The Dark Horse: A Tactical Look At Rolando Maran’s Catania

Another major surprise package this season has been Catania, under Rolando Maran. He was not the obvious choice for the job back in the summer, but with a CV boasting sides such as Brescia, Bari and Vicenza, he deserved a crack at an established Serie A club.

He has come in and changed Catania’s tactical approach and to great effect. Gone is Montella’s old 3-5-2 system, and in has come a more solid, balanced yet flexible 4-3-3.

Mariano Adujar provides solidity and reliability in goal, as well as being able to organise and marshal a good defence.

In-front of him lays an experienced back-four; Giuseppe Bellusci, Nicolas Spolli, Nicola Legrottaglie and Giovanni Marchese would be the first-choice selections at the back for Maran. One of the traits that the defence has is that in the attacking-phase of play, when either of the full-backs has joined in the attack, the remaining three defenders are comfortable to go narrower and form a three-man defence, in anticipation for a counter-attack.

In the more important defensive phase, the defence holds a fairly deep-line, which compensates for the lack of pace, which proves difficult to break down. The opposition often try to find a route down the flanks, as the space behind the centre-backs makes it difficult to play a ball through.

This, however, can also prove difficult due to the aerial presence of Legrottaglie and Spolli. Further adding the dimension of Mariano Izco in defensive-midfield, and the other two central midfielders, provides Catania with a very solid shape, which is difficult to break down.

As with any tactical system, the midfield is all-important. Catania play with 4 defenders and 3 attackers therefore must have the right balance in midfield to provide cover in defence and supplement attacks.

As mentioned before, Maran’s system is flexible, which is heavily down to the personnel he has at his disposal. He can often make variations within his midfield which can create it from a defensive-midfielder and two central-midfielders, to two holding-midfielders and an attacking-midfielder.

Mariano Izco is usually deployed as the defensive-midfielder, but if Sergio Almiron or Marco Biagianti plays, Catania can shift to a holding-two, which frees up Francesco Lodi to play further up the pitch. This has helped when playing the “bigger” sides that are expected to have more possession.

It helps Maran concentrate more on the defensive side of the game, and uses the players at his disposal to suffocate the space and stay solid. On the contrary, when playing teams who Catania are expected to beat, Maran can set the team out to play on the front-foot and to have an attacking mind-set.

In the attacking third of the pitch, Catania uses the width of the pitch by employing Pablo Barrientos and Lucas Castro there, with Alejandro Gomez playing as the lone-forward. As Catania’s game is heavily possession-based, the forward-three are always involved and picking up space where they can be of influence.

Maran tries to emphasise that the player on the ball must have two or three different passing options in order to keep the pace and to pressurise the opponents. When into dangerous areas of the pitch, Lodi can pick out defence-splitting passes to feed in either Barrientos or Castro. Depending on which side the attack is taking place, Catania aim to get bodies into the box, supporting Gomez and causing unrest and confusion within the oppositions defence.

One of the positives that Catania does possess is that Barrientos and Castro can cut-in and shoot. This gives the option of creating space for full-backs to overlap or occupying the oppositions centre-back and bringing him out of position.

Alejandro Gomez also works very hard on his own upfront, which can often keep the oppositions defence on their toes. He works well as Catania’s focal point in attack and can run onto balls as well as hold it up and feed either wingers or any midfield runners through.

This dimension gives Catania a great option when trying to break opposition defences down, as his movement often creates space and opens up different options.

Catania can call this season so far, a success. They are sat in seventh; two points off a European place, and could easily better the club record and finish higher than eighthplace.

If Maran continues to drive the team on, and they continue to play without pressure, there is no doubt they can exceed expectations and finish in a European place. That would definitely give Rolando Maran a shout of being the manager of the year.

Follow Aran Sohal on Twitter: @AranSohal