The clock is ticking, Antonio…
On the eve of the clash with number one ranked Belgium, the Italians find themselves in full preparation mode for next Summer’s Euro 2016 in France.
There are a lot of peculiarities among the latest Italy squad, the press recently attacked Antonio Conte for his inclusions and omissions from the team. His responses didn’t exactly quell the anxiety or frustration – particularly from the Azzurri faithful.
One could argue that there are a flurry of Under 21 Italians who should be on team, but were selected for the U-21 Azzurrini side instead of the senior squad. It is a missed opportunity for Antonio Conte to take a look at youngsters like Domenico Berardi, Alessio Romagnoli or Marco Benassi. With around six or seven more tune up matches before the group stage kicks off, this means that every match must be analyzed, scrutinized, and masterminded to ensure that the Azzurri do not repeat the same mistake that Prandelli did before the 2014 World Cup.
ROME, ITALY – NOVEMBER 10: Domenico Berardi of Italy U21 looks on during the Italy U21 training session at the Mancini sports center on November 10, 2015 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)
Antonio Conte made a statement with this particular team. He is not going to buy into the youth strategy and he is not going to be forced into making rash decisions amidst the pressure from the media. His stubbornness is a major gamble that could result in either a triumph or a tragedy. The last 5 years for the Azzurri have been a roller coaster ride. No major undertaking or project has been put forward and stuck to. Prandelli debuted youngsters in droves, but seldom recalled or made them mainstays. The former Juventus coach, Antonio Conte has been reluctant to do the same. It seems he is afraid to take a risk.
So, where does that put us on the eve of friendlies against Belgium and after Romania? Square one.
Conte put more people’s heads in their hands when he told reporters that he “has to look past Pirlo for Italy.” Who on Earth could tie the Italian midfield together better than Il Maestro, even in the twilight of his career? A Pirlo exclusion would be catastrophic for Italy, and now is not the time to attempt to find a suitable replacement for the midfield with just a handful of friendlies remaining. We’re not talking about adding a few young players who would be thrilled to get just a few minutes of playing time, we’re talking about the undertaking of finding a new player to guide the team on the field.
Furthermore, Conte has been unable to nail down a formation. The 4-4-2 is quickly becoming his new method of choice, but where does that put the team as a whole? None of the players are regularly deployed in that formation, which could lead to problems down the line in France. We all, collectively, need to face it. We have far too many talented central midfielders not to play a minimum of 3 at the same time.
With all this time ahead of the commencement of the European Championship 7 months from now, I will not even begin to speculate on who should be on the plane/train to France, nor what formation should be used. The overarching theme in the buildup to the tournament is, Conte needs to evaluate ALL of his options, this includes the younger ones as well.
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