Originally Posted by O'Neill: “And to think, there were comments on here during Italy's first game questioning what the big deal over Pirlo was.”
Probably because if he was in the England team he'd be denigrated by the masses for not showing enough 'passion' i.e. running around a lot and flying into tackles.
Originally Posted by Thomas007: “Well at least he's not pronouncing it 'Pirla' like Hodgson did, which sadly in Italian means d1ckhead (a reference from Pirlo's autobiography).”
That's both funny and embarrassing (for Roy that is.)
I actually think that Pirlo has been really under-appreciated by our media and pundits until recently, and that's only because of England's matches with Italy. Every bit as good as Xavi at his best imo, and he's managed to last longer.
Originally Posted by O'Neill: “And to think, there were comments on here during Italy's first game questioning what the big deal over Pirlo was.”
Honestly? I think a lot of people post about football without having actually ever watched any.
Originally Posted by Parthenon: “Probably because if he was in the England team he'd be denigrated by the masses for not showing enough passion by running around a lot and flying into tackles.”
True actually. England would be a far better side for someone like him as well.
Originally Posted by shadowassassin: “The number of Italy supporters must have gone up ten-fold now they are the only ones who can keep England in the world cup.”
Originally Posted by Coen: “Aye that Pirlo would never get in to the England team, he's just lazy, strolls around in midfield like he hasn't a care in the world!”
Seriously, even if Italy win today (I think they will) and beat Uruguay (which they are capable of), and even if England fluke it and beat Costa Rica by 2 goals (with our defence? Ha!), even after all that, we would be playing Columbia and their legions of fans. Perhaps England have been embarrassed enough.
Costa Rica look up for this......just over the bar from a corner!
Very difficult to compare them when Italy (and Juventus) are set up in a specific way to allow him to flourish. Hodgson has no clue how to use half his players and that explains why Gerrard looked so bad in this WC yet had a great season at Liverpool in a team Rodgers has built around him.
Originally Posted by Thomas007: “Not the mickey mouse side everyone thought they would be Costa Rica?”
Agreed.
Pre tournament it seemed that many considered CR to be the whipping boys of the group. I think they have shown that they take their football very seriously, as shown by their great result against Uruguay.
Pirlo on pressure:
“I don’t feel pressure … I don’t give a toss about it. I spent the afternoon of Sunday, 9 July, 2006 in Berlin sleeping and playing the PlayStation. In the evening, I went out and won the World Cup.”