Ben Boucher delivers his latest editorial for SempreInter.com, this time about a new striker solution for Andrea Stramaccioni:
‘Número Venti-Tre Andrea Ranocchia’. I can hear the murmurs of discontent from the Curva already and the pens being sharpened like knives in the press area. Andrea Ranocchia playing as a centre forward? Are you out of your mind? Yes, probably but bear with me. When I saw Andrea Stramaccioni pull the famous Mourinhoesque move of adding a centre back as a third striker Against Tottenham an odd thought crossed my mind, why couldn’t this work from the start of a game? The switch from central defence to leading the forward line is usually a temporary solution to a problem. On occasion though the change in position elevates the player to such a level he remains as a striker. One example is Chris Sutton who started his career as a tall, skinny centre half at Norwich City. After the switch Sutton would go on to form a lethal partnership with Alan Shearer at Blackburn. The former centre back plundered 193 goals in a successful career.
In another successful but more temporary transition Paul Warhurst was an instant success in the early 1990′s. Sheffield Wednesday signed Warhurst as a central defender in 1991. Wikipedia takes up the story from there “He began his career at the club as a solid defender, but midway through his second season, injuries to David Hirst and Mark Bright saw Warhurst employed as an emergency striker. In a phenomenal sequence, he scored 12 goals in as many games, and after four years as a defender, was called up to the England national team as a striker”. Many other players have fulfilled this ‘emergency striker’ role with great effect. Ruud Gullit and Dion Dublin are another couple of standout names that fit into this category.
In Ranocchia’s case he has a couple of attributes that will not only help Inter but can ease the problems what come with changing a players position mid-season. It’s a little known fact that Ranocchia began his career with Arezzo playing as an attacking midfielder. Indeed many attribute the late change to his position as one of the reasons he struggles at certain times in defence. With that in mind it would not be completely alien to the Italian international to be pushed further up the pitch. His excellent first touch and aerial ability would also help Inter to retain possession higher up the field, an area the team has suffered in since the injury to Diego Milito. This move would also allow Antonio Cassano to drop into deeper positions enabling him use his wonderful array of creative skills. The final part of this puzzle is Rodrigo Palacio, I can’t help thinking that the Argentine sniper would also benefit from the many flick-ons and knock downs that Ranocchia could deliver. Inter seem well covered to accommodate this change with Walter Samuel and Matthias Silvestre set to return complimented by the likes of Juan Jesus and Cristian Chivu.
What started out as a crazy idea might just make sense for Andre Stramaccioni’s Pazza Inter.
