Albanian National Team [General topic]

With memories of the golden years (80's) of the albanian football still fresh on her mind, Albania is now attempting to recreate its strong football legacy. As young players start making their names abroad, the future is looking bright for Albanian football!

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Simboli i Diellit
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Migjeni wrote: Mon Oct 21, 2019 3:09 pm
CanaYouDoIt wrote: Sun Oct 20, 2019 5:23 pm Just found out that Riza Durmisi wanted to play for us but we never called him up . I have zero doubt in my mind that if our diaspora talents were better managed we would’ve been much much more successful...
He's full of shit. He always said he wanted to play for Denmark.
Yea i remember De Biasi approaching him , actually at a Procesi Sportiv he said that Durmisi was on his plans but he had decided to play for Denmark . We were in group with them at that time. Now that he doesn’t play much for Denmark is quite convenient to declare that he wanted to play for us blaming the FA when he had the chance to switch before being capped for them. He hasn’t been good enough for them and hasn’t played regularly since october 2017 , don’t see why should we bother about him ...
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Migjeni
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He's actually a very good player. An unjustice was done towards him, when he was left out for the World Cup in 2018. He had played 80% of Denmark's games as left back, but when they had to call up their squad, he was left out. I remember quite a few critiziced the Danish coach for leaving him out of the squad, when he had been one of the players who had played most games during their campaign.

I think that he's had a tough time since then - also club wise, as he hasn't played much for Lazio, as far as I know. Seems like a good kid.
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Aurora Bulkualis
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I was looking back at the time we beat Norway 0-1 with De Biasi, because that was the biggest turning point for the NT. We'd beaten teams like Russia or Greece at home, but never away. The most we'd ever gotten away from home was Ws vs. teams like Andorra or Luxembourg. Unlike vs. Portugal, this roster was kinda shite and certainly not better than 04/05 squad. I mean we had Cani, Dallku, Lila, Bulku and no Hysaj, Ajeti, and Sadiku was young/benched.

What changed is that that goal was planned 100% to the tee. Open play schematics have too much guessing. It was practiced over and over and squeezed every last bit out of the players. Salihi had good finishing technique, but he & his friends shat their pants when they got in an unpracticed/spontaneous situation. That's where top players shine, in chaos. De Biasi took all the guessing work out of the attack. There was no room for improvisation. No room for hesitation or panicking. Just a routine that'd been practiced again and again.

Image

We create a lot of chances but they fall to random players in random positions and they have no clue what to do. Top forwards can handle those situations, but not our players, especially not the midfielders/defenders. We need to go back to the drawing board on offence, and create these simple/repetitive schematics.
"Cheap things you can buy in bulk, but Bulku is priceless" Ervin Xhevahir Bulku
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artan
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I also remember Berisha having an amazing game and saving multiple point blank attempts. I think we were lucky to come out with a win that game. Definitely one of his best performances for the NT along with that away Denmark match in 2015 where we scrapped out a crucial point.


But in general that whole 2014 qualification campaign started off well but ended in disappointment. However, it gave the whole team experience and confidence for them to put it all together for 2016 qualification. I remember the whole #UneBesoj campaign and people actually thinking we had a chance for qualification and the hype before the second Norway match at Qemal Stafa. It was first in a long time because our NT was absolutely dead under Hahn and Kuzhe.

We the started off great in the 2016 qualification and ended kinda poorly but got enough points in the second half (draw vs Denmark and win at Armenia) to put it together.
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Aurora Bulkualis
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artan wrote: Fri Oct 25, 2019 2:38 am I also remember Berisha having an amazing game and saving multiple point blank attempts. I think we were lucky to come out with a win that game. Definitely one of his best performances for the NT along with that away Denmark match in 2015 where we scrapped out a crucial point.


But in general that whole 2014 qualification campaign started off well but ended in disappointment. However, it gave the whole team experience and confidence for them to put it all together for 2016 qualification. I remember the whole #UneBesoj campaign and people actually thinking we had a chance for qualification and the hype before the second Norway match at Qemal Stafa. It was first in a long time because our NT was absolutely dead under Hahn and Kuzhe.

We the started off great in the 2016 qualification and ended kinda poorly but got enough points in the second half (draw vs Denmark and win at Armenia) to put it together.
Defence did a good job, that goes without saying, but for us offence has always been the painpoint the last decade, especially when we played a lot more "compact" than we'd have in the past. We're the type of team that takes 10 chances to score 1 goal.
"Cheap things you can buy in bulk, but Bulku is priceless" Ervin Xhevahir Bulku
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Aurora Bulkualis wrote: Fri Oct 25, 2019 2:15 am I was looking back at the time we beat Norway 0-1 with De Biasi, because that was the biggest turning point for the NT. We'd beaten teams like Russia or Greece at home, but never away. The most we'd ever gotten away from home was Ws vs. teams like Andorra or Luxembourg. Unlike vs. Portugal, this roster was kinda shite and certainly not better than 04/05 squad. I mean we had Cani, Dallku, Lila, Bulku and no Hysaj, Ajeti, and Sadiku was young/benched.

What changed is that that goal was planned 100% to the tee. Open play schematics have too much guessing. It was practiced over and over and squeezed every last bit out of the players. Salihi had good finishing technique, but he & his friends shat their pants when they got in an unpracticed/spontaneous situation. That's where top players shine, in chaos. De Biasi took all the guessing work out of the attack. There was no room for improvisation. No room for hesitation or panicking. Just a routine that'd been practiced again and again.

Image

We create a lot of chances but they fall to random players in random positions and they have no clue what to do. Top forwards can handle those situations, but not our players, especially not the midfielders/defenders. We need to go back to the drawing board on offence, and create these simple/repetitive schematics.
Was there for that and the Denmark game a few years later , best time ever
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CanaYouDoIt
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Aurora Bulkualis wrote: Fri Oct 25, 2019 2:15 am I was looking back at the time we beat Norway 0-1 with De Biasi, because that was the biggest turning point for the NT. We'd beaten teams like Russia or Greece at home, but never away. The most we'd ever gotten away from home was Ws vs. teams like Andorra or Luxembourg. Unlike vs. Portugal, this roster was kinda shite and certainly not better than 04/05 squad. I mean we had Cani, Dallku, Lila, Bulku and no Hysaj, Ajeti, and Sadiku was young/benched.

What changed is that that goal was planned 100% to the tee. Open play schematics have too much guessing. It was practiced over and over and squeezed every last bit out of the players. Salihi had good finishing technique, but he & his friends shat their pants when they got in an unpracticed/spontaneous situation. That's where top players shine, in chaos. De Biasi took all the guessing work out of the attack. There was no room for improvisation. No room for hesitation or panicking. Just a routine that'd been practiced again and again.

Image

We create a lot of chances but they fall to random players in random positions and they have no clue what to do. Top forwards can handle those situations, but not our players, especially not the midfielders/defenders. We need to go back to the drawing board on offence, and create these simple/repetitive schematics.
Was there for that and the Denmark game a few years later , best time ever
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Simboli i Diellit
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De Biasi started from the goalie, replacing Ujkani with Berisha was a huge upgrade and even today i’m sure Berisha is better than Strakosha (comming out of the Goalie and clearing crosses in the area).

Hysaj and the stability of our trio of cbs Cana-Mavraj-Ajeti allowed us to get some clean results althrough boring games with 4:5:1 or 5:4:1 . I remember we didn’t even had a shot on target against Spain and Italy for like 70-80 minutes...
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artan
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Aurora Bulkualis wrote: Fri Oct 25, 2019 2:55 am
artan wrote: Fri Oct 25, 2019 2:38 am I also remember Berisha having an amazing game and saving multiple point blank attempts. I think we were lucky to come out with a win that game. Definitely one of his best performances for the NT along with that away Denmark match in 2015 where we scrapped out a crucial point.


But in general that whole 2014 qualification campaign started off well but ended in disappointment. However, it gave the whole team experience and confidence for them to put it all together for 2016 qualification. I remember the whole #UneBesoj campaign and people actually thinking we had a chance for qualification and the hype before the second Norway match at Qemal Stafa. It was first in a long time because our NT was absolutely dead under Hahn and Kuzhe.

We the started off great in the 2016 qualification and ended kinda poorly but got enough points in the second half (draw vs Denmark and win at Armenia) to put it together.
Defence did a good job, that goes without saying, but for us offence has always been the painpoint the last decade, especially when we played a lot more "compact" than we'd have in the past. We're the type of team that takes 10 chances to score 1 goal.
Pinpoint? Albania would constantly finish near the bottom of the table until GDB came and installed a defensive pitbull style of play which actually made us competitive for the first time ever.

Lets not overhype the 80's and 90's where we played "fearless" against Germany in a 3-2 defeat lol.
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artan
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Simboli i Diellit wrote: Fri Oct 25, 2019 3:13 am De Biasi started from the goalie, replacing Ujkani with Berisha was a huge upgrade and even today i’m sure Berisha is better than Strakosha (comming out of the Goalie and clearing crosses in the area).

Hysaj and the stability of our trio of cbs Cana-Mavraj-Ajeti allowed us to get some clean results althrough boring games with 4:5:1 or 5:4:1 . I remember we didn’t even had a shot on target against Spain and Italy for like 70-80 minutes...
Also the pressing of the midfield. Abrashi, Xhaka, Lila and Lenjani would press relentlessly in the midfield. Credit to GDB because he really made such a strong defensive unit considering the subpar talent he had.

I miss the guy. :(
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