Why don't more teams play two strikers? What's wrong with the strike partnership? Is there something posinous about it that nobody gave me a memo about?
I'll tell you what's wrong with it...absolutely nothing. Conte and Italy have shown just how dangerous it can be as Eder and Pelle have rekindled memories of when teams used to have that big and small combination.
Italy may be getting all the praise for their impenetrable defence, and they deserve every bit of praise because they have been incredible. However, it would be amiss to say that's all there is to their game. They have countered to amazing effect and looked great when attacking. These so-called unworthy players who we insulted and mocked before a ball was kicked, have proven all us doubters wrong.
What has drawn my eye have been the two strikers and how involved they've been in causing havoc for defences. It's something I've not seen in such a long time with the most teams playing the lone striker, so it's nice to see Italy harken back to a time when two forwards worked together as one. If they keep combining like how they've done, this could lead Italy to European glory.
But let's break down these two strikers.
Having a tall, strong striker is very problematic for defenders. They are tough to get around, hard to shake off the ball and there's little you can do if you're smaller and you're trying to win a header. That's why when Bonnucci or De Rossi pop off a long ball over to Pelle, he has won it more times than not. On top of that, he's actually got good control for a man of his height. So he can direct his header to other players, or take control of the ball hold it up and lay it over to the wings to launch an attack.
Then we have Eder, a very underrated player. I get it, nobody watches the Serie A and the world could care less who plays for Sampdoria. Well, I do and ever since I first saw him, I was impressed in the way in which he plays his football. Now the world has now taken notice of him, and how good he is on the ball. He's got that Brazilian in him, so with a low center of gravity and great control and command when he has possession of the ball, it makes for a great compliment to Pelle.
What you have is a problem for defences. You have two strikers who are completely different from each other characteristically, but are on the same wavelength. So defenders have to contend with two threats through the middle and have to adjust the way in which they defend each of them, based on the contrasting ways they play. They've also got to contend with trying to anticipate when they both connect with each other using a one-two.
A perfect example of that was when Pelle flicked it over to Eder who then ran down towards De Gea but was denied by him, that was a taster of what they can do. That can't be achieved by the lone striker, who has nobody near him that he can play off of. It's an old skool way of playing and like it or not, it always works. HH
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