Under 21 World XI

Totti could always come back from retirement like Zidane. I was only showing the depth of options available to the azzurri, to show how tough it is for the youngsters like Rossi, etc to break into the team...

Rez wrote:

bluenine wrote:When everyone is fit, I expect Toni-Iaquinta-Di Natale

There are so many good italian strikers these days that Donadoni is spoilt for choice. So it really depends on personal choice and tactics than who is better or more talented. I mean, Donadoni could easily play Del Piero-Lucarelli-Rocchi without any dip in performance. Or Totti-Amauri-Miccoli or Quagliarella-Inzaghi-Rigano for that matter (Did I mention 12 strikers without saying Gilardino or Cassano or Montella? ). So the new kids on the block (Bianchi, Rossi, Rosina, Palladino, Pazzini, Pelle, Acquafresca, etc) will have a really hard time breaking into the Azzurri.

Unfortunately, Italy don't have those kind of reserves in defence

Did you mean Toni, as Totti has retired from international football?!

I dont think he should still be picking Del Piero, he should pick some younger players ahead of him.

It appears you have the opposite problem to us, as we have dearth of talent up front, but an abundance of talent in defence.

Rez wrote:

Kimbo wrote:

Rez wrote:

Kimbo wrote:-----------------Akinfeev-----------------

Richards---Taylor----Ramos---Drenthe

Messi--Fernandes--Fabregas---Rossi

-------------Aguero--Rooney-------------


I've gone for players i know, i don't know much about Zapata, Veloso etc etc.

Rossi is nowhere near N'Zogbia.

Because Rossi is in the stars and Zogshite is in the gutter

3 goals and 3 assists in 6 games while playing in defence. Gutter my arse.

Zapata has the ability to be a top class defender. The only thing he lacks really is the experience. He's strong, pacy, good positioning - he has all the essentials.

Akinfeev I've seen against us in both CL games. Also saw quite a lot of him in the successful season CSKA had in the UEFA cup. Russian national keeper as well (not the one who faced England).

Thats why Italian football is attacking and exciting, while english football is defensive and boring!

How the tables have turned

Rez wrote:
It appears you have the opposite problem to us, as we have dearth of talent up front, but an abundance of talent in defence.

EDIT: (my team)

.................................... Akinfeev (21)

Ramos (21) - Richards (19) - Vermaelen (21) - Veloso (21)

............ Aissati (19) - Moutinho (21) - Drenthe (20)

.............. Benzema (19) - Rooney (20) - Messi (20)

Zapata has been brilliant for Udinese so far... he was excellent against Inter and Juve.

Tweedle wrote:Zapata has the ability to be a top class defender. The only thing he lacks really is the experience. He's strong, pacy, good positioning - he has all the essentials.

Akinfeev I've seen against us in both CL games. Also saw quite a lot of him in the successful season CSKA had in the UEFA cup. Russian national keeper as well (not the one who faced England).

A year ago i'm sure Lennon was getting into everyones teams, what's changed?

Its almost like there are phases in league development.

In the 90s the EPL was attacking and our teams weren't very good in Europe. Now our teams are defensive and we're good in Europe.

The improvement in the defences and keeper quality of the EPL has been very noticeable. I'm pretty sure that the quality of attackers has at least stayed the same and possibly improved but teams nowadays seem more able to defend than they were a few years ago

bluenine wrote:Thats why Italian football is attacking and exciting, while english football is defensive and boring!

How the tables have turned

Rez wrote:
It appears you have the opposite problem to us, as we have dearth of talent up front, but an abundance of talent in defence.

Ben Arfa has a great great future ahead of him, for France under 17 he scored 18 goals in 27 games. He is with Benzema the best prospect for France. Here's his solo run against Bolton this summer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QGZDdkCtXU

It's ashame he's bit twaty on the verge, otherwise he would be guaranteed a first role position.

@ Kimbo, who's this crazy guy dribbling guy in your avatar?

Alive and Kicking wrote:@ Kimbo, who's this crazy guy dribbling guy in your avatar?

I think it's Aaron Lennon.

Alive and Kicking wrote:Ben Arfa has a great great future ahead of him, for France under 17 he scored 18 goals in 27 games. He is with Benzema the best prospect for France. Here's his solo run against Bolton this summer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QGZDdkCtXU

It's ashame he's bit twaty on the verge, otherwise he would be guaranteed a first role position.

How old is Samir Nasri? He's competing against Cesc for a position though

-----------------Akinfeev-----------------

Richards---Taylor----Ramos---Jansen

Sahin--Bruins--DeGuzman---Drenthe

-------------Messi--Benzema-------------

Nasri is 20 years of age. He's a good player for his age but he can't compete against Cesc . So far this year he hasn't done much compare to last year, although he has been injured for a while. He however, played well for France for his first caps. I.M.O he has to confirm all the good things he did these last two seasons. If he does he could be good in the future.

L r d wrote:------------------------Akinfeev----------------

Richards--Ramos--Kompany--Bale

-- Fabregas--Pato--Drenthe
Messi--

----------------Aguero--Rossi----------


I don't count Rooney, have no idea if the keeper is any good or not.

Pato in midfield? he is a stirker!

The best youngster -19 years could be:

Anthony Vanden Borre (fiorentina) 19 years old
Benzema Karim (Lyon) 19 y.o
ANDERSON Luis Abreu Oliveira (Man utd) 19 y.o
Sergio AGUERO (A.Madrid) 19 y.o
Micah RICHARDS (Manchester City) 19 y.o
Nuri SAHIN (Feyenoord ) 19 y.o
Giovanni DOS SANTOS (barcelona) 18 y.o
Freddy ADU (benfica) 18 y.o
Alexandre PATO (Ac Milan) 18 y.o
Ismail Aissati (P.S.V) 18 y.o
Gareth Bale (Tottenham) 18 y.o
Takayuki Morimoto (catalane) 19 y.o
Stefano Okaka (As Roma) 18 y.o
Tevfik Kose (Leverkussen) 19 y.o
Bojan Krkic (Barcelona) 17 y.o

Armand Traoré should also be in that list. If he carries on playing the way he does whenever he's given an opportunity he'll be ahead of Clichy by next season

Calidad wrote:I forgot my team

----------------Akinfeev
Kompany--da Costa--Ramos--Jansen
------------Cesc--Veloso---------
-----Messi------------------Silva
----------Rooney---Aguero------

I had Richards in, but I don't think he's performed for long enough to be considered.

Well he has performed for the last 2 years like some of the other playersin your team so i dont understand how you can leave him out.

Tweedle wrote:Armand Traoré should also be in that list. If he carries on playing the way he does whenever he's given an opportunity he'll be ahead of Clichy by next season

It's funny how when Clichy first subbed A.Cole a while ago, he immediately looked like a great replacement for Cole. Now things are repeating themselves with Traore who is a good alternative. Wenger is really a master at finding young and quality players.

We almost signed Pato back when he was 16 as well but Inter told us where to go

-----------Akinfeev
Ramos-Richards-Adeleye-Jansen
-----------Sahin
----Aissati-------Drenthe
-----------Cesc
-----Rooney----Aguero

An U19 team would be more interesting.

tweeds i see there was a big article in the express today supporting exactly what i said about rooney yesterday

The-Frank-Tavern wrote:tweeds i see there was a big article in the express today supporting exactly what i said about rooney yesterday

They were also talking about it on the Sunday Supplement. First I've ever heard the media mention it. I've been saying it as well for a year or two not. It's not necessarily going to be the case, but I like you think we have seen his best. They were saying it will be a big season for him.

Calidad wrote:

The-Frank-Tavern wrote:tweeds i see there was a big article in the express today supporting exactly what i said about rooney yesterday

They were also talking about it on the Sunday Supplement. First I've ever heard the media mention it. I've been saying it as well for a year or two not. It's not necessarily going to be the case, but I like you think we have seen his best. They were saying it will be a big season for him.

i was going to say that watched it last night.

Strange that they only bring it up when he's just come back from injury. They did the same last season when he struggled at the start.

Fact is goals and assists wise he's more effective than he's ever been.

and tweeds on your stats you could look at them slightly differently, ie he has had less effect on the team

He scored more in other competitions like the CL and FA cup.

Calidad wrote:

The-Frank-Tavern wrote:tweeds i see there was a big article in the express today supporting exactly what i said about rooney yesterday

They were also talking about it on the Sunday Supplement. First I've ever heard the media mention it. I've been saying it as well for a year or two not. It's not necessarily going to be the case, but I like you think we have seen his best. They were saying it will be a big season for him.

I think Rooneys game is already complete, if you were to look at him from a pro evo point of view, he is good at everything already and excellent at a few things. All he lacks is experience, consistency and matuarity, which will come with age. So I think abilty wise you have maybe seen the best of Rooney, but in the future you will see it more consistantly as he scores 25+ goals a season.

When you look at players like Ronaldo and Messi you see areas of their game that they need to improve, so they have a higher chance of becoming much better players. However it isnt guaranteed that they will improve these parts of their game.

I think it will be a big season for Rooney, as for most (from March he was our best player) of last season he was over shadowed by Ronaldo. In pre season he was looking really good, but unfortunately he got injured in our first game. It will take a few more weeks for him to find his form, but I believe this season he will prove; he is as good as, or even better than, Ronaldo.

Rez wrote:
I think Rooneys game is already complete, if you were to look at him from a pro evo point of view, he is good at everything already and excellent at a few things. All he lacks is experience, consistency and matuarity, which will come with age. So I think abilty wise you have maybe seen the best of Rooney, but in the future you will see it more consistantly as he scores 25+ goals a season.

this is the exact prob with this board too many judge players by football maanger, pro evo etc. this is the real world we are talking about ffs

He's not judging him on football manager abilties though - these abilites are modelling the real world anyhow so its a pointless comment.

What Rooney lacks is:
-Consistency
-Discipline
-His finishing
-His anticipation and positioning

The first two will naturally occur as he ages. Year on year he's improved his finishing, which has been backed up by the statistics which show that for the past 5 years, he's increased his goal tally season by season.

The last one is the most intangible and at the end of the day could affect what type of player he goes down in history as. At present he doesn't seem to be able to appear in the right place at the right time like some players do. He also his this action man mentality where he often drops out of position.

I thinks its ridiculous to say that he's getting worse though.