Summer Mercato 2011

[russo-neri]

IF clarence retires ..

Also off topic but I think we can have hope for Italy's next world cup campaign The Eurocup can be won but with luck too, we're not exactly the greatest right now..

But with so many talents coming up like montolivo,EL SHAARAWY,rossi,balotelli hopefully will mature, i think we will see good stuff from italy

Italy just lost to Ireland 2-0. Its surprising that you're so enthusiastic about their chances.

[Gio-mania]

I have to say that as an Italian I see a dark, dark future for my national team. The only real quality player is Rossi, to an extent Cassano. Potentially Balotelli can become even better than those two, although it's unlikely if he continues like this. Two quality forwards aren't going to win you a world cup. No real midfield and a defensive line which brings shame to Italy's glorious history in that particular department.

[Siregar]

Appearance in CL doesn't tell a lot of player qualification. Merkel is still very young and need tons of games. Milan plan to buy midfielder(s) which the midfield department will be fully loaded. I like when Merkel stays as backup but if Milan don't reduce the number of their midfielders, I would say yes for a loan move for Merkel.

If he get more chance to play as starter regularly in competitive Serie B club than just a bench warmer in Serie A (which I think he will be since he is just so young and not very talented player like Pirlo was for example), I would definitely like to see him play for Serie B club. Let's be realistic, Merkel is a prospect but as I said, he is not very talented player (he is indeed talented). His chance playing regularly in Serie A low-midfield club is not so big IMO since he is just a very young talented player. Maybe he will get some of games as substitute.

Merkel arguably is our most talented youngster from our youth sectors probably in the last 5-7 years. I have heard some experts saying that he is the best of our youth. Leo brought him to first team, Allegri kept him there (that has to mean smth.)

You can not compare Merkel to Pirlo.Prilo arrived in Milan at 22 years of age, Merkel is still 18. At 18 Pirlo was playing in Brescia (less pressure,less competition).He had all the time in the world to adapt himself to a role in a great club.

Do not dismiss Merkel so fast.This season he featured in a lot of games,next on he will be even more influential, at 22 he can be better than Pirlo hopefully.

Most talented in last 5-7 years cos we didn't have talented players in that range of season honestly.

Leo didn't brought him to first team player, he was Primavera player and not the star in that season (2009/10). Merkel showed promising games when Allegri called him to summer friendly games. He did make games in Serie A but it doesn't mean he is very or super talented player. Allegri should be credited for giving him so many chances with first team. Objectively it is more about how he plays (his type of play and his character).

I compare him not with 22 years old Pirlo but same age. Pirlo could play in Serie A for Brescia but I doubt Merkel could do the same since he is not yet as talented as Pirlo. I don't dismiss Merkel, I rate what he is now, what he can offer now. He is very young and not super talented players so loan to Novarra is not a bad move and IMO better than Serie A lower club as long as in Novarra he plays regularly.

I like it when Merkel stays in Milan (not just like someone said people prefer the roma player than Merkel which I think he only assumes that he knows what people want) but if there are so crowded in midfield department, I would like him to go on loan. He is very young and need tons of games.

I like Merkel and one of my favorite young player but it should hide the reality of Merkel right now: he is very young and not (yet) super talented player.

[Jay Crisp]

IF clarence retires ..

Also off topic but I think we can have hope for Italy's next world cup campaign The Eurocup can be won but with luck too, we're not exactly the greatest right now..

But with so many talents coming up like montolivo,EL SHAARAWY,rossi,balotelli hopefully will mature, i think we will see good stuff from italy

Italy just lost to Ireland 2-0. Its surprising that you're so enthusiastic about their chances.

I wouldn't worry about that game.
We soaked up pressure and hit on the break , the Italians as they do didn't really look too interested.
End of season missing players , taking it easy.I don't think they are up there with Spain or Germany .But it's not as bleak as we may think.
However I was delighted and hope we qualify , I mean we do play a brand of devastating football the passing and possession is awesome .I'll take it though.

[WCmilan]

I agree, and this could be a good future line up/formation and players for the 2014 WC

--------------Balotelli-----------------
------El Shaarawy-----Rossi---------
--Montolivo--De Rossi-----Aquilani--
-Criscito-Chiellini-Ranocchia-Abate-
---------------Sirigu-----------------

that's a pretty solid line up, add the likes of giovinco,marchisio,balzaretti,cassano,astori,nocerino,pazzini,matri and any other quality players we develop in the time coming.. We don't know the future but it's not as "dark" as you all think...

it's 3 years from now more or less, we can look forward to a lot of those players ^ maturing, balotelli has what it takes to be one of the best strikers in the world, he needs to take the step up and stop being such an idiot. I think fulfilling his dream of playing for milan would help and maybe ibra can teach him how to behave.. LOL , and el shaarway will be 21-22 , roughly gansos age we'll see what he's capable of then.. Chiellini will be sort of like our experience at the back, liek cannavaro, abate should be called up MILES ahead of our current options.. i dont understand why he hasnt. Hopefully one of Ranocchia or astori can make the step up as well to form a solid partnership with chiellini, De rossi maybe old by then and past his prime but i doubt it, Montolivo will mature into our new or close to pirlo, either poli or aquilani should be good for the RM, Rossi already proved his quality, giovinco or balotelli one of them will surely be a great striker 3 years from now, one has the potential to improve(giovinco) and one (balotelli) just needs to get his head straight and he's already 3/4 there. Criscito is iffy, I don't know what will become of him but he also has the potential.. Sirigu showed great stints this season, viviano was good as well.. hopefully we get another buffon out of them.

[Aficio]

Italy have many talents, but the problem is their system can not make them fully bloom, like Germany have been doing. At the same time, the world class players are decreasing and some "near world class" ones like De Rossi, Chiellini,... might never reach it.

I think Brazil, Spain and Germany are superior, but Italy is still better than Argentina, England, Holland,... so it is not too dark. If the great 3 drop form, there is chance for Italy.

[xudong]

Italy have many talents, but the problem is their system can not make them fully bloom, like Germany have been doing. At the same time, the world class players are decreasing and some "near world class" ones like De Rossi, Chiellini,... might never reach it.

I think Brazil, Spain and Germany are superior, but Italy is still better than Argentina, England, Holland,... so it is not too dark. If the great 3 drop form, there is chance for Italy.

I am not sure that Italy is better than Argentina and Holland at this very moment, at least talent-wise. Those two countries always seem rich in great talents.

but of course, for WC, it is not always the best team that will win in the end. It is competition of perseverance and luck. In every WC since 1990 until 2002, Italy had a great chance to win, but every time their dream was smashed. In 1990, the "home" crowd supported their semi-final opponents (unbelieveably stupid Napoli fans ); in 1994, they lost in the lottery (in a sense); in 1998, again; in 2002, the dirty referees and shameless host. Then Maldini retired - the WC suddenly became different for me. I just wanted HIM to win a WC. Not that I didn't care about Italy NT anymore as I was still ecstatic when this time they won the lottery after a contraversial 1/8 round, a lucky semi-final victory and an absolutely lacklustre final. I wish that Maldini was there, but somehow my heart told me that it might not be the same had Maldini were still there.

Sorry for getting off-topic. I don't know why I typed all those irrelevant things.

[Gabriel426]

I think Brazil is the most talented national team in the world, their problem is coach's selection and lacking a true No. 9.
Spain is by far the best team as they have players in all areas of the field and most of them are WC. ON top of that, they all pretty much play on the same team.
Germany is probably the best coached team in the history of football. As they never seems to have WC players but yet always finish at the top or near the top of any Int'l tournament.
Holland is just a machine at the moment, and as much as I hate to admit, they are becoming more and more like Germany. In ways that, they don't have talented players but yet can finish high in tournament.

England is way way over rated by their media and their local players transfer fee. I mean Pool just paid like 20mil for that Jordan Herderson guy. Come on, I seen him played and he is nothing special. Merkel is a much better player than him at this point and shown more potential. Maybe Milan can sell Merkel for 40mil then....

Argentina is interesting as they got Messi along with probably the best attacking line in football(Kun, Tevez, Milito, Zarate, Levessai, Di Maria, Higuin,Pastore), yet they lack a true passing midfielder and a solid defensive line. But then with a DM pair of Cambassio and Meacharno, you really don't need that great a defense.

Italy, I would not say they are better than Holland and Argentina, but definitely better than England. They lack a focal point of the team and lack true WC players. They are a squad fill with good players but just lacking something to become WC.

[Aficio]

I think this little off-topic is more interesting than blue eyes, 6 feet, shoe 42,...

Argentina and Holland share the tradition of bad teamwork and discipline. Van Marwijk has cured Holland, but they do not possess many great talents, and their style is kind of brutality. Other things stated Gabriel426 very clearly.

It is more reasonable if I say Italy are at the same level as both teams, but I think tradition would be a great help for the Azzurri.

[Gabriel426]

If at the end of the day they win, it really does not matter how many yellow cards the team got.

I think the differences between Argentina, Holland and Italy is that both Argentina and Holland got players who are game changers. Like someone who can be crap for 89 mins but is a god in that 1 min of play and leads his team to victory. Mess, Kun, Tevez, Pastore and even Di Maria are that for Argentina, while Robben and Sneijder for Holland. Where as Italy just does not have anyone like that. They did with Pirlo, DP and Totti, but since they pretty much retired or in the down side of their career, you have to count them out. Rossi is not there yet and so is Mario.