Lippi’s Selection Headaches Continues

August 25, 2009

As the countdown to the 2010 Fifa World Cup draws ever closer, the Azzurri still have some work to do in their final qualifying matches to be assured of reaching and most importantly defending their coveted trophy once more.

Whilst the final qualifying matches against Georgia, Bulgaria, Republic of Ireland and Cyprus may not seem daunting on paper, it is neither as simple as turning up and collecting three points, as the first qualifying match against Cyprus proved, where a largely unknown Cyprus team outplayed the Azzurri and without a divine intervention from Antonio Di Natale in stoppages who grabbed a brace the Azzurri would have been sent home embarrassed and without a single point.

The recent performances in the confederations cup showed the vulnerabilities in defence and without the magic of Buffon in many instances the score line could have looked worse. It is not to say that is the only headache Marcello Lippi faces in terms of rebuilding the squad, as the midfield was often outmuscled and overrun, but also the creativity and dynamism from Pirlo and Montolivo was not seen, which directly impacted on the amount and quality of service the likes of Toni, Rossi, and Gilardino were receiving.

In the most recent friendly between Italy and Switzerland, Lippi gave debuts to Domenico Criscito and Claudio Marchisio which I believe is a good sign for the team and other emerging talents in Serie A. The 2009/2010 Serie A season will be a chance for many players such as Santon, Cigarini, Guberti, Balotelli, Motta and Giovinco to impress and potentianlly earn a place in Lippi’s new look Azzurri.

Another selection headache for Lippi will be to decide whether to include Juventus striker Amauri who would be eligible to play for Italy once he receives his Italian passport and recent reports from the player suggests that could be soon. Alternatively, the resurgence of Antonio Cassano in recent seasons with the blucerchiati has seen many pundits in Italy questioning why he has not featured in recent games where there was a definite need for a creative playmaker upfront.

I am not saying that Lippi needs to panic and make drastic changes to the team, but I think players who continually play well need to be a consideration in terms of selection. One thing is for certain though; the upcoming Serie A season promises to be exciting and action packed with many players vying for an elusive spot to South Africa next year.

Kyle Nehring

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