Euro 2020 (Ottavi): Italia - Austria

Discussion in 'Italy: National Teams' started by calabrese8, Jun 21, 2021.

  1. FAB10

    FAB10 New Member

    Italy
    Jun 16, 2021
    Insigne is becoming a problem for this team. It's not just that he's slow... He's got right-footed stubbornness. Poor decisions. Shoots when he should pass. Passes when he should shoot. (That pass to Berardi when he was alone in front of the goalkeeper was terrible.) I know Berardi did not play well either against Austria, but based on all we've seen so far, I would seriously consider Berardi and Chiesa as the two starting wingers.
     
    r0adrunner repped this.
  2. Buffonfan

    Buffonfan Member

    Jun 26, 2018
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    I agreed, I have a bad feeling about Portugal too, don't underestimate their CR7 factor. But even if we get pass Portugal, we highly unlikely to get pass France. btw, I loath France, but the reality is they better right now.

    Austria shouldn't be this hard for us if we ever think about advancing. We should have get the job done in the full time 90 minute, (thank God Austria goal was chalk off) or else we be at 2-2 free kick.
    What pissed me off is when we 2-0 we should have keep hold it (it was like 5 min left) instead we let go and let them score a goal, which brought us to 2-1 the end to our clean sheet.

    It just so many problems, if we can't dominant Austria in the normal time, no way we can make it to the final (let alone win it). It just I feel so uneasy when we have to take it extra time. We are Italy, we should not need to go to extra time in order to score a goal.

    sighhh... regardless Love you Italy. Forever Italy.!
     
  3. Buffonfan

    Buffonfan Member

    Jun 26, 2018
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    totti fan repped this.
  4. gumbacicc

    gumbacicc Member+

    Dec 7, 2004
    USA
    We agree. Insigne didn't play well yesterday. That said, he is also better than Berardi. The two best best players we have to play on the outside of the front three are Lorenzo and Chiesa. They have to start. When I see guys like Berardi and Bernardeschi, they scream mediocrity to me.

    As we knew going in, this attack was going to be our Achilles heel. No sense to shoot ourselves in the foot anymore by leaving arguably our best attacker in Chiesa on the bench. FFS, he's hardly played and you could argue he was already MOM in two games (though Spinazzola was excellent yet again yesterday).
     
  5. DOctore13

    DOctore13 Member

    Jul 19, 2013
    Club:
    AS Roma
    France had 2 draws and a win from an own goal. Italy played 1 bad half of football but I’m not sure France have looked better so far.

    anyways I would prefer to play Belgium next
     
  6. indestructible

    indestructible Member+

    SSC Napoli
    Jan 14, 2007
    Mercato Professor
    Club:
    SSC Napoli
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    Spoiler alert****

    Insigne is not getting benched
     
    gumbacicc, calabrese8 and Nabolidaboli repped this.
  7. johnny6

    johnny6 Member+

    AC Milan
    Italy
    Jun 29, 2011
    Club:
    AC Milan
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    Exactly, hell I wouldn't be surprised if verratti starts again either. I hope Mancini has enough sense to start chiesa.
     
    indestructible repped this.
  8. joe83

    joe83 Member

    Nov 4, 2009
    Club:
    AC Milan
    No way, Insigne over Berardi all day.
     
    gumbacicc repped this.
  9. indestructible

    indestructible Member+

    SSC Napoli
    Jan 14, 2007
    Mercato Professor
    Club:
    SSC Napoli
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    It’s possible. All coaches have their guys and it takes them a lot to be unconvinced
     
  10. indestructible

    indestructible Member+

    SSC Napoli
    Jan 14, 2007
    Mercato Professor
    Club:
    SSC Napoli
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    I really don’t see a debate here. Insigne is one of our best players whether you like it or not. Yesterday we saw both Insigne and Berardi struggle but Berardi struggled worse IMO. Dropping Insigne and moving Chiesa to the left wing isn’t a magic formula.
     
    Nabolidaboli repped this.
  11. indestructible

    indestructible Member+

    SSC Napoli
    Jan 14, 2007
    Mercato Professor
    Club:
    SSC Napoli
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    Watching BOBO Tv and Cassano made a great point: the fact that we don’t have one center forward that can receive and hold the ball in order to allow his teammates to climb the pitch. Immobile and Belotti are both strikers that need #11s next to them to play off them.

    This is why I think that Scamacca will join this cycle of players sooner rather than later.
     
    calabrese8 and Stamos repped this.
  12. bachir

    bachir Member

    Jul 21, 2007
    I'm not a Ciro hater like some, in fact I like him for Lazio. But I thought he was terrible yesterday. Could not control the ball, turning into defenders, looked lost at times. I don't think there is a clear alternative at the position, so we are stuck. But he just seemed so 'small time' yesterday and not NT worthy.
     
  13. Stamos

    Stamos Member

    Apr 6, 2013
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    I know it will never happen, but it almost makes you wonder if a 4-4-2 would be better at this stage. Obviously Mancini would never make a drastic change like that this late, but we have a surplus in midfield and an Insigne-Chiesa front 2 would at least be more useful than useless Immobile at this point...

    But ya, will never happen.
     
  14. 'Uaglio

    'Uaglio Member+

    Jun 8, 2004
    NYC
    Immobile has always been a concern. He's never had great feet but he can be a poacher. He is what he is. Typically he's much better at link up play, but yesterday he was poor. Belotti was much better at holding the ball, keeping possession, and letting the team get forward. He's also a lot more physical than Ciro which suited the battle against Austria much more.

    Italians that are down on this team are being silly. We've won all our games and have a 9 to 1 goals for/against ratio. You don't go unbeaten for 31 matches in international play without some quality and teamwork. Did we struggle with Austria's physicality and the English ref swallowing his whistle? Yes, at times. But, our quality came through. Mancini should have made the subs sooner.
     
    totti fan, gumbacicc and calabrese8 repped this.
  15. 'Uaglio

    'Uaglio Member+

    Jun 8, 2004
    NYC
    Let's face it. Mancini is never going to bench Insigne. He may be slow footed at times, but he's probably the most skilled player on the team (except for his left foot). Mancini views him as an ideal weapon on the left to hold the ball, make a key dribble and release Spinazzola for his runs.

    So, if anyone is going to get subbed, it is Chiesa going in for Berardi. On the right...Chiesa can gamble and use his speed to attack that wing. If he loses the ball? He's got Di Lorenzo playing further back who will cover for him. On the left, with Spinazzola getting forward so often, we'd be exposed on a turnover from an aggressive Chiesa run. I think Mancini sees it this way.

    In the middle, I think we have to play Locatelli. We can't play soft in the center of the pitch. Did you guys notice how many long ball HEADERS we lost vs both Wales and Austria? Far far too many. Part of that is Acerbi being less aggressive than a Chiellini. But part of it is the lack of height and physicality in the midfield.

    When we got smoked by France 2 years ago, Mancini trotted out a midfield of Mandragora, Jorginho, and Pellegrini. That simply won't cut it. You can't one-touch pass your way around the physicality of Pogba and Kante. You have to be able to match their intensity.

    That's why I think our best midfield is Locatelli, Jorginho, and Barella with the energy of Chiesa on the right wing. I know it is tough benching Verratti. I think he's a tremendous player against teams that give him time and space. But, he holds the ball WAY too long and the slow-down in play means we'll get pressed more and the other team will organize their defense.
     
    totti fan repped this.
  16. joe83

    joe83 Member

    Nov 4, 2009
    Club:
    AC Milan
    But if Immobile scores next game, he’s a hero and a world class player. It’s amazing how quickly we change our attitudes towards a player. Myself included.
     
  17. johnny6

    johnny6 Member+

    AC Milan
    Italy
    Jun 29, 2011
    Club:
    AC Milan
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    I don't hate Immobile but i also don't like him, Belotti is more physical but he messed up a couple of great opportunities as well, we just don't have a good finisher and we've been talking about this for how many years now? Be nice if Balotelli would have gotten his crap together, waste of talent. I'd like to see more of Raspadori at this point.
     
    totti fan repped this.
  18. tripwire

    tripwire Member+

    Sep 23, 2012
    Club:
    SSC Napoli
    They need to play faster, and with Verratti, Insigne, and Berardi on the pitch together, that just won't happen. Chiesa might not please Mancini as much as Berardi to play in his slow possession style offense, but when you face stiffer teams and allow them to set up defensively, you get what you saw with Austria. They need a more direct approach in the next round. Belgium or Portugal won't miss the counter opportunities that Austria did.
     
  19. indestructible

    indestructible Member+

    SSC Napoli
    Jan 14, 2007
    Mercato Professor
    Club:
    SSC Napoli
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    Ciro nails that stunner that hit the post yesterday, everyone is having a very different conversation today
     
  20. Tifoso

    Tifoso Moderator
    Staff Member

    Juventus
    Italy
    Feb 24, 2007
    northern California
    Club:
    Juventus FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    Offside by inches.
     
    Nabolidaboli repped this.
  21. Ofori

    Ofori Red Card

    Inter Milan
    Ghana
    May 9, 2020
    But it doesn't matter now because you now face either Portugal or Belgium in the quarterfinals and what a game either match up will be. I want you guys facing the Portuguese because Italians and Portuguese it is a rivalry
     
  22. calabrese8

    calabrese8 Member+

    Feb 9, 2008
    Vancouver
    Club:
    Juventus FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    Maybe to them but to us we don’t consider it a rivalry at all. The potential SF be France Is the rivalry game
     
    totti fan and Ofori repped this.
  23. bachir

    bachir Member

    Jul 21, 2007
    All true. But the second half yesterday is a huge concern. Might be a blessing actually, I'm sure the coaches are watching film to understand what adjustments need to be made. Its crazy the team we saw in the first half vs the second half.
     
  24. gumbacicc

    gumbacicc Member+

    Dec 7, 2004
    USA
    The second half yesterday became a concern because you could see the players get frustrated when it was clear we were doing nothing in attack. That one was on Mancini, who up until now, had been flawless. Chiesa should have been brought on far sooner and hopefully he starts from this point forward.

    Also, the Insigne hate is a little too much. He is the most proven player we have on the front line at this juncture. He has to play.
     
  25. thorus

    thorus Member

    Feb 28, 2016
    Club:
    --other--
    I want to think that the team underestimated Austria, and took a nonchalant attitude towards the game.

    However, I found it concerning that the team looked so out of sync and discombobulated; it was almost like they had never played together before.

    Team seems to be better when the match is open play. So, hoping they face Belgium next, as Portugal will pull a Turkey, and played defensively and wait to counter attack.
     

Share This Page