Hit or Miss?
Written by Umberto Pelà (24.06.2023)
It’s easy to make predictions and let them die out. Only keep in mind the successful ones, letting the unsuccessful ones fade away into the darkness. Luckily, I’m not afraid of holding my hands up and highlighting any horrific take I may have had. Here we go: Underrated 2022/2023 Season review.
The first player on this list can definitely be deemed as a “hit”: successful prediction. Piotr Zieliński played an instrumental role in Napoli’s first scudetto in over 30 years since the great Diego Armando Maradona. With 3 goals and 9 assists throughout the season, the Polish midfielder was a crucial cog of Luciano Spalletti’s well-oiled machine. Involved in 16% of Napoli’s goals throughout the season, Zieliński even captained the side twice in absence of usual captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo. With such a successful season over, it’ll be curious to see what he decides to do, as Napoli’s financial strategy seems to be marginalizing players with high wages like the Polish international. Maurizio Sarri is interested in bringing the player to Lazio, and club president Claudio Lotito is lining up his offer. Eager to see how this ends up.
The next player is perhaps the prediction I am most proud of. At the time of writing – 21st of December 2022 – Federico Dimarco wasn’t even deemed as a crucial player within Inter’s rotation. In fact, many fans anxiously awaited German fullback Robin Gosens’ full recovery from previous injuries. Yet Dimarco’s Interismo and the way he fought on the field left me hopeful for his future — hopeful that that the music would change.
Today, the music has in fact changed. Dimarco is objectively a “top player”, and everyone recognises that — not just in Italy. This season, Dimarco has appeared in 44 games for Inter Milan contributing to 12 goals (4 goals and 8 assists) throughout all competitions. Fans of “la Beneamata” hadn’t seen similar numbers since Achraf Hakimi’s stint with the club, when the Moroccan right wingback put together a season with 15 goal contributions. Dimarco’s offensive production at an innately high level has set him apart from competition this season — and I would even argue that he now belongs in the same conversation as players like Theo Hernandez, Alphonso Davies, or Jordi Alba.
Coppa Italia, Supercoppa Italiana, UCL Final (and an almost game-changing goal in that same final) and a spot in the UCL Team of the Season — not too bad of a season for the academy kid, right?
Sofyan Amrabat feels like he may be the first “inbetweener” for my predictions, though this may be due to the unjustified hype that the World Cup brought to him. When I started to write about the Moroccan midfielder, not only was it before the world cup took place, but enticed a vision that saw him perform on a level that didn’t exactly include being involved in the World Cup’s Best XI. His monstrous performance which inspired Morocco’s final 4 finish set the bar exceedingly high. Whilst I think that this season was still incredible for Amrabat – keeping in mind he appeared in two finals for Fiorentina – I think he had a slight decline after January. Occasionally injured and benched by manager Vincenzo Italiano, I would’ve expected a slightly more solid, striking second part of the season. Nonetheless, I still tend more towards seeing him in the “hit” segment of this series.
“What if?” Perhaps the biggest question we ask ourselves when talking about footballers. And no, I’m not talking about your uncle and his “what if I didn’t get that knee injury when I was 17…” Today, I’m asking “what if Gerard Deulofeu hadn’t gotten injured this season?”. After my Underrated article for the Spanish winger, Udinese dropped 5 positions in the Serie A table — from 7th to 12th. Even though he produced 2 goals and 6 assists on top of remarkable performances, Deulofeu’s season undoubtedly marks my first appearance in the “miss” segment. Udinese’s number 10 is now approaching 30 years old, and time isn’t exactly on his side. It’ll be interesting to see whether he can still get a big move which I hinted at in the Underrated episode — even though highly unlikely considering he is coming off a rather serious injury. Or heck, if he can even bounce back to his usual levels next season.
Unlike Deulofeu, Napoli’s captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo heads straight to the ‘hit’ segment. Other than leading the ‘Partenopei’ to glory after more than 30 years, the full back has even solidified himself as a starter in Italy’s national team coached by Roberto Mancini. 11 goal involvements as a fullback is nothing short of fantastic for a player who many deemed to be technically limited up until last season. Di Lorenzo has now embedded his name in the history of SSC Napoli and, for his personal story which was discussed in his Underrated episode, it feels like there isn’t anyone who deserves it more than he does. From nothing to something, from something to greatness. Bravo.
Fabiano Parisi was undoubtedly the player I was sure people hadn’t heard of. The Italian fullback put together an extremely solid season as he appeared in 34 matches for Empoli whilst contributing to 2 goals. His performances – not extraordinary, but rather extremely solid – have made him stand out in an Empoli side which comfortably reached its objective of staying in Serie A. After writing about him, Parisi kept his consistency going as he had the same (or slightly more) amount of blocks, interceptions, and clearances. On top of that, Parisi started to work on his offensive side (something which I had noted he lacked) as his progressive carries, progressive passes, and pass completion all increased notably. Parisi’s season was one of clear growth, and if he doesn’t get a big move to a team like Lazio (who have shown interest seeing their lack of a left-back) this summer, I’m confident it will come in the summer of 2024.
Matteo Darmian is the player, with Federico Dimarco, who I am most proud of having talked about. This is due to the fact that many frowned when I tried to defend his case as an underrated player. Readers and friends would question my views as I explained what Darmian gave to Inter, and why he worked so well in this system. His ability to be dynamic in Inter’s high press, covering a lot of field as a third center-back, made him the perfect player for Inzaghi’s 3-5-2.
In fact, this season Darmian shined like few other players in Inter’s side. Not because of stellar performances, but rather, due to his consistency. Stepping in for an injured Milan Skriniar was not easy — but the AC Milan academy product played his cards to perfection. 2 assists, 1 goal, 31 appearances, and various decisive moments (see the goal-line clearance in the dying minutes of the Coppa Italia final vs Fiorentina) even saw him get back into the rotation of Italy’s National team. Aged 33.
Even though the cherry on top of the cake would’ve been winning the UCL against Man City, Darmian can only be proud of the season he put together. Inter’s sporting directors have decided to reward his performances with a contract renewal until 2025: extremely well deserved in my opinion. Hit or miss? You tell me.
The final player in this underrated list is one that left me slightly puzzled. Lazar Samardžić had put together an impressive season up until time of writing, and I expected him to only improve from then on. Whilst his performances have generally been solid, it is unquestionably clear that he did not live up to the standards he set in the first half of the season. After writing, the playmaker put together only 1 goal and 1 assist in 9 games. This may also be due to Udinese’s slump of form, as out of those 9 games, they lost 6. Losing players like Gerard Deulofeu may have also conditioned the team’s morale and form significantly. Nevertheless, I wouldn’t necessarily label his season as a ‘miss’. I think that for a 21 year old, he was still impressive. I’d even add that I’m confident next season will be even better, which will eventually see him get a big-money move to a greater club in the summer of 2024. Mark my words.
