Italy vs Scotland thread... bring it on!!

Italy: Don picks Palladino
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Roberto Donadoni has called Raffaele Palladino and Alberto Gilardino for the Euro 2008 qualifier in Scotland, but not Alessandro Del Piero.

Under-21 international forward Palladino receives his debut senior cap for the crucial matches against Scotland and the Faroe Islands, as he is preferred to Juventus teammate Del Piero. Palladino has recently been playing as a wide midfielder in Turin – a role Del Piero has refused to perform for the Azzurri – and it is likely Donadoni wants him to continue in that position.

Gilardino is back in the side, although he missed today’s trip to Atalanta due to an ankle injury, while Mauro Camoranesi and Gianluca Zambrotta return from injury. Fiorentina revelations Franco Semioli and Riccardo Montolivo were in the squad for the friendly against South Africa last month, but are not included here.

The Azzurri will meet up at the Coverciano training ground on Monday afternoon and fly out to Glasgow on Friday. The potentially decisive Euro 2008 qualifier with Scotland is on Saturday evening at 17.00, while on Wednesday November 21 Italy welcome the Faroe Islands to Modena’s Stadio Braglia.

Italy squad
Goalkeepers: Amelia (Livorno), Buffon (Juventus), Curci (Roma);
Defenders: Barzagli (Palermo), Bonera (Milan), Cannavaro (Real Madrid), Chiellini (Juventus), Grosso (Lyon), Oddo (Milan), Panucci (Roma), Zambrotta (Barcelona);
Midfielders: Ambrosini (Milan), Camoranesi (Juventus), De Rossi (Roma), Gattuso (Milan), Perrotta (Roma), Pirlo (Milan);
Forwards: Di Natale (Udinese), Gilardino (Milan), Iaquinta (Juventus), Lucarelli (Shakhtar Donetsk), Palladino (Juventus), Quagliarella (Udinese), Toni (Bayern Munich).

Pirlo wrote:Looking to attack the Faeros probably,

Who knws how Donadoni will play against Scotland, all we need to do is avoid a defeat, but the pressure and problems are purely psychological. Take the crowd advantage away and you are simply left with 22 footballers competing tactically against each other, and with no disrepect, it is a contest that we are expected to win. Psychological preparation, patience and strength are the key attributes to this match, the experienced players will play.

Chiellini and Bonera as centre-backs, that will guarantee us two red cards in fact. there are some rather volatile heads in this squad! we need the presence of the Matrix to calm them all down,

Lee Bowyer wrote:f@ck, its not on sentanta, anyone know where I can watch the match online, I'll pay if I have to! I'd prefer English announcers, not some Italian or chinese Cr@p

bluenine wrote:Live on Sky Sports 1.

Scotland worries me, they are a young side built on spirit and will be doubly hard to beat at home. A lot will depend on whether the likes of Pirlo are able to dictate the pace, maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to start the Milan midfield (Pirlo-Gattuso-Ambrosini) who are experts in doing that. But thats very defence minded and could easily back fire very badly.

Don't envy Donadoni his job. He will get critized to death if he loses, and will win no praise if he wins... its a nightmare game for the coach.

Lee Bowyer wrote:f@ck, its not on sentanta, anyone know where I can watch the match online, I'll pay if I have to! I'd prefer English announcers, not some Italian or chinese Cr@p

Lee Bowyer wrote:

bluenine wrote:Live on Sky Sports 1.

Scotland worries me, they are a young side built on spirit and will be doubly hard to beat at home. A lot will depend on whether the likes of Pirlo are able to dictate the pace, maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to start the Milan midfield (Pirlo-Gattuso-Ambrosini) who are experts in doing that. But thats very defence minded and could easily back fire very badly.

Don't envy Donadoni his job. He will get critized to death if he loses, and will win no praise if he wins... its a nightmare game for the coach.

Lee Bowyer wrote:f@ck, its not on sentanta, anyone know where I can watch the match online, I'll pay if I have to! I'd prefer English announcers, not some Italian or chinese Cr@p

Doesn't help me considering we don't get sky over here.

bluenine wrote:Didn't realise you live outside UK... out here basically every pub will be showing the game live...

Lee Bowyer wrote:

bluenine wrote:Live on Sky Sports 1.

Scotland worries me, they are a young side built on spirit and will be doubly hard to beat at home. A lot will depend on whether the likes of Pirlo are able to dictate the pace, maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to start the Milan midfield (Pirlo-Gattuso-Ambrosini) who are experts in doing that. But thats very defence minded and could easily back fire very badly.

Don't envy Donadoni his job. He will get critized to death if he loses, and will win no praise if he wins... its a nightmare game for the coach.

Lee Bowyer wrote:f@ck, its not on sentanta, anyone know where I can watch the match online, I'll pay if I have to! I'd prefer English announcers, not some Italian or chinese Cr@p

Doesn't help me considering we don't get sky over here.

juligen21 wrote:
I would love to see Germany and Italy doing the European final. Truly European football Royalty.

Axeslammer wrote:
No one over here would watch though : the Italians parking the bus and the Germans are waiting for penalties anyway

Axeslammer wrote:

juligen21 wrote:
I would love to see Germany and Italy doing the European final. Truly European football Royalty.

No one over here would watch though : the Italians parking the bus and the Germans are waiting for penalties anyway

Croatia vs Switzerland would make a great final with fine football on display IMO.

bluenine wrote:
As for Ita-Ger game, did you even see the semi final of the last world cup??? It was arguably the best game of the World Cup!!!

bluenine wrote:
As for Ita-Ger game, did you even see the semi final of the last world cup??? It was arguably the best game of the World Cup!!!

Axeslammer wrote:

bluenine wrote:
As for Ita-Ger game, did you even see the semi final of the last world cup??? It was arguably the best game of the World Cup!!!

Axeslammer wrote:

bluenine wrote:
As for Ita-Ger game, did you even see the semi final of the last world cup??? It was arguably the best game of the World Cup!!!

On footballing merits I'd take :

* Croatia - Australia
* Italy - USA
* the last game of the Czechs
* the African team in the Brazil group also had a heroic match IIRC

maybe also France - Brazil

Over Germany - Italy.

because of personal involvement I'd rate above Ita - Ger :

* England - T&T
* Ivory Coast - Holland
* Portugal - Holland
* Italy - Australia


Croatia - Australia wins it easily for me though, great match that had it *all*

bluenine wrote:For me, on footballing terms, the best games were:

1. Germany - Italy
2. Germany - Argentina
3. France - Brazil

bluenine wrote:Axe, surely you don't still believe in the stereotype that the Italians "park the bus"!!!

juligen21 wrote:

bluenine wrote:For me, on footballing terms, the best games were:

1. Germany - Italy
2. Germany - Argentina
3. France - Brazil

Those are my favorites
Germany- Italy (it was great)
Brazil- Argentina (Always a great game with lots of goals)

kas wrote:I guess this thread is the appropriate place to post this:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/scotland/7091048.stm

A few weeks ago, Scottish fans enjoyed insulting the French and (I think) Italians and labeling them arrogant pricks, etc. when players of those teams said they would win.

I think with this article by Chick Young, the Italians have a right to feel equally angry...the BBC is supposed to be neutral, and ok, a little bit of patriotism is expected and allowable for big sporting events like this. But casting Scotland as good and Italy as the evil is bang out of order IMO.

He says Italy have "polluted" football, easily forgetting the attitudes and behaviour of Rangers and Celtic fans at their own derbies. And tbh, I personally feel Scotland have "polluted" football, with their $h!t, defensive, negative, hoofball, foul the other team, rely on luck and park the bus when the other team bombards you, tactics, and afterwards painting the $h!t on a stick as if it was some glorious achievement.

I also don't see the point of bringing up Materazzi's comments to Zidane...we all know that players swear and wind up each other on the pitch, and Scottish players aren't exactly angels when it comes to behaviour on the pitch or showing respect for others...step forward Duncan Ferguson and Barry Ferguson, as two examples off the top of my head.

The rest of the article is fine as an inspiration to his country, but the first paragraph is nothing but a clear insult to Italy. I have not even the slightest emotion or attachment, either positive or negative, with regards to Italy, yet that article still made me very angry when I read it this morning.



Rant over.

Juego de la Okkas wrote:What about Mexico-Argentina?