yeah and to be fair Gasperini already worked with Cristante who does the job for him. it's tough for Pisilli is Gasperini's 3421 because he's not quite butil for a double pivot nor is he exactly an RAM/LAM either. If he can play in a midfield two and provide enough of an engine there Im sure he will win a spot.
In the vacuum of yesterday's game, Pisilli impressed me with his physical presentation, his positioning especially advanced, and his conviction on the pace he puts into the ball when distributing That said, the goalkeeping on both his goals is so cringe / hilarious/ horrendous, that it hurts my brain and body. As does all modern goalkeeping, which is now 100% based on some absurd Neuer starman save he made a decade prior that everyone thought was how the position should be played.
I know it's PISA but the kid is a machine. It's not just the goal..its the positioning the control of the ball the opportunities he creates for teammates. He's complete at 21 years old and his head is on straight. We've got a legit star striker for a decade imo. I remember watching him at the U20 World Cup at 17 back when he was just the 'younger' Esposito (I thought Sebastiano would be the goat brother) and even back then he was wreaking havoc on defenses but strictly as a back to the goal post up striker creating for Casadei Baldanzi Ambrosino etc. Now he's banging goals too...
Coming to a Premier League near you to ride the bench. Seriously, he needs to stay far far away from that cancerous league. Let's see if Gattuso is paying attention, if he keeps up this form he's better be starting for the NT.
absolutely, stay in Italia. of course, my overall opinion right now is all Italians need to be playing somewhere and not worry about what looks glamorous. Do not go anywhere where they want to pay what are over inflated dollars within their normalized budgets to have you ride the bench. Always remember what the premier league is willing to spend on players like mud rick. They'll kill your career quicker than anything else in the sport.
Pio tied for 4th in assists with far fewer minutes than anyone else in that list. He is special. But let's also recognize DiMarco who can't be considered anything but world class this season. There is no one like him in world football at the wingback position.
He definitely should start every game after the playoffs regardless of if we make the WC...but I think he should probably start the playoff games as well.
Locatelli gets a lot of flack but if he's your worst of a midfield 3 you are doing pretty damn well. He's a fine DM and could probably play in more advanced roles or box to box. I think as far as criciticism i would say he probably has not impacted the national team too much after his great Euro 2020 I thought under DeZerbi he was turning into one of the fines all around mids in Europe. There's simply no world where someone like Christante plays in front of him.
Badanzi to Genoa where he should get all the minutes he could ask for the second half of the year; Supposedly Gasp is getting Lorenzo Venturini in return which is interesting.
he's a very good midfielder. he does it all. his passing numbers and defensive numbers don't lie. the thing with him is he was never going to be the next Verratti or Pirlo but managers will see jack of all trades and want him to play as a 6/regista. If he was developed as a Box to Box midfielder he would have been seen at another level but he's been asked to always sacrifice for a system.
Not building a 352 around this Inter block at this point is just dumb dumb dumb. It's really a shame Gatusso does not know how to implement this system. The problem of course is who do you use in a back 3.. I would tell Calafiori to just do the job as a sweeper and stay home because you need to let Bastoni and DiMarco work their magic. -----------------------Pio-------Retegui DiMarco-------Tonali----------Barella--------Palestra ----------------------------Verratti -----------Bastoni-------Acerbi-----Calafiori ------------------------------Gigio
Pio is a bull. I hate saying this because I'm Italian, but normally our players at 20 just aren't that physically developed. It's like they just play Xbox all the time and never hit the gym. Pio is a physical specimen and a load for any defender. Let's not fck this up.
Well, it looks like it’s going to happen Verratti could return to the Italy national team 👀He’s met with the staff and reiterated that he feels ready.Now it’s up to Gennaro Gattuso to decide ahead of the decisive March World Cup qualifiers.📰 CorSport pic.twitter.com/oA5jeXnYet— Italian Football TV (@IFTVofficial) January 24, 2026
Social media is clowning the Verratti possibility, I sorta agree as well, I guess it all depends on his fitness level these days. Pio definitely hits the weights, he's a monster for someone his age, haven't seen anyone like him since Luca Toni strength wise, the way he can hold the ball is so fun to watch Don't like Locatelli whatsoever, he's average and always will be average, we have better options. I also have issues with Acerbi and Barella. Acerbi is too old and slow, Barella hasn't been consistent this season, actually he hasn't impressed in a couple of years now.
Fagioli, Mandragora, Ricci. I like Pisilli but he won't make it, Gattuso is too mentally challenged to make good choices. Definitely not implying keeping Barella home just so we're clear, just discussing possible starting roles, Tonali hasn't exactly been outstanding either, I do try to catch most Newcastle games just to see how he's performing. A lot can change in two months.
it was hard to rate the Fiorentina italians because the team was such a mess for so long but slowly Fagioli Mandragora have begun to put in excellent performances. Fagioli has become very consistent as the midfield has taken shape. Ndour has also been good certainly not great as the legs in that midfield 3. Comuzzo has been better but is still prone to errors. I still would not trust Fagioli to as the regista in the playoffs because of his personality/mental game. I would take Locatelli and even Ricci ahead of him even though he is a very talented player. But I am very pro Verratti first if he is fit enough.