Now The Work Really Begins For Marcello Lippi

It was the draw we all expected but not, perhaps, in the tedious manner many predicted. A late, late Alberto Gilardino strike put the World champions on the plane to defend their title. However, it cannot be allowed to hide this side's deficiencies.

At this moment in time, Italy would truly have their work cut out to make it very far in South Africa. The team still looks unsure of itself. And, too often, it is overpowered by its opposition.

What is not missing, however, is character.

It took some guts to come from behind twice at Croke Park against Ireland. Maybe Trapattoni's men were not too bothered about pushing for the win after the score filtered through from other group game in Cyprus. Nonetheless, the Azzurri at least showed some much-needed "grinta" to book their spot with a match to spare.

Now comes the hard part of filling in the gaps in the squad.

An understudy to Gigi Buffon needs to gain experience and credibility. It's time to let some youthful zest play down the flanks to supplement what Zambrotta and Grosso have left to offer. A new Gattuso also needs to be found.

Then there is the little matter of resolving the questions over Amauri and Antonio Cassano - although Lippi seems to have made up his mind on the latter.

However, we'll enjoy this qualification for the time being. It allows Wednesday night to be more experimental and relaxed. Mind you, with Cyprus thrashing Bulgaria on Saturday, I wouldn't want to take the foot off the gas entirely.

I hope we don't give up our world crown without a fight. At least we are in a position to scrap it out next summer. It's up to Lippi to ensure we go as far as we can.

That'll do nicely

At last, we looked like World Champions again. Well, at least for 45 minutes. After all the pessimism surrounding the Italian game in general and the Azzurri in particular, we got a real top class performance.

Fabio Grosso delivered the same goal he scored against Brazil in a friendly in London, only this time it was not disallowed. And our strikers - yes, our strikers - combined beautifully for big Vinnie Iaquinta to get the second. Along the way, we spurned a number of other good chances.

In the second period we definitely eased up too much and that remains a worry. Nonetheless, the job is almost done. A draw in Dublin or a victory over Cyprus in Parma will be enough to see us safely to the World Cup 2010. It is no less than we should expect.

What was particularly positive, apart from the result against Bulgaria, was the performance. Daniele De Rossi gave the midfield some bite and character, Claudio Marchisio looked like he was born in the Azzurri blue and the old stagers like Pirlo, Camoranesi, Buffon and Cannavaro put in star turns.

Still not entirely conviced old Zambro is the force he was at right back and I always cringe when Pepe is brought onto the pitch. Also little Giuseppe Rossi did not have the desired effect - but then he came on when we were having our poorest period of play.

Just the same, this was no night for dwelling on the negatives. ItalJuve, as they have been christened, performed admirably. It all brings back memories of 1978 when there was only really Giancarlo Antognoni and a bunch of bianconeri. That team did OK, for itself. Maybe this one can follow suit.

Twin wins to secure South Africa trip

Let's put it simply. A win on Saturday away to Georgia and another at home on Wednesday against Bulgaria will ensure we defend our world title. Even if we went and lost to the Republic of Ireland, a win at home to Cyprus in the final match would see us home.

It is a straightforward enough equation but the Azzurri rarely do things easy. The Confederations Cup was a debacle but the young generation looked alright in the Switzerland friendly. Now is the time to show everything can click together.

I don't really care about personnel. Yes, I would probably have liked to have seen Cassano get a call up but, as with all such omissions, he will only be missed if results go wrong. Even without him we should be able to get the twin wins.

After Fiorentina sneaking into the Champions League this would be another chance to blow away the cobwebs around Italian football. Are you too fed up reading that Serie A and the Nazionale are dead? If we could be sitting nicely clear at the top of our group by Wednesday night it would be the best answer to that possible. Vai, Italia!

Tripping off the tongue

It was, to be fair, a UK commentator's nightmare. Paolo De Ceglie coming off to be replaced by Nicola Legrottaglie. Thanks to ESPN, it came out something like Dee Chiggly making way for Lee Grott Aggily.

This has been one of the highlights (or lowlights) of the return of Serie A to British screens. Chiellini becomes Chee-ell-eeny, Marchisio is Mar-cheesio, Maicon is transformed into May-son, and, most endearingly, Amauri becomes Amore.

So, yes, the song is true. When the ball hits the net, for Juve you can bet - That's Amore!

However, what ESPN has been graced with is some exciting football. Week one gave them the blistering battle between Genoa and Roma. The weekend gone by was not short on drama either.

What to say about Milan's capitulation in the derby? There was the amateur way they had to send Rino Gattuso back out when he was injured and ended up getting him sent off. There was the stubborn refusal to replace Ronaldinho when he was totally out of the play. And then there was the forlorn look of Leonardo like a man drowning.

Yes, he looks good in the white shirt which seems to be de rigeur for Coaches this year. Yes, he is a nice and intelligent guy. Yes, he may make a great manager in time. But, at present anyway, it looks like he has been given an impossible task - rival Inter and Juve without the players needed to do so.

The Bianconeri, for their part, despatched Roma with some style. It has been a bad start in terms of results for the Giallorossi but they will not play Genoa and Juve every week. Ciro Ferrara looks to have a real gem in Diego and Fiorentina fans knew he was getting a good one when he snapped up Felipe Melo.

It has been an exciting start to Serie A but la Nazionale now takes centre stage. An away day in Georgia and home clash with Bulgaria could all but seal a trip to South Africa to defend our World Cup crown.

Breathing space

Time for a calcio breather after the Confederations Cup and Under 21 Euro Championships. Much more bitterly disappointed about the latter than the former. We never looked all that enthusiastic for events in South Africa but the young boys were desperately hard done by.

What made it all the tougher to take, for me, was that Germany destroyed England in the final. We were so superior to the Germans in our clash that it was breathtaking. But the harsh rules of football state you have to stick the ball in the net. A lesson worth learning.

However, at least there is hope for the years to come. Judicious use of these young stars in the full international team should bear fruit. And who knows what judgements Serie A will bring in the year ahead?

From Calcio Italia

Italian fans have had to keep their heads down of late. It seems that our descent from World Champions to total laughing stock has been complete. Thank heavens for a little bit of sunshine from the normally chilly climes of Sweden.

It is not that the Under-21s have been brilliant at their European Championship, but simply that they have made progress. The Azzurrini remain unarguably the most successful national side at continental level. They may not win the tournament this year – it would be their sixth triumph – but at least they are in the hunt.

What has pleased me, personally, is not any individual performance but more the spirit of the team. They hung tough against Serbia for a point. Then they beat the host nation despite playing most of the match with 10 men. And finally they turned the ship around when they could easily have been sunk by Belarus.

It was supposed to be all about the attacking trio of Sebastian Giovinco, Robert Acquafresca and Mario Balotelli. Instead, I have been more impressed with the graft and organisation of the midfield and defence which has provided a vital platform. All credit to Gigi Casiraghi for that.

Of course, anything the young boys achieve cannot take away the pain of Confederations Cup humiliation, but it can send a powerful message to Marcello Lippi. Perhaps more of our youngsters are ready for battle than the wise old Coach suspected. Certainly, a few of them deserve their chance.

A World Cup winning side rarely shines four years on. Italy found out in 1986, so did France in 2002 and Brazil in 2006. It is vital, however, that you use that transitional period well. The Azzurrini have shown there is a crack of light appearing between the clouds. It is up to Lippi to find the way of capturing it – and using it to his best advantage.

From Pablito to Peppino

It was a long, hot Italian summer when a frail-looking striker burst into life in Spain to capture the heart of a nation. About 27 years ago, give or take a few days, we were living through the birth of a legend. Paolo "Pablito" Rossi has never been forgotten.

It was a magical story, one of rebirth for a player who had been beaten down and banned from the game for his part in a match-rigging scandal. With six stunning goals he catapulted Italy to winning the World Cup for the first time in 44 years. The little lad from Tuscany done good.

Nearly three decades on the Azzurri have another Rossi. Another kid who looks like his strip is a bit too big and clings onto the ends of his sleeves to hold them in place. And he might just help us turn back the clock.

This time our good fortune comes from the USA, not Prato. Giuseppe "Peppino" Rossi transformed a drab Italian display against the States with a performance full of verve, guts and character. The way he won the ball, strode forward and thundered his first goal past Tim Howard was a breath of fresh air in a side which was starting to smell a bit stale.

Different times, different styles, of course. Pablito was more the goal poacher, the Pippo Inzaghi of his day with a splash of Alberto Gilardino. His namesake likes to buzz about behind the strikers like a firefly. It is a position which can - when used effectively - throw the opposition into chaos. Finding the space between defence and midfield is a special gift.

For us old timers, it is great to see the name back on the scoresheet for Italy. The very thought of John Motson shouting: "It's that man Rossi again!" as he bagged his third against Brazil back in 1982 still makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck. For one brief moment, on Monday night thanks to Giuseppe Rossi, I was 12 years old again.

Confederations crazy

There was a time when I could recite the fixture list of any major tournament without a moment's hesitation. It was just kind of programmed into my brain. With the passage of the years, however, I have to admit those days are gone.

If I am being kind to myself, I could say that the Confederations Cup is not worthy of my mental exercise. No matter who wins and in what manner, not many will remember it next year - never mind in 20 years time. But it bugs be that I can't get the date and time of the ties fixed in my head.

I'm beginning to think part of the problem might be that I am turning into my great uncle Dante. In the early days of satellite TV he used to come round to join us watching the great European nights. Sometimes there were eight or nine games involving Italian sides on a Wednesday evening - many of them taking place at the same time. As we hopped from channel to channel, the old boy from Bergamo lost track of what the results were. Now I am starting to know how he must have felt.

I blame UEFA for putting the Under 21 championship on at the same time. It is too easy to get your Azzurri and Azzurrini mixed up. I end up thinking Italy play Serbia and the Under 21s face the USA. So I've decided to write out my schedule for the next few days to help myself out. You know things are getting bad when you have to write yourself notes. (All times based on UK)

Monday, 15 June - Italy v USA (19.30)
Tuesday, 16 June - Italy U21 v Serbia U21 (19.45)
Thursday, 18 June - Italy v Egypt (19.30)
Friday, 19 June - Italy U21 v Sweden U21 (15.00)
Sunday, 21 June - Italy v Brazil (19.30 - Even I couldn't forget that one)
Tuesday, 23 June - Italy v Belarus (19.45)

Feeling better now that I have got that down in print somewhere...

Fighting Irish!

Imagine looking at your enemy and finding it is like looking in a mirror. That will happen in Bari tonight when Italy take on the Republic of Ireland. On one bench a silvery haired Italian and, on the other bench, another silvery haired Italian!

Of course it is about the players on the pitch but it is hard not to think of it as Trap versus Lippi. Two legends of Juve - one with club honours from around the world, the other a World Cup winner. And Marco Tardelli involved as well. It will be hard not to have mixed emotions.

Still, a win for the Azzurri would put them virtually on the plane to South Africa. That is why I can hardly believe it will happen. Something must surely go wrong. Italy just don't do straightforward qualification campaigns.

Botched against Brazil

It was only a friendly, of course. They looked more motivated, it's true. But just the same, it still stings to lose to Brazil. Especially when the Azzurri were so poor for the first half.

Yes, we could have had a goal in the opening five minutes when Grosso's strike was ruled out. After that, however, the lights went out a bit. A slip by Legrottaglie and Pirlo dwelling on the ball cost us two goals. Montolivo failed to command the midfield and we struggled to get possession for any length of time.

The second half was a bit better. Zambrotta fought like a lion. If we had had 11 playing like him we might have had a chance. Not as downhearted now as I was last night but it was still a bit of a wake-up call for everyone.

Let's go against Montenegro!

These are the unglamorous games that make a World Cup qualification campaign. Home to Montenegro in October is a far from attractive fixture. Three points, however, would be a major step on the road to defending our title.

The opposition are not without their stars. Young Stevan Jovetic of Fiorentina and Roma's Mirko Vucinic are familiar enough faces to Serie A fans. Vucinic in particular will be well known down Lecce way having played there for a while. Italy's record against sides from the former Yugoslavia is also a cause for concern.

Lippi has turned to his "quality" men - Alberto Aquilani and Toto Di Natale - to unlock the visitors' defence. Certainly the Azzurri looked more solid against Bulgaria than they have recently. The time has come, however, for a bit of a show of force and a really convincing victory.

Let's hope, also, that the fans behave themselves. I am getting tired of the reputation Italian supporters are getting around the world. It looks like some eejits have stuffed up my plans to travel to Ireland next year and watch Trap O'Toni's boys take on the Azzurri. We shall see...

Lippi II

It felt a bit like welcoming your father back home after a lengthy summer holiday. Relaxed, tanned and with a wide grin - Marcello Lippi got back to work on Wednesday. Everything is right in the world.

The 2-2 draw with Austria seemed almost incidental. The Azzurri went two goals behind and looked shaky in defence. Then they got the bit between their teeth and - thanks to a dreadful goalkeeping blunder by the Austrian goalie - salvaged a draw. It took Lippi's undefeated run to 26 games.

In pre and post-match press conferences the mighty Tuscan made you wonder why he had ever been away. To continue my earlier analogy, it all made you feel a bit sorry for your step-father Roberto Donadoni. He tried, bless him, but he just wasn't your dad.

Lippi batted away the sneaky, loaded questions the Italian media likes to pose with ease. A smile, a shrug and a suitably straight answer were just what the tifosi ordered.

Of course, there is work to be done. While Italy's qualification group for the next World Cup looks none too difficult, there are problems with a leaky defence and a generational change of players. The good news was that Roma's bra-size brothers AA (Alberto Aquilani) and the more ample DD (Daniele De Rossi) looked in fine shape. And Alberto Gilardino got one of those strange, flukey goals which always does a striker's confidence good.

Everything felt right again. That may wear off in the weeks to come but in the meantime let's enjoy it. Bentornato Marcello!

Welcome home Marcello...

So it appears we are back where we left off two years ago. The Donadoni era is over and back walks in the man with the Toscano cigar, Marcello Lippi. Why did we bother getting rid of him in the first place?

If he just wanted a rest, couldn't we have advertised for a caretaker for 24 months? Or maybe Dona knew that was what he was getting. Otherwise, it was precious time wasted.

The Azzurri did OK in Euro 2008 but they lacked conviction and confidence. Undoubtedly, missing Cannavaro, Pirlo and Gattuso for a big game against Spain was a tough ask. Just the same, a lot of the new men came up short in the tournament. Aquilani did little in that particular match, Di Natale seemed a long way off world class and Barzagli was a flop too. At least there was Chiellini and De Rossi to be proud of along with the old favourites like Buffon, Zambrotta, Grosso. Still unsure about Cassano but he must have a part in the way forward.

There is a lot of talk about Nesta and Totti coming back but would this really be the way to go? We have already lost a couple of years for potential progress, we need to look to the future. On the other hand, if these great players can still give something to the cause then why not? I await developments with interest.

PS - I had a great holiday under a sweltering Tuscan sun with the temperatures up to 38C. Back in Scotland now though, wind, rain and 20 degrees cooler.

Azzurri aces

Given that I have just posted my favourite three Viola players of all time, I thought I would follow up with my favourite three Azzurri from my era (circa 1980 to present day). Of course, I would probably have slotted two of my previous selection in here too but I will leave Roby Baggio and Giancarlo Antognoni to one side.

1) Claudio Gentile - I could have gone for the elegance and poise of Gaetano Scirea or Franco Baresi but why not go for old shirt-ripper himself. He was everything that the world despised about Italian football but he hit his peak for the 1982 World Cup. His man-marking skills put paid to Zico, Diego Maradona and Karl Heinz Rummenigge in the space of that competition. It wasn't pretty but, hell, it was effective.

2) Paolo Maldini - A no brainer, really, but he has been the most influential player in the Italian game for the last 20 years or so. As soon as he emerged as a teenager you knew you were watching something special. His driving runs from full-back were a joy to watch and his strength in defence second to none. Even now, as he approaches 40, he still shows the young boys a thing or two.

3) Andrea Pirlo - I was tempted to go for Luca Toni but if there is one Italy player I enjoy watching at present it is the Milan man. The way he runs a game from midfield is outstanding. He was a great player as an Under 21 but there was a danger he was going to lose his way. God bless Carlo Ancelotti for creating that deep midfield role for him. A model of poise, balance and grace.

No need for panic

So, we lost to Spain in a friendly. It was a cracking strike by David Villa which decided the game. Nonetheless, I am still cheerful for a few reasons.

1) Daniele De Rossi is growing into one of Europe's best midfielders. He is like Rino Gattuso but with better distribution skills and more goal threat. That makes a pretty impressive package.

2) Big Luca Toni led the line well and Toto Di Natale was a great sidekick. With Mauro Camoranesi also in good form the attacking options looked good.

3) Gigi Buffon is the best.

4) Let's face it, Spain ALWAYS win friendlies. It's the big tournaments that matter.

Show us your worth

I was out in Italy at the weekend as Fiorentina were overwhelmed by Inter. I wasn't at the game but I watched the Viola get outclassed from a little bar in Tuscany. The following day, the Nerazzurri fans were busy crowing about just how good they were.

I had a few observations to make. Undoubtedly, they were streets ahead of the boys in purple but, then again, so they should be. They have had their pick of Serie A players for the last couple of years and have reserves that the Artemio Franchi team could only dream of.

Their fans, too, have slipped into an arrogance that ill-befits them. Until such times as this team ALSO wins in Europe it will have a question mark over it. So now is the time for them to deliver a Champions League crown - it has only been 40 years since the last. Or had their fans forgotten?

Elsewhere, Italy landed Romania, Holland and France for the European Championships. I was going to write something about the ludicrous seeding system. However, I think the group makes that comment more eloquently than I could.

Who do you fancy?

While Italy strolled past the Faroe Islands there were other countries with bigger games to play on Wednesday night. Most of the big guns who needed to get a result got what they needed. Except, of course, for England. Oh disappointed Scots rejoice!

That Steve McLaren's men had fought back to 2-2 will only make it a more bitter pill. After all the jubilation about the help they got from Israel they couldn't even manage to get a point off a team that had already qualified. No doubt there will be calls for the manager to be hung, drawn and quartered at the very least. All of which will, once again, mask their shortcomings as a team.

So the final line-up for Euro 2008 is as follows. Austria, Switzerland, Greece and probably Holland in pot one. Italy, Croatia, Germany and the Czech Republic in pot two. Romania, Portugal and Sweden in pot three where England should also have been. Presumably France will be promoted into that bracket. That would leave Poland, Spain, Turkey and Russia in the last bucket.

It leaves a wide range of possibilities open. Clearly Holland would be the one to avoid in the top tier, while Turkey, Russia or Poland might be alright from the bottom drawer. However, as we all know, maybe Italy are best getting the toughest draw possible. So bring on the French again!

Call it what you will, but not a robbery...

Well, on a wet and grey Glasgow night, the Azzurri got the job done. It wasn't always pretty and there were a few shaky moments but they showed a lot of guts and "grinta" to record a first ever win on Scottish soil. Shame it had to knock the Tartan Army out as well and put them Frenchies through.

The mission could hardly have started better when Luca Toni (right) poked the ball home in a little over a minute. The big man does not get all the credit he deserves for just how skillful he is. Watch that finish again, he scooped the ball into the net in some style.

Much of the rest of the game revolved around the match officials. Italy had a lengthy spell in control as Scotland recovered from the shock of the early strike. Then Antonio Di Natale had a goal ruled out for offside which should have stood. At 2-0, I reckon, the game would have been pretty much over.

In the second half, however, Scotland struck back. They were certainly pushing hard but the manner in which the goal came saw the officials in the spotlight again. The Scottish press has said Barry Ferguson "may have looked a shade offside" or the goal had a "hint of offside" about it. Let's be frank here, he was a good half-yard offside and the assistant referee had the benefit of a line right across the pitch to help him judge. In exactly the same position as he had ruled out Di Natale's strike, he got it wrong again.

In fairness, I also struggled to see how Chiellini's shoulder barge on Hutton ended up being a free-kick to Italy. In the last minute it led to Panucci's winner. The timing was harsh, but over the game it still made the major error count 2-1 in Scotland's favour. Call it what you will, but not a robbery.

Old Mejuto Gonzalez the referee is notoriously inconsistent. The apparently same incident can lead to a foul, a play-on gesture or a yellow card. That is annoying for players, in fact, annoying for everyone. It was certainly a shame that he was in charge.

I do think the better team went through but I would have rather seen France go out rather than Scotland. I hope now Alex McLeish can build on what his team showed last night. And, above all, I hope they are not in Italy's group again when the World Cup draw is made next week...

Fit to burst

I've been around a long time but I don't remember Scotland ever building up to a football game like this for a while. Maybe those play-off games with England or the meeting at Euro '96 but even those I don't recall having this intensity of coverage. Maybe it is because it is against Italy it has made more of an impression on me.

I think the whole country might explode by 4.59pm on Saturday.

That's the great thing football can do, the flip side to all the rubbish that has been associated with it recently. One way or another it will end in tears, joy or maybe in suspense on Saturday evening.

My main hope is that the Azzurri are as up for it as Scotland. If they are, I believe they will get at the very least a draw. If they are not, they might run into trouble. It will be a tense day when I expect to receive about 100 texts at full time. Whatever the outcome, I will try to take it on the chin. I have had plenty of highs and lows following Italia.

But, what the hell. Dai, ragazzi, fammi sognare ancora una volta!

Counting down the days

With just a few days to go, a sample of random thoughts on the upcoming Scotland v Italy clash at Hampden.

1) I have seen a few mentions that Donadoni might go against his traditional 4-3-3 and head for a 4-1-4-1 formation. How does that square with his talk of coming for the win? Is he going to err on the side of grafters (Iaquinta, Perrotta, Ambrosini, etc) over the more lightweight skill men (Camoranesi, Palladino etc)?

2) "Italy have never won on Scottish soil" - while this is true there have only been three meetings - and two of them were draws. And the win came in 1965.

3) Is there any real chance of Ukraine beating France and getting us both through?