Club Focus - Fiorentina - Goals guaranteed with Keirrison and Seferovic arriving as the defence struggles

The Gigliati have made it a habit of late to concede goals on a regular basis as witnessed in all their matches since the clock turned its back on 2009. Fiorentina have not kept a clean sheet in 2010 while leaking seven goals in their last three Serie A matches and another two in the Coppa Italia victory over Lazio. The defence is clearly one area of the team suffering from inconsistency and lack of understanding amongst the players.

It is one thing to allow hosts Palermo to score three goals and a totally different prospect to witness visitors Lazio, the second worst attacking team in the league, score on two occasions during cup competition. Against Cagliari the defensive woes continued and the shaky back-line conceded two goals with January signing Dias Felipe risking a red card in the process. The Brazilian signing from Udinese has visibly struggled to impress in all his appearances so far and for once the Prandelli-Corvino tandem looks to have failed in the transfer market. It begs the question as to why the astute Cesare Prandelli sanctioned the deal to offload one of the sides most experienced and reliable centre-backs Dario Dainelli. While Fiorentina are gifting goals, Dainelli is beginning to deliver as Genoa have managed to escape with a scoreless draw from Napoli after keeping a clean sheet against Atalanta.

Dainelli did play in the heavy defeat to Roma but he is settling down and helping to shore up the weak defense of il Grifone. Inexplicably, director Pantaleo Corvino and Prandelli conspired to let go of one of the club’s loyal servants at a time when Alessandro Gamberini is still attempting to return to full fitness and new signing Felipe is putting in clumsy displays. The Brazilian signing is not to blame for all the mishaps in defence with the absence of Cristiano Zanetti greatly felt as Riccardo Montolivo and Marco Donadel are not on Zanetti’s level when it comes to shielding the defense. The Gigliati have invested heavily in midfielders and strikers yet failed to bring any defenders besides the Udinese centre-back.

The last couple of days in the transfer window witnessed la Viola sign Barcelona striker Keirrison on a two-year loan deal. The Brazilian has not played for Barca but at 21-years-old and having scored over 20 goals for Palmeiras in 2009 he seems to have great potential. Considering the Catalans were convinced to spend a staggering €14m on a relative unknown is another sign he could be of substantial value to the club. The Florence side also snapped young striker Haris Seferovic who led Switzerland to victory in the U-17 World Cup as he finished top scorer in the tournament. The promising player will turn 18 in a few weeks and his signing falls within the club’s policy of bringing in promising talent. Prandelli is renowned for nurturing emerging players with Montenegrin star Stevan Jovetic serving as the leading example of the Coach’s managerial skills.

The Gigliati were rocked after the signing of Antonio Cassano fell through despite reports in the Italian Press confirming the erratic but skilled forward was on the verge of a move to Florence. Coach Prandelli could not hide his disappointment at failing to bring in Cassano while Corvino went on a veiled rant as he pointed fingers at Sampdoria for failing to sanction the deal in the last hours.

Cassano would have been a volatile yet welcome presence in Florence given the temporary suspension given to troubled forward Adrian Mutu. The Romanian has been banned by CONI for failing a drug test but he could be back sooner than expected if rumours of the herbal pills hold true. According to reports, the Romanian took pills with a label excluding any banned substances so he could have fallen prey to an ill-advised product. If he can prove his innocence and lack of malicious intent then CONI is likely to remove the suspension or simply ban him for a very short time. Mutu’s previous drug ban weighs heavily on his shoulders and his actions are quite immature. The club directors are fed up with the player’s mishaps and have recently warned his agent to keep low-key as opposed to selling ideas about Mutu’s potential move to other destinations. At this stage, it is unlikely anyone would be interested in capturing the Romanian forward given his delicate situation with regards to the drug test and his legal battle with Chelsea.

On a much brighter note, Jovetic marked his return against Cagliari with an assist and a goal. Prandelli will be hoping his young star can deliver the goods in Mutu’s absence.