Lippi changes Italy’s forward thinking

IN these troubled times it’s gratifying to know that Italy’s coach reads the Irish Examiner.

That’s the only conclusion to be drawn from the fact that Marcello Lippi has brought Fabio Quagliarella into his squad for tomorrow night’s match against Montenegro.

It seemed a little strange to leave the Udinese striker out of the party against Bulgaria, especially as he’d scored three goals in eight days, but this was the only paper that questioned the decision. As it was Lippi had little choice, with his main target man Luca Toni suspended after collecting a yellow card in Sofia when he came on as a sub.

Lippi insisted he was satisfied with a goalless draw against Bulgaria — who the Italians still consider as their main rivals — but the result received mixed reviews back home.

True, Italy’s defence looked solid enough, especially Giorgio Chiellini who looks increasingly like the natural heir to Fabio Cannavaro. But that was partly because they weren’t really tested. Bulgaria’s only real threat was Dimitar Berbatov and he had one of those games that strikers try to forget.

Constantly hustled off the ball, he dropped deeper and deeper, and with every yard he retreated he seemed less capable of controlling the ball. One report described him as drifting around like a lost lamb, but he seemed more like a confused sheep when he received the ball out on the left, dummied the defender and then tripped over the ball before sidefooting it into touch.

On the other hand Italy lacked both imagination and penetration in attack. Daniele De Rossi did an excellent imitation of a playmaker — his normal role is more the enforcer — and the new boy Simone Pepe showed the pace down the right which earned him his call-up.

But none of the four strikers eventually used made much of an impact, even if Giuseppe Rossi did inject a bit of pace and could have had a penalty had he not stayed on his feet.

“It would have been better had he gone over,” was Lippi’s comment, confirming once again that Italy’s preferred side would include Niccolo Macchiavelli as midfield schemer and Cesare Borgia up front.

Rossi has been earning praise from another World Cup winning manager, Enzo Bearzot, who claims Giuseppe reminds him of Paolo — the man who scored a memorable hat-trick against Brazil in the 1982 tournament, “I’ve been following him ever since Alex Ferguson spoke well of him,” says Bearzot. “If a youngster has the quality he deserves to be part of the group — although that doesn’t necessarily mean he should be playing immediately. I’d look to play him alongside Toni or Gilardino… one agile attacker alongside one who’s powerful and strong in the air.”

Lippi’s move to introduce younger players such as Rossi looks like a significant turning point.

When Italy played Cyprus in their opening qualifier, the average age of the players was 29.7 — a year older than the 2006 side, and older than any of the Italian World Cup sides within living memory. Cannavaro is the real veteran — he’s just turned 35 — but more than half were aged 30 or over. Against Bulgaria the 30-year-olds were still in evidence, but the average age was down to 27.5, which is younger than any of the World Cup sides since 1990.

Pushing Pepe straight into the starting line-up was a bold move, and it paid off. Rossi might get his first chance to start tomorrow.

That would be another breakthrough, because until recently players who even moved abroad were not selected. Someone who had learned his trade outside Serie A (and was born and brought up in America to boot) would have had absolutely no chance.

Rossi played just 19 games for Parma last year, on loan from Manchester Utd, before his move to Villarreal in Spain.

“He’s more mature than other youngsters of his age. He’s someone who has travelled the world,” says Lippi. “And having grown up abroad he doesn’t lack experience.”

Lippi’s main concern has been the injuries to his two central midfielders. Both Gennaro Gattuso and De Rossi are the sort who can play through pain, but his club are evidently worried about De Rossi’s fitness. Roma are at home to Inter at the weekend, a match that they must at least draw, as they are already six points behind the leaders.