Chievo Club Focus: Corini brings confidence

Date: 19th December 2013 at 9:26pm
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Chievo LogoChievo suffered their first defeat since Eugenio Corini took over the reins at the Stadio Bentegodi outfit, after they were beaten at home in a 1-0 defeat against a Sampdoria side coached by Sinisa Mihajlovic.

Despite the loss the Blucerchiati could only penetrate the defence just the once with a goal from a set-piece, which saw Eder head the ball into the back of the net from an Angelo Palombo corner.

The Gialloblu were unlucky not to score an equaliser during the match with several chances either going wide or saved by Sampdoria keeper Angelo Da Costa.

However Corini was satisfied with his player’s efforts and that his side should have come away with at least a point but does reassure the fans that the defeat isn’t a sign of things to come.

“Are we in decline? Absolutely not, the performance was great [but] we were not rewarded with the result,” he told Rai Sport.

“We were incisive but we could not find the way to goal.”

Nevertheless, Chievo president Luca Campedelli will be pleased with the direction that the club are going in since Corini took over the team. The Flying Donkeys have now won four in their last five games and sit 16th in the Serie A, two points away from the relegation zone.

The former Torino and Palermo player has certainly got the team well prepared and has completely changed his player’s mentality that they should be achieving higher things, rather than trying to avoid plunging into Serie B next season.

Eugenio Corini ChievoThe players seem to be giving 100% for Corini, and it’s certainly showing on the pitch with Cyril Thereau and Alberto Paloschi scoring again for the club, whilst others such as Alessio Sestu and Dario Dainelli are performing to a high standard to ensure the Flying Donkeys safety this season.

The Veronese side have changed their formation in their last two games against Sassuolo and Sampdoria, opting with a 4-3-3, rather than the 3-5-2 that Giuseppe Sannino brought in at the beginning of the season.

Sestu and Marcelo Estigarribia who have been partnering up with Thereau in the last two matches, and have been given a supporting role for the Frenchman. Chievo have struggled to score for the first part of this season and Corini will want more opportunities created for his forwards in front of goal which both have proven they are capable of assisting with in that department.

I have been really impressed with Estigarribia for Chievo, the Paraguayan, who is currently on loan from Deportivo Maldonado, has shown great potential and Corini should make his move more permanent if he is to achieve at the club. The 26-year-old has been consistent when he has been given his chances in the starting eleven and I believe he will be influential for the teams stay in the Serie A.

The Flying Donkey’s now face Torino this weekend away at the Stadio Olimpico. Giampiero Ventura’s team have themselves sitting in an impressive seventh place in the league. If Chievo are to get anything from the game they will need to prevent Alessio Cerci and Ciro Immobile who will be knocking on the door to score as both have 14 goals between them.

After a magnificent 2-0 win away to Udinese and a win at home against Lazio, the Granata will want to keep up their winning streak when they face the Flying Donkeys. Corini has held back Paloschi in the last two games only substituting him on but I’d like to see him start this weekend as his the team’s top goal scorer and with extra support he isn’t afraid to score more than once.

I’m hoping for a win this weekend but a draw is more realistic for the Gialloblu, but I could be wrong and Corini and his players could cause an upset in Turin.

Forza Chievo!!! Buon Natale tutti!!

 

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