Il Capitano Alessandro Del Piero (359 Viewers)

[cyril]

Nicely put.

how much longer do we have to stick to a tactic of feeding goalless Toni the ball? Really. Not capitalizing on chances is one of those things that could fek you up in a game. I don't know how long Don is planning to be patient with Toni. It's a knockout stage now, and we can't afford mistakes. To be fair Toni I really do think he's just unlucky. But the whole team can't wait for his luck to come around. Plus our defence is absolute crap and Spain's attack should be able to toy with them easily .... which makes scoring for the Azzurri all the more important.

Our defence has gotten better with chiellini and panuci at cb. I dont think its as bad as people are making it seem.

 

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[Luca]

Our defence has gotten better with chiellini and panuci at cb. I dont think its as bad as people are making it seem.

its still not great though

 

[cyril]

its still not great though

With canna out, I dont believe defence was meant to be great for italy this tourney.

 

[Il Re]

It isnt over yet. Remember the game against Germany in the WC? He was the decisive player (not just the goal he scored, but influence overall). Lippi himself said it.

you see the difference was lippi was the coach...........

i'm not sayin ale had an awfull game, but that was the game for him to shine, there is a difference, it was all in the making for him to score and lead the team to victory like he does for juve time and time again, i expected magic from him, but i think that's always been ale's problem, expectation, everyone expects so much so that if he plays average or ok it's seen as he played crap because people expect him to play absolutely amazing and perform miracles, he is a victim of his own colossal reputation, having said that i know he has the character to come back, the main worry is does donadoni think that? there can't be any denying that ale has slipped down the pecking order

 

[Christina]

Del piero may easilly get the first team call-up if Donadoni plans to change his tactics against Spain. He probably will with Pirlo and Rino out. He can't expect the same result from an AMbro-Aquilani pairing therefore I think it will be very likely for him to play with a 4-3-3 formation, a formation Ale doesn't like nonetheless.

I think in a stage like this, his experience is critical and despite lacking the flair and speed of Cassano at the moment, he is much more experienced than Antonio. In my opinion, particularly against a team like Spain, the experience and leadership qualities of Del piero will be far more important than the speed of Di Natale or Cassano.

I also think Di Natale deserves another chance to prove himself. He wasn't bad against the Netherlands and he couldn't have had worse luck playing with an incompetent defense that really didn't allow him to do much. I know most of you would disagree with me here, but I think Di Natale should start ahead of Cassano. If things don't work out, Cassano can replace him and he does seem a lot more dangerous coming off the bench.

As for Del piero, I hope he starts although I still have my doubts. I wish he and Di Natale can play together as I think they could make a great partership behind Toni.

----------Camo-----De Rossi-----Aquilani--

------------Del piero-------Di Natale-------

----------------------Toni-------------------

By playing Toni, there is always going to be the tactic of the long balls and giving everything to Toni. I know Di Natale and Del Piero would work fine together, but all the focus on Toni would make them invisible, unfortunately.

 

[Miki]

there can't be any denying that ale has slipped down the pecking order

Unfortunately, that's true.
Btw your avatar is the reason that i'm sorry i don't have ps3

 

[Il Re]

Unfortunately, that's true.
Btw your avatar is the reason that i'm sorry i don't have ps3

mgs4...best game i ever played

 

[Miki]

mgs4...best game i ever played

Its hard not to believe you...Maybe they will make a pc version. In about 3-4 years

But this is DP's thread... Let's hope we will be seeing him vs Spain, even as a sub.

 

[Azzurri7]

thats true but that Romania game was a big chance for him. Anyway it won't be easy for Italy and i think he will make an appearance in that Spain game, so lets hope he rips puyol to shreds.

Amen!

 

[Azzurri7]

Graziani Attacks Cassano, Defends Del Piero

Former Italy international 'Ciccio’ Graziani has criticised Antonio Cassano’s performance against France on Tuesday, and says that if Alessandro Del Piero had played in such a way, the press would have been attacking him from all angles. (he is soo right here)

Cassano played the full 90 minutes of the Azzurri’s 2-0 win over France, a result that helped them sneak through to the quarter finals where they will meet Spain.

Fantantonio drifted in and out of the game, but had some excellent moments and all in all was praised by the Italian media for his display.

This is in stark contrast to Del Piero, who was criticised for his own performance after he started the 1-1 draw with Romania last week.

Former Azzurri star Graziani, who scored 23 goals in 64 appearances, and won the 1982 World Cup, believes there is a bias against Del Piero when he plays for Italy.

"If Del Piero played like Cassano did against France he would have been criticised,” blasted Graziani.

“But for Cassano there is only praise."

 

[Seven]

There is some bias against Alex, that's true, but his second half was very very poor. Why don't you just admit that?

 

[Miki]

@Azzurri7
Finally some objectivity!

 

[Azzurri7]

I've said it before....If you expect Alex to be Luca Toni/Koller/Crouch/Adriano taking on these crosses, then yes he was the worst player in the 2nd half.

 

[Seven]

I've said it before....If you expect Alex to be Luca Toni/Koller/Crouch/Adriano taking on these crosses, then yes he was the worst player in the 2nd half.

Sure, there were reasons why he was poor in the second half. There were also reasons why Cassano wasn't brilliant. And yes, I would play them together against Spain.

But apart from all that, Del Piero did play a very bad second half against Romania. That's just how it is, Rab. And I'm as sorry for that as you are.

 

[Christina]

Graziani Attacks Cassano, Defends Del Piero

Former Italy international 'Ciccio’ Graziani has criticised Antonio Cassano’s performance against France on Tuesday, and says that if Alessandro Del Piero had played in such a way, the press would have been attacking him from all angles. (he is soo right here)

Cassano played the full 90 minutes of the Azzurri’s 2-0 win over France, a result that helped them sneak through to the quarter finals where they will meet Spain.

Fantantonio drifted in and out of the game, but had some excellent moments and all in all was praised by the Italian media for his display.

This is in stark contrast to Del Piero, who was criticised for his own performance after he started the 1-1 draw with Romania last week.

Former Azzurri star Graziani, who scored 23 goals in 64 appearances, and won the 1982 World Cup, believes there is a bias against Del Piero when he plays for Italy.

"If Del Piero played like Cassano did against France he would have been criticised,” blasted Graziani.

“But for Cassano there is only praise."

Very true.

There is some bias against Alex, that's true, but his second half was very very poor. Why don't you just admit that?

He was poor.

 

[Miki]

I've said it before....If you expect Alex to be Luca Toni/Koller/Crouch/Adriano taking on these crosses, then yes he was the worst player in the 2nd half.

Difference is, Crouch and Koller can win the ball in the air and then pass it to midfielders/supporting strikers. Don't see why Italy can't play like that. You can't attack with only one player!

 

[Azzurri7]

Difference is, Crouch and Koller can win the ball in the air and then pass it to midfielders/supporting strikers. Don't see why Italy can't play like that. You can't attack with only one player!

What people aren't getting is that, Alex in his game vs Romania he wasn't really getting passes. All what I saw and remember where crosses to Luca toni from right and left. This is one of the reasons he didn't show up, specially in the 2nd half.

 

[Christina]

What people aren't getting is that, Alex in his game vs Romania he wasn't really getting passes. All what I saw and remember where crosses to Luca toni from right and left. This is one of the reasons he didn't show up, specially in the 2nd half.

Which is also why Di Natale and Cassano were invisible against Holland and France.

 

[Azzurri7]

I don't remember Di Natale being criticized nor Cassano. It's always Alex and only Del Piero.

 

[Christina]

Yep.