Ionuț Lupescu called “FRF's mistake in this campaign” and chose a surprise opponent at the dam: “Nothing to be afraid of!”

Defeated in Bosnia and Herzegovinathe Romanian national team will finish group H in 3rd place. The course in the League of Nations means that the “tricolors” keep a chance to qualify for the North American World Cup, but for that they need to escape in a play-off in two rounds.

What didn't work in the fighting match in Bosnia and Herzegovina? Here is the analysis of Ionuț Lupescu, member of Romania's Golden Generation.

Ionuț Lupescu: “We don't have leaders in the team!”

“Probably the “Soul Generation” didn't put or had any soul in the second half. No matter how many excuses we find, a team that played with 9 players under the age of 23 gave us a lesson in determination, ambition, aggression in the second half.

It's a shame, because we had a good first half, I would have said very good if we had scored the second goal. And we had so many chances… They probably thought it was going to be the same in the second half and it wasn't like that. Probably also from a tactical point of view, Bosnia surprised us a little with the changes made. Their aggressiveness, their desire to win this match… This is how a match like this is played, who on who.

First, you have to want to win. The second half left a lot to be desired. And when we played with 10 men for 20 minutes, we should have finished the match at least 1-1. We still had chances. I don't think Bosnia beat Austria, we could have been 2nd.

Unfortunately, we don't have 2-3-4 leaders in the team, who feel the game and take the reins in their hands. It's a pity. We would have had a chance to continue with 1-1. I didn't see any leader. I mean the leaders on the ground, not the ones who sit all day talking to the press.

Every generation had these leaders on the ground, who set the tone when it was needed, rallied the ranks. If some have stepped on our heads, we must also step on them. There are matches where you have to be more aggressive than the opponent”, said Lupescu on the “Fotbal Club” show on DigiSport.

Ionuț Lupescu: “The Federation should have closed the Mircea Lucescu issue!”

Asked if Mircea Lucescu should remain on the bench for the dam as well, Lupescu answered in the affirmative, but he also called what he considers to be a mistake by the Federation in approaching this campaign:

“Yes, absolutely. As long as the international forums keep inventing all kinds of barriers, so that as many Federations as possible can qualify, to thank them, if you have a chance, I think it would be good to finish. The problem is that in this campaign no one from the Federation came out to close the Mircea Lucescu issue.

Every time he spoke, he was the only one who spoke. Probably all these exits of the last months, whether you like it or not, are affecting you. Even if no one has his experience, these themes distract him from certain things. It would have been good if someone from the Federation had closed this topic, said he had a contract [în vigoare]that it remains… Or not. Each time there was laxity.”

Ionuț Lupescu, surprise choice for the dam: “Italy would be the best option!”

At the end of the intervention, Lupescu named the ideal opponent from the first round of the dam. Romania will be assigned against one of Italy, Ukraine, Turkey and Poland.

“I think that Italy would be the best at this moment. Italy no longer represents anything of what it was, of the glory it had in the history of football. And last year at the Euros, and now, it's not a team that scares you.

I saw a few matches at the Euro last year. And now, with new coach Gattuso, it's not a team to be scared of. One is in marketing the name of Italy, but if you analyze they have no players to be afraid of“, opined the “Kaizer”.