Parma Club Focus: The Season So Far…

Date: 1st January 2015 at 12:18pm
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With Serie A in its midseason break, Parma find themselves rooted to the bottom of the table. Forza Italian Football brings you a review of all that has happened over the first half of Parma’s difficult season.

After the highs of last season, in which Parma achieved an unprecedented sixth place finish, the positivity around the Stadio Ennio Tardini has dropped spectacularly after an appalling first half of the 2014/15 campaign.

Roberto Donadoni has managed to keep his job so far, but takes his side into 2015 at the bottom of the table and with a meagre six points gathered from their first 16 league matches.

The coach has admittedly had problems to deal with. After losing key men like Marco Parolo and Cristian Molinaro during the summer transfer window, Jonathan Biabiany’s heart condition has kept him out for the season and another stalwart of last season, Gabriel Paletta, has made only three appearances so far following a back injury.

However, even the absence of Italian international Paletta is no excuse for the Gialloblu’s defensive woes so far. They have conceded an incredible 36 goals, an average of 2.25 per game and by far the worst record in the league.

Over-reliance on Antonio Cassano is also a worry, as the striker has played more minutes than any other player and bears most of the attacking responsibility. His five goals so far have not been nearly enough to halt their continuously plummeting form.

Transfer Hit & Flop

Signed on loan from Juventus, Paolo De Ceglie has been one of the few positives of the season so far. His highlight was scoring both goals in the 2-0 victory over Inter, and his tally of three so far puts him behind only Cassano in the club’s scoring charts. Despite not being a revelation, De Ceglie has proved himself to be a reliable performer in an otherwise inconsisent squad.

Algerian international forward Ishak Belfodil returned to the club where he first made his name following an unimpressive spell at Inter. But almost halfway through the season, he has yet to demonstrate that he merits a place in the side, let alone the €3.5 million it cost to sign the other 50 percent of his contract, having failed to score in 11 appearances.

Coach

Many would suggest that Roberto Donadoni is only still in employment due to his achievements last season. This is an especially strong suggestion given that the other two sides sitting in the relegation zone, Cesena and Cagliari, have already sacked managers this season. Donadoni will surely need to restore confidence in the dressing room sharpish if he is to see out the season.

Best goal – Antonio Cassano v Chievo

While Rafael Palladino’s chip against Palermo was a strong contender, this award must go to Antonio Cassano for his second goal in the 3-2 win against Chievo in September. It was a superb team goal that showed what this team can be capable of. Cassano fed Daniele Galloppa on the left, whose cross to the far post was chested down into the path of the onrushing striker to smash into the roof of the net and secure what would be Parma’s last win before a six-match losing streak.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymzUuTA99hQ[/youtube]

 

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