Torino Club Focus: More Than Cerci and Ciro You Know

It would be simplistic to look upon Torino’s lofty league position and put it down to the men hitting all the headlines.

Not to say that Alessio Cerci and Ciro Immobile are undeserving of those honours been heaped upon them for they have been truly outstanding but two players do not win 33 points between the pair of them.

This is a team very much united by a common goal of success under a coach who understands them and who has united this dressing room in Giampiero Ventura.

They are very much a team in which the whole unit is undoubtedly greater than the sum of its parts. So much credit deserves to go to Ventura and Gianluca Petrachi for bringing in this group who it is likely would be struggling to achieve such success and adulation elsewhere.

Outside of the aforementioned duo, the big clubs realistically are not going to swoop for any of this rag-tag group of individuals after the sales of Angelo Ogbonna and Danilo D’Ambrosio to Juventus and Inter respectively being the only other real standouts.

No disrespect to any of the rest of the Toro squad but Migjen Basha hardly has the guile of Cerci and Paolo Barreto does not score with the regularity of Immobile.

Neither of those players, or many others for that matter, are going to have Roma or Napoli beating the door down to secure their signature at the Olimpico in Turin.

Allow TCF to attempt to shed some light on some of the players who do their job more than adequately, with minimal fuss, provide a vital part to the team but are often overlooked in doing so.

Captain Kamil Glik is the archetypal central defender. You know the one, fearless in the tackle, possessing an impeccable reading of the game and willing to run a million miles and back for his Mister.

More than that, he puts his body time and time again for the Granata cause and wears the armband (wonderfully adorned with the names of previous captains) with pride. Just see his swollen face obtained in this past weekend’s draw with San Siro for taking a Giampaolo Pazzini boot flush in the face in his willingness to keep the ball out of the net.

He may not be flash but boy is the powerful Pole effective and for your defensive rock, there is not much more required.

Matteo Darmian is reputedly attracting slight interest from former club AC Milan having been noticed for his displays down the right flank. D’Ambrosio shall not be missed if he keeps up his consistent performances.

Nikola Maksimovic, while still only 22, is settling into the side well in defence, and with Glik and the ever wily Emiliano Moretti alongside him talking him through games, is sure to only improve with time.

In midfield, this is the area where the unheralded heroes of the claret jersey really shine.

There is nobody in there who can pick a pass with the panache of a Pirlo, there is not really a player who truly possesses the explosive midfield power of Kevin Strootman or the exceptional awareness of Esteban Cambiasso but this is not needed.

For this is a midfield who have just clicked this season and who together, have proven to be a more than formidable group.

Giuseppe Vives is making the most of this last opportunity at the big time. The 33-year-old has worked his way all the way up from Serie C2, doing things the hard way and does not look out of place.

His late runs into advanced positions have been as crucial in creating space for others to score as they have been for his own efforts on goal and his experience is vital in the middle of the park and will be called upon all the more after the exit of Matteo Brighi.

The fact that he is one of the first names on Ventura’s team sheet and has been a virtual ever-present in the side all season.

The duo of Alexander Farnerud and Basha have also been impressing Toro supporters throughout the campaign. Swedish ace Farnerud has taken a little time to adjust to Serie A since his summer move from Switzerland and although his final ball could be better and his temperament can at times work against him, there is no doubting his commitment to the cause.

Same can be said for Basha who works as hard as any player in the team and whose attitude is always top notch even if he is better leaving the creativity to the Omar El Kaddouri and Cerci.

January arrivals Jasmin Kurtic and Panagiotis Tachtsidis will add further interesting battles for places in the midfield although it is on a somewhat sombre note that Club Focus concludes this week.

Those signings meant the club had just one midfielder too many which sadly resulted in the departure of Nicola Bellomo on loan to Spezia.

While he was struggling to make an impact on the Toro first team, the talent certainly seems to be there with him and although he may have suffered from a little too much overconfidence at Bari, perhaps a prolonged run of first team games will do him the world of good.

For there will always be a soft spot in your Torino correspondent’s heart for young Nicola with the youngster having curled home an audacious last minute free kick equaliser against Inter this season in my first up close experience of the Granata.

Grazie Nicola! May we see you in Torino next season back to your best.