[kurtsimonw]

(IMG:http://cdn.blogosfere.it/sportemotori/images/foto%20pazzini%20milan.jpg)

I rate him if nobody else does.

This post has been edited by kurtsimonw: Aug 22 2012, 06:07 PM

[han2503]

I wouldn't say countless, but yeah I agree with what you say. There's the ones you mentioned, then there's Pazzini, Gilardino, Matri, Quagliarella, etc. Good players who will star for Europa/mid-table teams and while they're good enough for a top teams squad, they're not going to lead you to a CL title or anything.

I said countless because I was considering players from a few years back as well who were in the same league as Pazzini. Filippo mentioned a few of those. Di Vaio for example who was pretty good for Bologna in recent years but never really took the world by storm at Juve. There are others as well such as Miccoli for example, who does pretty well at Palermo but never cut it at a big club. Di Natale could also feature in this list but we can't say for sure because he never tested hismelf at a big club.

You've mellowed on him though.

I don't think he is special, I think he is reliable and gets goals in small matches - I don't think he's big time nor do I think he's anywhere near 30 goals a season but 10 at the post-half way stage is not bad at all and I think he's been a pretty damn good signing.

I also think he's given us more than that slime Cassano did. So I think we got a decent deal.

tbh I think he's been about as good for us as Gila was but Pazzi didn't come with the same ridiculous level of hype.

I've always said that he's a pretty average player who mostly does well at mid-table sides. But I've also said to kurt that I definately prefer him over Matri (I said this because of those rumours going around early this month that we could swap the 2 players (IMG:style_emoticons/default/puke.gif) )

I've always been mostly bitter about Pazzini because of the initial deal that was made that brought him over. Say what you wish about Cassano's character, he's still a better player, and most importantly the type of player that we absolutely crave right now in this team due to having ZERO creativity in the attacking line bar Bojan who isn't considered as anything other then a sub by Allegri.

His return has been decent though. So to continue to be bitter about it would be pointless. I just hope he continues to prove me wrong because the goals from the El Shaarawy well have seemingly dried up...

Hmh. If everything, Italy has a good continuity of top strikers carrying top teams - from Vieri and Mancini to Inzaghi and Del Piero. And this is more then just a few.

But yes, Pazzini is in the same category as say Beppe Signori, Marco di Vaio or Gilardino. But much less efficient, somewhere on the bottom of this list - if you ask me.

Now we're witnessing a bit of a prima punta crisis in Italy these days, like on other accounts as well. Inter, Milan, Juve, Lazio and Roma miss those giants they used to have around when it came to classy strikers.

Both those types of players are only a handful in any given decade or so. Italies best strikers during the last 2 decades or so have been foreign: Sheva, Ronaldo, Ibra, Eto'o, etc

Yes there has been a considerable decline, not just in prima puntas but strikers in general. Even during these last few years, the very best of the crop have been in a steady decline; Del Piero, Inzaghi, all have played out the twilight of their careers in these last 5 years. I don't really see anyone of note coming through either