[kurtsimonw]

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.

[Danny]

The problem isn't his pace or his physicality, it's his finishing. Pippo would have scored 4 goals in his best days yesterday.

Also, he tends to be a let-down in important matches, while Pippo was a match-winner par excellence.

Pippo missed far more than he scored. Way more.

[Danny]

I don't think that's the case.

Pazzini is in the bracket of good Italian strikers who notch up decent stats in Serie A, especially when playing in mid-table sides, but never really hit that top level mark. They can never really carry a top club.

There are very few top class Italian strikers who have done this in recent history. Vieri, Pippo, Del Piero are the ones that immediately spring to mind.

While there are countless ones who are on the same level as Pazzini imo

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.

[Fillipo Simone]

Pippo missed far more than he scored. Way more.

That's why I said Pippo in his prime. He started missing some sitters later on, after his injuries.

[Fillipo Simone]

I don't think that's the case.

Pazzini is in the bracket of good Italian strikers who notch up decent stats in Serie A, especially when playing in mid-table sides, but never really hit that top level mark. They can never really carry a top club.

There are very few top class Italian strikers who have done this in recent history. Vieri, Pippo, Del Piero are the ones that immediately spring to mind.

While there are countless ones who are on the same level as Pazzini imo

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.

[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

[Fillipo Simone]

And not just strikers. During the 90's and early 00's Italy could have had at least 3 competitive starting XI.

Nowadays it's much different. No real good defenders, no fullbacks. Very sad.

[Ry4n]

And not just strikers. During the 90's and early 00's Italy could have had at least 3 competitive starting XI.

Nowadays it's much different. No real good defenders, no fullbacks. Very sad.

Italian football has lost allot of things since the 90s , 00s. Italian football is reshaping in the new climate. Also Italian bureaucracy and red tape does not help Serie A one bit. As much as giving it an achilles heel vs the rest of europe. But thats not to say Italy is not producing a few shining examples of what can be done without the big bucks players like Cavani are glimmers of hope. Basically Italy has a whole different approach to the rest of western europe at least France , England , Germany and Spain. But i'm just preaching to the choir you all know this we in at the deep end.

[Danny]

Gone from a poor man's Pippo to a bit of an all-round striker in himself, Pazzi has grown wonderfully this season. One of Serie A's top scorers, he's not just a poacher but a surprisingly gifted and skillful striker.

His ball control is remarkable and he can hold it up incredibly well - while not the tallest he has a knack of getting there first and he's been a much much better player for us than the little rodent he replaced.

[Rossoneri7]

he's been a much much better player for us than the little rodent he replaced.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/96.gif)

[kurtsimonw]

Given his lack of opportunities to start, his return has been nothing short of outstanding. 10 goals in his 12 starts in Serie A is great.

[TriniKing_CE]

Given his lack of opportunities to start, his return has been nothing short of outstanding. 10 goals in his 12 starts in Serie A is great.

+1

I beginning to warm up to Pazzo once more. I used to like him then he faded a bit, and became a real complainer.

However I see him as a great back up \ rotational CF.

As long as he can accept the role, and keep up consistency, we have a good thing going for us.

[Jack Bauer]

http://youtu.be/V9zhEvUVtJc?t=8s

[Jack Bauer]

Milan renewal for Pazzini

[kurtsimonw]

Good.