Azzurri Thread (60 Viewers)
- Thread starter Marceℓℓo
- Start date
Still, they'll get nowhere with Ventura.
Still, they'll get nowhere with Ventura.
Some people like to exaggerate. There are other teams who also have problems with some positions. Germany have lost Lahm and they seem to have some issues with fullbacks. Kimmich and Höwedes who is injured now are not world beaters. There are also doubts about attack cause Müller hasnt had great club numbers in recent years who is the guy who is 100% countable? Lahm and Klose are two big losses. Neuer is going to world cup with a serious injury problem season ongoing right now.
Also we have seen before how some players can lift themselves during the tournament. Grosso is a great example. Overall club career was nothing special, but he was one of the players of the tournaments 2006 World Cup. So i wouldnt be surprised if someone like Zappacosta does exactly that.
I actually quite like Zappacosta, why didnt we go for him in the summer? Better than playing nobody there at RB basically.
I think on paper, in europe Spain and France have the best overall squads for the world cup. For me, Germany not having guys like Klose and Lahm is a big deal. Also they are defending champions. And in recent tournaments that hasnt gone well for the defending champs.
Brazil seem to be doing well and walked their qualification, and there is some new talent there but still some IFs and BUTs i think in terms of some of these players now next summer first time need to step up. Neymar aside what have brazilian players done in CL recent years (talking about the offensive star players, yeah Alves, Marcelo have been around a while but guys like Coutinho, Willian, Fernandinho, Paulinho, they havent done anything in CL).
If Argentina cant get guys like Dybala into XI then forget about doing well. The new coach seems to have problem bringing new players in, still sticking with the old guys, like Di Maria. Fair enough Higuain is not called up maybe might as well not bother with him if you want to win finals, but then he drops Icardi as well and plays some nobody guys from Argentina.
If only Italy had a great smart manager/tactician going into the WC. After the 2 bad World Cups, Italy pretty much needs a great tournament.
Also we have seen before how some players can lift themselves during the tournament. Grosso is a great example. Overall club career was nothing special, but he was one of the players of the tournaments 2006 World Cup. So i wouldnt be surprised if someone like Zappacosta does exactly that.
I actually quite like Zappacosta, why didnt we go for him in the summer? Better than playing nobody there at RB basically.
I think on paper, in europe Spain and France have the best overall squads for the world cup. For me, Germany not having guys like Klose and Lahm is a big deal. Also they are defending champions. And in recent tournaments that hasnt gone well for the defending champs.
Brazil seem to be doing well and walked their qualification, and there is some new talent there but still some IFs and BUTs i think in terms of some of these players now next summer first time need to step up. Neymar aside what have brazilian players done in CL recent years (talking about the offensive star players, yeah Alves, Marcelo have been around a while but guys like Coutinho, Willian, Fernandinho, Paulinho, they havent done anything in CL).
If Argentina cant get guys like Dybala into XI then forget about doing well. The new coach seems to have problem bringing new players in, still sticking with the old guys, like Di Maria. Fair enough Higuain is not called up maybe might as well not bother with him if you want to win finals, but then he drops Icardi as well and plays some nobody guys from Argentina.
If only Italy had a great smart manager/tactician going into the WC. After the 2 bad World Cups, Italy pretty much needs a great tournament.
Insigne - Belotti - Candreva/Berna
Marchisio - De Rossi - Veratti
Spinazzola - Chiellini - Bonucci - Zappacosta
Buffon
Marchisio - De Rossi - Veratti
Spinazzola - Chiellini - Bonucci - Zappacosta
Buffon
Are Spinazzola and Zappacosta worse than Kimmich and Höwedes who start for Germany at fullbacks?
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Italy are not favorites but that is a good thing tbh. But with this Ace Ventura coach i have a bad feeling. There was some noise in the media that the FIGC might try to get Conte back lol. I really dont know if there is any truth there. Conte obviously seems interested to return to Italy (the country not the job).
I actually think Spain and France have their own issues as well.
Spain have lot of winners in players like Ramos, Iniesta right. But their coach flopped at Porto. A total nobody rookie coach. Could go well, could go bad.
France, well Deschamps....love him or hate him, he loses finals. Him losing to a Ronaldoless Portugal in Paris is a major failure. Also the stubborness. I know he and Benzema fell out and Benzema insulted him later in the media but maybe Benzema ahead of Giroud and you win that final? Then calling up players like Sissoko and starting them (Newcastle/Tottenham). Ignoring Lacazzette but calling up Mexican league Gignac or what ever his name was. Couple of other examples like that. With Zidane they could probably win it. With Deschamps, not imo.
You don't need a team full of WC players to win the whole thing. You do however need a good coach, which Ventura is not
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Yes, France, Spain and that's it. Maybe add Brazil in there. If Italy go with their best squad, they are among the favorites for sure
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Agree 100% about Deschamps, he's the most to blame for not winning the Euro
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Yes, France, Spain and that's it. Maybe add Brazil in there. If Italy go with their best squad, they are among the favorites for sure
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Agree 100% about Deschamps, he's the most to blame for not winning the Euro
The main problem with Italy besides Ventura is that if Marchisio and Verratti get injured which they do regularly now, it doesnt look as good suddenly. Thats why i would also call up guys like Jorginho. Not Montolivo or Gagliardini. Which Ventura will do. Parolo hasnt played as well under Ventura as he did under Conte. But thats also cause Ventura just stands there. Looking at some of the performances since the euro, Italy really needs that Conte type of guy on touchline who will rally his troops so to speak.
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So two CBs who have been forced to make into fullbacks are better than natural fullbacks?
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So two CBs who have been forced to make into fullbacks are better than natural fullbacks?
Name me one WC winning squad not full of WC players. Brazil 02, Italy 06, Spain 10 and Germany 14 all had both talent on the field and on the bench. Italy currently have only a handful of players at that level.
The whole starting 11 doesn't have to be elite quality, but most of it should be. Only example I could think of is Netherlands who in 2010 made the final with a similar squad to current Italy and where not far from winning the whole thing.
The whole starting 11 doesn't have to be elite quality, but most of it should be. Only example I could think of is Netherlands who in 2010 made the final with a similar squad to current Italy and where not far from winning the whole thing.
I think his point was that the whole 11 doesn't have to be WC, I agree with him as well. In every WC winning team you have weak spots.
Last WC final
Germany had as starters:
36 yo Lazio-level Klose
Kramer
Howedes as a LB
Argentina had an average squad. Perez, Biglia, Rojo, Romero, Demichelis, Garay.
Spain's 2010 had Capdevila, Ramos as RB and Pedro.
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Agreed. Its just to show that most (including France with all their talent) are still trying to figure it out.
The 3 that I see as most solid if the WC were to happen today are Brazil, Spain and Germany.
Last WC final
Germany had as starters:
36 yo Lazio-level Klose
Kramer
Howedes as a LB
Argentina had an average squad. Perez, Biglia, Rojo, Romero, Demichelis, Garay.
Spain's 2010 had Capdevila, Ramos as RB and Pedro.
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I'm not saying France doesn't have problems, I'm saying they don't have a lot of problems 
Both Italy and France have some stuff to figure out, but Deschamps definitely has more to work with compared to Ventura.
Both Italy and France have some stuff to figure out, but Deschamps definitely has more to work with compared to Ventura.
The 3 that I see as most solid if the WC were to happen today are Brazil, Spain and Germany.
Roque Júnior says hi. Its easy to say these things AFTER the tournaments.
Materazzi started for Italy 2006 (and literally everyone thought he was terrible player/liability), you had guys like Zaccardo on the bench (wait i just checked, Zaccardo started first two group games, Zambro was injured i think) , Grosso was a nobody Palermo player before the tournament. Barone, who, yeah exactly?
Materazzi started for Italy 2006 (and literally everyone thought he was terrible player/liability), you had guys like Zaccardo on the bench (wait i just checked, Zaccardo started first two group games, Zambro was injured i think) , Grosso was a nobody Palermo player before the tournament. Barone, who, yeah exactly?