Qualification for the 2022 World Cup: Azzurri back on the field tomorrow against Lithuania Temptation Raspadori in attack. Jorginho: «Broken magic? We talk too much, we believe it ”
the case
SENT TO BASEL
Imperfect and, therefore, more beautiful. The imperfection of a national team that has reached the highest point in Europe has been an open question for some time, since Roberto Mancini took over the blue helm in mid-May three years ago: the coach has shown he can win by bypassing the theme of number nine. So, now that the spell has not been broken, but in front of goal we are no longer “as bad as before” (Mancio dixit), the question of the center forward takes away sleep because it is the “pure” center forward who relies on if imagination and energy fall and if the game is a bit less fluid: Italy has not lost the spirit, but the clarity and when the light is less bright it would be up to number nine to carry the rest of the company on his shoulders.
The peers with Bulgaria and Switzerland oblige us not to make mistakes again so as not to have to rethink a world play-off and, tomorrow against Lithuania in Reggio Emilia, it will be necessary to run for cover to see the ball inside the goal again. Mancini defended Immobile with force and, at Immobile, he dedicated private lessons from the first moments of the match in Basel: rarely do you see a coach explaining to one of his strikers the movements to be made as if the match were part of a training session. Immobile, tomorrow, he should remain at rest opening the casting for the attack line: with the Lithuanians, the coach could give space to a “light” trident (Bernardeschi is a candidate, as well as Zaniolo or Kean) or go so far as to give confidence to the young Raspadori or to the possible rookie Scamacca.
Question number nine has already made eleven, many have been, or are, the interpreters for the role in three years of the Mancini era: Balotelli the first, then, in no particular order, the much-quoted Immobile, the injured Belotti, but also Caputo , Zaza, Quagliarella, Lasagna, Pavoletti, the very young Pellegri and, precisely, the latest candidates for Lithuania Kean, Raspadori and Scamacca. The coach veered on the attack without number nine in the autumn of 2018: Ukraine in Marassi and a trip to Poland with positive results, then many other brackets in races in progress because Mancini has always stressed that if the attacker scores, he plays with him. The nine, today, either doesn’t score or helps less, so something can change.
To change, for Jorginho, is the perception of Italy: some notes on the scoring ache did not go down to the blue director. «We believe in ourselves, others I don’t know. Spell broken? Forget it, we hear a lot: now we need enthusiasm and the nine million spectators in front of the TV give it to us, now that we don’t win we need warmth and support. The wrong penalty? The goalkeepers study me, now I will study them », so Jorginho to Rai Sport. After two draws, the first voice, a bit piqued by the headquarters of the champion Italy, also arrives. Nobody can point the finger at the blues, but question number nine is an open case. And for a long time. –
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