6. Kayode doesn't even make the squad.


How much time do you have? Because Gattuso was most recently coach of Hajduk Split in Croatia, where he got the sack, becasue that's how well he's going, and he doesn't use a back 3 despite reverting to it for a sudden death play off series.

To make matters worse, Italy doesn't really produce defenders who can defend and play for top clubs any more. There are some really good players, and some kids coming through who are all rounders, but Leoni (19 yo of Liverpool) aside hardnosed defence is not their thing. As an aside, I see it as the natural evolution of the coaching because they don't let anyone advanced players play the game so it's only logical that the defenders end up playing roles that are more about their attack than their defence.

So while 9/10 Italian clubs play a back 3 the formation doesn't suit Italy, despite the insistance two coaches have now had, because there is no centre centre back (CCB), no one who can martial the defence and be counted on to defend. They use Allesandro Bastoni in this role, a defensive liaiblity who got himself sent off this morning because he was exposed, in the role of CCB because he plays for Inter. But he's really just a slow tall LWB who starts in the position of a LCB. I am not sure anyone who has coached Italy has ever actually watched him defend.

You end up with CBs, two of whom are slow as shit, who are not renowned for their defending supported by two unathletic, slow wing backs who can't defend. You've got to pick all of these players to respect the hierarchy of the league table. This remains 'true' even though these players, albeit one was another player Napoli has burdened Italy with who is an even bigger liability at RWB/RCB when he is fit, conceded 4 goals to Israel in this qualifying campaign.

Italian football is run by people who make Dodoro look visionary and Kevin Sheedy relevant as a coach in 2026.

So what you’re saying is, Volpato has a better shot at playing for Italy anyway?

 

[BrunoV]

Good to have Volpato in the Socceroos squad, where he belongs.

I don't think it is widely understood how much of a loss he would have been because he has been out of sight (even for followers of Serie A). As far as I am concerned when it comes to Australian players there are Kewell and Viduka who, at their best, occupied that rung of players below world class, and then there is a long journey back to the next best player(s). Kewell could have been world class if it wasn't for his injuries and, in this era of front 3s, favouring wide forwards, most likely would have been world class. These were players that the biggest clubs in Europe were trying to sign. Viduka knocked back AC Milan, reportedly on more than one occasion, when it was arguably the best club in Europe and possibly even the biggest world wide. Gerard Houlier brought an underdone Kewell into a Champions League final for Liverpool (and Kewell promptly broke down) - that was the esteem in which he was held. I get that Cahill has a great record for Australia and that he was an accomplished player, and there are others with long records as accomplished players, but he was not near the level of player of Kewell and Vidkua were.

What amounts to urban legends aside the only player Australia has produced, certainly since Kewell and Viduka, who I have seen with the combination of technical quality and physical and athletic potential (for the role) who is of the same level is Volpato. This is a kid that Mourinho threw into a Rome derby in which he scored (and it wasn't a tap in). He is the type of player that can take the ball deep in midfield and run his way through oppositions and then hit bombs from outside the box.

Don't read too much into him not playing a lot for Sassuolo. Sassuolo is a very well run little operation with a talismanic local captain, Berardi, who plays in the same position on the right wing. Combine that with Italian culture which considers a player young until he's about 25 and it was always going to be a slow burn for Volpato. I doubt he would have gone to Sassuolo to compete with Berardi by choice, Roma (which sold him) has to make multiple annual sacrifices to Baal in his FFP form each year. Volpato became one of those sacrifices. Sassuolo was smart and well run enough to see the potential and to be able to invest in it.

His Sassuolo coach, Grosso, yes, the 'diver', who has been promoted as the coach of Fiorentina has requested Volpato.

Hopefully the boy is humble enough to fit in. He will be fun to watch.

And now we need to reclaim Antonio Arena. I haven't seen enough of him and am more limited to recognition of the esteem in which he is held. I don't like to appeals to authority, because they are logical fallacies, but when you're the starting striker for Roma's Primavera side (i.e. the elite underage competition in Italy which is now an U20 competition) at 16/17, bag 10 goals and 5 assists in that competition and score in the Coppa Italia it says a number of particulaly favourable things about your quality.

What is really exiciting there is that with Gasperini now in charge of and being given the freedom to turn Roma into upscaled/big club Atalanta, Arena will be give chances because Gasprini is one of the few top coaches in Italy who is prepared to develop youth and who knows how to do it.

 

[Howard Moon]

Good to have Volpato in the Socceroos squad, where he belongs.

I don't think it is widely understood how much of a loss he would have been because he has been out of sight (even for followers of Serie A). As far as I am concerned when it comes to Australian players there are Kewell and Viduka who, at their best, occupied that rung of players below world class, and then there is a long journey back to the next best player(s). Kewell could have been world class if it wasn't for his injuries and, in this era of front 3s, favouring wide forwards, most likely would have been world class. These were players that the biggest clubs in Europe were trying to sign. Viduka knocked back AC Milan, reportedly on more than one occasion, when it was arguably the best club in Europe and possibly even the biggest world wide. Gerard Houlier brought an underdone Kewell into a Champions League final for Liverpool (and Kewell promptly broke down) - that was the esteem in which he was held. I get that Cahill has a great record for Australia and that he was an accomplished player, and there are others with long records as accomplished players, but he was not near the level of player of Kewell and Vidkua were.

What amounts to urban legends aside the only player Australia has produced, certainly since Kewell and Viduka, who I have seen with the combination of technical quality and physical and athletic potential (for the role) who is of the same level is Volpato. This is a kid that Mourinho threw into a Rome derby in which he scored (and it wasn't a tap in). He is the type of player that can take the ball deep in midfield and run his way through oppositions and then hit bombs from outside the box.

Don't read too much into him not playing a lot for Sassuolo. Sassuolo is a very well run little operation with a talismanic local captain, Berardi, who plays in the same position on the right wing. Combine that with Italian culture which considers a player young until he's about 25 and it was always going to be a slow burn for Volpato. I doubt he would have gone to Sassuolo to compete with Berardi by choice, Roma (which sold him) has to make multiple annual sacrifices to Baal in his FFP form each year. Volpato became one of those sacrifices. Sassuolo was smart and well run enough to see the potential and to be able to invest in it.

His Sassuolo coach, Grosso, yes, the 'diver', who has been promoted as the coach of Fiorentina has requested Volpato.

Hopefully the boy is humble enough to fit in. He will be fun to watch.

And now we need to reclaim Antonio Arena. I haven't seen enough of him and am more limited to recognition of the esteem in which he is held. I don't like to appeals to authority, because they are logical fallacies, but when you're the starting striker for Roma's Primavera side (i.e. the elite underage competition in Italy which is now an U20 competition) at 16/17, bag 10 goals and 5 assists in that competition and score in the Coppa Italia it says a number of particulaly favourable things about your quality.

What is really exiciting there is that with Gasperini now in charge of and being given the freedom to turn Roma into upscaled/big club Atalanta, Arena will be give chances because Gasprini is one of the few top coaches in Italy who is prepared to develop youth and who knows how to do it.

Be good to know why the change of mind though... Did Totti finally get out of his ear? Or is it simply a case of the WC cup being the biggest shop window in the world and if you are wearing the Azzurri, you aren't in it.

I'll be surprised if Jordy Bos isn't playing in the prem post world cup, he could easily be your world class talent. Just hope popa doesn't waste his attacking flair at wing back.

Any idea where leao is off to?

 

[BrunoV]

Be good to know why the change of mind though... Did Totti finally get out of his ear? Or is it simply a case of the WC cup being the biggest shop window in the world and if you are wearing the Azzurri, you aren't in it.

I'll be surprised if Jordy Bos isn't playing in the prem post world cup, he could easily be your world class talent. Just hope popa doesn't waste his attacking flair at wing back.

Any idea where leao is off to?

It's mercenary to switch allegience in the way he did so I'd say it is just that the opportunity is better with Australian than with Italy. That said, I understand that Arnold didn't like him and that the switch was partly a reflection of that.

Leao? No idea. Milan is a much bigger and more intensely burning dumpster fire than Essendon.

Apparently Red Bird, run by Gerry Cardinale, who I am increasingly of the belief is one of these psychopath / MK Ultra intelligence plants who seem to be in charge of most of the hedge funds, has cleared out all of the Italians in key off field positions because it wants people who speak English. This is 3 or 4 years after blowing up Maldini's project which was returning Milan back to international relevance. They'll almost certainly now sactifice the two prodigies in the Milan acadamy to their god, Ball, too. It will get really combustible at that point.

The only hope is that Cardinale is smart enough to let Rangnick run the operation with full control. Milan could return to global relevance on the back of its academy alone and Rangnick is the kind of guy who could see something like that. They need to sell all of the trash that Red Bird's collective genius has purchased not their kids. But Zlatan is there and he will want to have his say, which has been a disaster whenever he has had it (which is regularly).

 

[Howard Moon]

It's mercenary to switch allegience in the way he did so I'd say it is just that the opportunity is better with Australian than with Italy. That said, I understand that Arnold didn't like him and that the switch was partly a reflection of that.

Leao? No idea. Milan is a much bigger and more intensely burning dumpster fire than Essendon.

Apparently Red Bird, run by Gerry Cardinale, who I am increasingly of the belief is one of these psychopath / MK Ultra intelligence plants who seem to be in charge of most of the hedge funds, has cleared out all of the Italians in key off field positions because it wants people who speak English. This is 3 or 4 years after blowing up Maldini's project which was returning Milan back to international relevance. They'll almost certainly now sactifice the two prodigies in the Milan acadamy to their god, Ball, too. It will get really combustible at that point.

The only hope is that Cardinale is smart enough to let Rangnick run the operation with full control. Milan could return to global relevance on the back of its academy alone and Rangnick is the kind of guy who could see something like that. They need to sell all of the trash that Red Bird's collective genius has purchased not their kids. But Zlatan is there and he will want to have his say, which has been a disaster whenever he has had it (which is regularly).

Need more upstanding owners like Berlusconi and the bunga bunga

 

[Yoda_]

Be good to know why the change of mind though... Did Totti finally get out of his ear? Or is it simply a case of the WC cup being the biggest shop window in the world and if you are wearing the Azzurri, you aren't in it.

Im not saying its the same but there are some striking similarities to Kyrie Irving and Bryce Cotton putting there hands up to play hoops for Australia

 

[Howard Moon]

Im not saying its the same but there are some striking similarities to Kyrie Irving and Bryce Cotton putting there hands up to play hoops for Australia

Except they had already ran their races, volpato only just at the start of his

 

[Yoda_]

Except they had already ran their races, volpato only just at the start of his

my point was cant or not good enough to represent the country they want to so want to go to the show somehow

 

[eth-dog]

Im not saying its the same but there are some striking similarities to Kyrie Irving and Bryce Cotton putting there hands up to play hoops for Australia

Bryce Cotton was a naturalized Aussie that moved here when he couldn't make the NBA. Massive difference

 

[Howard Moon]

my point was cant or not good enough to represent the country they want to so want to go to the show somehow

Kyrie was a strange one, was a USA regular, won a gold medal, MVP in a world cup run... Then tried to walk into the golden generation boomer squad and it might have even made the difference for a medal colour too

 

[Yoda_]

Bryce Cotton was a naturalized Aussie that moved here when he couldn't make the NBA. Massive difference

as I said, if he was good enough to play NGA, he would have, if he was good enough to hoop for the US. he would.