Sebastiano Esposito

[.h.]

Some of these comparisons are unfair - Juventus invested in Kean by negotiating big club loans, sending Kean to Everton and PSG. Whereas we tossed Esposito to anyone who would take him. Granted, he didn't help with his behavior much, but on the other hand Kean didn't make much of his chances either, he had one arguably good season so far in his career and that's the PSG loan. If you look at his stats (yeah I know) it gets progressively more grim - he scored 8 goals in 40 apps this season, in what is his 8th season in elite levels of football including EPL.
Gnonto scored 4 goals this season in EPL. Poor output but an expected one from such a young player. I personally think his performances are hardly worth discussing yet, he is a convenient (if not even singular) argument that media has against outdated italian doctrine of not utilizing youth.

What I'm trying to say is that number of apps can often be circumstantial. Sometimes you use a player a lot because he is all you got. Certain #5 comes to mind as the best analogy.

Esposito can still explode and become a great Serie A striker, talent is there. But do I personally think its likely to happen? No, not really. He will be the village bicycle for clubs like Verona, maybe reaching apex at some midtable club like Torino. If I absolutely had to take a guess at this moment. It's still an admirable career, just not what we expected.

I would have to check his loans off hand but most, if not all, he started off as a starter at the clubs and then fell off the radar. I agree with your overall post but if he's actually in the context of starting and scoring regularly and then dropping out because of arrogance/falling out with teammates/etc then it's a different story no? He's being given chances at the right clubs but failing to seize them


On average, and certainly a few seasons ago, sending our kids to clubs where they were never going to play was a massive issue

 

[dax21]

But he wasn't scoring regularly though. Bad behavior is the highlighted word for him so far, but I think it's not that much of an issue, the issue was that he wasn't scoring goals and meeting expectations. Even in today's football, I believe that many managers and staff are willing to let a lot of things slide as long as the player is making an impact and putting the ball in. And there was some pedigree to him too, Inter's first squad and all, people will want results. He didn't bring results.

 

[.h.]

But he wasn't scoring regularly though. Bad behavior is the highlighted word for him so far, but I think it's not that much of an issue, the issue was that he wasn't scoring goals and meeting expectations. Even in today's football, I believe that many managers and staff are willing to let a lot of things slide as long as the player is making an impact and putting the ball in. And there was some pedigree to him too, Inter's first squad and all, people will want results. He didn't bring results.

I'll check the data when I get home! I thought at least his last couple of loans such as Basel he generally started off as a first team regular with goals and assists but then drops out of the first team for disciplinary reasons

 

[IM21]

Just a fun fact. All 3 brothers lost yesterday. Spezia went to Serie B, Bari stayed in Serie B and Italy U20 lost the finals... Hat trick baby.

 

[Gaindé]

Him instead of Correa and you wouldn't see any difference. He might actually give more.

 

[.h.]

Him instead of Correa and you wouldn't see any difference. He might actually give more.

Its kind of an interesting one

like, raw talent, yeah. Esposito is potentially a better player than Correa

But one thing that kinda niggles me about him - at Inter he never... really did much. He didnt get loads of chances, dont get me wrong, but like I always contrast it to when Balotelli first appeared. Coppa Italia game, scored two goals in his first start for us. Like he basically played himself into the first team quite quickly - whereas I never felt that so much about Esposito.

Dont get me wrong, expecting Balotelli-esque success of a key youth player is unfair, but it just niggles me a little bit. Kinda like a 'looks good on paper but we dont see anything' sense?

 

[CafeCordoba]

That playing to the first team happens on the summer pre-season (and in the autumn games). He was such a young kid back then we can't really evaluate that period when he played for Conte.

 

[Gaindé]

Esposito has all the talent and I think also the fearless mentality to be great, but he needs the appropriate guidance, imo. Not to be thrown around in endless loans. Even the best strikers who recently emerged from our primavera he is ten times more talented but he needs to get his head straight. He is still very young.

 

[.h.]

That playing to the first team happens on the summer pre-season (and in the autumn games). He was such a young kid back then we can't really evaluate that period when he played for Conte.

yeah, thats why i said it is hharsh to measure. But you know what I mean, right? Like, Balotelli, bam, instant goals and good performances. Like, not good for a youth performance, but just outright good performances.

 

[Adriano@10]

Wouldn't mind him sticking around next year.

Would he be ok with sitting on the bench though.... Cause that was part of the problem why did not work out at basel...
And i think the same happened at anderlecht...

Unless him geting sent to serie B made him learn his lesson i d much rather loan him out one more season.

 

[brehme1989]

Would he be ok with sitting on the bench though.... Cause that was part of the problem why did not work out at basel...
And i think the same happened at anderlecht...

Unless him geting sent to serie B made him learn his lesson i d much rather loan him out one more season.

It's one thing to sit at Basel or Anderlecht bench as a kid that's allegedly a prodigy in a foreign country and another to be at his home club.

And he does seem to have matured. At least based on his pitch display, didn't hear much about anything off the pitch.

 

[sdvroot]

Him instead of Correa and you wouldn't see any difference. He might actually give more.

 

[Gaindé]

He nearly played as a trequartista in the last stages of the season, he was dropped at some point and spent some time on the bench but when he got called up again, he never left the starting XI. He is not really a poacher, he actually likes to touch the ball a lot and get involved in the build up which makes me think of Dzeko.
I'm convinced that his situation would have been different at Inter, with the appropriate guidance and players around him he could develop and become more mature.

 

[brehme1989]

He nearly played as a trequartista in the last stages of the season, he was dropped at some point and spent some time on the bench but when he got called up again, he never left the starting XI. He is not really a poacher, he actually likes to touch the ball a lot and get involved in the build up which makes me think of Dzeko.
I'm convinced that his situation would have been different at Inter, with the appropriate guidance and players around him he could develop and become more mature.

It didn't help that his self appointed mentor was the biggest egomaniac of the team.

 

[Gaindé]

It didn't help that his self appointed mentor was the biggest egomaniac of the team.

He even signed with Pastorello who was Lukaku's agent at the same time, the guy who made it so even before his 18th birthday he was negociating big wages and everything while at the same time Agoume who was the same age had a normal-ish salary.

Definitely not the type of mentor you'd wish for.

 

[IM21]

 

[Nerazzurri_Ninja]

he belongs on our bench

 

[.h.]

he belongs on our bench

No he doesn't

 

[CoolMan44]

I assume the plan is to have him continue at Bari? It looks like he became a starter for them near the end of the season, playing as an AM? Any rumours?

 

[sdvroot]

It's time to face it, he's a shitty player and not a talent, it will be good if we get rid of him for around 5-7 million.