⏰ Italy, time to bounce back: Gattuso’s plan for the team 👀 | OneFootball

Gennaro Gattuso is the new coach of the Italian National Team (here we had already analyzed his strengths and weaknesses), but how will the Azzurri play with him on the bench?

Let's look at Gattuso's possible choices on the Italian bench.

4-man defense or 3-man defense?

Italy, after the European Championship, has relied on a 3-man defense: a choice that has leaned heavily on the "Inter-Block" and has mirrored the defensive system of the big Italian teams. A concept that defensively has not paid off: excluding Moldova, Italy has conceded at least 2 goals in 4 consecutive matches.

Now Gattuso will have little time to work with the players and initially might rely on continuity, always with the 3-man defense but without giving up on the wings: Spalletti in his 3-4-2-1 often included playmakers and not wingers.

Gattuso could maintain this setup to not give up on Dimarco's quality on the wing and at the same time change the team's offensive approach: less play in the half-spaces with playmakers to link the game, and more play on the wings.

But this solution could be only temporary because Gattuso has almost always used a 4-man defense, deploying at least 3 offensive players from the three-quarter line forward. In this way, Italy could also pose a threat when "not going at 100 km/h", because Spalletti's Italy had no half measures: either they played perfectly as a group - still risking to concede goals often - or they produced too little.

The wingers are back, at what cost?

This prediction fits into the most anticipated general idea, the return of the attacking wingers: Orsolini who "called" (even in celebrations) the National team could finally have an answer. The use of Zaccagni, Orsolini and maybe a recovered Chiesa could be crucial: the saving goal against Croatia came from the wing, the only chance against Norway was born thanks to a cross for Lucca. In times of difficulty, individual plays are also needed.

They will certainly be asked for a great commitment and a lot of running: Gattuso's teams do not play on the "counter" and adopt a strong pressing for the recovery of the ball forward. A risky choice and one that has little time to be developed: in this the coach will have to be good, who will have to maintain the concept of "ball recovery" proposed by Spalletti and fully develop it, improving it both tactically and in the fighting spirit. And then close up in defense when needed, we also won the European Championship like this.

The price could be seeing an Italy less codified at least in the initial stages, more "simple" and - hopefully - more aggressive in spirit. It is also a matter of pride rhetoric: often a negative and simplistic word but today it has become indispensable for the Azzurri.

Pride

And then we will need to emotionally recover, because the causes of apathy are several: a system that has not found its balance, the residues of a European Championship that have not passed, the Inter block disappointed by the final and now the umpteenth coach who changes. The group has experienced many emotions and tried many remedies in a short time and this is seen in the results, and also in the attitude.

Gattuso was also and above all taken for this: to get the National team back on track immediately, in one way or another and possibly with a project. But the main goal is clear: to go to the World Cup, then we'll see.

This is what Ringhio will push for: determination, attachment and responsibility. This then must also translate on the field because a diagonal, a run or an extra insertion start from the head but can make a scheme prepared in training succeed. The game is not in stagnant compartments: tactics yes, heart even more. Rhetoric? Maybe we also need this.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.

📸 PASCAL GUYOT - AFP or licensors