Genoa’s January purchases have already shown their importance, and none more so than striker Alberto Gilardino.
The Italian cost the club over €10 million, and has been one of the catalysts in Genoa’s free scoring form. That form, however, came to an end this week as Genoa were defeated 4-0 by an even more exciting, attack-minded Catania, and 1-0 by Atalanta on Wednesday.
It was Gilardino’s absence, due to a calf muscle injury, that prevented Genoa from playing the smooth passing football they displayed against Lazio, Napoli and Udinese in previous weeks.
Gilardino will miss the club’s next three matches just as the team was gelling, and this could put a dent in the Grifone’s aspirations of European football next season.
Gilardino may have only scored one goal in five appearances for Genoa, but the former Fiorentina hit man has four assists. It is his creativity and ability to draw defenders that has allowed both Rodrigo Palacio and Bosko Jankovic to get the goals.
Without the Italian international Genoa returned to the more predictable team they were in the first half of the season. Catania manager, Vincenzo Montella, got his tactics spot on against Genoa’s porous defence.
Against Atalanta it didn’t get much better as the club gave up a late goal. Genoa have now allowed 43-goals on the season, the most given up by any team in the league.
Though Genoa’s scoring has been free flowing in the past two months the defence has continued to be leaky and short of pace. New-boy Roger Carvalho finally replaced the the older, slower Kakha Kaladze against Atalanta, and looked an upgrade when slotted next to Andreas Granqvist.
While Gilardino, Giuseppe Sculli and Davide Biondini have all excelled after signing in January, last summer’s signings continue to start and stutter. Birsa received only his second Serie A start of the season against Catania, and rewarded his manager with a performance that had him replaced at the 50-minute mark.
Centre back Granqvist, signed from Groningen last summer, has failed to live up to expectations in his 15 matches this season. The club have had a lot of injury problems at the back and that can be attributed to one of the reasons Granqvist hasn’t solidified himself in the team’s defence. It could also be attributed to the club’s lack of a fit and healthy, quality full-backs. However, he did look light-years better next to Carvalho on Wednesday night.
While other summer signings Kevin Constant, Cesare Bovo and Cristobal Jorquera have all been in and out of the line-up due to fitness, it has been the January buys that have distanced the club from the bottom dwellers of the league. Without them Genoa could very well have been dragged into a relegation dogfight thanks to their league leading 43-goals allowed. At least they’re first in something.
Follow Drew Farmer on Twitter @calciofarmer
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