Italia: La Nazionale II

What a different style of performances.

10 of these players looked great. Only Biraghi is out of place at this level, Palmieri, Spinazzola, De Sciglio, Criscito, anyone else please. It would be wonderful for Belotti to put the injuries in the past and get on form to complete this team.

Jorginho-Verratti-Barella has a fantastic look. The team just needs an actual striker to be more complete.

Maybe I was too harsh, they've got the possession and ball recovery down, they just don't have anyone that can score.

We need Belotti in his monster season form, easily above Immobile at that level but that great season is looking like an outlier.

Hopefully we see a talented striker develop, or else its an easy sore spot to announce, unless Chiesa, Insigne and Bernardeschi continue to improve, then perhaps they can mask a lack of an elite #9.

Barella needs to join Juventus, pls

We need to get on Barella asap before he gets even more expensive. Can see him going to the PL instead.

I know he was close to Inter in the summer, but then Nainggolan was signed and Cagliari was asking a lot.

Then he extended his contract until 2022, which isn't that deterministic. I hope he stays in Serie A

The U21 is up 2-0 vs Tunisia with a really young team since many graduated this year.

Kean and Parigini with the goals

Audero; Calabria, Romagna, Bastoni, Pellegrini; Locatelli, Mandragora, Zaniolo; Orsolini, Kean, Parigini

Portieri: Alessio Cragno (Cagliari), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Milan), Salvatore Sirigu (Torino)

Difensori: Cristiano Biraghi (Fiorentina), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Mattia De Sciglio (Juventus), Emerson Palmieri Dos Santos (Chelsea), Alessandro Florenzi (Roma), Alessio Romagnoli (Milan), Daniele Rugani (Juventus)

Centrocampisti: Nicolò Barella (Cagliari), Roberto Gagliardini (Inter), Frello Filho Jorge Luiz Jorginho (Chelsea), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma), Stefano Sensi (Sassuolo), Sandro Tonali (Brescia), Marco Verratti (Paris Saint Germain)

Attaccanti: Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo), Federico Bernardeschi (Juventus), Federico Chiesa (Fiorentina), Vincenzo Grifo (Hoffenheim), Ciro Immobile (Lazio), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Kevin Lasagna (Udinese), Leonardo Pavoletti (Cagliari), Matteo Politano (Inter)

Vincenzo Grifo is an interesting choice. Born in Germany but asked for Italian citizenship. An ambipedal left winger cuts in and shoots like Robben but opposite.

This NT Is playing a nice fotball under Mancini. After I 'll write something more , but his course looks like interesting (and I was skeptical at the beginning )

Problem is usual : Italy matches are always stuff for Ciro Immobile denunciation thread

If GL was an Italian forum we'd have a thread on It so as to underline his poor performances with NT, he is real problem and there are no alternatives at this moment

I can't wait to win next Euro Cup

Mancini has been a perfect refreshment

The difference between this and Ventura's football is huge.

0-3 in 30 minutes at Greece. The Verratti-Jorginho-Barella midfield is fantastic. In this match its Insigne-Belotti-Chiesa up front. Barella, Insigne and Bonucci with the goals.

That's one of the more positive attacking lineups I've seen from Italy in a while.

It's the same system as Mancini has been playing since he arrived, it's just getting better with each game.

The mid 3, the CBs, Bernardeschi/Insigne and Chiesa are the spine. The others change. Thanksfully Immobile rarely features.

rincon wrote:Mancini has been a perfect refreshment

The difference between this and Ventura's football is huge.

0-3 in 30 minutes at Greece. The Verratti-Jorginho-Barella midfield is fantastic. In this match its Insigne-Belotti-Chiesa up front. Barella, Insigne and Bonucci with the goals.

Meanwhile on other match Finland have just won 2-0 against Bosnia lol
It should be a walk to go in Euro 2000 for us

Yeah this should be no problem at all. The nice thing is how enjoyable the matches are now. Like Mancini says: returning the enthusiasm to the nazionale.

This year the U17 got to the WC final, the U20 are in the WC semis, and the U21 have the best team of the youth system starting the euros in 2 weeks. Positive times.

rincon wrote:Yeah this should be no problem at all. The nice thing is how enjoyable the matches are now. Like Mancini says: returning the enthusiasm to the nazionale.

Yes, definitely the best thing made so far.
Getting qualified was so expected , but you can finally realize job behind NT after much time

Mancini's list for Armenia and Finland

Portieri Gianluigi Donnarumma (Milan), Pierluigi Gollini (Atalanta), Alex Meret (Napoli), Salvatore Sirigu (Torino).

Difensori Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Mattia De Sciglio (Juventus), Emerson Palmieri (Chelsea), Alessandro Florenzi (Roma), Armando Izzo (Torino), Gianluca Mancini (Roma), Luca Pellegrini (Cagliari), Alessio Romagnoli (Milan).

Centrocampisti Nicolo' Barella (Inter), Bryan Cristante (Roma), Frello Filho Jorge Luiz Jorginho (Chelsea), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma), Stefano Sensi (Inter), Marco Verratti (Paris Saint Germain).

Attaccanti Andrea Belotti (Torino), Federico Bernardeschi (Juventus), Federico Chiesa (Fiorentina), Stephan El Shaarawy (Shangai Shenhua), Ciro Immobile (Lazio), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Kevin Lasagna (Udinese).

Zaniolo and Kean punished for the U21 behavior

What has Mancini against D'Ambrosio ?
I don't say it because he is an Inter player, but I think it's incredible he was never called up under his management when he's been a solid player in last 2 Serie A - especially , if I consider, who 's called in his place.
I remember even a Piccini

I wouldnt call D'Ambrosio over De Sciglio and Florenzi. I would call Spinazzola over both if he was fit though.

Florenzi is one of most overrated Serie A players ( I'd not want him at Inter ) , at least since he's not a midfielder anymore and he got injured twice
Italian Romulo

De Sciglio is one of few players capable to play badly with Juve, Ajax still thanks him

Spinazzola is ok , but he's often injured

Match in 1 hour

Portieri: Gianluigi Donnarumma (Milan), Pierluigi Gollini (Atalanta), Alex Meret (Napoli), Salvatore Sirigu (Torino)

Difensori: Francesco Acerbi (Lazio), Cristiano Biraghi (Inter), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Danilo D'Ambrosio (Inter), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Alessandro Florenzi (Roma), Armando Izzo (Torino), Gianluca Mancini (Roma), Alessio Romagnoli (Milan), Leonardo Spinazzola (Roma)

Centrocampisti: Nicolò Barella (Inter), Federico Bernardeschi (Juventus), Bryan Cristante (Roma), Frello Filho Jorge Luiz Jorginho (Chelsea), Stefano Sensi (Inter), Marco Verratti (Paris Saint Germain), Nicolò Zaniolo (Roma)

Attaccanti: Andrea Belotti (Torino), Federico Chiesa (Fiorentina), Stephan El Shaarawy (Shanghai Shenhua), Vincenzo Grifo (Friburgo), Ciro Immobile (Lazio), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli).

Some less regular players called up. New RB for these matches, Spinazzola and Zaniolo are back

Mancini who has been very satisfying and refreshing so far as the Nazionale coach has equally been as such in his squad selection.

Bases it on merit, with no unnecessary exclusions and some interesting inclusions, respectively.

Arquitecto wrote:Mancini who has been very satisfying and refreshing so far as the Nazionale coach has equally been as such in his squad selection.

Bases it on merit, with no unnecessary exclusions and some interesting inclusions, respectively.

Except for Grifo

a very different call up since qualification is sealed.

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Donnarumma (Milan), Pierluigi Gollini (Atalanta), Alex Meret (Napoli), Salvatore Sirigu (Torino)

Defenders: Francesco Acerbi (Lazio), Cristiano Biraghi (Inter), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Andrea Cistana (Brescia), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Emerson Palmieri (Chelsea), Alessandro Florenzi (Roma), Armando Izzo (Torino), Gianluca Mancini (Roma), Alessio Romagnoli (Milan), Leonardo Spinazzola (Roma)

Midfielders: Nicolò Barella (Inter), Gaetano Castrovilli (Fiorentina), Jorginho (Chelsea), Rolando Mandragora (Udinese), Marco Verratti (Paris Saint-Germain), Nicolò Zaniolo (Roma)

Forwards: Andrea Belotti (Torino), Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo), Federico Bernardeschi (Juventus), Federico Chiesa (Fiorentina), Stephan El Shaarawy (Shanghai Shenhua), Ciro Immobile (Lazio), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Riccardo Orsolini (Bologna)

bolded some new or recently returning names