Liberato Cacace expresses what the comeback goal against Nottingham meant to him after a prolonged injury spell, like teammate Ollie Rathbone.
Over 100 hours since the Nottingham victory, with the 4th round draw out as well, but Wrexham fans are still not over the win. Fairly so, while it was the inaugural one over a PL side in this millennium, the victory had special heroes associated with it.
Recalling the scoresheet, 2 unusual scorers in Liberato Cacace and Dom Hyam found the back of the net. Even if discounting for Hyam, who has cemented his spot in the XI, the goal meant too much for Libby’s comeback.
Having scored his first one in a Wrexham shirt, even the “generally quiet” Cacace couldn’t hold back his emotions. Fist pumping the air, the New Zealand international expressed what this moment meant to him on the back of a stop-start in his Wrexham life.
As quoted by the BBC Sport Wales, Cacace explained what fueled such a celebration, saying: “I celebrated like crazy because it was all of that seven or eight weeks of stress, it kind of built up. I’ve just had great people around me, a great support team and the ones close, they helped me get through it.”
Cacace’s story sounds similar to Ollie Rathbone’s comeback
Liberato Cacace’s words clearly demonstrate how much he missed game time through multiple injury periods. But now he’s back, the full-back can plot a comeback very similar to teammate Ollie Rathbone.
Without a doubt, Cacace’s best version has been one of the biggest what-ifs for Wrexham this season. Very similar to Rathbone, given that he had to be sidelined for months after winning the POTY award last season.
What followed was a gradual and maybe frustrating re-inclusion into the team dynamics for Rathbone. Mapping the similarities with Cacace’s case, the left-back endured a delayed opportunity for George Thomason’s Ballon d’Or-worthy performances in the role.
Still, in his first start in a long time, Cacace stood out in the one hour he played in the pressure situation of the FA Cup tie. Solid defensively, while fluid in chance creations, the 25-year-old did more than enough to announce his comeback.
What’s next is that Cacace turns on the Rathbone-mode and emerges as Pgil Parkinson’s go-to choice on the left wing, similar to how Rathbone has made the CAM role his own.
Who should start out of Cacace, Thomason and McClean?
Undeniably, Liberato Cacace’s FA Cup show has come as a much-needed boost for Wrexham. Still, as a potential downside, it finds boss Parkinson in the good-old pleasant selection crisis.
That’s because, apart from Cacace’s return, the FA Cup home tie saw fans clapping for Captain James McClean’s welcome, too. Returning from a 3-game suspension, the wing-back played for around half an hour in the wing-back role.
Definitely, that’s not forgetting George Thomason’s candidature for how exceptional he’s been despite being a makeshift in the role.
From a distant perspective, the 3 options and one slot choice may feel overwhelming. But as far as Wrexham’s choice is concerned, Phil Parkinson might’ve hinted at the answer already.
In a way, Parky’s decision to begin with Cacace, later sub him with Thomason and finally bring in McClean says it all. Given their preferential roles, Cacace is likely to get the starting nod, followed by the other choices.
That doesn’t mean a sideline for George Thomason, who can revert to his normal role while filling in on the wing if needed. As for McClean, the 36-year-old’s not-so-convincing display(including a penalty miss) could see him return to the sidelines for the next games.
Again, this arrangement is subject to change and not a rigid one as the season builds towards an end. However, the best case for Wrexham would be to see Cacace succeed in the LWB role with no need for any plan modifications ahead.
