One of the teams that has
really impressed this season is Fiorentina. Vincenzo Montella has always shown signs of being a top coach, but the nous shown in organising Fiorentina and getting the most out of each of the players there has been brilliant so far this season. Despite the blip against Pescara at home this past weekend, Montella’s 3-5-2 has really clicked.
At the back, recently, Fiorentina have played Neto in goal, but Emiliano Viviano would still be considered to be the better of the two goalkeepers at the club. In front of the goalkeeper, has been a very solid and strong defence. Gonzalo Rodriguez has been a great signing for the Viola. He provides experience in a defence which needs someone to keep them organised and compact.
Facundo Roncaglia has done well this season, and has adapted to the culture change Serie A brings. Stefan Savic has also settled in well and finds the general pace of Serie A much easier to cope with than the high intensity of the English Premier League. These three have provided Fiorentina with a very good foundation when imposing Montella’s style of play.
The midfield has been key to Fiorentina’s success, though. The signings from Villarreal have really proved to be great business, and Borja Valero has been one of the star performers in the first half of the Serie A season. He has been Fiorentina’s best player, notching up eight assists, higher than anyone in Serie A thus far. Joined in central midfield by David Pizarro and Alberto Aquilani, the pace of the game is set by him.
One of the trends I have picked up from watching Fiorentina has been the natural movements and the innate ability for these players to move into areas of space. The midfield can often be crowded out, but Valero does well in getting the ball down and finding his two central-midfield partners. Aquilani in turn has been getting back to the form he was experiencing at Roma; 
and David Pizarro has the ability to pick out a defence-splitting pass that can take a number of players out of the game. This short-passing game has been the main focus for Montella to enforce onto the team.
The diagram on the right shows how the three midfielders create triangles and pass the ball around the oppositions midfield. With Pasqual and Cuadrado willing runners in behind, it also gives the opposition defence a lot to think about. Other players who fit into this way of playing are Giulio Migliaccio and Matias Fernandez, who can also come into the team and form part of a three-man midfield who are all comfortable on the ball.
One of the areas of weakness for Fiorentina, however, is their wing-backs. Offensively, Juan Cuadrado and Manuel Pasqual are very good; but their positioning often leaves Fiorentina imbalanced and vulnerable on the flanks. Montella uses the wing-backs to press up the pitch and to regain the ball quicker, and to then pass over to the more accomplished, creative midfielders. However, when the team does not win the ball, the opposing team often uses the space in-behind the wing-backs to move into, causing the three centre-backs to split and become more open.
Without a midfield enforcer either, the three centre-backs can be left quite susceptible too. This problem is more of an issue of personnel than tactical; the only way Montella can address this is by changing his system to plug the weaknesses. However, if he were to do that, he would be losing that sharpness and edge his team have in the final two-thirds of the pitch.
One of Montella’s favourite philosophies is pressing and winning the ball higher up the pitch. This is helped by the two forwards Fiorentina possess. Even though he could almost be labelled a veteran now, Luca Toni can hold the ball up extremely well, and use his strength to play with his back to goal. This in turn opens up a wealth of opportunities for Fiorentina when in the final third, as there are various avenues for Toni to pick out.
Furthermore, having Stevan Jovetic playing alongside and off Toni, can give Fiorentina that unpredictability and flair. With Valero, Pizarro and Aquilani creating passing-triangles in the midfield, the opposition can often get s
ucked into pushing up to try close down the space they have created. This can often free-up Jovetic, and the passing ability of the midfield can exploit the lapses in concentration that occur in the oppositions defence.
The capture of Giuseppe Rossi will alter the style slightly though. With Toni, there is a physical presence in the penalty box, but with Rossi, there will be more of an emphasis on playing on the ground and using the slick-passing to create openings. In addition, the width provided by Cuadrado and Pasqual can also add another dimension to the passing-play of Fiorentina; overlapping runs and taking runners out of position can free up the space for midfield runners; with players like Aquilani making delayed runs into the box, with the space created.
If Fiorentina can keep up their form and their tactical discipline during games, there is no reason why they cannot finish in a Champions League spot. With the arrival of Giuseppe Rossi too, it will give them a natural-born finisher, which could be all-important in the race for the Champions League spots. Montella must also look at the wing-back areas and try to come up with a solution which can instil a balance within the side.
What Montella has built so far, is very bright with a lot of potential. If he is backed by the board and chairman, there is no doubt he could take Fiorentina to heights achieved under Cesare Prandelli, and beyond. The tactical foundations are all in place; it’s now just a matter of consistency and confidence.
Follow Aran Sohal on Twitter: @AranSohal
