The Worst Italy Team in the last 30 years

As I watched this pathetic excuse for a defending World Cup champion stumble through draws with Paraguay and New Zealand, and then finally decide to start playing against Slovakia after they were 2-0 down, I was trying to think back as far as I can remember to determine if there was ever a worse Italy than the 2010 edition that Marcello Lippi trotted out there.



The '86 squad that went out in the 2nd round to France is possible, but they were actually a very good team that had to deal with two of the best players in the world that tournament; Diego Maradona of Argentina (group stage) and Michel Platini of France (2nd round exit). So then I though about 1996 Euros in England, but they did win a match despite going out in the group stages. So forward to Japan/Korea in 2002, and I just think in disgust of the 5 goals they had denied from them by bad officiating. 2004? They didn't lose in matches against Denmark, Sweden, and Bulgaria. I'd say Donadoni's 2008 team, but they had to deal with Holland, Romania, France, and took eventual champ Spain to penalties.



Simply put, this is the worst Italy team I have ever watched in the time I have followed this sport. For three games in this World Cup, I suffered through an Italy that genuinely lacked ideas. There was no plan B once Andrea Pirlo went down injured, and Lippi could have gotten more out of the Statue of David than he got out of Vicenzo Iaquinta and Alberto Gilardino. The defense held up in the first two matches, with the only shots on goal seemingly the goals they allowed (and both on set pieces). Yet, this was an Italy side that was desparate for answers in attack. No, Antonio Cassano, Fabrizio Miccoli, Mario Balotelli, or Francesco Totti would have made this any better. The squad that Lippi picked in theory should have performed better in this World Cup, but his lineups meant an Italy that would be narrow and dreadfully predictable.



I'm going to pick apart the team that Lippi preferred throughout this World Cup, and then outline for incoming manager Cesare Prandelli the team that should be out there in the future.



LIPPI'S TEAM:

• Goalkeeper: Gianlugi Buffon, then Federico Marchetti. Buffon ended up getting a herniated disk in his back during the Paraguay game (apparently from digging the ball out of the net on Paraguay's goal, because that appeared to be his only action that game), so Lippi was forced to play Federico Marchetti for the remaining 2 and a half games. Marchetti stood in well and did his job, as there weren't any howlers that he gave up. When healthy, Buffon is one of the best goalkeepers in the world, but he has been consistently struggling with his fitness for the last two seasons.


• Defender (right full back): Gianluca Zambrotta. Zambrotta has had an amazing career with Il Nazionale, but the fact that his club side preferred to convert a winger to play in the same position, should tell you all you needed to know about him. Zambrotta hardly looked dangerous in attack on the right flank.


• Defender (center half): Fabio Cannavaro. Apparently Lippi didn't watch any Juventus games this season to see how easily picked apart the Juventus defense was in big games. Cannavaro is 36, and while he was an absolute stud at World Cup 2006, he has been well past it for some time.


• Defender (center half): Giorgio Chiellini. Hard to be critical of Chiellini because I think he had to spend a lot of time covering up for Cannavaro and sometimes Zambrotta. A younger center half who is solid on the ball would have been a more ideal partner and might have made a difference in the goals given up against Paraguay and New Zealand.


• Defender (left full back): Domenico Criscito. I actually thought Criscito had a good tournament. He was getting forward down the left flank and helping the Azzurri to keep the ball. He has a lock on this position for the next couple of tournaments.


• Midfielder: Claudio Marchisio. Another Juventus player who I think was asked to work on the left hand side and often looked lost out there.


• Midfielder: Ricardo Montolivo. Pirlo's replacement, and clearly does not have the vision and skill necessary to dictate the tempo that Pirlo does.


• Midfielder: Daniele De Rossi. The next captain, and he should be. He looks fantastic when he has someone with the skillset of Pirlo to partner with in the midfield. All he has to do is be the ball winner and get it to Pirlo to start the attack. He and Montolivo clearly lacked an understanding of each other when the ball had to go forward.


• Midfielder (Winger): Simone Pepe. I liked the idea of Pepe in the team and starting, because he could offer pace and crossing for the strikers. Unfortunately in this tournament, it appeared to me that he was only interested in crossing the ball, and thus making his play awfully predictable. Zambrotta's lack of overlaps forced Pepe's hand.


• Striker: Vicenzo Iaquinta. Another Juve player, and one who only scored 7 goals in all competitions this past season.


• Striker: Alberto Gilardino. He simply cannot do it in the big matches. See his performances for AC Milan. Italy looked like they were playing with 10 men when he was out there.

Antonio Di Natale did a nice job of providing some playmaking up top and certainly was livelier than Gilardino, but he is 32 years old now, so time has passed him by. Mauro Camoranesi got roughly 30 minutes against Paraguay and was impressive, but we know this is his last Cup. Fabio Quagliarella and Christian Maggio got to see time in the 2nd half against Slovakia and each impressed.

So, it's time to move on from the geriatric mess that Lippi sent to Africa, and perhaps help Mr. Prandelli with a list of players who should be representing Italy in Euro 2012 (assuming they get there):

GOALKEEPERS: Federico Marchetti, Salvatore Sirigu, Andrea Consigli
Rationale: Marchetti will be the goalkeeper with experience and having been Buffon's understudy will be ready to take the reins. Sirigu had an impressive season at Palermo and was the last goalkeeper cut for the 2010 World Cup team. He's 23. Andrea Consigli played for the Italian Under-21s and is a promising young goalkeeper.
You could also offer: Marco Amelia. The well-travelled goalkeeper just joined Milan and could potentially revive his career there.

DEFENDERS: Domenico Criscito, Giorgio Chiellini, Salvatore Bocchetti, Leonardo Bonucci, Christian Maggio, Davide Santon, Mattea Cassani
Rationale: I like Maggio to take the reins at right back, at least for the next two years from Gianluca Zambrotta. After that, Prandelli will have to determine if Santon can fit as a right back. Bocchetti would be the future partner to Chiellini in the center of defense. Cassani missed the final cut for this year's World Cup team.
You could also offer: Ignazio Abate. Abate has been converted to right back for AC Milan and was solid getting forward with his crossing, and is improving as a defender in that role. Marco Motta of Roma could also step into the right back role in the future.

MIDFIELDERS: Daniele De Rossi, Simone Pepe, Claudio Marchisio, Ricardo Montolivo, Antonio Nocerino, Luca Cigarini, Antonio Candreva
Rationale: I'm going to give Marchisio a pass for his performance at the World Cup because I think from a tactical perspective, it wasn't really clear what was expected of him. Often times he got in the way of his midfield teammates as a result. The central midfield players like Nocerino, De Rossi, and Cigarini can certainly function as ballwinners in the mold of Gennaro Gattuso. Antonio Candreva, if properly utilized, can operate as a playmaker in close to the striker or strikers. Prandelli's Fiorentina teams had some good use of flank play, so you have to think that Pepe will be prominant in his plans.
You could also offer: Andrea Pirlo. He'll be 33 by the time the Euros roll around and I'm sure he'll want to take one last shot. Then again, it wouldn't surprise me to see if Prandelli goes with youth.

FORWARDS: Fabio Quagliarella, Giampaolo Pazzini, Sebastian Giovinco, Alberto Gilardino, Robert Acquafresca
Rationale: I'll keep Gilardino in the team because the new Italy coach has been his club coach for the past two seasons, and Prandelli seems to have gotten the best out of him. Giovinco is the playmaker that Italy desparately missed this World Cup, and one expects that he will mature over the next couple of seasons. In the theory that Prandelli will play wider, I could see Giovinco (or Quagliarella) operating as a winger opposite Pepe with one striker. In this case Pazzini. Acquafresca has been bounced around at so many clubs over the years but he is a young talent that can be prolific once he is able to settle in somewhere.
You could also offer: Mario Balotelli. If he can keep his emotions in check and start to demonstrate some maturity, Italy will benefit. The Ghanaian born striker is loaded with talent. Antonio Cassano has had his chances in Euro 2004 and 2008 and was less than impressive. Vicenzo Iaquinta and Antonio Di Natale are too old.

That in mind, my Italy XI would be (4-3-3): Marchetti- Maggio- Bocchetti, Chiellini, Criscito, Cigarini, De Rossi, Montolivo, Giovinco, Pazzini, Pepe.

So that's my 23 for Italy for Euro 2012. We'll see what Prandelli does, but the next two years certainly need to be about transition, to set up nicely for Brazil 2014.