Hold on a minute, why all the long faces when it comes to the defenders we have at our disposal.
From what I can gather, and this is based on what I have seen and read, for right back, we have Grygera, Salihamidic, Zebina and Birindelli that can play in that position. Thats a lot of players for a position I think has been the weakest in the history of football. At Centreback, we have options and different permutations of Chiellini, Andrade, Boumsong, Zebina, Legrottaglie,Criscito and Grygera. At left back we got Molinaro, Chiellini and frankly anyone who can play right back would not find left back that difficult so any of those guys can play there, maybe not regularly but they would do. I don't know much about Cricito but if he has prospects then he should be played there with someone with experience like Andrade but my prefered pairing will always be Chiellini and Andrade. Players like John Terry became good by learning off playing alongside Marcel Desailly, Cannavaro learnt a great deal by playing alongside Thuram. Maldini learnt by palying alongside the master baresi. But that does not happen in Italy as often anymore. Poor Bonera has completely lost his way because he was never paired with a great defender. Too many promising defenders are allowed to rot because instead of taking a chance on them, by playing them in the centre, they are messed about by playing in positions they are not suited to or giving them lead roles like Barzagli, how old is he, 24, 25? How do you expect someone like that to be the leader of the defence when he has not learnt his trade properly by playing a full season alongside a master? Zaccardo, who was touted as the next best thing at centre back waspushed to right back and he is not very good there. I just don't see how a players who is not comfortable witht he ball at his feet, cannot cross, is expected to play at left back. Most, if not all the best left backs that have ever lived, with a few exceptions, cannot actually defend. They earned their reputations by going forward. Now you see Materazzi enjoying an Indian summer because of the calibre of centre backs he is now paired with, both at club and international level. Is Andrade the best person to learn from? I don't know, but he is experienced enough. But it might turn out to be a waste of the young talents if we went out and bought another experienced centre back, who might end up stunting development of potential very good defenders.