This week, new Azzurri coach Antonio Conte named his squad for the upcoming EURO 2016 qualifying match versus Croatia. While some names didn’t raise any eyebrows and others did, there was one in particular that got people talking.
Mario Balotelli has always been a name to polarize opinions. But even his most ardent supporters couldn’t deny that it has not been a great season at Liverpool thus far for the 24-year-old. And despite Italy having won their last three qualifying matches, the Euro 2012 finalists have not looked the most convincing, especially against the likes of Azerbaijan and Malta, teams they should have easily cruised to wins against.
Moreover, only two of their five goals thus far have come from actual strikers. Yes, one could argue that this nonetheless shows a strong collective team effort, but it’s not encouraging especially considering the availability of other more innovative options.
Meanwhile, Sampdoria’s Stefano Okaka has been in solid form since arriving in January of this year and has netted a respectable seven goals thus far, including five in just 13 appearances during his half-term with the Blucerchiati. One doesn’t need a facts guide to note how many Balotelli has scored since arriving at Anfield. And he’s not the only one failing to get going. Save for Southampton’s Graziano Pelle, who finally got a call-up after being snubbed by Cesare Prandelli for years, the other attacking options haven’t exactly been setting their respective leagues on fire.
Ciro Immobile, brought in to replace Robert Lewandowski, has struggled to replicate his same excellent showings in the Bundesliga that saw him win last season’s Capocannoniere (top-scorer) award. Simone Zaza, given an introduction by Conte has fared decently with Sassuolo but has faded since getting his first international goal against Norway. And finally, Sebastian Giovinco, well, one would be forgiven if they occasionally forgot that he was still a Juventus player — so little has he featured under Massimiliano Allegri.
With a new coach at the helm, it was hoped that he could have continued to consider actual performance over name recognition, especially after making a bold statement in not including Balotelli until he improved.
Certainly, Okaka, who was on Roma’s books for seven seasons but spent most of it out on loan, does not have the international experience of others. It can be perhaps best described as a catch-22 situation, in which one needs to be given a chance to gain experience, yet it seems that without experience, one cannot get a chance.
Given that Italy are now trying to rebuild and look ahead to the future, would this not be a good chance to try something new and give some unfamiliar faces a chance, especially if they have a solid track record at club level?
To state that Stefano Okaka is as talented as the aforementioned crop would perhaps be going a bit too far, but one thing he does have going for him is his work-rate. Under Sinisa Mihajlovic, who interestingly complimented — albeit in a rather back-handed manner — him back in September when he stated that “he had wasted seven years, but can become the best center-fowards in Italy.”
The 25-year-old has blossomed while being flanked by the likes of Eder and Manolo Gabbiadini. His physicality provides a huge asset such that when he’s not finding the back of the net, he has also contributing via assists or simply holding up the ball to bring others into play.
At Juventus, prior to the arrival of Carlos Tevez last season, none of Conte’s main strikers were “stars” per se, but what they could provide was hustle and grit. Those are indeed qualities that the Sampdoria striker could certainly offer in the early stages of Italy’s EURO 2016 qualifying campaign.
Moreover, the Azzurri have been fortunate not to be placed in one of the more difficult groups, with Croatia being the only side that should compete with them for a top spot. This would represent an excellent opportunity for the coach to experiment with newer faces and will help him decide on who should spearhead their offense once they get through to the actual tournament.
All in all, given his solid showings for the past 10 months, Okaka should be giving Conte some serious food for thought.
Follow Michelle Bonsu on Twitter at: @MichelleB289
