Italian football is rubbish

[D.Boon]

Discuss........

 

Juve's performance in both games against Arsenal was simply awful. A collection of has beens with no desire and yet they are top of Serie A.

 

Combined with Milan being very lucky against Lyon i wonder what condition Italian football is currently in?

[matty]

It's possibly in one of those periodic slumps when they revert to a very staid defensive game, relying on one or two players to open up the odd chance. Italian football is very prey to believing its own hype, and the all-Italy final of 2003 had them again believing they were the best around.

 

Against genuine unpredictability, facing teams who play in a very un-Italian way, they are often unsure of what to do.

 

Juventus played ridiculously badly against Arsenal, but especially their midfield failed to turn up. Neither defending well, nor creating many chances for the strikers. Milan's ageing defence is always catching up with them, and Pirlo had a nightmare.

 

Inter were beaten by their own wretched attitude.

 

So, Italian football probably just needs to become more flexible, less rigidly adherent to a system which they think always works, when it fails against teams with the ability to do the unpredictable. Lippi is trying to get the national team to become more like this. If they do well in Germany, that will filter through to club football.

[CarraLegend]

Discuss........

 

Juve's performance in both games against Arsenal was simply awful. A collection of has beens with no desire and yet they are top of Serie A.

 

Combined with Milan being very lucky against Lyon i wonder what condition Italian football is currently in?

 

Rubbish is going a bit far, they've still got 1 team in the Semi's and that team was a runner up last season. Milan might of been lucky the other night but they also should of had 3 or 4 in the first leg, and have already mauled Bayern Munich. Juve's team just look perfect for a slow League but utter s**** if they're playing a team with quality who can play at a high tempo.

Edited April 6, 2006 by CarraLegend

[Guest Banana]

speaking of Milan's ageing defence - didn't Costacurta get a contract extension or something just recently? he must be, what, 40?

[Barnes' left foot]

speaking of Milan's ageing defence - didn't Costacurta get a contract extension or something just recently? he must be, what, 40?

 

I think Milan are going to have real problems with Barcelona. With the pace and flair of Ronaldinho, Eto'o (who I thought played a blinder last night) and Messi, if Costacurta's playing against those three, he'll need an oxygen tank at pitchside to keep going.

[Leo No.8]

Italian football will become a great deal less rubbish when f*ckin Inzaghi does us all a favour and retires.

 

As discussed recently - horrible, horrible footballer. Typical shin into the ground and in from a yard out against Lyon after the ball had bounced off both posts.

 

His ability to score goals despite clearly being unable to play football is dragging the game over there down in my opinion...

[Nerik]

Italian football is not doing too well at the moment but to label it as rubbish is off the mark. Juventus have a problem when it comes to the Champs Lge. They could never reproduce their league form in Europe. They have only won the competition twice and since 1996 when they last won it they have lost 3 finals and one semi. Still not too bad.

 

AC Milan have reached their 3rd semi in 4 season which is not bad at all. They have an ageing squad but they get a job done. I too fancy Barca but I do not think it will be the one way traffic that people seem to think it will be.

[Guest Anders Honoré]

Italian football will become a great deal less rubbish when f*ckin Inzaghi does us all a favour and retires.

 

As discussed recently - horrible, horrible footballer. Typical shin into the ground and in from a yard out against Lyon after the ball had bounced off both posts.

 

His ability to score goals despite clearly being unable to play football is dragging the game over there down in my opinion...

 

Proper rant. 8/10.

[jimmylibel]

Didn't AC Milan blow that away for good in the late 80s?

 

Well they did but it's had a few come backs - I was more talking about the approach to the game than the traditional 'catenaccio' formation though John, ie get a one nil lead and then play the game out in anyway possible.

[matty]

Another major problem for Italian football is its uncompetitiveness. Since the new TV set-up where all the games are on live on PPV, the money has become even more skewed towards the big 3.

 

Their spending power was always much greater, but only the likes of a Diego Della Valle at Fiorentina can splash a few quid around on the big names outside Juve, Inter and Milan.

 

Roma have put together a talented young side, but then the gap with the other clubs is vast. I know that's true of many leagues in Europe now, esp England, but Italy might be feeling the effects of too many 'routine' league matches, and then struggling when faced with good teams from abroad.

[Leo No.8]

Inzaghi is the greatest predator since Ian Rush, maybe even since Tyrannosaurus Rex.

 

I don't know about the greatest predator since Ian Rush - I'd like to see him in a no-holds barred fight with 'The Predator', I'd pay to watch that.

 

His face just makes me want to smash the TV screen in, let alone the way he plays football...

 

[Benzo-13]

Another major problem for Italian football is its uncompetitiveness. Since the new TV set-up where all the games are on live on PPV, the money has become even more skewed towards the big 3.

 

Their spending power was always much greater, but only the likes of a Diego Della Valle at Fiorentina can splash a few quid around on the big names outside Juve, Inter and Milan.

Roma have put together a talented young side, but then the gap with the other clubs is vast. I know that's true of many leagues in Europe now, esp England, but Italy might be feeling the effects of too many 'routine' league matches, and then struggling when faced with good teams from abroad.

 

Like I ble**din said!

[John am Rhein]

Well they did but it's had a few come backs - I was more talking about the approach to the game than the traditional 'catenaccio' formation though John, ie get a one nil lead and then play the game out in anyway possible.

 

I'll drink to that!

 

Have they stopped doing that?

[jimmylibel]

I'll drink to that!

 

Have they stopped doing that?

 

Yeah I think they have - when was the last time you saw that happen?

 

Their defences aren't good enough to take that approach anymore.

[matty]

Like I ble**din said!

 

Nobody reads your posts though. Didn't you get the email?

[DanielS]

Inzaghi is the greatest predator since Ian Rush, maybe even since Tyrannosaurus Rex.

 

There is a school of thought that says the Tyrannosaurus was more of a scavenger than a predator. A carrion feeder rather than a hunter.

[John am Rhein]

Yeah I think they have - when was the last time you saw that happen?

 

Their defences aren't good enough to take that approach anymore.

 

Fools!

 

They must have taken advice from the McCoist/Townsend tactics truck!

 

There is a school of thought that says the Tyrannosaurus was more of a scavenger than a predator. A carrion feeder rather than a hunter.

 

Inzaghi's the best one since Butragueno.