Fiorentina’s stuttering start to the new year continues unabated, with Sunday’s last gasp defeat to Catania leaving coach Vincenzo Montella at a loss to explain how his side keep losing despite dominating their opponents.
It is now three defeats from four in Serie A since the side returned to action following the winter break, with a quarter final Coppa Italia exit to Roma rubbing further salt in the wound, and Montella has found little to criticise following each ensuing setback.
Speaking to the assembled press after the game, he said: “Once again today the team played well, showed maturity and created many scoring opportunities,” an assessment the former Catania coach has repeated with mantra like regularity in recent weeks.
Far from being blinkered though, it is hard to disagree with him as there is not a great deal of disparity in the performances that have yielded one point from four, and those that saw the Viola climb as high as third place at the halfway point.
Against Catania, Montella’s side once again dominated the statistics in terms of possession, chances created and territory, but after second half headers from Nicola Legrottaglie and Lucas Castro had cancelled out Giulio Migliaccio’s 21st minute opener, the one statistic that ultimately counts, the final score, saw the Viola finish second best.
Luck was undoubtedly not on Fiorentina’s side – another recurring theme of the last month – with both Juan Cuadrado and Adem Ljajic hitting the woodwork during the second half, while Stevan Jovetic’s continued loss of form also remains an issue.
Goal scorer Miglacio was a little more candid than Montella when speaking to reporters following the match, saying: “Spirits aren’t exactly high at the moment. When you believe so much in yourself but keep getting nothing from games it’s difficult to know what to say.
“We’ve a lot of youngsters in the side who must learn, and the mistakes we’ve made in these games must not be repeated in the future.”
Montella’s refusal to criticise his troops however may be a thinly veiled attempt to protect them from outside scrutiny and from the heightened expectations that their early season form unavoidably created, but perhaps it wouldn’t hurt for the young coach to apportion blame from time to time.
Both of Catania’s goals were entirely avoidable, with Facundo Roncaglia in particular guilty of daydreaming in the final minutes allowing Castro to steal in and power home the winner, and if Montella does not wish to criticise such lapses in concentration publically, it is to be hoped that those players fallible at the weekend are strongly reminded of their responsibilities during the week.
One player who did not manage to escape Montella’s censure though was Alberto Aquilani, after the midfielder foolishly talked himself into the referee’s notebook as the game entered its crucial final phase.
It was clear from Domenico Celi’s instant brandishing of the red card that the former Liverpool man had used industrious language, and it was one of the first instances this season that the player indiscipline that so blighted the previous campaign has reared its ugly head.
“I haven’t heard what he said,” Montella told reporters after the game, “but I’ve told him I don’t like that kind of attitude. I believe the referee [more] than him.”
The midfielder will now be unavailable for the next two matches as a result of his indiscretion, taking in the visit of Parma and the trip to arch rivals Juventus. Both he and Montella will be hoping that the Viola’s barren run will not continue as a result.
Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KevertonFC_84
