Irresistable Dutch Leave Italy in Dire Straits

There’s no point in making excuses. However desperate the scouring of the depths of the FIFA rulebook, there was no hiding Italian embarrassment after last night’s 3-0 Dutch drubbing.

The world champions were scythed open by an outstanding Holland team performing a decent imitation of their nation’s 1970s Total Football zenith and now face the elimination abyss.

That two goals were lightning-fast counter-attacks which reflects the Italian’s unfortunate tactical paradox.

Selecting a squad with an average age hovering dangerously on the wrong side of thirty, players whose football education was grounded in the treasured traditions of catenaccio, and then expecting them to forget this ingrained heritage and adopt the Donadoni urge to attack is a dangerous strategy.

The consequence was laid bare for Europe to see, as an immobile and stagnant team were repeatedly outmanoeuvred by fearless Holland.

Sneijder’s second goal culminated a move which, in the course of 17 seconds, progressed from the Dutch goal line, through the furious determination of Giovanni van Bronckhorst, to the back of Buffon’s net.

Italy were static and outpaced here and on many other occasions, their defensive unit caught hopelessly square as Dirk Kuyt was gifted acres to deliver the assist.

Whether the reasons lay in leaden, ageing legs or their subconscious frustration at the apparent injustice of the Dutch first, we don’t know but either way, Italy face an ignominious departure from the Euro party.

What a stark contrast from two years ago, when a gloriously cohesive defence anchored a side confident in its purpose to world glory.

The influential Cannavaro was sorely missed, there was no defensive marshal in his absence and the result was messy. Even more concerning, where was the much feted attacking approach?

The 4-3-3 was, in theory, a powerful signal of intent but in reality it bred tactical confusion: Toni looked isolated and impotent, Di Natale appeared bemused and the introduction of Del Piero with nearly 30 minutes left was a choice which reeked of desperation. 

Meanwhile the Dutch powered on, slipping through the gears in a well-tuned 4-2-3-1, with the lone striker Van Nistelrooy excelling with the support of attack-minded players around him.

Then again, the 2008 vintage were merely proudly continuing an attacking tradition found in every Dutch side for the last 35 years.

The ironic thing is that Van Basten had sought to stifle his team’s attacking adventure by abandoning the traditional 4-3-3, yet his players simply could not be contained.

An even bigger irony is that the Italians, backs against the wall, have no opportunity to reconfigure to their "comfort zone" of defensive solidarity and counter-attack.

With games against Romania and France looming, there is simply no time for fundamental reanalysis, their response is going to have to be improvised, and going to have to be good.