Saturday,
March 24, 2007
The
ANNOTICO Report
Scotland
have scored only once in Italy in five matches stretching back 76 years,
and have some very admiring words to say.
Journalist Grant
describes them as physically imposing, quick, intelligent, sly, ruthless, utterly cynical: Italians mastered the art of shutting out
opposing teams to the extent that their international side became the yin to
Opposing teams have
been impressed with how
Their defenders,
if the pass is on, will play an aggressive ball through, You
have to be aware all the time that's what they're looking to do.
Scotland
now have to Find a Way to Break down the Toughest Defence
in the Game
The
Sunday Herald
Michael
Grant
March
25, 2007
IMAGINE
A brick wall wearing an
Actually Scirea, Baresi and Maldini were far too accomplished as footballers to have to
resort to the sort of scything brutality with which the likes of Gentile hacked
out
Physically
imposing, quick, intelligent, sly, ruthless, utterly
cynical: Italians mastered the art of shutting out opposing teams to the extent
that their international side became the yin to
So
Pressley was
ineligible for Celtic's recent Champions League tie in
Whenever he has
watched Italian teams, Pressley has been impressed with how their defenders
usually look to make aggressive forward passes,
contrary to the widespread perception they are a nation of players happy to
wait an eternity before taking a risk which might cost them possession.
"Their
defenders, if the pass is on, will play an aggressive ball through," he
said. "You have to be aware all the time that's what they're looking to
do.
"
"When we
lost to the Pirlo free-kicks two years ago we
actually controlled that game for long periods in that second half. I genuinely
think it gave us something to build on during the rest of Walter's reign. It
gave us a sense of belief that we were capable.
"To go to
Pressley has the
bearing of an elder statesman for his country but actually was a late developer
on the international scene - a fact he is constantly reminded of by Christian Dailly, his
In the
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