3x3: Mirko Antonucci, Milan-Lazio and surprising transfers

Matt Santangelo, Billy Silva, and Tom Scholes from Italian Football Daily are put to the test with three topical football questions…

The Roma Question: Were you surprised by Mirko Antonucci’s performance against Sampdoria?

Matt / @Matt_Santangelo: “To be quite honest, I was not surprised to see Antonucci come off the bench and make an instant impact, in part due to the fact Sampdoria may have been caught off guard with what he is capable of. Anytime a promising youngster takes the pitch, we often see him kick it up a notch to impress the coach, and I believe that is what Mirko did on Wednesday. With Roma looking a bit flat and in need of a spark, playing a youngster like Antonucci could be the answer.”

Billy / @BilbertoSilva: “I was, but perhaps I shouldn’t have been. Antonucci has been making waves in the Primavera and the Primavera Coppa Italia this season, including two goals and an assist against Bari in the quarter-finals. In the Primavera he’s amassed three goals and four assists in ten games. There always seems to be an aura emanating from Roma youth products when they make their debut. It’s easy to see why, with a long list of Roma youth products who have gone on to have successful careers with the club. It could provide extra motivation for a youth player in their early games. This would explain his performance, as his energy was off the charts and refreshing to see in what has become a flat and seemingly de-motivated Roma side in recent weeks.”

Tom / @_TomScholes: “In a way yes, but when a youngster comes on with drive, passion, energy and a will to win it’ll always give his team a boost. Samp were tiring late on in the game so Antonucci’s introduction gave Roma the right amount of energy, which is probably why he looked so impressive.”

The Serie A Question: Who will win AC Milan v. Lazio?

@Matt_Santangelo: “This should be a tighter match than what we saw in the first clash way back in the early part of the season. Lazio were the Rossoneri's first true opponent and gave them a wake-up call with a commanding 4-1 win. Once again, this will be a big test for Milan and Gattuso who must come to play defensively if they are to keep Serie A's highest-scoring side in check and leave the San Siro feeling good about themselves amongst the top teams moving forward.”

@BilbertoSilva: “There’s no doubt Gennaro Gattuso will take inspiration from Simone Inzaghi’s short transition from player to manager. But the AC Milan manager still has a lot to learn and I think this game will be decided by Inzaghi’s tactical knowledge and game management. As the away side, expect Lazio to sit back for long periods of the game and counter attack. As the 11th best attack in Serie A the Rossoneri will most likely struggle to break down Lazio’s defense. We can anticipate Felipe Anderson and Luis Alberto pick them off on the break, with Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Marco Parolo providing runs in the box. No Immobile, no problem.”

@_TomScholes: “In comparison to the 4-1 Lazio win last time out, this one will definitely be much closer. Milan will go out of their way to avoid losing in such an emphatic way, so Gattuso setting up defensively could be key. He can always look along the touchline at Simone Inzaghi and take inspiration on how he’s doing, but with Lazio’s key players hitting form, it’ll be hard for Milan to keep them at bay at San Siro.”

The General Football Question: Who was the more surprising transfer – Alexis Sanchez to Manchester United or Lassana Diarra to Paris St. Germain?

@Matt_Santangelo: “Diarra to Paris. Anytime a world-class player like Alexis Sanchez becomes available, you immediately link him with the top clubs in Europe who could afford his wages. Although City were in pole position for his signature, it wasn't all that surprising to see United swoop in since they had a player in Henrikh Mkhitaryan to send the other way. Diarra, an aging player moving to a team like PSG with ambitions to win the UCL, surprised many since he is in the twilight of his career.”

@BilbertoSilva: “Lass Diara was the more surprising I’d argue. When you consider he’s bounced around the likes of Lokomotiv Moscow, Al Jazira and a cash-strapped Marseille, now he’s suddenly been picked up by a Champions League contender, albeit for a rotation spot. With Sanchez, when Manchester United swooped in it seemed quite unlikely they’d be able to turn his head. But in hindsight, now we know all the facts, it doesn’t seem that surprising. United offered him an eye-watering amount in wages and Manchester City, atop of the table by 12 points, seemed more than happy to walk away as opposed to try to beat their city rivals in a bidding war.”

@_TomScholes: “When a top player like Alexis Sanchez becomes available, you expect top teams to be falling over themselves to get his signature so for a club like Manchester United to get him isn’t a surprise. But when an ambitious team like PSG sign a veteran journeyman like Lassana Diarra (considering who they signed in the summer), that’s very surprising, even if it’s only in a back-up role.”