Fiorentina Club Focus: Lack of quality out wide could scupper potentially explosive forward-line

Date: 2nd September 2015 at 4:00pm
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Fiorentina have begun the new season in inconsistent fashion with one win and one defeat after their opening fixtures and despite a fine 2-0 victory over AC Milan on the opening day of the campaign, the Viola suffered a 3-1 loss to Torino on Sunday.

Questions have now arisen once again about how equipped the Florence side are to challenge for Champions League places over the next nine months.
With forwards like Giuseppe Rossi, Khouma Babacar, Ante Rebic along with exciting Italy under-21 star Federico Bernardeschi and new arrival Nikola Kalinic, Viola fans should expect plenty of goals this season but one aspect that has to be examined in Paulo Sousa’s side is the lack of threat from wide areas on the pitch which strikers strive on to bolster their respective goal tallies.

With that in mind, the Tuscan side have just lost two of their most potent attacking threats on the flanks this summer with the departures of Juan Manual Vargas and Joaquin, who both left for La Liga side Real Betis.

Joaquin is a real loss to the club, but a move back to his boyhood club was on the cards most of the summer despite the Gigliati being reluctant to let the former Valencia man leave.

Monday’s on-loan signing of Poland international Jakub Blaszcykowski from Borussia Dortmund might turn out to be a good bit of business for the Viola, but the former Wisla Krakow winger has only made 29 Bundesliga appearances over the past two seasons, scoring twice in that time.

Paulo Sousa will be hoping he’s got a player that wants to show that he still has a lot to offer, and be a big hit in Serie A.

JAKUB BLASZCZYKOWSK poland

With the modern game mostly contested in the middle of the park, attacking full-backs have become vital to a teams attacking prowess, and this is an area the Viola have failed to address with established names during the transfer window.

On the right side, Brazilian full-back Gilberto was brought in from Botafogo, and has featured in the opening two games as an attacking right-winger with Serbian Nenad Tomovic filling in at full-back, but asking an inexperienced 22-year-old to fill that defensive role full-time might be a big ask at this stage of his career.

On the left side, and after the exit of Vargas and with club captain Manual Pasquel best days now seemingly in the past, Marcos Alonso has being filling in and did perform excellent on the opening day against Milan.

But Sousa doesn’t feel he’s the answer long-term after failing with a bid for Maccabi Haifa full-back Taleb Twatiha in the summer, and a fresh bid for the Israel international in January could see the former Bolton defender relegated to the bench once again.

Marcos Alonso - Fiorentina

Moving up the pitch Blaszczykowski is expected to take the place of Joaquin on the right-wing, but on the left it seems another case of square pegs in round holes with either youngster Bernardeschi or Josip Ilicic filling in on the left side of the attack, with neither of them naturally suited to the position, as both players see themselves as a number ten, playing just behind the main striker.

If these areas can be improved upon with personal changes or tactical re-adjustments from the coach, the Viola have the firepower to fight for the top places this season and improve on last years fourth place finish.

 

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