The time when Udinese were enigmatic, dynamic and more importantly successful, is in the past. In 2014/15 they promoted youth and energy, but at the cost of progress and consistency.
Andrea Stramaccioni’s first season in charge finished in 16th placed on 41 points, three points and three positions worse off than in 2013/14. However, the club has undergone a big transition in the last 12 months, on and off the field as Francesco Guidolin moved upstairs and the Stadio Friuli was largely knocked down for modernisation.
Ex-Inter coach Stramaccioni was put in charge of the modernisation on the pitch, tasked with bringing through the next generation. Club legend Antonio Di Natale remained for a Serie A swan song but from the outset it was to be a year of transition; the lack of European football was rarely expected to be for just the one season.
Furthermore, key players Dusan Basta and Roberto Pereyra departed with little in the way of replacements. It was a talented but raw side under a man renowned for managing young players.
As it so often does for raw, talented sides, it started rather well. Victories over Napoli and Lazio helped the Bianconeri to 12 points from the first five games, but the honeymoon ended when key clashes turned against Stramaccioni’s men. Trips to Fiorentina and AC Milan yielded defeats before performances at the Friuili tailed off dramatically; the Zebrette were winless at home from October to March.
A somewhat customary three points at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza against a floundering Inter introduced a slight optimism in Stramaccioni’s first Nerazzurri return, but in truth it papered over the cracks.
Inconsistency returned as Hellas Verona won at the Friuli in their last home outing before the winter break, dumping Udinese out of the top ten where they would rarely return before settling into lower mid-table.
Any new year optimism was doused when Roma’s controversial victory in Udine was followed up by Cagliari snatching a late draw. Although a league double over tough to beat Empoli boosted morale, Stramaccioni’s side struggled against poorer teams, claiming just five points off the bottom three teams in Serie A.
January saw the disappointing Luis Muriel move west to Sampdoria in a quiet transfer window, with like-for-like replacement Stipe Perica failing to make an impact in a loan spell.
A hard fought penalties exit from the Coppa Italia in Napoli quashed hopes of another semi-final run, but that performance, along with a solid 0-0 draw with leaders Juventus, confirmed that there was enough quality to avoid relegation being an issue.
A four game unbeaten run, including a dramatic home win over Torino, raised expectations for a promising end to the season and yet evidence of progression under Stramaccioni was to be further dented.
Occasional wins over AC Milan and Verona defined their inconsistency when positioned against lacklustre defeats to Sampdoria and Sassuolo. The final day defeat to Cagliari meant ending the campaign with four straight defeats and a lowest league finish in 20 years.
Player of the Season
Certain hidden gems in this Zebrette side have emerged as diamonds in the rough. Centre-back Danilo and 14-goal top scorer Di Natale, surpassing Roberto Baggio’s league tally in the process, have provided a strong spine alongside goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis and midfielder Allan.
The Brazilian has shown a classy touch during his 35 appearances while commanding the midfield with excellent work-rate. Their player of the season, keeping the 24-year-old will be a nigh-on impossible feat in the summer months.
Another contender is Sylvain Widmer, the dynamic and often bombastic young winger has almost as much potential as he does energy.
Goal of the Season
Allan’s strike against Cagliari in January showed everything that’s good about the 24-year-old, running without fear, beating challenges and firing low into the bottom corner from 20-yards.
The Brazilian’s effort just beats Panagiotis Kone’s stunning volley against Napoli in the Coppa Italia and Bruno Fernandes’ postage stamp effort on the final day.
Both goals in the comeback at Inter, Portguese midfielder Fernandes’ sweet strike before Cyril Thereau calmly rounded Samir Handanovic also deserve mentions, as does Thereau’s committed lob versus the Partenopei.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ooi47hg3Dyg[/youtube]
Best and Worst Signings
The unmitigated disaster that was Albert Riera ended swiftly after the veteran skipped their draw with Chievo to play poker, thus marking him down as one of the worst signings in the entire division. Meanwhile, neither youngsters Lucas Evangelista and Rodrigo Aguirre, nor Greek international Kone, have made much of an impact.
Cyril Thereau has been a competent striking option yet has struggled to hold down a starting spot, unlike the competent Ivan Piris.
Their best signing has been Guilherme, who has been a solid figure in central midfield alongside Allan, who joined permanently after a loan from Granada.
The Coach
In hindsight, more could have been done to deliver a higher finish than Stramaccioni achieved. Young sides need to move in the right direction, learning from mistakes and showing signs of reaching their potential. Sadly, Stramaccioni’s side have failed to do that in matches and results tumbled after a bright start.
Udinese have survived this season of transition, removing the threat of relegation and gaining vital experience for their fresh-faced players, but Stramaccioni appears to have not done enough to be allowed to see the job through.
The 39-year-old needs to improve in setting his side up against weaker opponents and must return his own career to an upward trajectory, whoever is in charge in 2015/16 must eliminate this team’s inconsistency.
With smart business in the summer, most likely funded by player sales, and upon the completion of Stadio Friuli renovations, Udinese are capable of pushing back up Serie A. 2014/15 may not go down in history, but it will prove very important if the club bring back the glory years.
