This is like when Italy were knocked out of the first round in the Confed Cup.
Not even comparable, a new team and coach with 4 days preparation compared to an experienced team. I've spoken about the Confed Cup before, I'll leave it there.
Everyone said, that Italy show up in the important competitions like the the WC and the EC. They then got knocked out of the first round there too.
If you want to deny history for the sake of the last two tournaments, go ahead. Besides, I for one said that it
means a lot more and of course it does, if anyone believes otherwise then they are an idiot. I don't recall many people saying Italy will do this or do that, and if they did that is no different to many fans speaking about their team. Again, look at the record, and then continue to pass it off because of the waning 2006 champions.
My point is, friendly or no friendly, Ivory Coast would probably have beat the curent Italy team regardless.
Hypothesy, not fact. If you mean current as in a team that has 4 days to learn how to play together being put into a World Cup game with the Ivory Coast then I might agree with you. It doesn't surprise me to hear you say this, an EPL and Arsenal after all. You see these players week in, week out just as I do, doing good things in strong teams. Put them together, not really an awful lot. Ivory Coast didn't pull up any trees at the World Cup either. I see more potential in Italy once the team has a few games under their belts. Ivory Coast are a team who are good to go, already moulded and have been together for a while, comparing them to this Italy, well, it's ridiculous.
Italy have to go into important qualifiers with a transitional team, might be tricky. In the past they have been very laid back even in those smaller qualifying games, they can't afford that this time. You have to understand the mentality of these players, it's confidence and a strong mentality that has made Italian football one of the most successful, when teams like Spain and the Netherlands have traditionally collapsed under pressure, but it can transform into arrogance. Many games have I spent watching Italy play Lithuania, Georgia or Wales strolling about the field. Matching opponents in terms of desire and keeping the tempo going has always been a classic problem, it's one of the reasons why Gattuso was so important, but I have faith if De Rossi/Marchisio/Palombo are fielded.
Both sides were crap tonight.
Ivory Coast weren't that bad, you can see they were sharper in their play and had a better understanding of position but they lack finesse in the final third. That is a general problem for them, not something that just comes and goes. Without Drogba they lose 50% of their goal threat. Italy have to play a different sort of game, it's not easy to play a good match in that situation. One thing that did worry me, maybe it could be put down to the above, was that the midfield was so open. It reminded me of Donadoni's Italy. I don't really want to see an Italy that has to try to win a game 3-2, no matter if international fans find that good to watch. That's not good football, it means you can't defend as a team.