What will it take for Antonio Cassano to convince Marcello Lippi? Susy Campanale just hopes they both hurry up
This afternoon Marcello Lippi will announce his squad for the final World Cup qualifiers against Ireland and Cyprus. Antonio Cassano is not expected to be on that list. Despite leading his Sampdoria side to the top of the table, showing consistent maturity, creativity and a generosity that few strikers of his calibre can boast, FantAntonio still can’t convince Lippi.
The Coach is playing a rather dangerous game with Cassano and the media. The more the newspapers ask about the Bari Vecchia starlet, the less likely he is to call him. All Lippi does is spout the usual line about “the Nazionale is open to everyone and all the players have time until June.” But do they? The Azzurri have wasted so much time already trying to change tactics and desperately disguising Andrea Pirlo’s poor form. These are the final two official matches before the tournament itself in South Africa. How long can we wait to forge the side that will aim to defend its trophy?
The same goes for the Amauri saga, as now he won’t be a citizen until at least March 2010 due to the legendary Italian red tape. Are we to throw the soon-to-be-not-entirely-Brazilian in at the deep end with only a couple of friendlies under his belt? Has he really done more than Cassano to earn a call-up over the last two seasons?
I would love to see a 4-3-2-1 system with the on-form Antonio Di Natale and Cassano supporting Giampaolo Pazzini. They all speak the same football language and that is something this Nazionale desperately needs. I just hope Lippi is willing to listen.
