Azzurri Thread (13 Viewers)

[PedroFlu]

How's the future looking now?

GKs: Perin, Bardi, Sportiello, Meret, Scuffet...

fullbacks: Darmian, Zappacosta, De Sciglio, Murru..

CBs: Rugani, Romagnoli, Tonelli..

CMs: Verratti, Florenzi, Soriano, Bonaventura, Sturaro, Bertollacci

AMs/wingers/SS: Insigne, El Shaarawy, Berardi, Immobile, Zaza, Gabbiadini


Yep, not that great.

IMO the best formation today would be:

Buffon

Florenzi Rugani Bonucci Darmian

Marchisio

Verratti Sturaro

Candreva Zaza Berardi

 

Buy on AliExpress.com

[AFL_ITALIA]

Great midfield, great defense. Florenzi could well be replaced by Mattiello, lets see how that goes. That attack is average, but lets see how Berardi continues to develop (why did you put him on the left?). You could also replace Zaza with Gabbiadini, who has been on fire.

"Not that great," and yet in Europe who is better besides France and Spain? Arguably top 3, easily top 5. If Conte can't make that work, that's his fault.

 

[MikeM]

The most talented attackers we have are still El Sha, Balotelli and Rossi who are all out of the picture right now.

 

[GrecoJuve]

Some years ago, there was Nesta, Cannavaro, Del Piero, Gattuso.
Even Perotta and Toni are better than guys like Florenzi and Zaza.

 

[AFL_ITALIA]

Some years ago, there was Nesta, Cannavaro, Del Piero, Gattuso.
Even Perotta and Toni are better than guys like Florenzi and Zaza.

All that matters in the end is whether or not you can beat the team in front of you.

 

[Ocelot]

Great midfield, great defense. Florenzi could well be replaced by Mattiello, lets see how that goes. That attack is average, but lets see how Berardi continues to develop (why did you put him on the left?). You could also replace Zaza with Gabbiadini, who has been on fire.

"Not that great," and yet in Europe who is better besides France and Spain? Arguably top 3, easily top 5. If Conte can't make that work, that's his fault.

Germany.

Belgium if they get a right balance & coach.

 

[AFL_ITALIA]

Germany.

Belgium if they get a right balance & coach.

Germany is a shell of what they were now that they won the World Cup, I can see them being beaten. As for Belgium, the talent in that squad is immense, but that's a BIG if. Overall, I'd put Italy as 3rd or 4th in Europe. Certainly not as bad as people say.

 

[GrecoJuve]

Perin; De Sciglio, Rugani, Bonucci, Darmian; Verratti, Marchisio, Cataldi; Insigne, Balotelli, El92

That's sounds good. Bonucci, Marchisio and Balo have some good football years!

 

[JuveJay]

Great midfield, great defense. Florenzi could well be replaced by Mattiello, lets see how that goes. That attack is average, but lets see how Berardi continues to develop (why did you put him on the left?). You could also replace Zaza with Gabbiadini, who has been on fire.

"Not that great," and yet in Europe who is better besides France and Spain? Arguably top 3, easily top 5. If Conte can't make that work, that's his fault.

Germany? Maybe even England on paper, but we all know what will happen on the field. Edit: Belgium mentioned too, as they should be.

- - - Updated - - -

The most talented attackers we have are still El Sha, Balotelli and Rossi who are all out of the picture right now.

And that has been the biggest problem for Italy's attack, when a generation all have problems at the same time. Just a fit Rossi and Balotelli with more than 15 brain cells would have caused all sorts of problems for teams.

Insigne is another who fits into this category, his progress has been slow. Giovinco was just a flop.

 

[Bianconero_Aus]

Germany? Maybe even England on paper, but we all know what will happen on the field. Edit: Belgium mentioned too, as they should be.

- - - Updated - - -


And that has been the biggest problem for Italy's attack, when a generation all have problems at the same time. Just a fit Rossi and Balotelli with more than 15 brain cells would have caused all sorts of problems for teams.

Insigne is another who fits into this category, his progress has been slow. Giovinco was just a flop.

Even though this is Italy's "worst" generation in years, I still think they have more naturally talented footballers than England. English players are still (by and large) technically lacking.

Italy would be top 5 in Europe IMO, even with this comparatively shitty batch of players.

 

[Bezzy]

England

 

[Ocelot]

Italy would be top 5 in Europe IMO, even with this comparatively shitty batch of players.

Anything else would be utter failure anyways.

 

[Bianconero_Aus]

Anything else would be utter failure anyways.

Why?

Plenty of top football nations go through peaks and troughs, this is a "trough" cycle for Italy now. Spain were absolute nobodies in International terms until the 2000s. Germany sucked for many years after 1998. France had some lean years after 2002. Brazil have gone three WC tournaments without winning (which is a "failure" for them), and are only now starting to emerge as a great team under Dunga mk 2. It happens. Italy will be back at some point.

 

[Ocelot]

Why?

Plenty of top football nations go through peaks and troughs, this is a "trough" cycle for Italy now. Spain were absolute nobodies in International terms until the 2000s. Germany sucked for many years after 1998. France had very lean years after 2002. Brazil have gone three WC torn,tents without winning (which is a "failure" for them), and are only now starting to emerge as a great team under Dunga mk 2. It happens. Italy will be back at some point.

Yeah, but there aren't really more than 5 good nations in Europe at any point in time anyways.

There's France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, perhaps Spain. All other nations have maybe had a good generation once. Top 5 is sorta minimum requirement for Italy imo, even at their worst.

 

[Bianconero_Aus]

Yeah, but there aren't really more than 5 good nations in Europe at any point in time anyways.

There's France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, perhaps Spain. All other nations have maybe had a good generation once. Top 5 is sorta minimum requirement for Italy imo, even at their worst.

Perhaps Spain? Dude, Spain have been the best European team for about a decade

 

[Ocelot]

Perhaps Spain? Dude, Spain have been the best European team for about a decade

Yeah, but before that they haven't been that great

Though France only had two glory periods as well.

 

[lgorTudor]

Perhaps Spain? Dude, Spain have been the best European team for about a decade

They're done

 

[PedroFlu]

To have a real shot at winning something Berardi will have to explode as one of the top forwards of the world..

Without that strikers are very meeehhh.

Also I know most people don't rate Zaza, but I really think he can be a very good CF.

 

[Carlo22]

Italy will suck balls as long as conte keeps calling up complete nobodies like soriano, eder, moretti, etc.

Getting dominated by Croatia at home what a disgrace...

 

[Raz]

Conte is very great uber coach, he knows what he's doing.