When the going gets tough, the tough get going – and for under-fire Diego Maradona, that apparently means flying off with his girlfriend to a health spa in Italy instead of facing his employers, critics and players in the wake of their spiraling World Cup qualification campaign.

The ‘Great Little Man’ was supposed to be meeting with Argentine Football Association president Julio Grondona this week amid rumours that Maradona was to be working with a No. 2 in order to get their campaign back on track.

Currently lying in fifth position after four defeats in their last five qualifying games, Argentina face the unthinkable prospect of a two-tie play-off with the fourth-placed team in the North, Central America and Caribbean Group in mid-November – if they make it at all. Uruguay, Venezuela and Colombia are all within two points of the 1978 and 1986 champions, and with Maradona’s unwillingness to listen, co-operate and work with anyone else – including former World Cup winning coach Carlos Bilardo – the AFA are growing increasingly disenchanted with their national hero.

Not that their plight really comes as much of a surprise to anyone outside of Argentina. He may have been a legend on the pitch, unquestionably talented if not always tainted from an English standpoint, but he has always been a flawed genius with drug, alcohol and weight problems over the years. With no experience in management since he quit playing, taking over the national team in October 2008 was always going to be a big task – and a recipe for disaster.

While the players looked up to him as an icon at first, the novelty soon wore off. Early victories against the likes of Scotland and Venezuela were soon followed by a 6-1 defeat at Bolivia – their heaviest loss in more than 60 years – and this month against arch-rivals Brazil and Paraguay. Going into last week’s qualifier in Asuncion, Maradona had used no fewer than 62 different players since taking the helm, with only newly-appointed captain Javier Mascherano a regular starter. He even called up 36-year-old veteran striker Martin Palermo in a move that smacks of desperation.

With no continuity in the team, superstars such as Lionel Messi are underperforming, prompting rumours this week in the Spanish press that Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola is being touted to replace Maradona in order to get the best out of their midfield maestro.

Maradona has two games against Peru, at home, and away to Uruguay in October to secure qualification, otherwise he may need more than a health spa in Italy to revive his spirits as well as those of a nation.

If they don’t make it, not many outside of Argentina will be crying.