Catania – Montella seeking confirmation
By David, BettingExpert.com | Published
With Roma thinking big the new owners could not afford to have a rookie like Montella on the bench for long. He has moved on and accepted the challenge at Catania. Despite the ambitions and the players brought on the Sicilian club has been underachieving for a while. Can Montella change all this and take both himself and the club that has welcomed him a step ahead?
Manager: Montella
Tactics: 4-3-3
Players In: Almiron, Bergessio, Lanzafame, Legrottaglie, Suazo, Paglialunga
Players Out: Silvestre, Morimoto, Martinho
Current Probable Formation: Andujar, Potenza, Legrottaglie, Spolli, Capuano, Llama, Almiron, Biagianti, Gomez, Bergessio, Maxi Lopez
Earlier this year the club proved its intentions of making their stay in the Serie A stable by building a new sports complex. The facilities that were built under the coordination of sporting director Lo Monaco and president Pulvirenti were intended as a big statement. Rivals Palermo have been doing better these past years and the aim for Catania is to at least reach the same level of their cousins.
The fans, however, have been less enthusiastic as results on the pitch do not reflect the same kind of progress. They had been demanding some attractive football given the many Argentine players in the squad, and that is the reason why originally manager Giampaolo had been fired almost two seasons ago. Yet since then the team has always struggled to conserve its status in Serie A.
Last season they once again failed to deliver and required a late push to make sure of survival. Away form has always eluded them recording one win at relegated Brescia in 19 games on the road. Their total last year was nine points away from home. At least home form has been encouraging. At the Massimino they lost just four games in all.
Many critics have pointed out that with a team composed almost in its entirety of Argentines, when it came to the first eleven which most recent managers used to field, the side suffered a sort of cultural shock which they could not shrug off completely. For a team which has always made the list of relegation candidates since its promotion a few years ago they have quite a high level of overall technique. That is an advantage which comes along with having many players from Argentina on board. Yet no manager has so far proved capable of actualizing the overflow of potential.
Questions still linger about Montella’s capabilities. He had been in charge of the young ones at Roma before being handed the reins after Ranieri’s resignation. Those final weeks with the Giallorossi are his only credentials at this point. He was quite confident and never really betrayed tactical ignorance in that short stint though. Montella may therefore be a talented manager who was lucky enough to get the chance to prove himself. We will have to evaluate him as he goes along though.
The club has made it easier for him by not giving away any players of value. Apart from central defender Silvestre who was sold to Sicilian rivals Palermo. His replacement was out-of-contract Legrottaglie, who was released by Milan. A good signing since Legrottaglie still has more to offer before he retires. With Spolli, Alvarez and Potenza frequent nursing room visitors though the club should have sought to bolster the defensive lines over the summer.
Almiron was another good catch. He was never given his chance at Juventus and encountered personal problems with the fans and the club when at Lecce last year. He is a midfield mind though and should serve Catania well. Bergessio, who had been brought on loan from France in January and then sent back in June was recalled back. His displays were quite convincing although his compatibility with Maxi Lopez, considered by many as the star player of the team, is yet to be evaluated. Montella’s 4-3-3, with one main striker supported by two wide forwards, cannot cater for both and a choice will have to be made week in week out. The consequences of this could reflect on the harmony of the team.
Predicted finishing position: 10th
Montella showed he can handle a Serie A team well enough in the short spell he had with Roma last season. If he persists with his ideas without being influenced by players and directors he may be able to give an identity to this quality team yet to express its full potential, probably by putting aside some players who have had too many chances in the past but never delivered much on the field. Injuries may stand in his way with a number of key players in his squad injury prone and likely to sit most of the season out if their misadventures are anything like those of the past.
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