I think that we all include these players in the team. De Sciglio, Spinazzola, Kean weren't in the match against Ajax. Bernardeschi, Rugani, Bonucci played.
Our midfield looks as promising as ever - Zaniolo, Tonali, Verratti, Barella. Throw in Pellegrini and a solid defensive mid, and the Azzurri look set in the middle. For fullbacks, who do you all rate?
None have the potential to be great as a few of the mids you mentioned, but... Spinazzola, Calabria, De Sciglio, and Biraghi would be my top four at the moment. Florenzi is incredibly overrated. All you have to do is ask any Roma fan that watches him week in week out. Conti is a possibility in the future if he can stay healthy and back to 100%. I'm not sold on the little I've seen of Piccini, but he's also in the mix. What about Antonio Barreca? Remember him....still only 24 but completely out of the picture.
Wingers, defenders, defensive central players and attackers seem good-great. It's enough to make worries for better European teams. But, also it's not the best in this century. Only I have worries about the goalkeeper and creative central players. But, Meret played great against Arsenal, he defended some strong attempts. I expected the final between Napoli and Valencia. This would be good match in technical sense. English final seems more evident: Chelsea-Arsenal. I won't enjoy it, as an neutral observer. A lot of fouls, strong working duels and air balls. It seems that I'm the only one who sees Bernardeschi as the converted CAM player. At the moment, he could inherit the legacy of Totti, del Piero, Pirlo, Doni. At least for the EURO2020 and Qatar campaign. Meret, Donnarumma, Perin - Chiellini, Biraghi, Mancini, Spinazzola, Romagnoli, Bonucci, Florenzi, Sciglio, Conti, Rugani, Palmieri, Tonelli, D'Ambrosio, Caldara - Verratti, Jorginho, Zaniolo, Cristante, Pellegrini, Gagliardini, Benassi, maybe Bonaventura - Bernardeschi, Kean, Politano, Immobile, Lasagna, Quagliarella, Shaarawy, Chiesa, Insigne, Cutrone, Candreva, Balotelli (one more chance), Verdi and Pietro Pellegri as the new hope. Plenty of options and variations. Maybe invite Abate, even though he retired. 39-40 players. 17 might be removed, so that 23 represent the country. E a chi resta, benvenuti, altri arrivederci. Molto semplice.
Is Kean a phenomeno? Or is he just in good form? We’ve seen this before with El Sha when he was 20 and no one scouted his left to right cut and shot. Or is this an elite player?
I don't see issues in midfield and on the wings with Gli Azzurri. Romagnoli and Rugani (getting great CL experience) make me feel good about the future at central defender. Our fullbacks aren't Zambrotta, Panucci and Maldini level, but there is some talent there to work with and certainly good enough to lift a trophy. We've talked at length that we have to solve the CF position. But, I do think we have to keep an eye on keeper. On his best day, Donnarumma is a top 3 keeper in the world. The problem is his "best day" is inconsistent. You can't have a keeper in a tournament who has lets in a soft goal or makes a mistake with his feet. 1 bad goal will sink you in the knockout rounds. Given that, I've been watching Meret and Cragno closely. Both are quite impressive. If Napoli have any chance in Europe League they can thank Meret. If the kid can stay healthy, I wouldn't be surprised if he surpasses Donnarumma.
One match doesn't make a season. He has struggled to convince and he's in his mid-20s already. Caldara may have a chance to be the next great Italian defender.
De Bruyne gets 3 assists v Tottenham but the guy who is going to lead us to World Cup glory's only responsibility is to "recuperate and distribute". LOL
Italy announce training squad By Football Italia staff Three 2001 births have been included in a 35-man Italy squad for a two-day training camp, starting on Monday. Italy CT Roberto Mancini will use the opportunity to assess some of the country’s most promising young talent before their Euro 2020 qualifiers in June. The three players born in 2001 are Juventus defender Paolo Iweru Gozzi, Roma midfielder Alessio Riccardi and Inter striker Eddy Salcedo. There are also call-ups for Empoli right-back Giovanni Di Lorenzo and SPAL attacker Mattia Valoti, both born in 1993. Familar names include Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret, Milan trio Mattia Caldara, Andrea Conti and Patrick Cutrone [pictured], plus Roma midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo. The camp will be held between Monday and Tuesday next week but does not involve any players due to take part in Atalanta-Udinese and Fiorentina-Sassuolo. Italy squad for training camp Goalkeepers: Emil Audero (Sampdoria), Marco Carnesecchi (Atalanta), Alex Meret (Napoli), Alessandro Plizzari (Milan) Defenders: Alessandro Bastoni (Parma), Raoul Bellanova (Milan), Davide Biraschi (Genoa), Kevin Bonifazi (SPAL), Mattia Caldara (Milan), Andrea Conti (Milan), Federico Dimarco (Parma), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Empoli), Paolo Iweru Gozzi (Juventus), Sebastiano Luperto (Napoli), Nicola Murru (Sampdoria), Luca Pellegrini (Cagliari), Giuseppe Pezzella (Genoa), Filippo Romagna (Cagliari), Francesco Vicari (SPAL) Midfielders: Francesco Cassata (Frosinone), Danilo Cataldi (Lazio), Alessandro Murgia (SPAL), Hans Nicolussi Caviglia (Juventus), Manolo Portanova (Juventus), Alessio Riccardi (Roma), Mattia Valoti (SPAL), Emanuel Vignato (Chievo), Nicolò Zaniolo (Roma) Forwards: Patrick Cutrone (Milan), Simone Edera (Bologna), Riccardo Orsolini (Bologna), Andrea Pinamonti (Frosinone); Vittorio Parigini (Torino), Andrea Petagna (SPAL), Eddy Salcedo (Inter)
I also missed where De Bruyne led Belgium to world cup glory, not that failing to do that does not legitimize him as a good player. All these weird rules from the guy who thinks Verratti is shit. Why would you try to measure up someone who is shit with someone who is not? Weird.
At this point Andrea Belotti definitely deserves a call up in June. He's not going to get to that magical number of 20 goals this year (only Quags has/will do that as an Italian), but he's become a real leader for an overachieving Torino side. Milan looked disjointed yet again yesterday, but the Torino captain led them to another victory, and possible Champions League spot. Belotti's work rate was spectacular, and his grit unmatched by any other Italian forward (with the exception of Chiesa on the wing). He might not become the superstar some had hoped back when he scored 26, but he definitely deserves a spot on the squad over guys like Lasagna, Pavoletti, Balotelli, Immobile, etc...
Belotti definitely is in. I really doubt thought that Mancini is going to drop Immobile though. I suspect also Insigne out and SES in
It wouldn't surprise me if Mancini brings Berardi back for the next round of games. Has had a positive season under De Zerbi
Zappacosta played great against Eintracht, several distant shots, he also saved the clean goal chance of Eintracht, he played on the right side in the central part. Emerson and Jorginho also played solid.
Mancini: "I will call up Belotti. The issue is, we play a certain type of football and need a certain type of player to fit in with that. Belotti has other qualities and characteristics, but if he scores goals…”"