The Rest of the Time

The Rest of the Time

Warm cheeks, relaxed,
Worries take the back seat

The sporadic bursts
And sustained intoxication

There are times,
When we ask the important questions

The rest of the time
We are too busy. Just too fucking busy.

Ryan Kelly - 15.01.13

Parity of Esteem? No Surrender!

Shards of broken glass lay strewn across the floor and the baying mob thronged outside the door. The vicious barking of expletives filtered through the sound of alarms and then came the shrill, maniacal cry of “No Surrender!”

 The fallout of the decision by Belfast City Council to only fly the British flag from the council building on designated days, rather than all year round, is disconcerting. On the surface it is an innocuous decision, taken democratically, and one that, more or less, follows the practice that is currently in place at the seat of devolved government. Yet, astonishingly, it has become a catalyst for unionist revolt.

Prior to the decision, crowds had been mobilised by various unionist parties and rabble rousing individuals who stoked the embers of discontent. They said that the removal of the British flag was an assault on their identity, with the leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), Mike Nesbitt, complaining on a regional radio show that it constituted part of a consistent process of “chipping away” their sense of Britishness. People with British flags draped over their shoulders and others with Rangers scarves pulled over their faces appeared to dominate the protest and social media websites came alive with torrents of undiluted sectarian hatred spewing towards the Alliance Party and Sinn Féin. It quickly spilled onto the streets, where chanting, stone-throwing and burning the Irish flag became the main avenues of expression. In the days that followed, in a shameful development, numerous councillors received death threats, while others had their homes and offices ransacked.

 Interestingly, conflicting opinions have emerged from the leaders of unionism. Donegal-born UUP MLA Basil McCrea spoke out in favour of the idea of flying the flag on designated days, saying that he did not want to see the 'Peace Process' “unravel” due to what he described as “petty politics”. He sensibly called for people to move the process forward, but contradicted his party's leader when he told BBC that the flag decision did not affect his Britishness, or his identity. Shockingly, reports have emerged that several of McCrea's colleagues have threatened to resign from the party if he is not disciplined for his comments. Such a knee-jerk response to the possession of a slightly different viewpoint is simply alarming.

The entire issue is farcical, and ultimately it demonstrates that if one 'chips away' at the surface of unionism (to borrow parlance) mindless evangelism and resentment bubbles beneath: there is absolutely no desire for more concessions to nationalist 'scum' and as that 'Lundy' Basil McCrea discovered, wade too close to common-sense while you're in the mire and people will be up in arms seeking to drag you down.

While it is a farce, its reverberations are nonetheless frightening and red-faced imbeciles clinging to a vague sense of identity are spoiling for a fight. The extent of this reaction on the ground thus calls into question the sincerity of the unionist commitment to power-sharing and to the notion of parity of esteem. Cries of “No Surrender!” and the insinuation that Northern Ireland is 'their' country strongly echo the ultra-conservative, fundamentalist views held in the past.

Five things Derry City learned from the FAI Cup Semi Final

After watching Derry City's 1-1 draw against Shelbourne yesterday afternoon, here are a few thoughts that came to mind.

Rory's Return 

Source

Rory Patterson played 70 minutes for Derry City against Shelbourne upon returning from injury. It was his first competitive game in quite a while - the striker had remarkably not played since the 3-0 home loss against Drogheda United in June – and it showed. It wasn't that he was particularly poor, but rather that he was not sharp, which is to be expected. On his day, Patterson is one of the finest goalscorers in Ireland, but he has not been able to rekindle the scintillating form that earned him a move to Plymouth in 2010. The reason for that is simple: he has been playing with injuries, returning to the fold when he is not 100 per cent. The inclusion of Patterson for the FAI Cup semi-final game against Shelbourne was justified by Declan Devine prior to the game, who expressed the belief that “big players are needed for big games” but Patterson's frustration eclipsed his overall contribution and yet again he picked up a needless yellow card. While the return of the Northern Ireland international is a welcome (if badly timed) boost, in truth, Derry looked a much more dangerous unit with Barry McNamee and Mark Farren on the pitch.

More competition needed at left back 

Source

Ever since the departure of Danny Lafferty to Burnley, the Candystripes have been lacking at left back. Devine signed former Dungannon Swifts defender Dermot McCaffrey, a former Northern Ireland youth international who had been on the books at Hibernian, but the left back has been painfully inconsistent since his arrival at the Brandywell. Frankly, he is a weak link in the team and his decision making leaves a lot to be desired, but he is also capable of the odd inspirational pass, as evidenced by his exquisite cross for Davy McDaid's equalising goal. Unfortunately for McCaffrey however, Lafferty is a difficult act to follow. In Lafferty, Derry possessed the best left-back in the League of Ireland, one who created goals and scored them, as well as doing his bit defensively and unsurprisingly, since making his move to the Championship, he has received senior international honours. Derry need more competition in this position, as harsh as it might sound, perhaps a replacement.

Defensive frailties 

Source

Dermot McCaffrey is not alone in terms of inconsistency. With the possible exception of Simon Madden, the entire defence is in dire need of improvement. At the end of the 2011 season, Derry had conceded just 23 goals in the league, possessing a mighty plus 40 goal difference. This season, with only a few games to go in the league, Devine's men have had their defence breached 34 times and in the first five minutes against Shelbourne, the defence was left in tatters allowing David Cassidy to strike first blood at the Brandywell. The habitually sturdy Stewart Greacen has suffered a number of injuries this year and it has obviously affected his game, while giant Shane McEleney was beaten too often in aerial duels by both Philly Hughes and Philly Gorman. Tough tackling Ryan McBride is probably the best centre back in the squad, but even he has had his moments this season.

Marvellous Molloy 

Source

The worth of Barry Molloy to Derry City was further emphasised yesterday when, upon his return from injury, he put in a midfield masterclass alongside Kevin Deery. In the second half especially, the former Derby County player demonstrated the unyielding energy and desire that is required of a midfielder. Molloy cut out Shelbourne attacks and instigated a number of attacking forays when he surged forward into the opposition half. Kevin Deery is an important player for Derry City but Molloy is a crucial cog in the machine. He is the epitome of an all-round midfielder and is certainly among the best midfielders in the league.

Barry McNamee and reason for hope 

Source

The late introduction of Barry McNamee against Shelbourne excited the Brandywell faithful and not without reason. The slight 20-year-old has no fear and plenty of ability, which he exhibited soon after coming on, with a series of one-twos that stripped open the Shels defence. He is the kind of player that wants to get on the ball and make things happen and along with the likes of Patrick McEleney, Stephen McLaughlin and Davy McDaid, McNamee is a prime example of the talent that is coming through at the club.

My drum's better than your drum

The leader of the British National Party (BNP) is stirring the pot again. This time, Nick Griffin's abrasive remarks have been aimed at Irish republicans, or, as he calls them, “Fenian bastards”. After attending the Ulster Covenant march in Belfast yesterday, Saturday September 29 (a commemoration, one hastens to add, of an effective threat of violence way back in 1912), Griffin posted a series of photographs of the marchers from his Twitter account, exhorting the English public to follow the example set by loyalists in Ireland. However, despite his apparent enjoyment of the event, he was perturbed by the idea that the photos had upset his “Republican stalkers”.

Evidently frustrated by the reaction that he had received from some detractors, in a rather juvenile outburst, the politician said:

So Ulster [sic] pics have upset my Republican stalkers. Tell you what, the bodran [sic] can't match the lambeg, you Fenian bastards.

Predictably, the tweet is now making news headlines and if one actually needed confirmation that his being there in the first place was nothing more than a shameless publicity stunt, Griffin today tweeted gleefully that it was “job done” and off back to the shores of Britain after making front page news in Northern Ireland. Interestingly, this was followed by further commentary on both the largest parties in the Stormont assembly. Griffin said:

Republican grievance machine wants 'apology'. If their skins were any thinner they'd leak green slime all over Stormont carpets they share with DUP sell-out bastards.

Not surprisingly, most of those involved with the Ulster Covenant commemoration have already moved to distance themselves from Griffin and his colourful cyber-rants, while members of the SDLP have even lodged complaints with the PSNI. Others are set to complain to the European Parliament, of which Griffin is an elected member. Griffin may not have heard the last of his foolish behaviour.

There are those among us who might wish to censor Mr Griffin from making such utterances (ahem, Irish universities), but ultimately this creature serves as a jolt to our collective sensibilities, keeping us vigilant against the threat of ignorance and irrationality.

McIlroy's identity is none of your business

WHEN Sunderland winger James McClean made the decision to play for the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) rather than the Irish Football Association (IFA)*, there was uproar. Zealous fans of the IFA decried what they saw as an indefensible, traitorous act. They judged him, levelling scurrilous and unfounded accusations towards the player, branding him a "Judas" and a bigot for expressing his different, but entirely legitimate, national identity.

Others have taken a similar route to McClean. Darron Gibson, Shane Duffy and Marc Wilson are among those who have declared their allegiance to the FAI and each player has inevitably been harassed and harangued into explaining his decision. Those who are on social media fora such as Twitter, will be aware that some have been forced to endure endless streams of abuse.  Indeed, McClean actually made headlines in May 2012 when odious threats were made against him. His crime? Being proud of his identity and having the audacity to indicate his joy at being included in the FAI's squad for Euro 2012.

When the golfer Rory McIlroy said that he'd always felt "more British than Irish", similar furore followed, but from the opposite direction. We had an outpouring of idiotic ramblings from pseudo Irish patriots who ignorantly pondered why it was that McIlroy all of a sudden felt "English" [sic]. The young man was effectively disowned by faux-revolutionaries who say they love Ireland, yet blatantly know nothing of its history and do less still in its interests - the kind who literally give life to Samuel Johnson's famous words that "patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel". The golfer Ronan Rafferty, speaking to the presenters of the 'Off the Ball' programme on Newstalk was sickeningly patronising when he described McIlroy's nationality utterance as naive, as if it was a phase and that he would eventually come 'round to himself.

It is hard not to see the parallels between McClean and McIlroy. Like the footballers who had declared for Ireland, McIlroy was faced with a wave of vicious tweets and public withdrawals of support for hinting that he could opt to represent the United Kingdom instead. Furthermore, like McClean et al, the extent of the backlash led to McIlroy issuing an explanation. 

How McIlroy identifies is ultimately no one's business but his own. Why should he have to answer to a moronic rabble spewing misinformed and ill-judged commentary? He'll probably keep winning without them.

_______________________

*non-Irish readers will be excused for their confusion

Like Arnie, I'm back.

A couple of months can sometimes seem like a long time. After several months flying under the radar, I intend to blog regularly in the coming weeks and months.

Stay tuned.

He is Nero, playing the fiddle while Rome burns

AFTER announcing that he would take a ten per cent pay-cut, the chief executive of the Football Association of Ireland (FAI), John Delaney wasn't commended. Instead he was met with an outpouring of scorn, derision and pure contempt. Even though, as Delaney is keen to point out, the salary reduction is a voluntary one - his third in total, no less - the Irish football-loving public are not happy. The reason is simple: he is paid too much. He is Nero, playing the fiddle while Rome burns.

In a society where widespread financial plight has become the defining feature, Delaney's salary makes one wonder what exactly it is that the man at the helm of Irish football does to earn it, but more importantly, why is it so frustratingly exorbitant in the first instance?


In a purely social context, it is absolutely baffling. For example, the average minimum wage in Ireland at present is just over €15,000 per annum and John Delaney earns over 20 times that amount. He also earns more than the Taoiseach and the president combined (why they should earn so much, is of course also worthy of scrutiny). 

However, even looking at it exclusively from the "football"* angle, Delaney's salary reportedly dwarfs that of his counterparts in the Italian and Spanish football associations. Furthermore, it is greater than the entire prize fund for the Airtricity League, Ireland's domestic league, which has also recently been reduced. Within the association itself, individuals are being made redundant, while one man stands to earn €360,000 next year. 


When pressed on the issue of his high salary, Mr Delaney resorts to red-herrings, protesting that he has had job offers with higher pay and that he was earning more before he took the job (when he was Treasurer - what must that figure have looked like?). Of course it's a deliberate deflection concocted to provide himself with relief from the glare of media and public attention.

But the scrutiny must be unremitting. No one, I'm sure, expects him to be wearing a sackcloth and starving as he works, but nor should such blatant extravagance be entertained.

*There is no verb form of 'football' and it is a noun. Hence, no 'footballing'. Get it right.

YBIG Football Show with Eoin Hand

I'M somewhat late in posting about this, but I was on the You Boys in Green Football Show last week which featured former Ireland manager Eoin Hand.

Presented by Dave O'Grady, it's well worth a listen.

Here's the link: http://theworldstalking.com/2012/05/29/eoin-hand-on-the-ybig-football-show/

Enjoy

You Can't Please Everyone

MUCH has been made of the FAI's decision to oblige a request to wear black armbands during the Euro 2012 fixture against Italy on June 18th.

To re-cap, the FAI have agreed to wear black armbands to commemorate the victims of the Loughinisland massacre at the request of the bereaved. There is a rationale behind the request - the game against Italy in June this year, falls on the exact date that Ireland played Italy in the 1994 World Cup, when the massacre occurred. The solicitor of the families, Niall Murphy, said that it was a warm source of comfort that there was an opportunity for such a tribute to happen on such a "poignant day".

This small and admirable gesture has, nevertheless, sparked a latent bitterness towards the FAI. Most recently, that rabid anti-Sinn Féiner Eoghan Harris has branded the move "foolish". Mr Harris is critical of the FAI's supposed decision to single out the suffering of one community and asks whether the FAI will also commemorate the suffering of those from 'the other side'.

He then places this act by the FAI within the wider political context and, specifically, if somewhat strangely, alongside the efforts of Sinn Féin (as though the FAI were linked to the party) as Ireland approaches the centenary of the 1916 Rising.

However, Mr Harris' brazen objection is ultimately superfluous, since the FAI CEO John Delaney has gone on record to say that the commemoration is an "opportunity to remember all those who lost their lives in the troubles". While it may be erroneously construed as favouring one community, Delaney's statement demonstrates that there is clearly an unwillingness within the FAI to favour one "side" or the other.

Even the question of which "side" those who were massacred were on is, in itself, an insulting one as it requires the spectator to carelessly guess, as Mr Harris has done, as to the spiritual and political beliefs of the victims. It was, in actual fact, such callous guesswork which led to the slaughter of Adrian Rogan, Malcolm Jenkinson, Barney Greene, Patrick O'Hare, Daniel McCreanor and Eamon Byrne who were 'chosen' because of the perverted assumption that those who would be watching the Republic of Ireland play Italy inside the bar would be Catholic.

Mr Harris' insistence that the FAI adhere to some kind of base tit-for-tat approach to commemoration is misguided and it imposes the typical tribal political parameters on the association. In reality, the FAI have agreed to facilitate the wishes of the family because of the connection of the tragic event to the Republic of Ireland football team as well as the coincidental date and opposition of the upcoming fixture. That John Delaney stressed that it also presents an opportunity to remember all victims of the Troubles seems to have been conveniently missed by many agitated protestors.

Occupy Galway Forcibly Removed from Eyre Square

AT 4:30 AM on Wednesday the 16th of May, members of the Occupy Galway movement were forcibly removed from their position at Eyre Square in Galway City Centre. It had been the last remaining "Occupy" encampment in Ireland.

Galway City Council have since issued a statement in defence of their actions:

‘An Garda Síochána with the support of Galway City Council staff took action to remove the Occupy Galway encampment because it had been erected without the Council’s consent and, despite being requested to do so, the occupiers had refused to leave voluntarily. The occupation was therefore illegal. The Elected Members of the Council had also called for the ending of the occupation.

Members of the wider public have been denied the use of part of a public amenity by this occupation for several months. Structures erected on the plaza in Eyre Square created a risk to the safety of the occupiers themselves and to others.

Galway City Council fully respects the right of any person or group to engage in lawful protest. City Council has facilitated, and will continue to facilitate, groups who wish to protest lawfully at Eyre Square. The Occupy Now encampment was an occupation of a public amenity that is not permitted under the law.’

The Occupy Galway movement will meet at a later date to discuss strategy.

Can Devine Atone for Setanta Loss?

WHEN Derry City lost the Setanta Cup final on penalties to Crusaders at the Oval in Belfast, the general consensus had it that the Candystripes didn't deserve to win anyway. They had played poorly, fans claimed, and deservedly succumbed to the hungrier team.

And while it may be true that Crusaders displayed much more passion and focus than Derry to win on the day, Declan Devine's men have every right to feel aggrieved.

It is often said that the mark of a successful team comes when you can win games despite not playing particularly well, or dazzling the opposition.

So, although they did not take a hold of the game by the scruff of the neck it is true that Derry City were on course to win the game with 4 minutes to go.

That is, of course, until wily attacker David Rainey bulldozed goalkeeper Ger Doherty to the ground, leaving Crusaders' captain Colin Coates with a wide open net to head into, ensuring extra-time was needed.

Derry City players erupted in disbelief as the referee and linesman deemed the collision between Rainey and Doherty legitimate and allowed the goal.

In another game, on another day, the goal would have been disallowed and Derry would have lifted the all-Ireland trophy for the first time in their history.

The implications of the cup final defeat have yet to register but, having invested so much into the competition and to come away empty handed, it is sure to have negative effects on team morale.

After the game, Declan Devine put on a brave face when an interviewer quizzed him as to how difficult a job it will be to resurrect Derry's season.

“Well, it's my job,” he stated sternly, “there's a very flat dressing room in there at the minute and it's my job to get them ready for the game in Gortakeegan [against Monaghan] in three days” concluded Devine.

Derry have now lost four games in the league and find themselves in eighth position, and in Monaghan, they are due to face a team that is rooted at the bottom of the table.

However, a major concern for City fans is the utterly abysmal run of form that the club has been experiencing, which won't be aided by the manner of defeat on Saturday evening.

Following the Setanta Cup final defeat, Derry have not won in five games and they have not won a game in the league since the home victory over Cork - towards the end of March.

Roddy Collins' team has yet to win a game at home this season but if they are to get anything from the game, the Derry players will need to put their Setanta woes behind them when they travel to Gortakeegan on Tuesday.

The YBIG Football Show

As much passion as Signor Trapattoni

EARLIER this week I was invited on to the You Boys in Green (YBIG) Football Show by Mr Dave O'Grady to give my views on Trapattoni's squad selection for the European Championships and also, the sickening abuse received by James McClean on Twitter.

The show can be heard by clicking on this link: "The Team that Trap Built"

Also guest on the show was Daniel Collins, football writer and author of Player Eligibility in the Context of Ireland, as well as football writer Willie Gannon, John O'Neill and Joe from the famous Irish Abroad website.

Check it out! Well worth a listen!

Derry's Season Hinges on Setanta Success

EVER since he took over as manager of the Candystripes, Declan Devine has had a hard time of it.

As if the weight of expectation when taking hold of the reins of the Brandywell club after someone like Stephen Kenny wasn't enough pressure in itself, the fact that the club has been ravaged by injuries compounds matters.

With that in mind, ahead of the Setanta Cup final at the Oval on Saturday May 12, Declan Devine will be keen to rally his troops and take the trophy home after the club's dismal league form of late.

But it might prove to be a difficult task. The Derry manager received the news that his skipper, Kevin Deery, would be ruled out for three months after he suffered the horrific injury of a dislocated knee cap. You have to feel for Deery, he barely got a chance after returning from his injury earlier in the season.

The Creggan man yet again joins a growing number on the sidelines, which includes senior centre back Stewart Greacen, striker Mark Farren, while others such as senior Northern Ireland international Rory Patterson, and young stars Stephen McLaughlin and Simon Madden are all playing with injuries.

Derry have now lost four games in the league and are well and truly chasing the pack. With 10 games played, they've lost to Drogheda and Shelbourne away.

Devine's men suffered defeat to second-from-bottom Dundalk at home and were completely outclassed at the Brandywell by St. Pat's last Friday. With such a thin squad, it seems that the injuries are finally catching up with Derry in terms of form.

And Crusaders will not be as easy an opponent as some might expect. The Belfast side have been strong in recent seasons, finishing runners up in the Irish League last season before dropping to fifth this season. However, they also won the Irish League Cup, beating a strong Coleraine team in the final.

They have among their ranks senior Northern Ireland internationals Colin Coates, Jordan Owens and Stuart Dallas, while goalkeeper Sean O'Neill was a prominent under-age international.

In the semi-final, Stephen Baxter's team performed excellently against Sligo Rovers, both home and away, eclipsing the Airtricity League leaders to get to the final.

It's a massive game for Declan Devine and his team. To win silverware early in the season would be an enormous boost to morale. However, should they lose, the league table will appear like a serious mountain to climb.

Will threats against Irish players continue?

WHEN the Ireland squad for Euro 2012 was officially announced and his name was read out by Giovanni Trapattoni, James McClean voiced his pride through his Twitter account. He told his 50-odd-thousand “followers” that he was honoured to be chosen to represent his country at a major international tournament. He was not alone: Leicester defender Sean St. Ledger, Simon Cox and Shay Given also expressed how happy and proud they were to be among the 23 boarding the plane to Poland for the tournament.

However, only McClean received death threats.

That's interesting. Or is it? Let us not forget that McClean is not the first football player from Northern Ireland to have threats issued against his life. There is an odd tendency towards sweeping it under the carpet, but it is undeniable that Neil Lennon, Niall McGinn and Paddy McCourt each have been the recipient of grisly death-threats.

In the past, perhaps unfairly, these incidents have brought the collective reputation of Northern Ireland football fans into disrepute – but the reputation of Northern Ireland fans was shrouded in controversy by extremists long before Neil Lennon, Niall McGinn and Paddy McCourt and it's those honest, reasonable fans in the middle that suffer for it. Nevertheless the gruesome underbelly simply needs to be exposed and rebuked as robustly as possible.

 It is immaterial whether the messages spewing forth hatred came from a 16 year old or a 60 year old, the sentiment remains the same and it must be treated seriously, otherwise more will follow suit. Likewise, the quantity of threats is irrelevant. I was shocked to hear some recklessly claiming that the public reaction exaggerates the threats, by pointing out that there were “only” a small number directed at the Derry footballer. Only a few, that's right – no; one threat is one too many.

The other outrageous suggestion that was proffered was that the 23-year old athlete brought such threats upon himself by taunting Northern Ireland fans. Comparatively however, McClean's tweets, if ill-advised, are quite tame. Yesterday his message of pride was no different to that of other Ireland squad members, yet McClean was faced with a mountain of negative reactions. It's because he is a Derry man playing for the Republic of Ireland instead of Northern Ireland.

A potent cocktail of ignorant, sectarian cretins with a football-gang ethos believing that it is absolutely fine and acceptable to insult, abuse and intimidate individuals whose otherwise innocuous actions (or even state of being) grate with them, is what is at play here.

McClean was instantly metamorphosed into a hate-figure among extremists in the Northern Ireland support when he opted to declare for the Football Association of Ireland. Branding him a “Judas”, they howled and growled at almost anything McClean said or tweeted. Outrage ensued when McClean corrected BBC sports presenter Colin Murray for describing him as “Northern Irish”, rather than “Irish”.

Yet more followed when he expressed his joy at receiving his first cap for Ireland in February 2012. Aggressively telling McClean what nationality he was and what country was in fact “his”, they scoffed at the notion of the player being proud of his identity – a legitimate identity which simply diverged from their own.

Will this madness continue? More importantly, will it be allowed to?

The Unfulfilled Promise of "The Next Maldini"

 

 

HAVING made his debut for the Azzurri in the summer of 2009 at the tender age of 18, Portomaggiore native Davide Santon was already seen as a player of great promise. However, now plying his trade in the English Premier League at Newcastle United he has struggled to live up to expectations.

Santon joined the Nerazzurri as a 14-year-old, rising through the ranks at an astonishing rate. It was under the tutelage of the inimitable José Mourinho that the lanky full-back made his breakthrough at the San Siro.

Thrust into action at the beginning of 2009 in a Coppa Italia encounter with AS Roma, Santon rewarded the trust that Mourinho had placed in him by producing remarkably mature displays against some of the finest teams in Italy and beyond.

Indeed, following a Champions League tie with Inter at the San Siro for Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo revealed his admiration for the young defender, stating that he was impressed by his performance.

Further praise ensued, as then-Italy coach Marcello Lippi placed the heavy title of "heir to Maldini" on the young man's shoulders and handed him his senior debut in a friendly against Northern Ireland in Pisa.

However, due to a spate of injuries and a loss of form, the career trajectory of Davide Santon has unfortunately veered erratically away from that of Milan and Italy colossus Paolo Maldini.

Maldini was introduced to the senior international at around the same age as Santon, having similarly made the breakthrough at his club.

By the time he was 22, Maldini had 28 caps for Italy. He was a key player in Euro 88 and the 1990 World Cup and amazingly he was even named to each tournament's respective "Team of the Tournament."

Maldini quickly established himself as a linchpin in the Milan defence and went on to lead a glittering and trophy-laden career with the Rossoneri.

Santon, however, has yet to play for Italy in a major competition. At 21 years of age, he has just seven senior caps to his name and has recently been demoted to the Italian under-21 team, where, despite being handed the captain's armband, he has featured only intermittently.

His career at Inter faltered after the departure of José Mourinho and the player who had once been heralded as the future of Italian football even found himself on loan at newly promoted, but relatively lowly, Cesena in 2011.

Santon now finds himself at Newcastle United, joining for a fee of £5 million in the summer of 2011. And after a stop-start beginning to his career in England, he has cemented his place in the squad, in the process reigniting the hope that had once been placed in him by Marcello Lippi.

However, even at this early stage, such a comparison only serves to reveal the chasm in quality between the two players and ultimately highlights the dangerously premature nature of Marcello Lippi's premonition.

This article was originally published on Bleacher Report and can be viewed here