Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup because their forwards became far too predictable, so the key for the future is the versatility of Giacomo Raspadori and Federico Chiesa, writes Susy Campanale.
It is beyond any reasonable doubt that the Azzurri missed out on Qatar 2022 because they couldn’t convert even a small percentage of their many scoring opportunities. We saw against North Macedonia there were over 30 attempts on goal, yet barely any of them tested the ‘keeper. While it’s true the visitors put 10 men behind the ball, they also found it worryingly easy to charge down these shots at the source.
We joked for years that Lorenzo Insigne had only one trick, cut inside from the left and hit a right-foot curler, but it stopped being funny in recent months. With his departure from Napoli to FC Toronto and MLS, that looks like the end of his Italy career too.
Ciro Immobile and Domenico Berardi suffer from the same fate, they have a very basic approach to their game and it can be neutralised very easily by the right tactical tweaks. Roberto Mancini therefore has to focus on versatility for the future of the Nazionale and that is summed up by two young, talented and exciting players.
Both Raspadori and Chiesa are two-footed, they have been used anywhere from the right to the left to the centre-forward role or even a support striker. The Sassuolo man is only 22, the currently-injured and sorely-missed Juventus star is 24, so there is a very bright and hopefully long era of Azzurri dominance ahead of them.
Mancini was accused of not shaking things up and making changes when he saw it wasn’t working against North Macedonia, or indeed during the World Cup qualifying group stage. With Chiesa and Raspadori, he can use the same starting XI and rejig the system or their positions multiple times throughout a match, driving opposition defenders to distraction. When two-footed players cut inside, they are capable of shooting from any angle, making it harder to anticipate and block.
While they have both been used as centre-forwards at times at both club and international level, I still don’t see them really flourishing there. They are more like wild cards switching around and running at defenders, taking men on. A target man is still required, allowing for a 4-3-3 as well as a 4-2-3-1 formation that puts less pressure on the CF to deliver all the goals. The time has come for Italy to learn some new tricks.
raspadori seems average to me. I’ve not seen star quality. Chiesa’s game was based on explosion more so than playmaking/technique.
Hope for better, that’s all I have to say.
I think you people are blind
If mancini was not stubborn for not using Pellegrini from beginning; Italy was qualified right now. Be is the only creative player Italy have
great point Susy – as always. Add Spina and uncover another young wide player a la Theo and i have no problem waiting and watching a world beating team come together over the next 2yrs
Seriously FI? You’re not even gonna let us comment on the Donnarumma article? There is this pathetic trend from news outlets to shutdown comments on “sensitive” topics. Why can’t you handle a bit of disagreement? Grow a backbone and accept diversity of opinion. They’re just words, they’re not gonna kill you.
Mancini should replace Insigne with Wilfried Gnonto. He is another talent player.
What’s the point of this article??? What is it stating that any Italy fan doesn’t already know??? What explanation or argument is it presenting??? WHAT A WASTE OF TIME.
Apologies for my previous comment. On the mobile web browser the comment section is not available on the Donna article for some reason, even though it is available on other articles. Now on a desktop, I can see that the comments are open on the Donna article.
@Great – I agree – Pellegrini was criminally underulised when he was fit for Italy and does provide more creativity and goal scoring threat. The other mid who provides that creativity is Sensi (when fit!). We have a great midfield, but need to get rid of Jorginho as he does not add much to the side that Verratti doesn’t offer and it allows us to play a Pellegrini, a Sensi or a Locatelli who can all score goals.
Okay Raspadori scored twice last night but let’s be real, Italy beat a low quality Turkish side in a meaningless friendly. Both Immobile and Insigne scored against the same Turkey and Italy beat them 3-0 at the Euros. They finished the group on 0pts losing to both Wales and Switzerland, and conceding 8 goals. Even Aaron Ramsey scored against them. My point is these meaningless games do nothing but paper over the cracks within the Italian game and get fans excited over young players. Raspadori was on the pitch for 30 minutes against N Macedonia and didn’t do anything but make wayward shots. As for Chiesa, he’s very explosive and has great potential but is not the finished article that everyone makes him out to be. Everybody seems to overlook that Chiesa played, and was easily neutralised, against Switzerland and N Ireland – yet somehow blame Immobile for not winning those games even though he didn’t play in either one. I really don’t want Italy to turn into England where for a long time average players were overhyped for beating substandard sides and then they complained when their team got nowhere in tournaments.
Joe it’s all about Raspadori and Scammacca and youth … wtf didn’t he start with that last week. Idiots.
i will believe in Mancini’s new project when i dont see players above 32 yrs old in the squad. Majority of the italian clubs should focus on German format of youth players getting more game time and playing in big competition either CL or EL…. the youths are being pushed to play at Serie B&C. the quality & exposure is not there….
Lorenzo pellegrini…. To me he has decisive for roma over the last year or so.. He should really making his mark for Italy if deployed as no. 10..in this unpredictability context he would have been more relevant than chiesa or raspadori..
decentralized your tactics. No more designated penalty kick taker. Less roman, more germanic in your match approach…
Raspadori made an impact when he first came on against N Macedonia, because he was lively and enthusiastic, as compared with Insigne who looked slow, negative, ready for his new careet in Canada. I have always believed that Italian players are at their best early in their careers – I remember when Vicini was promoted from being coach of the U-21s to the full national team, after a disappointing ’86 campaign. He took with him a bunch of the U-21s including Vialli, Mancini, Donadoni, Giannini (I think) plus others who played a part and the team had a successful run in the 88 Euros and came close in the 90 world cup.
If Raspadori is our future then we don’t have much of a future.