Italians feeling Cork chill but 'new Pogba' wants Cross shutout
Italy U21 head coach Carmine Nunziata hasn't yet acclimatised to Cork conditions, but won't tolerate any excuses from his players when his table toppers face Ireland in Turner's Cross Tuesday evening.
The Italian party flew in from Bologna on Sunday and is holed up at the Rochestown Park Hotel in the city suburb, training at the match venue on Sunday and Monday evenings.
Having surprisingly dropped points with a scoreless draw in their Group A opener in Latvia, Italy bounced back with wins over Norway and Turkey. And Nunziata's side put seven past San Marino on Friday, while Ireland slipped to defeat in Norway.
But the former Torino midfielder is feeling the chill on Leeside and wary of a home side with "one or two quality players".
“Every game, for us, is fundamental," he told Italian TV channel RAI, which is screening the match live. "We are at the top but there are still six games to go. We have already given away two points and we can’t afford to give away any more: the lads know that we can’t slip up our approach.
"The conditions will be different, colder and windier, but these things mustn’t become excuses.
“We hoped to arrive at this game at the top of the table. We are first and now we have to try to stay there, in a difficult group.
“We need to try to bring the same game on Tuesday, with all due respect to San Marino, against a stronger opponent. Ireland lost in Norway, playing a good game. Especially at home, they are an opposition that comes down on you hard, with one or two quality players. We need to play as a team, with great intensity."
Leeds forward Wilfried Gnonto hobbled off against San Marino but is understood to remain in contention to face Ireland, but Juventus defender Riccardo Turicchia is a
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