“I’m the boss, I’m the gaffer”: Italy
With Euro 2016 upon us, we have given each of our Hurlers on the Ditch team the choice of managing any of the countries who will play in France this summer. Here, we offer them the chance to explain their picks and to outline how they might lead their new team to glory in Paris. We are very pleased to welcome a friend of the site, Kevin Dooley, who will be part of our team heading to France. Here, Kevin tells us why he’s picked Italy.
The Germans who just know how to win, the Spanish who are looking to go back to back to back, Belgium ranked number 2 in the world looking to prove themselves or the English who haven’t turned up at a major tournament in since the World Cup in 98’; all are teams which people see winning these Euros.
The team I have chosen to manage is one which that gets overlooked every year and we hear very little about every time a major tournament rolls around. Italy.
Italy is a team of underdogs for a variety of reasons; whether they’re too old, don’t have good enough players and the list of reasons Italy won’t win goes on. They have proven everyone wrong time and time again. Although they haven’t won the Euros since hosting the tournament in 68’ they have appeared in two finals since in 2000 and 2012.
When you go through the team, it’s hard to understand why they are always underestimated. I found it difficult to get all their best players on the team but will still have to leave big names out.
In goals they have Gianluigi Buffon, one of the best keepers in the world for the last 15 years and although he is on the wrong side of 30 he still managed to break Serie A records this season for not conceding for 974 minutes. Italy’s competition won’t come grinding to a halt if Buffon gets injured with PSG number 1 Sirigu on the bench should the worst happen.
The cornerstone of every Italian team is the defence. There is already continuity in the defence with 3 of Buffon’s Juventus teammates in front of him and all guaranteed starters in Bonucci, Barzagli and Chiellini. These hard-nosed, teak tough centre halves will make up my back three.
In the holding position, tasked with sweeping in front of that back 3, is De Rossi. Like his hero Roy Keane he will do the job and do it well and still has the ability to pass the ball forward but, also like Keano, can tend to lose the plot at times. This will allow Florenzi and Parolo to be more adventuress and push the team forward. Despite being handed the coveted Number 10 jersey for the Euros, I don’t believe Motta should start because the team is already lacking pace at the back and has enough holding with Parolo well able hold down the fort if need be.
The two wide men would be El Shaarawy and Candreva, both of whom offer a lot of pace going forward which could shock some teams because of the lack of pace everywhere else on the pitch. They are both very similar in the way they play with El Shaarawy still the sort of player that might or might not turn up on big occasions. With the solidity of the 7 men behind them, these two can be left to go and express themselves which I think will suit them down to the ground.
Finally to the business end of the field, this is where I struggled the most with picking just two to be the starting front men but have decide to go with Pellè. Even though he has been very uneven and inconsistent for Southampton this season, he give much needed height in attack without out having to rely on the big men at the back on set pieces and that’s my only reasoning; not goals, not pace but size and physicality. Pellè will be paired with Insigne with plenty of pace from him and the two wide men Italy can resort to the long ball if needed.
The reason I chose Italy was I feel they have a very solid team, maybe not the best bunch of individual players but they are one of the better TEAMS. The forward men don’t have to worry too much about goals because they know that this team can go all the way and win every single match 1–0 doing it.
