Posted on Thursday, 1st March 2012 by Padraig Whelan

were having the season of their lives as we approached the second half of the season in . Sitting near top of the table and looking like this year they could seriously challenge for the Scudetto as well as still being involved in both the Coppa Italia and Europa League, it was a promising time to be a fan of the Friuliani.

However, in little over a month there dreams of glory have been hampered by the African Cup of Nations and a cruel series of injuries to their star players and it now seems as though the Europa League is their only feasible chance of silverware this season as they struggle to secure a Champions League spot for next year.

Things are by no means all lost for Udinese this season but having went from title challengers to fighting to consolidate their third spot has been tough as the losses of , and to the African Cup have coincided with a downturn in fortunes on the field.

Since the turn of the year, Udinese have been knocked out of the Coppa at the hands of and have lost four times in Serie A although it is a testament to how well they had played before Christmas that they still find themselves in third place in the table although you can’t help wonder what might have been had they managed to keep hold of their stars.

A three-team title race would likely still be on the cards and as we have seen many times this season, a full-strength Udinese side are amongst the strongest in the peninsula and one capable of beating any other side but not only had they lost out on their three African players, they now have to contend with injuries to two of their best players.

and are both set for a period on the treatment table and with Isla proving to be both massively influential in attack and at the back for his side and the importance of Di Natale to the Zebrette cannot be overstated, his goalscoring record speaks for itself.

So for a club with a squad as small as Udinese who are relatively inexperienced outside of their starting team, the loss of five crucial players was always going to hit them hard. It has perhaps helped hit home for manager that he will need to delve deep in the transfer market this summer (albeit on limited funds) in order to prevent this happening again next season.

With the trio of African players now returned from the competition, the boost to Guidolin and his men at the return of players who have been the heartbeat of their club will be a welcome one and should be enough to see them recover their form ahead of what is going to be a long battle to secure Champions League football.

However, with Isla set to miss the remainder of the season and Di Natale possibly out for a lengthy spell on the sidelines himself with a fractured foot, they will have to pull off perhaps the most impressive performances they ever have if they are to play in the biggest club competition for the third time.

 

Follow Padraig Whelan on Twitter @PWhelan88 and be sure to check out Football and Fighting

For all the latest Serie A news don’t forget to check out the news section of Forza Italian Football.

Join Forza Italian Football on Twitter and Facebook.


We are always looking for new writers, so if you think you know Calcio, email us: forzaitalianfootball@snack-media.com
Buffer
Padraig WhelanAuthor Padraig Whelan  (187 Posts)

I have been a huge fan of Italian football for many years now and it is still my favourite league in the world. I support Milan but have a great admiration for many of the other teams and the way that they play. My favourite players to have played in the Italian game are Francesco Totti and Filippo Inzaghi. I am currently studying for a degree in sports journalism.


Related posts:

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Udinese | Comments (0)

Leave a Reply