Loyalty is an admirable quality in life, but when it comes to the Italy squad, Susy Campanale feels that coaches like Roberto Mancini need to be more ruthless.
Within three minutes of the Nations League semi-final against Spain, it became clear to everyone – presumably including to himself – that it is time for Leonardo Bonucci to retire from international football. Considering how little he has played for Juventus this season, he should probably just hang up his boots completely. Sadly, he’s not the only one who continues to take up space in the Italy line-up while younger and hungrier talents are left on the bench.
We heard the same excuses after the Finalissima humiliation at the hands of Argentina, that Roberto Mancini felt loyalty to the players who won EURO 2020 and therefore stuck with them for that final bow. It didn’t work then, it’s certainly not working now considering the Nations League campaign only really got into gear after the old guard was dumped or out injured, giving room for the youth to actually have a chance.
Teams are like plants, they need to be pruned sometimes to let the fresh flowers come through, or they risk rotting on the branch.
Mateo Retegui was a desperate ploy, but he scored in both his Italy games. Wilfried Gnonto was a revelation and can play in a variety of attacking roles, while Giacomo Raspadori was part of the Scudetto-winning Napoli side. They all deserved a look-in against a Spain side that really was not that effective and could’ve been beaten, if only Italy had really tried to counter with any kind of conviction. It was only once Bonucci’s howler put the Azzurri behind that they woke up and started playing, then to go back to sleep once the game seemed in the balance again.
People cannot continue to claim there is no investment in Italian youth, no talent coming through, when the Azzurrini reached the Under-20 World Cup Final for the first time in their history. Cesare Casadei is a gem, who naturally had to go abroad to get any consideration on the Chelsea books, while Simone Pafundi somehow couldn’t break into a dull, mid-table Udinese side that was missing Gerard Deulofeu most of the season.
The players are there, Mancini and his club counterparts simply have to show some courage and throw them onto the field. Just look at what Roma achieved when desperation forced Jose Mourinho to dig into the youth academy to plug the gaps.
Mancini might have loyalty to the old guard, but not even calling up Alessio Romagnoli, Nicolò Casale and Mattia Zaccagni when trying to play a 4-3-3 formation is just inexplicable. Lazio had one of the best defensive records in Serie A and finished in second place, even if they sunk like a stone in Europe. It’s all well and good saying they don’t have much international experience, but the Nations League was a good opportunity to give them some of that, especially when the options were Bonucci and Rafael Toloi.
Bringing Davide Frattesi into the midfield is a good start, at least, because Marco Verratti and Jorginho are reaching the end of the road. If nothing else, the Azzurri have a wonderful set of midfielders to draw on, including Casadei, Sandro Tonali – who is currently with the Under-21 squad – Fabio Miretti and Nicolò Fagioli of Juventus, plus Empoli’s Tommaso Baldanzi. All of them play regularly at club level and are being shamefully ignored.
The only area where Mancini can genuinely complain at the lack of alternatives is in attack, and the Under-20 and Under-21 levels don’t bode well either on that front. This is also why I feel the constant bemoaning of Ciro Immobile is rather unfair. His record at international level is nowhere near the same as at Lazio, but it’s not that awful either. As for sniping at his goal against Spain being ‘only a penalty,’ let us not forget that converting just one of the two spot-kicks Jorginho fluffed would’ve secured Italy a place at the 2022 World Cup. It is a skill and not to be taken for granted.
Twitter: @SusyCampanale
There is nothing wrong with the old and new guard of Italy ,they can have a great euro and world cup, the only problems are that Italy is lacking its own khavatialia , and modric ,those 2 types of players are the problems ,Italy is very good in every other positions , except the number 10 and players that can run at defenders and dribble past them , chisea,grifo ,orsolini are the closest Italy have to dribblers, one Mancini gets his fabregas or modric and gets his khavatialia, Italy are good enough to win the next euros or world cup.
The Italy lineup that was on display yesterday are not even good enough to qualify for Euro let alone win it . If Mancini continues on this path , Ukraine will take that 2nd spot .
Yes exactly, he gains nothing by playing Bonucci and Immobile. They were never good enough to begin with and Bonucci hasnt even played all season. It was a poor and baffleing selection.
it is the same old story and I am afraid it is in the DNA of Italian Coaches, rely on old guards. Mancini must go, bring on Spalleti he’s the man.