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Posts by Janko
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The bronze medal at the WCH was failure under any standard. Italy was the clear favorite and was playing great volleyball until the end of the VNL. He didn’t need to create magic out of okay players. Those players were playing very well but he managed to bring an Italy completly out of shape for the WCh. A coach is responsible for not only the physical aspect but also the psychological of the players and he failed big time there.
Brazil is the biggest example. ZR managed to bring the best of a newly formed team through smart choices, deep understanding of the players, carefully managing the team from VNL to WCH. Mazzanti didn't do anything to change the course of the team at WCh when it was clear they were struggling. The 1st round was a clear indicator that the team was underpeforming and his was only hoping for a miracle that it finally clicks during later rounds which didn't happen.
With your way of thinking, one could fault coaches for underperformance, but they... are not to be credited for their successes? Was it not at least in part due to Mazzanti that Italy was regarded as a favourite (clear is arguably too strong a word, but they were favourite #1, no questions). Was he not Italy's coach for ECH 2021 and 2022 VNL (and before that, WCH 2018).
What about the player's own part in failures? Are you aware of numerous rumours concerning Pietrini (of her lack of 100% commitment to volleyball and fulfilling her potential, of her fragile psychological makeup, weird choices like not wanting to wear kneepads etc.)? Are you aware of the rumours that the entire NT was for years split into two camps due to a lover's quarrel, pro-Folie and pro-Pietrini, and that Sylla and Pietrini (who were often on the court together) would simple refuse to acknowledge each other's presence due to Sylla being Folie's bestie. That you couldn't substitute Egonu or she would get offended and sulk.
Even if most of those are unture, to paraphrase a common saying: "Where there's lots of smoke, there's bound to be at least a little of fire". And would you lay the entire blame for all of it on Mazzanti's door? Players have no agency? No choices in their own actions?
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I agree, Italy played much better at ECH 2021. No way did they "suck", although their form noticeably improved toward the end of the competition (and that's a good thing; you want your team to time their peak). Especially their OH lineup (what is now their greatest weakness alongside setters). It was because of how their OHs played that many (most) people in volleyball fandom proclaimed that competition as Italy's "coronation time", when they have finally fulfilled potential of being world conquerors, and would go on to dominate world volleyball. The following summer (WCH was in the fall, strictly speaking) only seemed to confirm that, with not only seniors winning VNL, but every single one of their youth teams winning gold (I think?). So, it's interesting to consider how much a 6 month period can radically change picture...
And that's the thing. We humans are incredible prone to recency bias in everything, but maybe most especially in sports. From summer of 2019 until summer 2021 it was China that looked set (in the minds of fans) to dominate near future, then USA after Tokyo, then Italy. Some even said as much of Serbia after WCH, even though many of those same people wrote them off for good as a candidate for any gold just a year earlier...
What's my point? Don't yet despair of Italy's chances. The picture might look really different by the end of the year, let alone by next year's summer.
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He crashed at the Olympics, you could've argued at that time that he should be fired - but then he won ECH, VNL and bronze medal at the WCH, these are results no coach would've been fired for.
Depends on what your expectations are. I personally find those results great, but if you expect Italian NT to dominate and win everything in the near future (as many, many on this site and wider did expect in 2021 and earlier, and not just Italians), then it's not so great. Especially because the 2 tournaments not won post-VNL 2021 are the 2 biggest tournaments in volleyball.
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surprised Karch wasn't fired when almost all coaches are getting fired for not meeting expected results.
How many recent examples of NT coaches getting fired over that can you name?
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I adore her and even I'm growing tired of talking about her.
Blame some of your compatriots, who seemingly have her on their mind 24/7.😴
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You have been approved.✌️
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You will be surprised but not everyone thinks the same as your obsessed shitty opinions, and calling people as troll just because they disagree with you make you look miserable. Are you gonna cry now that I was being troll again?😂
Meh. Much less inspired than your previous work. 2.5 out of 10 in trolling department, and I'm being generous, There's something to be said about finesse, but it's hard to stay that way when you are angry, which this post clearly betrays.
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I don't, because it's not a real opinion, but a troll saying outrageous things to stir shit up. If he really believed these things, fine. But I know he doesn't. This particular debate was started by him in what is a blatant attempt at fishing for drama, and unfortunately we have provided one for him. Don't think I'm not ashamed of it.
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Not even you yourself believe the shit you're paddling.
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For all those who wouldn't like to see Fener make a dynasty out of their golden trio, look at it from the positive side: at least Conegliano won't be winning CL any time soon, which in combination with Italy' immediate future looking less promising than in 2021, should make for a pretty nice schadenfraude.
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If ever you needed any additional proof, in the post-Trump, post-Bolsonaro era, how little intelligence is needed to get to the top of politics and get the chance to manage the lives of millions of people, I present you this:
Just to put this in the starkest terms: two members of the supreme legislative body of a small-ish country surrounded by enemies that outnumber them dozens to 1 have proposed penalising Christianity, and their biggest supporters and protectors on the international stage are Conservative Christian circles in America...is this real-life or has the reality turned into some monstrous version of a sitcom?
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Egonu suffers from racism, both overt and systemic. Of course she does; just see how she has always been treated by Italian fans. But I don't think this is an instance of one (with the caveat that I could be wrong). There's a well documented tendency to grade the best player's performance on a scale, across all sports. That is why, even though it looks insane at first glance to criticize someone who scored 36 points, if it is one of the best players in the world and it was done with low efficiency and lots of errors, it makes sense.
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They have known each other and played together for 15 years. We are talking about 2 veterans, both of whom want the only thing missing from their NT collection, which is incidentally the most prestigious thing in volleyball: olympic gold. I'm sure they will be able to overcome any vanity (which is inevitable in female sport).
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Hena will be able to calmly prepare for the NT
You seem to be a fan of Hena. Also, you are the only exception to the breach between Serbian and Turkish members here, and it's kinda endearing.
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Yeah because China was the first seeded as host, they just took the first two ranked in the order they were drafted
Are you saying this as someone who knows for a fact how and what they did, or is it just a rationalisation?
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It's not really a prediction, they just followed the world ranking/the seeding for the standings. It's more about where the cut of the teams not qualified through the tournament would be/which one are the likely candidates
It is a prediction, because they have China as ending 1st in their group and Serbia second even though the latter are world #1.
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Homers are homers, all over the world.
And to be clear, I primarily question Italy being 1st, especially if their OH keep playing as they are and Egonu doesn't come.
