Gennaro Ivan "rino" Gattuso

[milkman]

Would be a great signing, but I think he is too old!! paying £8mil for 30 year old (31 in Jan) is too much!!

just read this on Wikipedia:

In December 2005, at the final whistle of Milan's 3-2 defeat of Schalke 04 in the UEFA Champions League, Gattuso was seen seeking out and taunting Schalke's midfielder Christian Poulsen[3] as a reaction to Poulsen's fierce marking of Kakà in the first leg. Gattuso insisted though that the press exaggerated the significance of the incident. However, his temper has caused him problems in the past. In a Champions League group stage match against AFC Ajax in September 2003, he was sent off during second-half injury time after slapping Ajax striker Zlatan Ibrahimović in the face with the back of his hand.

 

[joey55]

I'm assuming you mean in a 442? Why would you play him on the right and not in the centre protecting our back 4? You think he doesn't have the legs for it any more?

No, nothing to do with not having the legs, just that Prem history suggests that the way to bridge the quality gap between the top 4 and the rest isn't to match them and try and out play them, but to make yourselves hard to beat and hope one of the top 4 fuck up. Liverpool screwed up in 2005, and a very uninspiring, but solid, hard to beat, Everton side benfited. Arsenal did the same in 2006 and our side with Davids (i'm suggesting the same but with the Davids type being gattuso on the right) on the left came close to benefiting. Also we gained momentum at the start of that season by going on a long unbeaten run by playing 4 solid 4 across the middle TT, Davids, Carrick and JJ.

This season Liverpool wobbled a bit and had a team be there to put them under more pressure they could well have buckled. Everton weren't good enough to do this and were always going to drop points, but a better team (us next season) could well. I just can't see us getting the players of sufficient quality to expect to pick up points with the consisteny of Liverpool or Arsenal if we play an expansive 442 game. I think our best bet is to try and concede less than 30 goals and score around 55, as oppossed to score 60 and concede 40.

Something like this maybe:

-----------------Berbs---Keane

Modric-------JJ----------Makoun------Gattuso

BAle--------King-----------Woodie-----Hutton

---------------------GK

Obviously the players I've listed are open to debate and may or may not be realistic, but you get the general idea.

 

[InOffMeLeftShin]

No, nothing to do with not having the legs, just that Prem history suggests that the way to bridge the quality gap between the top 4 and the rest isn't to match them and try and out play them, but to make yourselves hard to beat and hope one of the top 4 fuck up. Liverpool screwed up in 2005, and a very uninspiring, but solid, hard to beat, Everton side benfited. Arsenal did the same in 2006 and our side with Davids (i'm suggesting the same but with the Davids type being gattuso on the right) on the left came close to benefiting. Also we gained momentum at the start of that season by going on a long unbeaten run by playing 4 solid 4 across the middle TT, Davids, Carrick and JJ.

This season Liverpool wobbled a bit and had a team be there to put them under more pressure they could well have buckled. Everton weren't good enough to do this and were always going to drop points, but a better team (us next season) could well. I just can't see us getting the players of sufficient quality to expect to pick up points with the consisteny of Liverpool or Arsenal if we play an expansive 442 game. I think our best bet is to try and concede less than 30 goals and score around 55, as oppossed to score 60 and concede 40.

Something like this maybe:

-----------------Berbs---Keane

Modric-------JJ----------Makoun------Gattuso

BAle--------King-----------Woodie-----Hutton

---------------------GK

Obviously the players I've listed are open to debate and may or may not be realistic, but you get the general idea.

The Everton side you mention played with Carsley and Gravesen in the centre and were very solid in the middle. Personally I think if we had two defensive central midfielders in the centre, and had a solid and consistent midfield we would be pretty tough to beat. I would certainly play Gattuso in the centre alongside another defensive midfielder such as Veloso. Also I would be more than happy to see us having the flexibility to play a 4-3-2-1/4-2-3-1 type midfield however you see it, with the addition of Jenas as one of the central three. Modric as one wing forward, Lennon/Keane as the other, with Berba up top. I think we need to be able to play both the 442 and the three man midfield. Still either way I would be more happy with Gattuso in the centre.

 

[HuggyBear]

I think all you lot getting excited need to watch a few of his recent matches. Anybody who struggles over 90 minutes with the pace of Serie A will just get dicked on in our league.

 

[InOffMeLeftShin]

I think all you lot getting excited need to watch a few of his recent matches. Anybody who struggles over 90 minutes with the pace of Serie A will just get dicked on in our league.

Paula Radcliffe would be tired having to cover the ground he does playing with Pirlo. I don't think he would struggle at all in the Prem, certainly if he was played in the correct role.

 

[joey55]

The Everton side you mention played with Carsley and Gravesen in the centre and were very solid in the middle. Personally I think if we had two defensive central midfielders in the centre, and had a solid and consistent midfield we would be pretty tough to beat. I would certainly play Gattuso in the centre alongside another defensive midfielder such as Veloso. Also I would be more than happy to see us having the flexibility to play a 4-3-2-1/4-2-3-1 type midfield however you see it, with the addition of Jenas as one of the central three. Modric as one wing forward, Lennon/Keane as the other, with Berba up top. I think we need to be able to play both the 442 and the three man midfield. Still either way I would be more happy with Gattuso in the centre.

I'd be happy to have him in the centre also, it's just he's about as good a defensive right sided player as there is, so given my idea of reverting back to the early 2005/6 season formation, there really isn't a better player I can think of to play that role. He plays there often for Milan aswell. I know recently they've been playing a 5 with Inzaghi as a loan striker, but I've seen them playing a few weeks ago with PAto and Gilardino (sp?) in a 442, with Pirlo and Ambossini in the middle and Gattuso playing on the right. Hargreaves did the same job for years at Bayern. A lot of English fans seem to think he played in the holding role, but he didn't, Demichelis or Frings did. If they played 442 Hargo would usually play on the right, as Gattuso often does for Milan. Also the Everton team you mentioned often (I think most of the time) played with Kilbane on the right in the same role.

I just don't see the point of trying to match Liverpool or Arsenal. Human nature and fan ego says we should go and outplay them and rip that CL spot away from them by playing free flowing football the other teams can't cope with. But logic and history suggests we should keep things tight and hope one of them fucks up. Also, in effect the 442 is just for the formation screen at the beginning of games on TV. The realiy is, it would just be a 4312, but with Modric (the 1 part) drifting out to the left and Gattuso (part of the 3) covering more on the right.

 

[paulspursman]

would be incredible if we got him even if it was only for 2 or 3 years

wont hold my breath though seems unlikely

 

[DoublePivot]

Why would we need to "scout" him?

 

[Dan Ashcroft]

Going to Munich on £90k a week according to reports breaking in Italy at the moment.

 

[joey55]

Going to Munich on £90k a week according to reports breaking in Italy at the moment.

Then we should try and sign Demechelis from Bayern.

 

[Eple]

Gattuso is an exceptional player who has a great gift of knowing to commit a foul at the right time without getting booked.

If we do manage to sign Gattuso, the event would be an equivalent(or better) of when the russians signed Makelele.

 

[Dan Ashcroft]

Then we should try and sign Demechelis from Bayern.

van Bommel's more likely.

 

[SpurSince57]

Going to Munich on £90k a week according to reports breaking in Italy at the moment.

Bayern obviously think they have a chance in next year's CL, the poor deluded fools.

 

[InOffMeLeftShin]

Going to Munich on £90k a week according to reports breaking in Italy at the moment.

Where did you see that. I have only seen rumours that they would like him, not that he is going.

 

[DoublePivot]

van Bommel's more likely.

Two points. Gattuso is being sought by BM as a replacement for Ze Roberto to accompany MVB. Ze Roberto is 34 and was a patch this season. They play two DM's.

Demichelis will not join anybody as a DM. He wants to be a CB and has been suspended once this season for not covering a DM when asked. With Lucio leaving and Breno a year away, BM are more likely to buy a CB than sell one.

 

[Dan Ashcroft]

Where did you see that. I have only seen rumours that they would like him, not that he is going.

Got an email from a mate saying it's on Italian tv. It may just be their equivalent of SSN I don't know. It was reports of a deal, rather than just interest, by the sound of it.

 

[Dan Ashcroft]

Two points. Gattuso is being sought by BM as a replacement for Ze Roberto to accompany MVB. Ze Roberto is 34 and was a patch this season. They play two DM's.

Demichelis will not join anybody as a DM. He wants to be a CB and has been suspended once this season for not covering a DM when asked. With Lucio leaving and Breno a year away, BM are more likely to buy a CB than sell one.

Not seen Munich play this season I don't think so definitely bow to you on this one - was just an assumption.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

The Everton side you mention played with Carsley and Gravesen in the centre and were very solid in the middle. Personally I think if we had two defensive central midfielders in the centre, and had a solid and consistent midfield we would be pretty tough to beat. I would certainly play Gattuso in the centre alongside another defensive midfielder such as Veloso. Also I would be more than happy to see us having the flexibility to play a 4-3-2-1/4-2-3-1 type midfield however you see it, with the addition of Jenas as one of the central three. Modric as one wing forward, Lennon/Keane as the other, with Berba up top. I think we need to be able to play both the 442 and the three man midfield. Still either way I would be more happy with Gattuso in the centre.

I've got say I'm with IMLS on tis one, but I do understand what Joey is saying. Going back to that season with Davids, for me we were at our best with Davids next to Carrick in the middle (a ball winner next to Carrick meant he was given more license to play), Tainio left and Jenas right. Joey is exactly right - and I said it many times since - we play better football now but were much harder to beat then, grinding out many results in very unspectacular fashion.

There is a huge issue for next year with the formation we are going to play. How to accomodate Modric, will Berb be here ? 442,451,433,4231 etc etc. But for me, even in a 442 I would sooner have Gattuso's ball busting leadership in the middle and stick Jenas right (who has shown good aptitude and pace when played there at times) or even the tenacious Malbranque.

 

[DoublePivot]

Not seen Munich play this season I don't think so definitely bow to you on this one - was just an assumption.

Granted as I wrote that, I just remember that Jurgen takes over this next year and might go with a new tactical system. D'oh!

 

[Bonjour]

Bayern Munich it is, then.