There is a rampant bull on Torino’s club badge. It is the symbol of the city as well as the club. Bulls are known for their destructive force. Whatever their animal rights issues, bullfights only exist because there is a danger to both participants.
On the field, not since the days of Marco Ferrante’s horned goal celebration had there been a Torino team as reminiscent of a bull as last season’s. In Alessio Cerci and Ciro Immobile, there was a two-horned attack to strike fear into any Serie A side.
Torino’s 58 goals was the Granata’s highest Serie A figure since 1950.
It was always likely that either Immobile, Cerci, or both would leave Turin in the summer. As it happens, eventually, both did. Immobile went to Dortmund and Champions League football. He left first – even during the World Cup, his destination was known.
Cerci hung around a little longer. In moving to Atletico Madrid on the eve of the transfer window closing, he also secured himself Champions League football.
The lateness of his departure left Urbano Cairo no time to secure an adequate replacement. He may have protested that Torino have turned a small profit over the last few seasons, but replacing Cerci and Immobile with Amauri and Quagliarella is a huge downgrade, and it has had immediate effect.
After four games, Torino have only just scored their first Serie A goals in their first victory in midweek against Cagliari.
Last year, Giampiero Ventura’s side averaged 4.6 shots on target per game. So far this campaign, that figure is as low as 2.0. That isn’t through a lack of attempts, either – the current team are mustering 13.7 efforts at goal per match, a whole half-shot more than last season.
The quantity is clearly present, but it is evident that the quality is not.
To see Quagliarella playing is almost to be party to a ghoulish trick; watching a man who has been told he used to be Fabio Quagliarella learn how to be him again. Sunday’s game against Hellas Verona saw him attempt an overhead kick near the edge of the box. He made a clean connection with the ball, but it barely trickled as far as the six yard line.
On the other side, Amauri may have the heart of a lion, but he has the football skills to match. He runs, he harries and he strains but to date, he has not looked like scoring since his return to Turin. Indeed, the closest Toro have come have been misplaced penalties.
It is worth noting too, that the new-look Torino are underusing the flanks; Cerci naturally played in a wide role, and Immobile regularly pulled to the left side – the two wider areas accounted for 44% of Toro’s attacks last season. This time around, Cesare Bovo’s long balls to central areas have taken away some of the creation; just 24% of attacks come from out wide.
Disappointing start it may be, but all is not lost. In the opening three games last season, Torino managed only three draws; they are only two points down. Equally, there was a huge disparity in the Granata’s results last year against different qualities of opposition.
Against the top half sides, Toro won just twice, averaging 1.17 goals and 0.83 points per game. Meanwhile, against the bottom half, those figures leapt to 1.85 goals and a huge 2.10 points per game. Inter and Hellas Verona were both comfortably in the top half of the table last season, while Sampdoria were not far away.
With that in mind, the game against Cagliari might have offered some respite for Ventura’s men, but matches against Fiorentina, Napoli, Udinese and Lazio are lined up next. It promises to be a difficult series indeed.
Unless Amauri and Quagliarella can muster something up soon, it might not be a red flag that is being waved at the ‘Bull’, but a white towel.
