After losing to Norway on goal difference, Gattuso did several good things for Italy

Sports Weekly All Media Special Correspondent in Italy Xiaowu

"Don't think about Norway, don't think about Israel, think about what we are going to do." Gattuso said after Italy's 3-1 victory over Estonia. He said so, but his formation still revealed his true intention: to score more goals. Only by scoring more goals can he retain the last hope of directly qualifying for the World Cup. However, this remaining hope was dashed before the opening whistle of the game. Norway's 5-0 result against Israel made Italy's efforts no longer important. They were 6 points behind with one more game and 19 fewer goal differences. Italy had been sentenced to a "death reprieve" in advance.

Knowing the ending in advance may be easier to accept than not knowing which day you will be pushed to the execution ground. Italy's entire technical team is no longer looking upwards, but looking downwards: Israel is the real opponent of the Azzurri now. They no longer have the right to directly qualify, but they must at least qualify for a play-off. According to the existing rules, the first place in the 12 groups in the European preliminaries of the World Cup will directly qualify, and the second place will qualify for the play-offs. The other four play-off places are determined by last year's UEFA Nations League rankings. Italy failed to gain an advantage in the UEFA Nations League, so striving for second place in the group is the most realistic goal at present.

The Norwegian game was played before Italy. The boys already knew the result of the other game when they came on stage. The huge goal difference disadvantage made this game lose some of its original meaning. Gattuso's tactics are still a very aggressive 424, the same as his first game as the national team coach. Gattuso hoped that by stacking offensive players he could have a goal feast, at least replicating the previous 5-0 home score of Estonia, but in the end it backfired. You must know that Norway only won 1-0 in this venue. Estonia cannot be defined as a "fish belly" in a strict sense.

Just looking at the number of goals scored by Gattuso since he took office, he has broken the historical record. No Italian coach has ever scored 13 goals in the first three official games. But unfortunately, they encountered what can be called the most brutal "goal predator" in history. Norway's forward-leaning style of play is very good at abusing opponents, and Haaland may be the best shooter in the world. The system of scoring points based solely on goal difference seems to be tailor-made for Norway, and killing weaklings is not Italy's strong point. Even if it sets a record, it currently only has 7 goal differences, while Norway has an unprecedented 26.

It is rare to see such a "utilitarian" head coach. His number one task after taking office is to score more goals. This is not to say that Gattuso is utilitarian, on the contrary, this coach who has coached AC Milan, Naples and other teams in the past is regarded as a "tool man". It is common for players to be tactical tools, but it is rare for coaches to be reduced to tool men. Blindly pursuing the goal difference task is like a propositional essay that suddenly needs to examine the rhetorical quantity. It is a bit overwhelming and nondescript.

Gattuso had no choice but to fall into it and sent four "forwards" at once, Retegui, Keane, Laspadori and Orsolini. In addition, Dimarco was also positioned very high and often participated in the attack in the frontcourt. The defense is also targeted. Calafiore and Bastoni, two central defenders who are good at forward penetration, work together. Even if Bastoni is used more as a backstop, Gattuso does not want to give up his offensive ability easily, so this formation is between 424 and 3421.

Gattuso is also lucky, allowing him to catch up with the two centers at the peak of their careers. Retegui and Keane can be said to be the most reliable offensive combination in recent years. The former has evolved into an all-around center, while the latter continues to provide explosive power. In all games during the Gattuso era, Keane opened the scoring for the team, and Retegui also contributed 3 goals and 4 assists. But even so, this Italian team can hardly be regarded as an object of praise. The incredible 5-4 draw with Israel and the disastrous first half of the first round against Estonia all showed the team's instability. Even if it enters the main game, it may be difficult to achieve anything.

In this context, Keane's injury in the first 15 minutes turned out to be an opportunity. Pio Esposito's appearance was eye-catching. Since then, he has taken on most of the responsibilities of retreating and scoring a goal himself. His performance was so remarkable that even if Keane missed the next game due to an ankle injury, fans would not feel particularly worried. It's not that Pio has reached Keane's level, but it gives the Azzurri's loyal fans hope again. Italian football is at a low ebb, but it seems to have seen a hope of bottoming out. If you lead this group of people, you may be able to achieve something.

After losing to Norway in the first round, Italy's goal should actually be reduced to keeping second place, or as Gattuso himself said, thinking about what he wants to do. Whether proactively or passively, Gattuso did a few things right when he took office. First, the configuration of double forwards, then establishing Tonali as the core, and then promoting Pio by mistake. After the game, he commented on the new star of Inter Milan, "There is nothing to pick against him. He is a very serious kid with a good training attitude and will never be distracted. Discipline, desire, education, respect - he has all these. Now it depends on whether we give him a chance and whether he can seize it."

Because of the strange goal of "getting more goals", Gattuso was somewhat criticized. It tied his hands and feet and delayed his time. Maybe he should have aimed to create an effective system in the first game. The fans will not be grateful to him for bringing the team into the play-offs. But if he can bring out a successful team, the merit will be in the future. People will remember him as the strongest offensive combination he created, they will remember that he gave Pio a chance, and they will also remember the story of his mentorship with Tonali. There is not much time left for Gattuso.