With the Under-20 World Cup concluding in a Final defeat and the European Under-21 Championship kicking off, the lack of real centre-forwards coming through has to be worrying for the future of Italian football.
Roberto Mancini must be looking across the landscape of strikers in the various youth levels of the Nazionale and wondering where he will find the heir to Ciro Immobile, who let’s be honest, has for years been treated as the best of a bad bunch. He never managed to replicate his Lazio performances at international level and as age is catching up with him, the alternatives seem to be even less appetising than ever.
Gianluca Scamacca is raw, often injured and struggling for playing time at West Ham United. Moise Kean looks as if he will never live up to that early potential, so the Mario Balotelli comparisons were too accurate, especially if he really did back out of the Under-21 Euros because he felt unmotivated. Giacomo Raspadori, Nicolò Zaniolo and Wilfried Gnonto are all talented, but not fox in the box players who can convert any cross that falls at their feet. They’re more likely to set up a chance than finish it.
To make matters even worse, the problem seems to be endemic within the very genetics of Italian football, the same problem appearing again and again at various youth levels. The Under-20 World Cup saw the Azzurrini reach their first ever Final thanks largely to attacking midfielders like Cesare Casadei, Tommaso Baldanzi and Simone Pafundi, the kind the Peninsula churns out with regularity, but you need someone to finish off those chances rather than repeatedly waste them. Francesco Pio Esposito showed more promise than most in that tournament and scored a lovely back-heel flick goal, but he’s only 17 and needs time. Daniele Montevago and Giuseppe Ambrosino just aren’t given the opportunity to play at a high level and develop quickly enough.
The Under-21 side looks in dire straits too, as their centre-forward options are Lorenzo Colombo and Pietro Pellegri. Colombo spent this season on loan at Lecce and managed to lose his place due to poor form, while a return to Milan will reduce his time on the field even more. As for Pellegri, where to begin? Hitting headlines as little more than a child at Genoa, earning a big transfer to AS Monaco and all downhill from there. A player who is so injury-prone that this season at Torino he literally tore a muscle with the kick-off.
Lorenzo Lucca was meant to be the bright hope of Italian centre-forwards, fitting the Christian Vieri mould of being tall, muscular and strong in the air, but the loan move to Ajax was short-lived and ineffective. A return to Serie A for Lecce might give him the playing time he needs, but even in Serie B, he was another striker with lots of promise and very little delivery on the pitch.
Other than genetically engineering a striker, it’s not clear what more Mancini can do to set the scene for the future of the role. Perhaps he ought to go the Spanish route and simply use a formation that does not require a Number 9, play to the strengths of the Azzurri at his disposal. Fans cannot keep complaining that Immobile gets to lead the line when he is by far the most effective striker for Italy’s present or future.
Twitter: @SusyCampanale
Francesco camarda is the future.
This is nit the only problem position. We have average players all over the field. We concede, we create little and we score little.
This is not a new problem, it’s a problem that has been highlighted time and time again year in and year out yet Serie A doesn’t change!
The biggest problem is that any time Italy play a meaningful pressure game Mancini reverts back to the old ineffective guard. These guys need to stop being called up.
In September I think this should be the squad.
Gks. Donnarumma, Vicario, Meret.
Def. Bastoni, Buongiorno, Acerbi, Casale, Romagnoli, Scalvini, Di Lorenzo, Di Marco, Spinnazola, Udogie.
Mid. Barella, Verratti, Pellegrini, Frattesi, Cristante, Casadei, Fagioli
For. Chiesa, Retegui, Raspadori, Gnonto, Scamacca, Orsolini. Any thoughts anyone.
I like Sam DM’s squad.. not so sure about Orsolini or Scamaca.. Zaniolo still needs to be given a chance.
to regulate Serie A clubs to impose at least one Italian striker as a regular player (starting line-up). it is everyone’s fault in Italian football that there is a lack of good finisher.
Retegui is the future yes he is 24 but once he moves to Italy and played at a top level he will be the main striker if Mancini doesn’t keep playing Immobile. And Italy can’t play the Spanish way with the false 9. They tried it a few times and didn’t work
We don’t need em! We’ve won entire championships and world cups without em.
the players are small weak 6 feet up minal height go to the italian prison get plyers from there we will go far strong solid the ball will go in the net
we cant finish games we concied goals most of the players are average blame league football ialia not enough playing time for young guys coming up doomed recipe see you at the eruros maybe