A Possible Change In Formation For Italy As Gattuso Pushes Moise Kean To Give More

Written By Onyeka Daniel

With the October international break now in full swing, it is time for the Italian national team to once again turn towards the objective of trying to qualify for the next FIFA World Cup set to hold next year as they prepare to play two matches that could determine their faith.

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The Azzurri are still playing catch-up with Norway in the 2026 World Cup qualifying group I, so cannot afford to slip up when visiting Estonia on Saturday, then hosting Israel at the Stadio Friuli next Tuesday as they made a transition from Luciano Spalletti to Gennaro Gattuso recently.

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The first two games under his tenure were high-scoring, as they swept Estonia aside 5-0 before a chaotic 5-4 victory over Israel and now, the former AC Milan midfielder discussed the possibility of changing his Italy tactics as they need to score goals and keep things tight at the back too.

“There are many things we need to fix. It’s not just about the defence, but about being able to sniff out danger in all areas of the pitch. At the same time, there are also many positives. We were the ones who allowed Israel back into the game and we were very lucky to take the result home.” He insisted.

“We’ve got to improve our attitude, it’s not about the tactical system.” Spalletti switched between three and four at the back during his time in charge of Italy, but so far Gattuso has largely focused on the latter. “A coach must be able to do it all, I have to set my ego aside and do what is best for the team.”

“I don’t really like a three-man defence much, but that doesn’t matter, I will always choose the best system for these players. The situation has improved a lot from last month, as the players have more minutes in their legs.” Conceding four goals against Israel, even if two of them were own goals, rang alarm bells about their defense.

“In recent years, most defences have worked on reference points rather than sectors, so it’s a different type of training and you need to work on it,” noted Gattuso. “We must try to find a middle ground, this is modern football. Playing this way, man-marking is more difficult.”

However, when it comes to the possibility of using two real centre-forwards together, the coach is more reticent. “It would be madness to fiddle with something that worked well, but we’ll see what we get from the training sessions, seeing as today is the first.” He further added.

He also warned that Moise Kean needs to give something more to Italy and Fiorentina, while he explains the unexpected Leonardo Spinazzola and Nicolò Cambiaghi calls after two players were forced to withdraw from the squad due to injuries.

While Mateo Retegui and Kean couldn’t stop scoring last season, the Viola man is stuttering a little at club level this term with one goal and two assists in seven games. “Kean scored double figures last season. I told him that in this moment, he needs to give something more, because he is an important player,” Gattuso said.

“He mustn’t seek alibis, but instead be ready and a reference point for his teammates.” The Italy attack is bound to see some changes for these games, because Napoli star Matteo Politano and Lazio captain Mattia Zaccagni were both forced to withdraw from the squad.

Surprisingly, Gattuso called in Napoli left-back Spinazzola and Fiorentina centre-forward Roberto Piccoli as their replacements. “It’s disappointing to lose these players, but we brought in others who can give us a hand. The choices were made based on two games that we will face in different ways,” added the coach.

“Spinazzola has his role, then naturally he can also push a bit further up, because he has pace and quality. He has been unlucky, lacking consistency, but is now finding that again. I have to thank Spinazzola, because I called him after the Politano injury and he was immediately available.”

“It’s not easy to be like that at age 32, I too have been through that phase as a player. He came with eagerness and passion, so I appreciated that a great deal.” He continued. Giacomo Raspadori is another alternative for the left flank now that he has been playing in that position for Atletico Madrid.

“I put him there against Estonia in Bergamo, so yes, it can be a solution.” Nicolò Cambiaghi of Bologna and Fiorentina midfielder Hans Nicolussi Caviglia were also some new faces for the Nazionale under Gattuso’s tenure as we’ve already seen Francesco Pio Esposito make his debut under him.

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“Cambiaghi has similarities with Politano. He was unlucky last season and tore his anterior cruciate ligament, but he does well both attacking and defending. Nicolussi can be a deep-lying playmaker if he wants, as he brings balance and quality, so has the right characteristics for the role.” He concluded.

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