Belfast shock as in the year 58. Insigne from false nine does not ignite the attack

From Wembley to Windsor Park, the UK’s poor cousins ​​are taking revenge on their London cousins ​​and brutally shrinking Italy. Roberto Mancini is excessively trembling, not too nervous on the bench, but on the other hand, there is only Northern Ireland’s 58th small team in the FIFA rankings, in short, a team that will struggle to enter even the 48th superhero championship of Infantino’s dreams. The fact is that with the light attack and the wrong technique so beloved by the future technicians, it is difficult to pass even in front of honest defenders like the defenders of Ulster. The coach relies on the Berardi-Insigne-Chiesa trio and the results at first were poor: time wasted looking for solutions, a mistake was made in the last step, and the very few chances created. Lorenzo Insigne is the symbol of this futility that will be fatal in the long run: it is Napoli who finds the most delicious ball at his feet, but, after freeing himself in front of the goalkeeper, puts it in the hands of Peacock-Farrell.

The despair on the bench and the anxiety that grows among the blues. Only Switzerland, who were in turn stopped at 0-0 for 45 minutes, continue to give us hope. Because if we have to rely solely on what we see on the pitch in Belfast, there is a huge worry. Also for the playoffs we’ll face. On the other hand, we know that it is Italy without strikers, which managed to win a European championship thanks to the game, but it cannot cling to Wandowski or Cristiano Ronaldo in times of need. But not even Tony or Gilardino to stay with our newest striker.

It’s Italy in which the strikers were most recently full-back (Di Lorenzo) and still an unreliable kid (Kane), while the last heavy goals still were those of Federico Chiesa who returned to the European Championship. And in Belfast, too, the man who always solved many problems at Mancini is not in the evening. On the other hand, Insigne moves and goes looking for balls all over the place, it also takes his soul to solve the situation, but only gets an oversized diagonal at the start of the second half. Italy is not Napoli, but he cannot be asked to play Osimhen here.

After an hour of futile attacks, the coach dumped Belotti, the only one who, despite all his current limitations, could make a new match. And Insigne can return to play in his place. Until Mancini calls him to make room for Bernardeschi. But the situation does not change. On the contrary, it changes for the worse, as Switzerland finds what is lacking and heightens the performance anxiety of the Azores among the harsh songs of the people of Ulster who enjoy watching the European champions. Yes, but how great were the times of Wembley’s victories … But in the deadly Belfast, where Italy never won, all the ghosts of the past resurfaced, in the same stadium that cost us defeat in Ireland in 58. From the North and a place in the Swedish World Cup . So put all the blame on the aborigines, Giggia, Chiavino, Monturi, da Costa, this time we will blame Jorginho and Emerson?