Giorgio Chiellini

Scaramanga

Scaramanga

Well-Known Member
Are defenders like him a dying breed? By that I mean old fashioned centre backs who’ll do the defensive bit first and clear their lines when needed, as opposed to the modern approach where coaches want their centre backs to be able to move the ball around and play out from the back.

Some of his last ditch defending is phenomenal and reminds me of some of great centre halves Italy have been blessed with through the years. I also wouldn’t be surprised if he had gotten in Spain’s heads with his carry on before the semi final shootout when he was joking away and playfully punching Alba’s arm while the Spaniard was stood looking like a bag of nerves.

Although it was born of his own initial gaff this made me laugh. Smart foul in the end given the distance from the goal meaning it could only be a yellow.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1414430349136891905
 
Not only did he defend like an old school defender but he was always making himself available in that second third of the field rather than just hanging back near the box.

BTW - some refs would have sent off Chiellini for violent conduct there.
 
Scaramanga said:
Are defenders like him a dying breed? By that I mean old fashioned centre backs who’ll do the defensive bit first and clear their lines when needed, as opposed to the modern approach where coaches want their centre backs to be able to move the ball around and play out from the back.

Some of his last ditch defending is phenomenal and reminds me of some of great centre halves Italy have been blessed with through the years. I also wouldn’t be surprised if he had gotten in Spain’s heads with his carry on before the semi final shootout when he was joking away and playfully punching Alba’s arm while the Spaniard was stood looking like a bag of nerves.

Although it was born of his own initial gaff this made me laugh. Smart foul in the end given the distance from the goal meaning it could only be a yellow.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1414430349136891905
Click to expand...
The beauty of Chiellini and Bonucci is they can do both.
Sometimes last night Chiellini was further forward than the Italian midfield.

Easily in the top 5 defenders of the past decade.
 
Itsjoeariboooooooo said:
The beauty of Chiellini and Bonucci is they can do both.
Sometimes last night Chiellini was further forward than the Italian midfield.

Easily in the top 5 defenders of the past decade.
Click to expand...

You can tell the two of them have played so many minutes together, a brilliant understanding. Bonucci is a top troll too, saying the ‘it’s coming home’ guff spurred Italy on.
 
Chiellini was brilliant last night. For the last 20 or 30 minutes of normal time he was always up the left back area looking for a pass. Pushed Italy right forward because the actual left back was nearer England’s corner flag most of the time.
 
What makes them masters is their understanding of the whole game. They know the game inside out, how strikers move, where the space is, what types of runs wingers make and in turn they know how to nullify what they come up against.

It's easy to call it dark arts, but the knowledge and awareness you need to have to pull it off sets them apart.

England got about 10 minutes to hurt Italy, then the Italians figured it out and very much controlled the game for me.

Love it.
 
Before the game people were saying how England's fast attackers would run rings around these old, slow defenders.

Everyone who watched Davie Weir at Rangers know that age means nothing if your positioning is fantastic, which is always the case with guys like Chiellini and Bonucci.
 
He's a tremendous defender and incredible player but I'm not sure he's the last of a dying breed. I think Italy will continue to develop great defenders. Bastoni coming through already looks very good. The Italian coaching methods are that focused on tactics and game awareness that the seem to develop these players.

While he's old school, he's definitely developed to the modern game. He doesn't have the passing range of his partner Bonucci but he's pretty reliable and effective on the ball. Don't see him making a lot of errors in possession.
 
I noted the commentators puzzling over why England's speedy forwards were not troubling aging Chiellini.

I remember them puzzling over the same when Frank de Boer was dictating things v Liverpool at Anfield in a match years ago.
 
Partickger said:
Fantastic defender with excellent distribution and positioning as well as being a master of the dark arts.
Click to expand...
Love this guy!
Full of passion at the anthem!
Sense of humour! Obviously enjoys his fiba!
Big Roman nose - could imagine him as a Roman soldier!
Excellent no-nonsense defender!
Most of all a great captain for the Azzurri!
 
Scaramanga said:
Are defenders like him a dying breed? By that I mean old fashioned centre backs who’ll do the defensive bit first and clear their lines when needed, as opposed to the modern approach where coaches want their centre backs to be able to move the ball around and play out from the back.

Some of his last ditch defending is phenomenal and reminds me of some of great centre halves Italy have been blessed with through the years. I also wouldn’t be surprised if he had gotten in Spain’s heads with his carry on before the semi final shootout when he was joking away and playfully punching Alba’s arm while the Spaniard was stood looking like a bag of nerves.

Although it was born of his own initial gaff this made me laugh. Smart foul in the end given the distance from the goal meaning it could only be a yellow.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1414430349136891905
Click to expand...

One of the highlights of the tournament.
 
Scaramanga said:
Are defenders like him a dying breed? By that I mean old fashioned centre backs who’ll do the defensive bit first and clear their lines when needed, as opposed to the modern approach where coaches want their centre backs to be able to move the ball around and play out from the back.

Some of his last ditch defending is phenomenal and reminds me of some of great centre halves Italy have been blessed with through the years. I also wouldn’t be surprised if he had gotten in Spain’s heads with his carry on before the semi final shootout when he was joking away and playfully punching Alba’s arm while the Spaniard was stood looking like a bag of nerves.

Although it was born of his own initial gaff this made me laugh. Smart foul in the end given the distance from the goal meaning it could only be a yellow.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1414430349136891905
Click to expand...
Real flashback stuff from some of the Italian play throughout the tournament. Lovely to see appreciation for the defensive side of the game. Outstanding from their centre half pairing.
 
AnglianBear said:
BTW - some refs would have sent off Chiellini for violent conduct there.
Click to expand...
That was a foul so brazen you had to sort of admire its boldness. Its common to see shirt tugs but to basically mug the guy with a ring around the neck. Impressive. Most impressive.

I suspect a Defender who wasnt such a lovable character would have been off for that.
 
ForGodForCountryForever said:
That was a foul so brazen you had to sort of admire its boldness. Its common to see shirt tugs but to basically mug the guy with a ring around the neck. Impressive. Most impressive.

I suspect a Defender who wasnt such a lovable character would have been off for that.
Click to expand...

There’s no grounds for a red card there at all though mate, that’s why it’s smart defending. He holds his shirt and pulls him back, it’s not violent conduct, and being that it’s at the halfway line with players getting back it’s also not a clear goal scoring opportunity. In the end the tallies won fair and square.
 
Dalmuirbear said:
The type of old school defender that just thrives on big challenges and would kick his granny for a clean sheet.

Both him and Bonucci have been outstanding.
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I love the way they celebrate a tackle or a block like they've scored a goal and Bonnucl shouting down the camera " it's coming to Rome"lol. Deserved winners,their one touchstuff in tight areas is amazing. I suppose the worse thing England could've done was score early because Italy had plenty of time to play their way back into it and really difficult to keep a team like that out.
 
Scaramanga said:
There’s no grounds for a red card there at all though mate, that’s why it’s smart defending. He holds his shirt and pulls him back, it’s not violent conduct, and being that it’s at the halfway line with players getting back it’s also not a clear goal scoring opportunity. In the end the tallies won fair and square.
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I agree re its a shirt pull and under the rules thats perhaps not anything more than a yellow but the fact he grabbed him by the collar and yanked him to the ground I thought could be classed as violent conduct. Thats maybe more a question around what a particular ref might think rather than what the rules say. It was just amusing to see and it made me laugh.

In some ways it underlined the total mismatch between a wily veteran and an inexperienced youngster going up against one another in such a match. What on Earth was Southgate expecting to happen.
 
AnglianBear said:
Not only did he defend like an old school defender but he was always making himself available in that second third of the field rather than just hanging back near the box.

BTW - some refs would have sent off Chiellini for violent conduct there.
Click to expand...

In this day and age most definitely, had it not been Chiellini.

Although England a bit like Belgium played right into the Italians hands, big guy up front trying to battle with they two ain’t going to win, pace and movement does Chiellini, his booking is a prime example. It is man or ball that go by Italian defenders not both.
 
ForGodForCountryForever said:
I agree re its a shirt pull and under the rules thats perhaps not anything more than a yellow but the fact he grabbed him by the collar and yanked him to the ground I thought could be classed as violent conduct. Thats maybe more a question around what a particular ref might think rather than what the rules say. It was just amusing to see and it made me laugh.

In some ways it underlined the total mismatch between a wily veteran and an inexperienced youngster going up against one another in such a match. What on Earth was Southgate expecting to happen.
Click to expand...

I mean if Goldson did that to Edouard at the piggery I wouldn’t be at all shocked to see our man sent off, but that would be for different reasons altogether!
 
Scaramanga said:
Are defenders like him a dying breed? By that I mean old fashioned centre backs who’ll do the defensive bit first and clear their lines when needed, as opposed to the modern approach where coaches want their centre backs to be able to move the ball around and play out from the back.

Some of his last ditch defending is phenomenal and reminds me of some of great centre halves Italy have been blessed with through the years. I also wouldn’t be surprised if he had gotten in Spain’s heads with his carry on before the semi final shootout when he was joking away and playfully punching Alba’s arm while the Spaniard was stood looking like a bag of nerves.

Although it was born of his own initial gaff this made me laugh. Smart foul in the end given the distance from the goal meaning it could only be a yellow.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1414430349136891905
Click to expand...
What a tournament he had
 
Jase said:
That was as cynical as you’ll see. Couldn’t have complained at a red.
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As above, if it had been a red then it would been a robbery because nowhere in the rule book is it a red card. Nothing to do with it being Chiellini or to do with him being likeable, everything to do with there being nothing in the rules of the game to make that a red card offence.
 
A proper defender but he can also play a bit and has good distribution. Bonnuci is the same but even better with the ball at his feet, almost a playmaker at times.
 
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Cue all the Rangers da’s coming on saying it was never a red,

“I grew up on a weekly diet of watching Gregor Stevens and Toni Schumacher at the 1982 World Cup”

Sorry to enlighten you lads it’s not the 1980s very little contact is allowed these days, whether or not back in the good old days it was better and football was for proper men with long hair.
 
Angrybluebear said:
Cue all the Rangers da’s coming on saying it was never a red,

“I grew up on a weekly diet of watching Gregor Stevens and Toni Schumacher at the 1982 World Cup”

Sorry to enlighten you lads it’s not the 1980s very little contact is allowed these days, whether or not back in the good old days it was better and football was for proper men with long hair.
Click to expand...

You should enlighten yourself with the current rules of the sport mate. You can’t rewrite them to suit an agenda.
 
Angrybluebear said:
Cue all the Rangers da’s coming on saying it was never a red,

“I grew up on a weekly diet of watching Gregor Stevens and Toni Schumacher at the 1982 World Cup”

Sorry to enlighten you lads it’s not the 1980s very little contact is allowed these days, whether or not back in the good old days it was better and football was for proper men with long hair.
Click to expand...
Got %^*& all to do with it.

It would have been a yellow card in 1982, it’s a yellow card in 2021.

A tactical or professional foul, whatever you want to call it - but not a red.
 
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