Building an Azzurri squad for 2022

The Azzurri's first WCQ on 25 March against Northern Ireland will be played at the Tardini in Parma.

 

I know he is French but he was never picked for France's senor squad. By 2022, he will have been in Italy 5 years making him Italian by law. Any chance Mancini would pick Jordan Veretout?

I think he could lend a lot of experience to a young squad.. He would be a lot better than the Over 36 year old options Mancio has been considering.

 

Interesting idea, but by summer 2022 it would probably be too late to force his way into the squad.

 

No need. Our mids are packed with talent

 

The euro is this summer but the World Cup is scheduled to take place in Qatar from 21 November to 18 December 2022. That’s not that far away.

With this summers tournament and World Cup qualifying matches , many players will be injured and either become or play out of form.

Here is the list of the current midfielders.


C Nicolò Barella 7 febbraio 1997 (24 anni) 18 4 Italia Inter

C Gaetano Castrovilli 17 febbraio 1997 (23 anni) 1 0 Italia Fiorentina

C Bryan Cristante 3 marzo 1995 (25 anni) 9 1 Italia Roma

C Roberto Gagliardini 7 aprile 1994 (26 anni) 7 0 Italia Inter

C Jorginho 20 dicembre 1991 (29 anni) 27 5 Inghilterra Chelsea

C Manuel Locatelli 8 gennaio 1998 (23 anni) 6 0 Italia Sassuolo

C Lorenzo Pellegrini 19 giugno 1996 (24 anni) 15 2 Italia Roma

C Matteo Pessina 21 aprile 1997 (23 anni) 1 0 Italia Atalanta

C Roberto Soriano 8 febbraio 1991 (30 anni) 9 0 Italia Bologna

C Sandro Tonali 8 maggio 2000 (20 anni) 4 0 Italia Milan

C Mattia Zaccagni 16 giugno 1995 (25 anni

 

Why? We're loaded in that role.

 

I'm against poaching players in general, but if we were to do it, it would have to be for someone in the #9 role. The only thing that separates us from being a contender in Europe is a real bomber.

 

Every time Verratti puts on a world class performance I’m reminded of some cretins on this board

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Kean scored for PSG against Barcelona last night; I wonder whether he can be the new great striker Italy has missed for so long.

 

Belotti is very blunt with his efforts at goal. He tends to force the goal in rather than placing it. His game is based on his will and determination.

If Italy go with Immobile, they might have someone a little more along the lines of Rossi or Schillaci, a smarter finisher, but without the right support he's hopeless. I think against some defenders, like Ruben Dias of Portugal, he would get completely bullied out of the game.

Kean is very skillful, more of wide forward. I don't think his work rate is good enough though to convince Mancini of a place in the starting eleven.

 

Mancini will go with Immobile because there is no one better. Belotti is a good sub for him, but people are kidding themselves if they think he is that much better than Ciro. Kean is an interesting option because he can also double as a winger although there is limited space. I don't know if Kean will make the final cut.

 

If the euros were to begin today and we're going SOLELY based on form IMO:

Donnarumma, Perin, (Sirigu or Meret whoever for #3)

Florenzi, Calabria, Palmieri, Spinazzola, Romagnoli, Acerbi, Bonucci, Bastoni

Verratti, Jorginho, Barella, Locatelli, Pellegrini, Pessina, Soriano

Insigne, Immobile, Chiesa, Belotti, Berrardi, Bernadeschi (and maybe Kean)

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Notable inclusions:

-Bernadeschi plays like shit for Juve but always turns up for the Azzurri. He is one of Mancini's guys so I doubt that he will get dropped at this point.

- Pessina's play for Atalanta cannot be ignored. Had big shoes to fill with Papu and Atalanta have not skipped a beat. He's a sneaky ******** who can play a traditional #10 role. Plays perfectly behind two strikers.

- Soriano playing the best of his career right now IMO. Can do many different things in midfield and Mancini likes versatility.

Injured: Chiellini, Sensi, Zaniolo

 

Italy have Northern Ireland coming up about a month from now. It might be a tricky game. They have always been physical, tricky from set-plays, and well organized. It's the kind of game where they will need a #10 to open things up. Chances are Veratti, Jorginho and Barella start, but maybe we'll get a glimpse of Pessina. Something tells me a goal(s) won't come until after the 70th minute.

 

Bernardeschi cannot be included. He is abysmal. There is no other way to describe him at this point—a fake, passerby of a player that makes little to no impact every time on the field. Full of running, but that’s about it. He won’t last through another summer at Juventus, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t find himself in Ligue 1 or with some mid-table Serie A team next season. With that being said, I think Kean’s performances warrant inclusion for that final attacking spot. I’d bring Caputo as a reserve as well just in case someone gets injured in the lead up to the tournament.

I do agree with your appreciation for Pessina and think he’s made a strong case for inclusion. Sensi’s 15 months of nagging muscle injuries have really thrown a wrench into Mancini’s alternating four starters of Barella, Jorginho, Verratti, and Sensi. I don’t see how Sensi gets in the squad for EURO 2020 with all of his injuries, so I’d say Zaniolo gets the final midfield spot. Although I’d agree that Soriano is having a good season at Bologna, Mancini seems keen on bringing Zaniolo and has made a point of assuring him publicly that if he’s healthy, he’s going.

 

And yet he has never played one game in the Serie A.

He is way overrated to be on the Italian national team. I think there are better options and I've never really been impressed when he played for Italy and he has had many chances and years with gli Azzurri.

I hear so much about the level of the league and it that is the case, Ligue 1 isn't really a top league in Europe.

You have EPL, La Liga Serie A , Bundesliga and then you have either Ligue 1 or Taça da Liga of Portugal. Other than PSG, does Ligue 1 really deserve the 5th spot? I'm not so sure.

 

Agree with Bernadeschi being crap, but like I mentioned, I doubt he gets dropped at this point due to his play in the qualifiers and him being one of Mancini's guys. I would rather have SES as I see he'll have a renaissance at Roma.

A healthy Zaniolo is a no brainer, but only if he's healthy.

 

falvo by this logic Mbappe also sucks

 

I'm sure there are good players in every league but I don't know Mbappe much.

I saw him in the WC but that was it.

Couldn't ever get into Ligue 1.

Maybe its declined in the last 3-4 years but traditionally, I don't think it compares anywhere near the Serie A level

Its nowhere near tactically, or defensively skillful.

 

Toloi to get Italy call-up
By Football Italia staff

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According to Sky Sport, Atalanta defender Rafael Toloi, who has an Italian passport, will get his firsts Italy call-up in the next international break.

The 30-year-old was born in Brazil and played 19 games with the Seleçao’s U20 team but has an Italian passport.

Therefore, according to Sky Sport Italia, Roberto Mancini will give him his first Italy call-up in the upcoming international break when the Azzurri face Northern Ireland, Bulgaria and Latvia in the World Cup qualifiers.

Toloi has 30 appearances with La Dea so far this season and has scored two goals.

 

His ancestors are from Treviso and he has a northern Italian name. Guess he qualifies as an oriundo.....

 

Bonucci, Chiellini, Acerbi, Bastoni and now Toloi.

All defenders that can play or can play in a back 3. Perhaps Macnini is preparing a tactical shake up

 

I like Toloi. Strong defensively and not afraid to commit himself going forward. If I’m Mancini, I’m having just as hard of a time picking defenders as I am midfielders for the EUROs. It’s a welcomed blessing, but with all of these options Italy’s success is really going to come down to picking the right combination of the most in form players (and luck, of course). Below are those I think are almost certainly assured a defensive spot and those that I believe remain in contention for EURO 2020.

If Mancini sticks with his favored 4-3-3, these players have pretty much secured 1 of the 8 defensive spots (barring injuries):

LB: Emerson, Spot #7
CB: Bonucci, Chiellini, Acerbi, Bastoni, Alternate Spot (If Spot #7 or #8 is not filled)
RB: Florenzi, Spot #8

If Mancini sticks with his favored 4-3-3, these players remain in contention for the two remaining spots:

LB: Spinazzola, Biraghi
CB: Toloi, Mancini, Izzo, Romagnoli
RB: Calabria, Lazzari, Di Lorenzo

‍♂️

 

a back 3 would work.. then we could unleash Lazzari and Spina as wing backs

 

Also Darmian who has had a rebirth under Conte. And for what it's worth Florenzi did good in a 3-5-2 for Italy in 2016