Player Focus: Can Pirlo and Verratti Play Together? by James Horncastle at Wednesday, Apr 9 2014 12:08 On Saturday afternoon, Andrea !rlo appeared onRadio Deejay Football Club" #$epresenters, %&an'a((aron!,GuerinSportivo)s former ed!tor, and *ab!o+aressa, %taly)sforemost commentator, touc$ed upon many sub,ects !n t$e!r !nter&!e-" #$ey co&ered $!s free./!c/ ta/!n0 tec$n!1ue, -$y $e seems to f!nd !t eas!er to score t$em t$an penalt!es and t$elatest on$!s contract ne0ot!at!ons at Ju&entus" #$ere-as alsoa1uest!onabout 2arco3erratt!" H!s performance !n t$e f!rst le0 ofar!s Sa!nt.4erma!n)s +$amp!ons 5ea0ue1uarter.f!nalf!rst le0 a0a!nst +$elsea $ad offered yet anot$er rem!nder of -$at a talent $e !s" So 'a((aron!and +aressa put t$e follo-!n0 to !rlo: +ould you poss!bly play to0et$er6 Or do you onlycons!der 3erratt! an alternat!&e to yourself6 78o,9 !rlorepl!ed" 7% t$!n/ 3erratt! and % canplay to0et$er" 5!/e $e does -!t$ #$!a0o 2otta at ar!s Sa!nt.4erma!n" He can also play -ell-!t$ me" #$e more 0ood players you $a&e :on t$e p!tc$ at t$e same t!me; t$e better"9 So far %taly coac$ +esare randell! $as used t$em s!multaneously on only one occas!on" He!ntroduced bot$ !n t$e second $alf of a fr!endly -!t$ t$e 8et$erlands ,ust o&er a year a0o"+onf!0ured !n a m!df!eld d!amond -!t$ per!ment randell! $asn)t tr!ed s!nce" 3erratt! played !nstead of !rloa0a!nstAr0ent!na !n pectat!on -as t$at one !f not bot$ -ould besent on after t$e !nter&al" Only !rlo -as as !t $appened" %t felt l!/e a m!ssed opportun!ty for t-o reasons" *!rst, because !t -as t$e last fr!endly beforet$e end of t$e club season" And second, because !t)s not as t$ou0$ randell! doesn)t /no--$at t$e ot$er m!df!elders used on t$e n!0$t . 2otta, 2ontol!&o and +laud!o 2arc$!s!o . arecapable of"#$e !mpress!on t$at $e t$!n/s of !rlo and 3erratt! !n terms of e!t$er@or and not !nconcert -as consol!dated" #$at of course may c$an0e !n t$e bu!ld up to and at t$e World +up,but t$e d!splay 3erratt! 0a&e !n last n!0$t)s second le0 a0a!nst +$elsea !s per$aps !nd!cat!&e of-$y randell! !s a touc$ reluctant" A bac/pass put $!s 0oal/eeper Sal&atore S!r!0u !n trouble" A foul for -$!c$ $e -as boo/edpresented +$elsea -!t$ a free./!c/ ,ust outs!de t$e bo> from -$!c$ t$ey nearly scored" #$econcern also be0an to ta/e $old t$at 3erratt! -ould put $!mself !n a s!tuat!on -$ere $e m!0$t0et sent off" A c$allen0e on AndrA Sc$Brrle !n t$e area pro&o/ed a penalty s$out t$at -ascorrectly d!sre0arded" He also 0a&e t$e ball a-ay before t$e 4erman struc/ t$e bar and -assubst!tuted m!nutes later" #$ecr!t!c!smof$!m$asal-aysbeent$at $eta/esunnecessaryr!s/s"#oomanytouc$esaround$!so-npenaltyareafor!nstance-$enanononsenseclearance-ouldbemoread&!sable" 7%$a&eplayedl!/et$at s!nce% -asl!ttleso!t)sd!ff!cult toc$an0e,93erratt!e>pla!ned to LEquipe" 7er$aps % s$ould understand better -$en to do !t or not" % don)t l!/ereleas!n0 t$e ball -!t$out /no-!n0 -$ere !t -!ll end up" % prefer to play !t out properly" C&en-$en %)m defend!n0, % !mmed!ately try to start a mo&e and so 0!&e !t to a teammate, e&en !f %am pressed by t-o or t$ree opponents"9 #$ere)s an adm!rable bra&ery to $!s 0ame"3erratt!sure $as ner&e" W$en !t comes off, $eta/es out se&eral players -!t$ one pass" W$en !t doesn)t $e can !nstead appear fool!s$ as t$eareas !n -$!c$ $e 0ets cau0$t !n possess!on are often dan0erous and lead to a 0oal.scor!n0opportun!ty" #$at -as t$e case at Stamford Dr!d0e last n!0$t" %t -as a c$asten!n0 e>per!ence"Dut $e -!ll learn from !t and be better for !t" 8o ot$er %tal!an player !s play!n0 at t$at le&el at3erratt!)s a0e and $e doesn)t appear fa(ed by !t" He s$o-s no fear" +ontrary to $!s :lac/ of; 0ame.t!me for %taly, randell! $as s$o-n fa!t$ !n $!m" per!ence and -as fur!ous t$at no %tal!an club fou0$t $arder to /eep $!m !n%taly" er$aps $e)s -a!t!n0 for $!m to mature"!rlo !s e>pected to ret!re at t$e end of t$eWorld +up" #$en 3erratt!)s t!me -!ll come or so t$e t$!n/!n0 0oes" Dut -$y not at least tryt$emto0et$era0a!n!nt$epre.tournament -arm.upsa0a!nst t$eembour06 +ould !t be because t$ey are too al!/e6 And !s t$at really t$e case6 72arco)s a l!ttle d!fferent,9!ns!sts +arlo Ancelott!" 7He)s less of a launc$er of t$e ball EF"G lon0 balls per 0ame compared-!t$!rloHs 9"IJ but yous$ouldsee$!m!nt!0$t spaces: fantast!cK9He)st$at b!t moredynam!c too" So let)s play fantasy football for a moment" W$y can)t 3erratt! play -!t$ !rlol!/e Andres %n!esta does -!t$ La&!6 =an!ele =e pect t$e Old 5ady to !n1u!re about t$e prospect of !nclud!n0 3erratt! !n any deal" 7%f S4 -ere to tell me tomorro- t$at %)m lea&!n0 % -ould be upset because % feel at $ome,9$e told 5a 4a((etta dello Sport last -ee/, 7but -e)re tal/!n0 about Ju&entus" C&en !f % $a&eno!ntent!onoflea&!n0ar!s, -e)retal/!n0about oneof t$emost amb!t!ouspro,ects!nCurope" #$!s counts" 8ot t$e $o-, nor t$e -$y, -$!c$ !s t$e stuff of ,ournal!sts"9 Study!n0under or bes!de !rlo as $e approac$es $!s ret!rement sure -ould be some educat!on" Do you think Pirlo and Verratti can play together for Italy? Let usknow in the comments belowFollow James Horncastle on Twitter.com #a0s: Andrea !rlo 2arco 3erratt! %taly +ate0or!es: layer *ocus Comments (15)2ost ample Spa!n !tHs d!fferent" #$ey $a&e se&eral player t$at can do t$e playma/er, but t$ese player $a&e also a cons!stent run or an $!0$ defens!&e contr!but!on, or t$ey are 0ood as a bo> to bo> m!d!f!elders" and br!ll!ant !n m!df!eld too" 3erratt! and p!rlo are only playma/ers, t$ey donHt run or dedefend or attac/ enou0$ to /eep t$e balance of t$e team"M days a0o