CM: Cisse sends message to Amorim and Mancini – Milan and Italy’s plans outlined

Alphadjo Cisse continued his excellent start to the season by scoring an injury-time winner against Armenia for Italy U21s.

As Calciomercato.com recall, Cisse initially started on the bench but came on at half-time and took up a position on the left. He started off strong, often looking for shots, even hitting the crossbar after just a few minutes after some nice play on the edge of the area.

Just as it looked like Italy would drop points, Cisse stepped up in the dying moments. After a huge chance missed by Cherubini from close range, the 20-year-old pounced and unleashed a deadly left-footed shot under the crossbar, sparking jubilant celebrations.

A message to Mancini… and Amorim

As Cisse continues to show that he can be decisive for club and country, question marks arise about his role for both. Roberto Mancini would have already considered calling him up, if it were not for the U21s having crucial European Championship qualifiers.

The feeling is that from the November break, if he remains at this level, there will be room for him in the senior national team. So, the ball passes back to Milan and the careful and prudent management of Amorim.

For the Portuguese coach, the young Italian is an important resource within the Rossoneri squad. He is a ‘game-changer’, a player who can enter the game during the match and find the right spark to make an impact (see the Torino and Juventus matches).

While there is a lot of competition for a starting spot due to the presence of players like Christian Pulisic, Alexis Saelemaekers and Diego Moreira, Cisse has that youthful eagerness to try and demonstrate his value.

The management of the young talent will be aimed at helping him grow and play in the right situations. Given that seven games in 21 days are coming up after the break, Cisse will almost certainly get a chance to prove he is ready for whatever his coaches throw at him.