In a handful of years, when Xavi and Iniesta have finally hung up their boots, the majority of the public will understandably look to them as the "perfect" midfielders of their generation. Predictably, and instantaneously, they'll then mention Zidane and talk at length about the trio's movement, vision, passing, medals, goals & passes etc. Others might pull Scholes'/Nedved's/Beckham's/Vieira's name down from the ether and do some in-depth comparisons between the aforementioned and then, for the bulk of football fans, that's where the conversation ends (unless the conversation is on YouTube, in which case it never ends). Andrea Pirlo's name often gets tossed around too, but confusingly it never reaches the same plateau upon which Xavi, Iniesta and Zidane sit.
Xavi and Iniesta are equally crucial in the heart of one of the greatest teams in history; expounding the most beautiful brand of football, surrounded by technically gifted players and camped just behind Lionel Messi - football's messiah. Due to their years together, the level of understanding they have with their teammates is practically unparalleled. Last season, Pirlo left AC Milan after ten years and joined Juventus - a side that had a new manager, new players and a new stadium - for free. At thirty two, he missed just one game and provided thirteen assists as Juventus won Serie A. All factors considered, his impact was practically unprecedented (see below).
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| Via the wonderful WhoScored.com |
Almost for this season alone I will forever mention Pirlo whenever a conversation about the best midfielders starts up. He won every trophy possible with AC Milan, he's got a World Cup to his name and was even voted MotM in the final. At 33, he still consistently plays at the highest level with ease (his conditioning might be down to the Milan Lab). For me, he's the simply greatest regista ever to play the game.
Pirlo's form this season was impeccable; astonishingly comfortable on the ball, sickeningly accurate with his passes and he gelled seamlessly with his new teammates. Importantly for Italy, he's carried this form on to Euro 2012, bagging two assists and a goal in the first three group games. Unfortunately for England, he's gradually becoming more involved in each game as the tournament progresses (admittedly that may be because Italy's opponents in the group stage got progressively worse):
Spain:
Croatia:
Ireland:
Even just based on Italy's three group games, it's obvious to see how much Pirlo enjoys picking up the ball in and around the center circle, or the middle third of the pitch. The more central he is when he collects the ball, the better (and more varied) his options are. The game against Spain was slightly different however, against the technically better midfield, Pirlo often opted to play the ball long into the channels toward Maggio and Giaccherini, attempting to utilise their pace against the relatively slow Spanish back four. In the game against Croatia his passes were much more varied, as Italy reverted to their normal style. Against Ireland, Prandelli didn't start Maggio and Giaccherini and played a much more narrow 4-3-1-2. With Abate and Balzaretti reluctant to get forward, Ireland were allowed to become very compact, and the Italians struggled to break them down in open play (both goals came from corners). With this in mind, an unchanged Italian team would suit England's current playing/defensive style.
Unfortunately, England's penchant for defensive stability and no attacking flair have won over most of the country's pundits. Yesterday, Pat Nevin looked toward the England - Italy QF and produced some very ill-informed punditry, saying;
"The have got good players but if you don't give Andrea Pirlo time, he cannot hurt you. If you let him run the game, he will destroy you but, if not, he is not one to work his socks off and make space for himself. England can close him down and it is almost his nightmare scenario to be up against Steven Gerrard & Scott Parker, who are going to be on his case the whole time."
Couple of problems with that analysis. Pirlo's movement off the ball is so good he doesn't need to work his socks off to make space for himself. Also, in regards to this "nightmare scenario" Nevin's conjured up; I watched Parker try to tackle Yarmolenko with his face as England's midfield were overrun by the Ukraine for long periods on Tuesday:
Pirlo, De Rossi and Marchisio must be shitting themselves.