Building an Azzurri squad for 2022

Uh what? Mancini yet to make an impact with the Azzurri? Have you somehow missed the fact that Mancini won the Euro a few months ago, and went 37 games undefeated, a world record??? Were you in an outer planet or something and you missed it all?

 

I’m pretty sure he means GIANLUCA Mancini… the CB not the coach lol

 

100% this...lol

 

Oh OK, LOL. I thought, whaaaaat??? Now, that explains it.

 

Sassuolo not afraid to play young Italians...Rasp, Frattesi, Scamacca in the starting lineup and Scamacca has two goals in 20 minutes, one of which was an absolute beauty in heavy traffic. Really hope that guy gets it together and starts to play consistent minutes with one club because he has all the tools to be Italy's striker of the future

 

Yes, I just watched the highlights; nice first goal by Scamacca; the second one was more like being there at the right moment (which has merit in itself, but was less spectacular). He also missed one in second half, that he should have scored. Genoa's first goal was an incredible defensive failure by Sassuolo. Full time 2-2 with Genoa getting a late equalizer.

 

Yeah that second one was more of a poachers goal but he'll always be a threat in the box with his movement and strength in the air. He also has really good hold up play and some clever flicks to create for others along with a strong boot. He absolutely shpuld have had that hat trick but he probably makes that 9/10.

I think the biggest thing with him is consistency and attitude. There has to be a reason why he is switching teams every year and not latching on by forcing some team to make him their main target. If he can clean that up he's got a good future.

Really like Rovellas game as well...he small but a great mid and awesome distributing the ball. If he can fill out a bit more he'll be in the mix in the loaded Italy midifeld in a few years

 

Midfield prospects will have a hard time for a while, to compete with our fabulous existing midfielders. We could field 3 world-class midfield line-ups right now without breaking a sweat. It's an embarrassment of riches, to pick a midfield line-up for the Azzurra.

Let's hope Scamacca matures and develops more and gets over any attitude issue. We do need a good striker.

 

i'm not too worried about multiple teams at a young age. Immobile was worse.. he bounced around yearly from Pescara, Genoa, Torino, Dortmund, Sevilla, Torino again until he landed and found his spot at Lazio.

 

But then, Immobile is not that good... at least not for the national team. We're trying to find someone who is better than Immobile, for the job of starting center forward for the Azzurra (in the future.; obviously Scamacca is not there yet). So using Immobile's early unstable behavior to excuse Scamacca is not the best of examples because if the outcome is the same, we're not better off.

 

hard to argue with a european golden boot winner. scores at will for Lazio. wouldn't say he's terrible.. just not the right fit for our formation / play style. While not always scoring..he does create space with runs for others. don't get me wrong.. we need an upgrade..but its not like we are throwing Cristiano Lucarella or Tommaso Rocchi game after game.

here's another one. Christian Vieri (age 18 to 26)

1991–1992 Torino
1992–1993 Pisa
1993–1994 Ravenna
1994–1995 Venezia
1995–1996 Atalanta
1996–1997 Juventus
1997–1998 Atlético Madrid
1998–1999 Lazio

 

Destro has had a bit of an odd career to date, but he continues to score. In fact, since Christmas of last season, he has scored 15 goals in Serie A. At this point, if Mancini is not going to give the younger crop of players a chance to take the CF position, I think Destro is a viable option who is capable of putting the ball in the back of the net. At 30 years of age, he has international experience and bottomline—he scores.

 

With an eye to next month's decisive WCQ games, I don't know whether you are familiar with this website but statistically speaking Italy has about a 3 in 4 chance of winning the group and taking the sole automatic qualifying place available.

Football rankings: World Cup qualification simulations (October 2021) (football-rankings.info)

 

OK, I guess you're right.

 

Interesting, thanks for posting!

 

I agree and I mentioned that a bit ago No ones going to mistake him for a world class number 9 who leads the line but the guy can score goals in a variety of ways. He's had an odd career...scored at will in the Under teams and started out at fire with Roma but then fizzled. But as a goalscorer in the prime of his career you cant tell me we should take Rasp (who i like) over him if he bangs in 20 goals this season.

 

I liked Destro 9 years ago when he arrived at Roma but for several reasons - not all his responsibility - his career never took off.

However good his current form is we need to think more longer-term if we are to truly resolve this striker problem.

 

i'd like to see one of Scamacca or Lucca run with it. Would love to have a big powerful 9 with some technical ability.

 

FIFA rankings are out, Belgium still #1....

We are #4 now, i just don't understand how Belgium loses games but not FIFA points. I understand the ranking concept but it is pretty flawed, a team that's been #1 since 2018 but hasn't won a single tournament, makes complete sense.

 

LOL I posted it in the other thread.

Italy is still only #4 they should be #1!

 

Isn't it because the rankings take into account a long period, and when you play more, results of the past fall off, so gradually bad current results make an impact but the impact is not immediate?

Let's say, teams got points for results of a certain level (say, WC qualifiers). To simplify let's say it's 10 points for a win, 5 for a draw, 0 for a loss, and it's over 10 games. (I know that these are completely hypothetical numbers and situation, just for the sake of the argument; a simplification to make the point).

So a team has a record over the last 10 games that gives them the following points: 0-5-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10. Back there, they lost a game and drew one, but their last 8 results were wins.

Then they play another game and lose. This most recent game replaces the most remote one, for the sake of the points for the ranking.

So now they have 5-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-0

This team, then, had the current loss added to their record, and the most remote game was eliminated, which was also a loss.

For now this team has actually the same number of points as before: 85, despite the recent loss.

Then they play another one, and lose again.

So now they have 10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-0-0

So even though they lost the two most recent games, they are now only down 5 points from their previous total. Now they have 80.

And so on and so forth. Eventually if they keep losing, their total of points will lower more and they will drop in the ranking, but it's not immediate.

 

A good news today coming out of Lazio camp for the national team and talent pool. Here’s a quote from Sarri at post-match: “We had prepared the vertical passes in a very specific way today and Danilo Cataldi is a deep-lying playmaker suited to my football, but Lucas Leiva has mentality and experience. I will make use of them both.”

I always thought Cataldi has always been a good midfielder. I like the way he passes the ball and his dead-ball delivery has always been lethal. The only thing I thought he should’ve worked on was moving the ball quicker, he is sometimes lazy, and improved decision making. It’d be nice if Sarri could help him relaunch his career now. Anyway, need more screnarios like this one and what’s happening with Benassi at Fiorentina.

 

Yeah i have always like Cataldi was a talent with an awesome right foot. I would seriously put his free kicks up against any in the league. To me he has always seen as lacking in effort and physicality to prevent him from being truly class or a regular starter for a top flight serie A team.

But your post illustrates exactly what is wrong with Serie A. There's no question that guys like Cataldi and Benassi should be playing regular minutes for a Serie A SOMEWHERE. Or Simone Bastoni for Spezia playing at a top half club instead of a likely relegation candidate. Instead we get some cheap foreigner. And maybe guys like this don't quite make the national team but the pool of potential in form players gets deeper...and maybe some of these guys get a chance to shine like a DiLorenzo from Napoli or Lazzarri at Lazio.

And btw, Destro scored AGAIN and nearly had another that would have been extraordinary. Guy is in form right now and i hope he keppes it up.

 

On any other league guys like Simone Bastoni, Maggiore, Cistana, and Verde would’ve moved up to a midtable-europa league team this past summer or even earlier, yet here they are playing for Spezia. What’s even worse is the case of Matteo Ricci. It’s only in Italy that a player that had a stunning season like him last year would not get offer from better clubs to the point that he had to settle with Frosinone. The talent pool needs to be deeper and hopefully filled with younger players.

If you watched the Genoa-Torino game, Alessandro Buongiorno played the whole 90 while Paolo Ghiglione who has posseses lethal cross played 45. I hope Buongiorno keeps his place in the starting 11. He has a strong case because it seems Torino’s defense is more stable/strong with him there rather than Ansaldi or Rodriguez. As for Paolo, its not a good news that he was subbed out at halftime. Mattia Destro is having a strong start on the season. An older player on the pool spectrum, but look at Quagliarella. Genoa has a lot of young Italian prospects on their roster like Melegoni, Cassata, Bianchi, and Portanova.

 

Add Bandinelli to this list. Great pace, left foot, athletic and just now entering the prime of his career. Empoli also plays a lot of young Italians...Ricci, Marchizza, Cutrone, Pinamonti.

We need more Empoli's and less Saternalia's and Spezia's. Lets hope the latter two both get relegated...along with Udinese.