Club Focus- Fiorentina- Overlooked penalty sees the Gigliati lose despite a gritty performance

Coach Cesare Prandelli must be pondering what needs to be done in order to overturn the current tide consuming his side as the Gigliati continue to drop points diminishing any hopes of ending in the coveted fourth spot which paves the way for Champions League qualification. To compound matters further la Viola’s last two defeats came courtesy of some susceptible calls. Against Bayern Munich, the Gigliati were on the wrong end of a number of calls while against Milan the players were let down by a refereeing non-call as the official opted not to whistle after skipper Riccardo Montolivo was fouled inside the penalty box.

The match against the Rossoneri was reminiscent of the last hurtful home defeat suffered against Roma. La Viola dominated proceedings but missed key opportunities to claim all three points. Fiorentina lack efficiency and, despite scoring the opener, Alberto Gilardino remains a shadow of the player who struck fear in opposing defenders in Italy, Europe and the World Cup qualifiers during the closing months of 2009. The Azzurri striker might be missing his first-choice partner Adrian Mutu who remains suspended but the Romanian’s absence is little excuse for his dip in form. Against Milan the Fiorentina defence was once again shambolic for stretches of the match, in particular in the closing 10 minutes when the club conceded the two killer blows through Klaas Jan Huntelaar and Alexandre Pato. Ronaldinho’s incisive passing easily dissected the Gigliati defence which looks more like a bunch of players assimilated from different parts of the world with little if any understanding, no sense of positioning and certainly extremely poor coverage of the opposing strikers. Pato was in acres of space to rifle home the winner, while Huntelaar easily tore through after a delightful one-two with Ronaldinho.

During the first-half of the campaign the Gigliati defence was one of the main reasons the club remained in contention for the fourth spot, but after 25 matches it has been surpassed by six other Serie A club’s defensive lines. Obviously the injury to Alessandro Gamberini does not help at all while January signing Felipe Dias has been rather inconsistent. Prandelli’s problems are not solely restricted to the defensive department. The attackers have not converted opportunities presented to them and the current surge in the form of Marco Marchionni and Juan Manuel Vargas has gone unrewarded. The charismatic Coach is struggling to comprehend how the hard work of the players is failing to yield positive results. Perhaps eliminating Bayern Munich in the return-leg will provide the necessary boost but in the meantime la Viola must negotiate two tricky tests against a resurgent Juventus side led by Alberto Zaccheroni and a desperate team seeking survival in the shape of Lazio.

The Gigliati are seven points behind the Bianconeri meaning fourth spot could be in sight if they overcome Lazio and then can beat Juventus at the Stadio Artemio Franchi. Prandelli is aware the club must resort to damage limitation and take steps one match at a time, so the players will be urged to focus on the trip to Rome before the two difficult games against Juve and the Bavarian side in Europe. While Gilardino has scored despite his unimpressive form, the likes of Marchionni and Vargas are returning to their best but perhaps the player who has taken it upon him to make a difference is the recently installed captain Montolivo.

The Italian midfielder was handed the captain’s armband when defender Dario Dainelli left the club and at this rate he is probably going to force himself into the Azzurri fold. While Montolivo might not have been extraordinary, he has performed with consistency and shown he is capable of handling the additional responsibilities associated with the skipper’s role.

The club’s established players are doing much better than the January signings, who by all means have failed to impress. Adem Ljajic remains a project for the future but defender Felipe Dias has been error prone. Mario Bolatti has not exactly lit up the Stadio Artemio Franchi. On-loan striker Keirrison failed to capitalise on a late opportunity and is unlikely to force himself into the starting line-up given the setup preferred by Prandelli. These January market moves have raised the question of whether the respected Tactician will remain in Florence as he has yet to extend his contract . Reports claim he wants a stronger voice when it comes to the club’s transfer moves. He is particularly concerned about having a greater influence on future signings.