Giampiero Ventura, vote 6.5
The longest serving coach of the
Urbano Cairo era and only Toro trainer to complete two full seasons since
Emiliano Mondonico left in 2000. In both campaigns ‘Ace’ has delivered the
minimum goal: promotion to Serie A, followed by a (relatively) comfortable
top-flight finish.
The positives: the team has a set identity and almost always has a
clear tactical plan. Against poorer sides, Ventura likes his sides to build
play from the back, maintain possession and draw the opposition in. Against
more technical players and quality teams, he relies more on a submissive,
counter-attacking approach. There have been very few games over the two years
where Toro have been either comprehensively outplayed or not in the match during
the final stages. He has got the best out of almost all the players, often by
virtue of having a block of players from his Pisa and Bari days, one of few
coaches in Italian football to have a direct influence on the transfer policy.
Team spirit is solid: rare have been fallings out, talk of a rotten spogliatoio
- so common at the club over the past two decades – has never surfaced and the
team possesses resilience, notable in the comeback from 3-0 down away at
Fiorentina late in the season.
The negatives: Not all the block of players Ventura has insisted on
signing from his former clubs have been a success. The continued deployment of
two – Riccardo Meggiorini and Salvatore Masiello – has bewildered many fans
(more on those two in another section). Ventura must also take a share of the
blame for the team’s inability to hold on to leads and the huge amount of goals
conceded in the final 15 minutes of matches (lack of physical preparation, poor
concentration or untimely substitutions?). The team’s results have also been
kamikaze, demonstrating a tactical immaturity. The first half of the season saw
a long unbeaten stretch away from home where the defence excelled and
counterattacking football reaped rewards (albeit most results were draws). The
team scored few goals, collected an unwanted amount of 0-0 scorelines and
struggled to break down teams at home. Come the second half of the season, the
team improved at home, playing entertaining football in a serious of
schizophrenic matches (Siena and Napoli at home; Cagliari and Fiorentina away
come to mind). A total of eight victories is relatively meagre as is the
prolonged lack of success against a good team. The win over Lazio came against
a depleted side playing with 10 men. The 16 draws are a European record the
Granata share – fittingly – with Bordeaux. The side sometimes lacked conviction
and confidence, respecting reputations too highly. His experiment at playing
3-5-2 in the final weeks of the season could be an interesting nod to a
tactical change for next year. The 4-2-4 formation saw the side regularly
overrun and become increasingly predictable to play against.
Verdict: The next stage for the club is to settle itself as a
top-flight side, finish in the top half of the table and experience no
relegation worries. The pressure is more on Cairo & Petrachi to deliver a
financial commitment and the right signings. Coaches tend to have a limited
shelf-life in Italian football. I’d be happy to see Ventura stay providing he
still feels in control of the ‘project’ and continues to have an influence on
transfer policy. He deserves a third season.
Great Review Series! I really enjoyed all the detailed info.
ReplyDeleteI'm in the minority of people whom mostly agree that replacing Bianchi may be in the clubs best interest. However, I'm not so sure I trust the management to do this effectively. The ideal situation would be to replace Bianchi with a player of equal ability, but with a different skillset. In other words, decrease holdup play and aerial ability, and increase speed. But this isn't a video game. The club will almost assuredly be bringing in a less talented player, albeit one that fits Ventura's system better. An argument could be made that Bianchi will be productive much longer than Ventura will be the coach, but that would be ignoring the financial aspects of the situation.
In the end I think Cairo had to make a decision vaguely based these two factors:
1: Keep Bianchi at his current wages and get a coach that will tailor the system to him.
2: Keep Ventura and spend the money on players that will fit his style of play.
As an American, I tend to favor club stability in management, as players will always be moved in and out. This is the most difficult mental adjustment I've had to make in following Italian football. The best coaching system in the world is in Italy, yet the coaches are treated as the most disposable piece in most clubs. That all being said, I won't argue choosing to hold on to Ventura, though I don't believe he'll stay long enough to make the decision meaningful.
what a stunning review series it is. I read all your above six parts and now i read seventh. Feels really great.
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