Building an Azzurri squad for 2022

Immobile, almost. It seems like we're close to a goal.

 

The players are taking on the personality of their coach, who in the span of seven months, has morphed into Lippi Version 2010

 

Well, on the plus side, our defense and midfield are completely annihilating their offense and midfield.

 

WTF is this ref doing that he doesn't allow corner kicks to proceed? Jorginho didn't do anything wrong there.

 

Awesome corner kicks. Kick it as high as possible, swinging away from goal, towards the edge of the box far post side. What clowns we've become

 

I hate refs with big egos.

 

Can't even clear the near post defender on the corner kick HAHA. Good lord.

 

The corner kicks we are taking...i can't. let's aim an out-swinger toward the far post edge of the box

 

These defenders are positioning themselves very well for blocks. They are indeed very organized.

 

Whew, Florenzi rescued Mancini.

 

It helps that we are short of confidence, desperate, and generally inept in front of goal

 

Florenzi game saver. Clutch

 

It took 42 minutes to take the first dangerous corner of the game. Against Macedonia.

 

Yeah Emerson...go ahead and penetrate into the box and then force a pass through a physical human being. Maybe it'll get through, you moron

 

We'll get tired in second half. This is not looking good, our attempts have been futile, and always stopping on their good defensive positioning. No creativity in our offense. Oh, I wish a player like Rafael Leão was Italian...

 

Frankly, we don't deserve to go to the WC. Just sad.

 

Half.

I’ll repeat. Mancini fired if he doesn’t get Italy through

 

I apologize...this is a bad team devoid of any creativity, awareness around the box, and confidence. They have 45 minutes to prove me wrong. I want to be wrong. I really want to be wrong. But it simply is what I see at this point.

 

We had 15 attempts versus 1 for them, and nothing to show for it. It's that kind of game that then you concede on a counter.

 

it almost happened twice!

 

You guys know I'm always doom and gloom with the NT but this has been a sad showing, it looks like human pinball, not much control just shooting just to shoot. Even my 30 something year old ass knows how to turn, fake shot and move past people, Immobile? Turn shoot, turn shoot, turn shoot, come on man.

 

Right, they keep shooting into the defenders' bodies. Let's hope at some point there's a lucky deflection.

 

You nailed it. At some point, we need to realize a professional player of class should be aware of defenders and attempt some type of quick movement, cut, or feint. They are not playing with any joy...it is nervous energy. I'm convinced you could park a bus in that box and our boys would try to shoot or pass through it. wait...

 

Meanwhile Portugal is taking care of business just like a European soccer power should. I'm sure we'll still come out on top but will it be convincing? I doubt it.

 

oof...and Portugal meanwhile doing work. Gonna be a miserable winter.