Torino start this season with a somewhat surprising sense of trepidation about the year ahead, given that it seems unlikely they can better last season’s heroics.
Against all the odds, the team who some tipped for relegation or at least a scrap with it, finished seventh, thanks largely to their ‘Goal Twins’ of Ciro Immobile and Alessio Cerci.
A small thanks must also go to Parma whose off-field woes (after pipping Torino to European football with literally the final kick of the season) meant that the Granata have taken their place in the competition and look good to qualify for the group stages.
But that Torino side is not the same one that will try, likely without success, to go even better than last year which a number of players confessed was the aim during pre-season.
Without Immobile and likely Cerci, a top half finish and giving a good account of themselves in the Europa League will represent a good season for Torino after the incredible efforts of 2013/14.
Transfers
Unfortunately for Torino, it is the ‘outgoing’ section of the transfers over the summer that draws the most attention and looks the most significant.
They have lost top scorer in Serie A last season Immobile to German giants for just under €20 million although that will be little consolation as they look to replace his 22 goals from the season gone by.
At the time of writing, the future of Cerci was still unresolved with AC Milan continuing to hold talks for the winger but the fact that he has been left out of European squads would suggest that a disappointing exit may not be far away.
The only other significant departure is that of the once highly-touted Nicola Bellomo who leaves for Chievo as he looks to build his reputation.
Taking over Immobile’s locker at the Olimpico is Fabio Quagliarella who returns to the club from Juventus and while he may not deliver goals as consistently as Immobile, he certainly brings excitement and a touch of the spectacular.
Another ex-Juventino making the move to Toro is Antonio Nocerino and although the midfielder has fallen out of favour considerably at AC Milan, he could prove a wily capture by the Piedmont club.
That adds depth to a stronger looking Torino midfield than previous seasons with Omar El Kaddouri again being retained and Marco Benassi signing on a co-ownership deal from Inter.
Vlada Avramov brings competition between the posts, Cristian Molinaro experience in front of him while Pontus Jansson looks a solid defensive purchase and Marcelo Larrondo and Paulo Barreto have resolved their futures to stay, quantity perhaps going to bring the goals that can now be found in the Bundesliga.
The Coach – Giampiero Ventura
One of the division’s longest serving coaches, Ventura has reaffirmed his status in Turin as an excellent coach who builds great trust with his players and gets the best from them as a result.
A difficult time at Bari has since been followed up by three successful seasons with the Granata, the nadir being reached last season with Europa League qualification.
He faces an unenviably tough task this year to cope with raised expectations.
Questions will still be asked about what system he will adopt in Serie A to cope with the loss of Immobile (and potentially Cerci) but expect him to persist with the 3-5-2 formation that has proven continually popular in the peninsula recently.
With the goalkeeper and back three likely to be unchanged, having Cristian Molinaro and Matteo Darmian out wide flanked by Nocerino, Giuseppe Vives and Kaddouri will be a worry for most sides.
Barreto and Quagliarella should be his chosen pair to deliver the goals this season.
Season Expectations
Expectations should be lessened after summer transfer activity but after managing a seventh-placed finish and with European football delivering a nice cash boost to the club, people will want to remain at that level or even go one better.
With the chance now to cement themselves as a confirmed top half and Europa League chasing club (like say, Parma have did recently), it is one they cannot allow to get away from them.
It would be too easy to fall back on the excuses but this represents a wonderful opportunity for the club to push on.
However, they could really struggle to fight on two fronts this year with a squad that is not the biggest in Serie A by any means and that could pose real problems if group stage qualification is confirmed in the Europa League.
Prediction
Having a squad of just 23, of which three are goalkeepers and a sizeable number are young and/or inexperienced defensive minded players, fighting for European success could hurt them.
But this is why Torino pushed so hard last season in pursuit of playing in continental competition and now that they have achieved, it would be a shame to see them treat it as an inconvenience.
With those added games testing the very limits of Ventura’s experience and the squad’s endurance, expect a finish perhaps just outside the top half especially if they cannot secure the signing of another creative player in the final third.
Where will they finish? 11th, narrowly missing out on a top half finish
