Italy scraped a narrow 3-2 victory in Macedonia, but Mina Rzouki explains why Giampiero Ventura deserves patience.

No country revels in negativity as much as Italy. A land where the finger is forever pointed at whomever is in charge, Italians love to criticise, to judge and to demand more regardless of the circumstances. Patience is a luxury no Italian can afford, least of all the Coach in charge of the Nazionale.

Labelled a provincial Coach, Giampiero Ventura is not only tasked with ushering in a new generation of players, but of appeasing a nation that is relentlessly critical. It seems it was only yesterday that Antonio Conte was criticised heavily after a drab draw against Bulgaria and of selecting a squad that had little chance of demonstrating brilliance in Euro 2016, yet he and his mediocre side surprised us all. Conte was the right choice then, as only he understood how to mask the deficiencies within the side by focusing on the collective.

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