Sergei Shevchenko - about the representatives of the Italian championship, distinguished by the manner of the game.
Italian football is famous not only for the glorious successes or thoughtful tactics. His treasure was always bright, original players, whose manner is different from the standard. Andrea Pirlo, Sinisa Mikhailovich, Filippo Inzaghi, a whole scattering of brilliant "tens" - all of them attracted their glances while on the field, and then crashed into the memory so much that they were compared to players of new generations. The current Serie A, alas, is hard to boast of greatness, but it lacks identity. This text is not a selection of the best league players or owners of an extravagant image. Here are collected exclusives in the style of the game: from stars from the top clubs to local heroes and at all, it would seem, ordinary performers.
Mario Manjukic Juventus, 31, the last striker A couple of years ago, it was a standard example of a center forward: high, hard, not the most technical, but extremely workable. His best qualities were used in Atletico with Bavaria and it seemed that nothing else from Mario should wait. Allegri thought differently. In the summer of 2016, the task arose before him: if possible, to combine Mandzhukich with Higuain. Bought for a lot of money, Gonzalo booked a place in the start, and before the game with two of the same forwards came up with only Giampiero Ventura in the Italian team. The decision surprised everyone. Horvath played in the position of the left attacking midfielder, so successfully that he extended the contract with Juventus until 2020. Mandzhukich did not turn into a quick-edged kraika. His functions - wrestling (including dirty), pressure, taking the ball after casting from the depths, breakthroughs through the defense and, finally, the end of the attacks. Mario in the new place does not fail the team, and his impact through himself in the Champions League final could be a goal for ages, but Juve himself was already disappointed ... Dries Mertens Napoli, 30, center forward Antipod Manjukicha. Small and unusually mobile, with outstanding technique. Not so stable, but who knows almost everything with the ball, it is enough to see at least a crazy goal at the gate of Lazio. Dries seemed to be created for playing on the left flank of the attack, but Napoli already had Insigne there - a football player with similar characteristics, right up to the right working leg. Transformation also became forced: Milika's trauma and Solomon's decision by Maurizio Sarri, who placed Mertens in the center of the attack. Now a bunch of two Neapolitan babies works wonders, and the Belgian himself comfortably fit into a new role. It can not be called a "false nine". Dris is a full-fledged forward who, thanks to the jumping ability, even fights for riding balls, but is especially good at snatching. Bonus: the game of podygryshe. Mertens would have to rest more often, because with excessive stress, fantasy is lost - one of his best qualities.
Jordan Lukaku Lazio, 23 years old, left back Yes, it's younger brother Romela, striker MJ. Jordan is less tall, but his complexion in family traditions: 177 cm, 83 kg. How does this square play the flank defender? Very peculiar. He is breaking on the edge like a rhinoceros, and you will not envy the rivals who turned out to be Lukak Jr. on the way. Feeds from the flank - not his style, he likes to cut a corner and shoot or even play the ball at all. Lazio plays with three centerbacks, so Jordan has enough opportunities to connect to the attack, although Simone Inzaghi and infrequently releases it at the base. Perhaps this is such an idea: when the enemy is tired, letting out on the field a secret weapon.
Jorginho Napoli, 26 years old, central midfielder Man-Pass. The average number of gear he is in the lead by a wide margin: Jorginho at 96 passes per game, his closest pursuer Coulibaly gives 84, and the best of the other teams - Mateo Musacchio 72 gears. Napoli makes an accented bet on possession of the ball, and Jorginho - the hub player, through which most attacks begin. Perhaps in another club he would not have been able to fully reveal himself, but Maurizio Sarri ideally entered it into the scheme, sacrificing Valdifiori, who brought with him from Empoli. Last fall, Jorzigno made his debut for the Italian team, but his prospects in the National depend on the new coach - a naturalized Brazilian requires a certain style and in the "vertical" football is unlikely to fit in.
Fabio Quagliarella Sampdoria, 34, striker Representative of the old school. Surprisingly, after the departure of the bison like Luke Tony and Francesco Totti, Quagliarella became the record holder for the goals in Serie A among the current players in it. On account of Fabio 120 goals, he is ahead of Pazzini (111), Pellissier (108) and Higuain (104). Quagliarella experiences a second youth in Sampdoria. The speed is not the same, he never was a dribbler, but he has an excellent scoring instinct, and branded sweeps of the ball (remember his goal of Slovakia at the 2010 World Cup?) And blows through himself decorate the matches of the Genoese. The figures are impressive: a veteran this season scored twice as much as any of his teammates.
Alejandro Gomez Atalanta, 29, the extreme striker The leader of the magical Atalanta. Gomez for the second consecutive season is in the top of the Serie A, according to Whoscored. This is a man-orchestra receiving exceptional freedom of action. Alejandro tends to the left flank, but in fact can come up on any part of the field. Dribbling, key transfers, goalshooting - for all of these indicators Gomez is the best player of his team. A tiny Argentinian earned a captain's armband, and his dance when marking the heads became a real hit. I can not believe that such a football player played in Kharkov. Alas, Gomez was in Metalist at the most inopportune moment ... Fabio Borini Milan, 26 years old, extreme striker / lateral Did not they expect to see him here? The most inconspicuous of the summer transfers of Milan was perhaps the most useful, especially if we take the ratio of price and quality. Borini played his entire career as an attacker (both in the center and on the flank) and proved himself a universal - true, of those that are equally bad in any position. Vincenzo Montella, rebuilt during the championship on the module 3-5-2, made a move with his knight, and Borini turned into a lateral. Fabio was not at a loss in such an unusual role and even gave a series of sensible matches, giving three assists. I was impressed how he and Bonucci side by side with Napoli's attacks - who could have imagined such a thing a year ago? Alas, with the advent of Gattuso, Borini slipped into the familiar Sunderland level.
Simone Verdi Bologna, 25 years old, extreme striker He was to become the main transfer of the Italian winter window, but at the last moment he refused the deal. Verdi did not want to reunite with Maurizio Sarri and fight for the Scudetto in Napoli. His choice is a bird in his hand. Simone in the course of the season finally became the leader of Bologna, and at that age oh, I do not want to sit in reserve (which was quite a real prospect, despite all his talents). The peculiarity of this player is well known: he is a "two-legged". The left leg, right - no difference, Verdi easily beats any of them, but about the two penalties realized by different legs in a match with Croton, and to remind once again is not worth it. Defenders are more difficult to "read" such an attacker, because the arsenal of his techniques becomes much more diverse. Let's hope that Simone made the right choice and will not stop in development.
Milan Schnrinarian Inter, 22 years old, central defender One of the main discoveries of the season. Shkriniar was considered promising in Sampdoria, finally revealed himself, going to Inter. The peculiarity of this young centrebeck combined with impressive dimensions with the ability to give out the finest transmissions. His style perfectly fit the team of Luciano Spalletti: now there is a person in the defense who not only wins the fight, but also starts attacks. Extra skill Shkriniar - powerful long-range strike. He did not score in this way, but several times was close. But in the asset Slovak surprising goal in the goal Chievo, when he joined the attack and closed the chamber with a goalie. It seems that Inter for a long time got a class defender.
Lianco Torino, 20 years old, central defender Let's make a small advance payment. This player stands out at least by origin: Lianco Evangelista Silveira Neves Voinovich is a Brazilian with Serb roots. In Torino, he hit this summer and played so far only four games (injuries are not ignored), but managed to remember. Lianko on physical strength is not inferior to Shkriniar, he easily wipes his opponents corps, but surpasses the Slovaks in the speed of movements. In addition, the Brazilian Serb is plastic and with the ball to "you", although this seems to be the case when the "technical defender is the team's misfortune". I recommend that you familiarize yourself with the cutting of his actions in the match with Juventus, it was spectacular, though unsuccessfully - Torino lost 0: 4. Far from the fact that the representative of the youth national team of Brazil (at the youth level, Lianco managed to play for Serbia) will be able to fit into the main squad, but his potential is colossal.
When creating the text in my head, there were a lot of players who could quite fit into the company of originals.
For example, Federico Chiesa - a craftsman to invent something elegant on a flat surface. Or clever and charismatic Borja Valero. Or Ali Adnan is a tenacious guy from Iraq with a powerful blow. Finally, such, of course, original players like Leonardo Bonucci, Patrick Schick and Riccardo Saponara, but they now only fit into the "team disappointments". Perhaps you have your own candidates? Write in the comments - the author of them reads :-).
Author: Sergey Shevchenko.