How things can change so quickly in football. Only five months ago Parma were celebrating a remarkable 6th placed finish, their best in 10 years. Fast forward to the present time, and they are languishing in the relegation zone after suffering five defeats in their first six Serie A games. Yes, it is only early days, but for a side that had finished in the top ten for three consecutive seasons, questions are rightly starting to be asked.
The most glaring weakness in the squad at the moment is the Ducali defence. Parma have shipped 16 goals so far, and what turned out to be one of the better defences last year, has become the leakiest.
Without Azzurri international Gabriel Paletta, who has only played the opening game this season, they have leaked 15 goals in only five matches. Not even the creative genius of Antonio Cassano, who has been in mesmerizing form this campaign, and the emergence of 18-year-old Jose Mauri up the field can salvage matches with the rearguard in this sort of form.
Captain Alessandro Lucarelli, one of last season’s best center-backs, is beginning to show his age. At 37 years of age, it should be no surprise, but no one could have foretold the rate at which his form would plummet in the absence of Paletta. The reliable Mattia Cassani has also been missing since the opening game. His replacement, the 24-year-old former Sassuolo defender Pedro Mendes, has failed to convince.
The loss of star winger Jonathan Biabiany cannot be underestimated either, not just on a playing level, but on a psychological level as well. The 26-year-old Frenchman has become a fan favourite at the Ennio Tardini due to his blistering pace and explosiveness down the right flank. His playing days are now under serious threat however, after it was revealed that he showed signs of a heart defect.
Cassano is someone that knows what Biabiany would be going through, having gone through a similar experience at the Rossoneri, and the winger’s unfortunate illness would have had an effect mentally on the rest of his teammates.
“I understand what he’s going through, and I’m close to him. He is fundamental to us, not just as a player, but as a guy,” Cassano stated after he dedicated his match-winning brace against Chievo Verona. Biabiany has since been given leave from the club indefinitely to try and sort out his problem, and like Paletta and Cassani, has not been seen since the opener against Cesena.
The loss of European football may also be another mental block that the squad is struggling to get over. The Ducali were forced to withdraw from the competition due to late payment of a tax bill. Imagine the players’ state of mind after toiling and laboring for a full season to deservedly qualify for Europe, only to have it snatched away from them because the management didn’t get their house in order.
Coach Roberto Donadoni must also take some responsibility over the position the club find themselves in. He has already blamed some of the problems on the squad being “too big,” with the number of players making it difficult to leave some players out and rotate given Parma is only engaged on a single front.
His stubbornness to stick with his 4-3-3 in all five matches so far, despite having reasonable success with his own variation of a 3-5-2 in many games last season is bewildering to say the least. Donadoni has always proved to be a flexible coach when it comes to shape and tactics, but this season has seemed more dogmatic.
Finally, departed players have not been replaced properly. Key contributors to last season’s fantastic run such as veteran striker Amauri (Torino), Azzurri international midfielder Marco Parolo (Lazio) and tigerish anchorman Walter Gargano (loan return back to Napoli) have all left and their output has not been suitably replaced.
Algerian international Ishak Belfodil returned from Inter to replace Amauri but is yet to net a goal in six matches, register (deep-lying playmaker) Francesco Lodi is proving once more that he more suited to being a big fish in a small pond, again flattering to deceive at a bigger club after arriving from relegated Catania. Cristobal Jorquera has also struggled to fill the boots of Gargano, providing nowhere near the protection the diminutive Uruguayan assured for the back-four last season.
The positive aspect for Donadoni and Parma is that there are still another 32 games to play, and if they improve quickly, another top 10 finish may not be out of reach. To do so however, Donadoni needs to find a way to get his team to show the same resolve and character as last season, which led them to an incredible 19 games unbeaten.
