You're forgetting the ball that found Pelle's foot. Candreva is a workhorse defensively and offensively with the ability to 'create' in the box. Sure, there will be crosses that will hit the GK but the more you throw in there, the better you're chances. Plus, aside from only a few other players on this team, he has some decent dribbling skills. Anyhow, enough about him, Conte now needs to focus on a suitable replacement..
Candreva is a big loss. He is a threat to cross, to dribble past his man and to cut in and shoot. He's a good free kick taker and an excellent penalty taker as well. Sure plenty of his crosses are gobbled up bu the keeper but if anyone could make a near post run it could cause some problems for opposing teams. I'd go with Florenzi on his preferred right side, Florenzi isn't a great crosser, but he can strike a decent ball and is a hustler. He doesn't have anywhere near Candreva's composure though. I'd put SES on the left hand side to be the creative winger. I'd prefer Insigne but that won't happen.
I may be wrong (I didn't watch the game), but... didn't Croatia just lose to Portugal?? Gotta check this out... EDIT: yeah, the idiots lost 0-1 to Portual after extra-time LOL. What a shitty nation (never liked the croatians, and I just couldn't believe how everyone saw them as being HUGE favorites) Anyway... glad that they lost, even though Portugal annoys me (as a neutral football fan) just as much. Probably that's why I didn't watch the game, either
You are right. I bought into the Croatian hype, and just watched the most boring 120 minutes of football of the last couple of months... it was a terrible game. Croatia lost, but then, it bodes well; it's the same team that beat Spain.
From what I saw from them today .....how the hell did they win that group ??? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
No way. They're not going to play for a lottery. We learnt that lesson in 2008. This Italy team fears no one.
Our offensive is so weak, that with Candreva out, I think it might actually be a good idea to just go with Darmian and De Sciglio on both sides. Just play total catenaccio, get a goal on the counter, and try to close up shop. Pelle and Eder aren't getting more than one goal between them in the best of times anyway. Conte isn't putting offensive players on both sides against Spain. I've stopped dreaming about free flowing offensive football. The way this Euro is turning out...1-0, 1-1, 0-0 will be just about every scoreline.
To answer this question I will obviously have to say something critical of Insigne to justify why he doesn't make the first XI. So for those who are too sensitive or who already know the answer ie "Conte is dumb" its time to stop reading. If we safely assume Conte fields a 3-5-2 that opens up two potential slots for Insigne: The LW in the 5 or the seconda punta supporting most likely Pelle or Zaza up front. He's not ideal in the left wide 5 position because he doesn't have the speed, stamina or defensive ability to play in that role. The more injuries (Candreva) we get and the more poor form we get from other squad members (ie Bernardeschi and De Sciglio) his odds increase. But I expect to see Darmian and Florenzi filling the wide roles v Spain. As a small fantasista type seconda punta he's in direct competition with Eder. Eder has consistently been a good player over the last 12 months in that position for Sampdoria (2nd most goals scored by an Italian in Serie A) and for Italy. Only when he was shifted out wide by Inter (n/a in Conte's system) did his goal touch fall away. Insigne on the other hand plays his best football out wide in a front 3. Insigne has been tried at various times in a front two for Napoli but has been unsuccessful. His finishing in particular (when playing front 2) is below average. So in a front two Eder > Insigne. You may be thinking those are interesting stats but what difference does it make Insigne looked dangerous v Ireland and had a great season as a forward for Napoli. For a clue lets look at what Conte said: Did Lorenzo Insigne spark the game into life? “I don’t know. It was a very physical match, I introduced Insigne when the Irish defence spread out a bit and created gaps from the midfield." Insigne was able to show his strengths (dribbling, final ball, creativity) because the conditions under which he was introduced afforded him more space. Receiving the ball with your back to goal deep within the opposition half with defenders on your heels (ie typical scenario for a front 2) its a lot harder to turn dribble and shoot or provide the assist. Playing out wide for Napoli, Insigne gets the space he needs to express himself. Conte's system requires quick interplay (passing etc) which is more Eder than Insigne. Like Giovinco, Insigne prefers receiving the ball in space and in a position where he is able to run at defenders. Eder played some beautiful balls under pressure out wide to the runners in the first match. Those plays don't necessarily make highlight reels but amongst other things they are the basis for a successful team.
My XI: -------------Buffon------------ ---Barzagli-- Bonucci-- Chiellini--- Florenzi-Parolo-DDR-Giak-Darmian -----------Zaza--Eder--------------
You can't gauge from one game alone. Croatia were very good in the group and Portugal although shit deserve some credit. Croatia played scared though. You could see early on they weren't going to win. They deviated from what brought them success so far at Euro and played not to lose rather than to win. Weak. A different Span will rock up vs us as well. Whatever has happened in the tournament thus far goes out the window and it resets from here. In any case, the winner of this Euro will be what most thought all along. France or Germany. Probably France I'd say. Home support will get them over the line.
They always do that at every major tournament, which is why I hate this nation with passion (as a football fan, obviously). Them, and Portugal...2 nations jampacked with talent at every major tournament, yet refusing constantly to play, and ALWAYS resorting to faking injuries and time wasting. They deserved to be eliminated, and hopefully we will see Portugal out, too in the next round
Yes lmao. Having said that, as poor as this team is I have said there is an 11 in that squad that can take us to the final and win it, that was also based on the fact I didn't think there were any great teams in in Europe. Having watched every team 3 times plus now all of the knockout games, I think that rings true. No team has put in more than one good or convincing performances imo. There's no reason Italy cant knock them out one by one with solid if unspectacular performances. But we're not gonna do it if our forwards perform like in the group games, they just dont cause any havoc near the opponents box to worry them.
I disagree. Pelle's was a menace vs Belgium and eder worked well off him. Pelle's missed a sitter of a header that would have killed the game off in the first half. He scuffed a shot on the penalty spot, and had a brilliant header in the second half saved after lukaku missed. That game candreva and immobile had good long range shots saved too. We ********ed up some runs on goal too. Eder needed one chance vs Sweden and Insigne vs Ireland hit the post. We can score from one or two chances. Parolo hit the bar vs Sweden too in one of our rare moments. We don't need to create too much to score. We can though if need be.
Whatever people think of Candreva, he's a big loss for Italy. People complain about the quality of his crosses, he does a lot of good work pressing balls forward. Darmian with De Sciglio is a conservative move. But this will not win us a game. Darmian is not knowing good form right now and De Sciglio is mediocre at best
I like this lineup. If I see Motta step on the field for one minute I am going to carve my own eye out with a rusty spoon that was dipped in arsenic poisoning.
i um, Eder has hardly played this year, so if by consistent you mean consistently on the bench then yes he is consistent. Also insigne has played well in every position, his game is not about onky scoring goals but creating chances. You clearly do not watch him play. Im also gonna go on a whim here and bet you barely watched Eder at samp and just looked at his numbers to gues he was consistent. He's played 2 games in these euros, both of them bad, but scored one. So i gues thats consistent. That any how is certainly not why Conte chooses him over Insigne and that is clear. One legged Insigne> do nothing for 177 minutes Eder.
You guys doubting Conte are just haters! Look, Belgium beat Hungary 4-0 and Ireland 3-0 Therefore Italy should beat Spain comfortably.