Torino FC Awards 2013/2014 : The Results

After an excellent season for Torino which culminated in a slighty fortuitous qualification for the Europa League. Please see a round up for the player of the season awards below.

Player of the Season : Ciro Immobile
A sensational debut (and final) season as Ciro Immobile was crowned Capocannoniere and earnt himself a move to Champions League side Borussia Dortmund. After defeat against Costa Rica in the World Cup, the Italian national team may also look to the talents of the former Pescara man.

Signing of the Season : Nikola Maksimovic
A pleasant surprise in the transfer market, Maksimovic looked at home whether it be as a centre back or as a full back. Fingers crossed that Gianluca Petrachi can find a few more hidden gems in this transfer window.

Surprise of the Season : Giuseppe Vives
For a player who wasn't expected to play much of a part in this season, Vives succeeded in rolling back the years to become one of Toro's first names on the team sheet. Another surprise may be that he isn't actually Nicola Bellomo's father (seriously, they looked almost identical at times last season).

Goal of the Season : Alessio Cerci v Genoa
Ciro Immobile is extremely hard done by, as his stunning volley against Roma doesn't win this award, but I can't ever remember celebrating as much as I did this one by Cerci. Trailing 1-0 at home to Genoa, injury time goals from Immobile and then a cracker from Cerci gave them an unexpected victory.

A reminder of all the best goals scored by Toro this season can be seen below.

Bourne's Player Review : Attackers

In order to celebrate what has been an excellent season, I invited Torino fan Peter Bourne to discuss each member of the member, with a focus on which players should be retained for next season.

Paulo Barreto (BRA, 28), 11 appearances (NO GOALS), vote 5

A player Toro pursued for over a year before landing him from Udinese last January, and one who has never justified the courting. In the second half of last season he was returning to full fitness and showed some flashes of the talent he displayed at Treviso and Bari. In theory, mobile and a clinical finisher, he was expected to kick on. His 7 game calcioscommesse ban (see Gazzi) seemed to knock his confidence and maybe motivation in pre-season. On his return, he featured in four games and then (like Gazzi) disappeared. Only five starts, no goals, one assist (v Lazio), and a cursed penalty won (away at Fiorentina), the biggest criticism of Barreto is his lack of presence and physical fragility.

Verdict: Has not justified Ventura’s faith; is one of the few signings not to have come off and is apparently keen on returning to Udinese and then moving on somewhere new. The arrival of Josef Martinez suggests Barreto’s time has come.

Alessio Cerci (ITA, 26), 37 appearances (13 goal), vote 8

Toro’s talisman going into the season following an excellent end to his debut season in Turin. Eight goals and some virtuoso performances earned him a non-playing role in Italy’s Confederations Cup squad. Cerci was perhaps the player most forced to adapt in Ventura’s new 5-3-2 system. No longer could he hug the right flank and cut in on his left side. So it seemed. His first goal of the season in the 2-0 win over Sassuolo saw him do exactly that.  In the first third of the campaign he scored most of his 13 goals; against Milan, Verona and Roma he produced genuine centre forward finishes. Then Ciro Immobile hit form and Cerci found himself in a support role. His assist tally began to multiply as the goals dried up. The Cerci-Immobile partnership defined Toro’s season and while they could be scintillating, it was Immobile who benefited most. I sometimes felt Cerci suffered not being the main man. For example, when Immobile was suspended against Cagliari, Cerci gave one of his best performances in the second half of the season.  His season ended in tears with that poorly hit penalty in Florence which seemed to end hopes of Europa League football. He deserved better but his penalty taking generally was weak. Ventura has really got the best out of the player, he has improved his final ball, consistency and discipline.

Verdict: Does he need to move on, to make the next step? Perhaps. However, Europa League football and the bond created with the tifosi following his penalty miss may play a part in seeing him stay another season. Will Ventura again reinvent a role for Cerci? Remains at his best out wide and running into space.

Ciro Immobile (ITA, 24), 33 appearances (22 goal), vote 8,5

Without wishing to sound wise after the event, he was always going to be a good signing. He looked great at Pescara and his failed season at Genoa always looked like as case of being mistreated at the wrong club. Immobile took a while to shine but once he scored his first goal in week 7 at Sampdoria, he practically scored every week, and everyway: bullet headers, close range, volleys, opportunistic strikes, breakaway finishes and no penalties. Almost everything he touched came off. Mobile (not going to make a pun), energetic, hardworking and not scared to fail, he became the first Toro player to top the Serie A scoring chart since Paolo Pulici in 1977. There was the odd horrific miss and a touch of overconfidence plus (read Cerci) his season ended in a unjust manner with the sending off at home to Parma. It will turn out to be his last appearance in a Toro shirt. His goal away at Roma will live with me for a long time.

Verdict: Not much of one as Immobile has already signed for Borussia Dortmund. I still don’t understand why the club didn’t buy out his entire contract from Juventus last summer (as was promised) and consequently Toro were victims of Juve’s desire to sell Immobile on the relative cheap before the World Cup (a strange idea). In the end Toro get a mere 10 million euros for a player who scored 22 goals, is 24 years old and now an Italian international. They won’t replace him easily with that sort of money.

Marcelo Larrondo (ARG, 25), 5 appearances (1 goal), vote 6

223 minutes of football, just one start and unavailable for 28 weeks of the season due to injury, it is hard to pass judgement on Marcelo Larrondo, signed on loan from Siena. His one start witnessed some wayward finishing in the defeat at Atalanta before a week later the unfortunate foot injury sustained in injury time in the ill-fated draw with Milan effectively ended his season. Larrondo’s only notable contribution thereafter was a goal in the final week draw in Florence. We’ve seen too little of Larrondo to pass judgement.

Verdict: Seems the club may be interested in taking a closer look. Larrondo may add an aerial presence and fresh legs in three competitions next year.

Riccardo Meggiorini (ITA, 28), 34 appearances (NO GOALS), vote 6

3 goals in 31 appearances last season; 0 in 34 this campaign; 7 in 85 appearances for the Granata. Pretty poor stats for a full-back, woeful for a striker. Meggiorini’s teammates call him ‘palo’ such is his talent for hitting the woodwork, or indeed anything rather than the back of the net. A couple of caveats. Meggiorini only started 7 matches this season, a fair share of his substitute appearances were with matches already won; and despite his tag as ‘forward’, Meggiorini is often used by Ventura as the first line of defence, harassing the opposition playmaker or centre backs, creating space for his teammates. Often he has featured against the better teams for this reason. That’s not to defend his stats, he has had plenty of opportunities to break his duck, but has been denied by a mix of wonderful goalkeeping (home v Roma) and awful finishing (away v Chievo). The fact remains that Meggiorini is barely at home in Serie A and on the one occasion when he needed to start as a forward (away at Fiorentina), he was found wanting. Has caught as many headlines this season for his frequent Twitter outbursts (notably his lament about Stefano Mauri of Lazio)

Verdict: Has been a loyal disciple of Ventura and often tactically useful. However, out of contract and with the team taking on a new dimension, its time for Meggio to move on. Chievo are knocking on the door.

Overall Verdict: Unlikely the club will find another Immobile in a hurry so the goals need to be spread more evenly (including from midfield). There are few guarantees beyond Cerci if he stays. Barreto and Meggiorini will move on, Larrondo may be back up and nothing else. Josef Martinez has arrived from Young Boys but is likely to need a season to settle. The two strikers coming in need to be capable of 12-15 goals each.

For more from Peter you can follow him on Twitter here and his book about his experiences following Torino can still be purchased from Amazon here.

Martinez makes Granata move

The job to build a squad capable of competing in the Europa league has begun already, as today, Torino unveiled the signing of Venezuelan striker Josef Martinez from Swiss side Young Boys.

At only 21 years of age Martinez has plenty of potential, and he impressed on loan at FC Thun this season where he scored eight goals, before returning to Young Boys in January.

Torino are expected to sign two more South American players, with Juan Sanchez Mino from Boca Juniors and Bruno Peres from Santos apparently close to making the move to the Granata.

Bourne's Player Review : Central Midfielders

In order to celebrate what has been an excellent season, I invited Torino fan Peter Bourne to discuss each member of the member, with a focus on which players should be retained for next season.

Migjen Basha (ALB, 27), 24 appearances, vote 6

One of Ventura’s loyal foot soldiers. In all honesty, I was surprised when Basha was retained for the club’s first Serie A campaign, the fact that he has managed two top flight seasons is credit to his professionalism and adaptability.  Not the most deft player but tactically useful to the Ventura cause given his versatility across midfield and on occasions at right back.  The classic tigerish water carrier. Collected one of Toro’s two red cards, for a second yellow card at the end of the 2-0 defeat at Napoli.

Verdict: His contract expires in 2015 and will be interesting to see if the club offer an extension. On a technical level, a player who the team has outgrown. In terms of dressing room importance and tactical robustness, perhaps still an important character to have around. The confirmation of Europa League football may have secured his place in the squad.

Nicolo Bellomo (ITA, 23), 7 appearances (1 goal), vote 6

One of the most exciting summer signings having excelled in Serie B with Bari. Was expected to bring some creativity as a deep lying playmaker. The Giuseppe Vives-lookalike struggled to adapt to Ventura’s tactics and the top flight. The highlight of a few timid performances in the autumn was the last minute free-kick he curled into Inter’s net to secure a 3-3 draw. Seems Bellomo lacked the tactical maturity for Ventura to give him the keys to the midfield. He only featured 7 times in 21 games before a decent loan spell back in Serie B with Spezia.

Verdict: Clearly a player the club should not risk losing given his vast potential, although his contract is still half owned by Chievo. In an ideal world, Ventura will take a closer look at him in pre-season and assess whether he has matured sufficiently for a second chance.

Matteo Brighi (ITA, 33), 16 appearances (2 goals), vote 6,5

A useful addition to the team on their return to Serie A, given his wealth of top flight experience. Brighi’s spell at the club was a mix of solid performances, muscle breakdowns and an apparently uneasy relationship with the coach. Missed just four games (two due to injury) before he was sold to Sassuolo in January (as part of the Kurtic deal), partly owing to wanting more first team football. Reality may have been he felt his place in the team was under threat. Sassuolo bought Brighi more joy in a Torino shirt given his two goals this season were both scored against the Neroverde (including the Granata’s first of the campaign). His time in Emilia Romagna has so far been disappointing.

Alexander Farnerud (SWE, 30), 23 appearances (4 goals), vote 7

First player signed last season, his arrival marked the beginning of a forage into the overseas market. His record suggested a steady but unremarkable midfield player (only 8 caps for Sweden and arriving from the Swiss league). At first it wasn’t apparent what Farnerud was, he didn’t seem to have any dynamism, his distribution was wayward and games passed him by. Ventura persisted though and his well taken strike in the home draw against Inter suggested greater potential. A couple of goals before Christmas (away at Genoa and Udinese) pointed to an eye for goal and rare ability to break into the box. As spring approached, injuries set in and his crucial goal away at Catania marked his last contribution of the season as a serious knee injury set in.

Verdict: Overall a positive first season in a new league, some important goals and offered something different tactically. His ‘shoot on sight’ policy was not always successful. Will be part of the squad next season although likely to miss much of pre-season through injury. A squad player for the future rather than a first choice.

Omar El Kaddouri (MOR, 23), 29 appearances (5 goals), vote 7

Arguably the most enigmatic player in the squad and outside of the Cerci-Immobile partnership, the most menacing creative threat. Taking away injury and suspension, the Moroccan only sat out three Serie A games and became integral to Ventura’s thinking as the season developed. On the positive side, El Kaddouri represented an alternative attacking headache for opposition defences when the front two were denied space. His mazy dribbles, turn of speed and neat finishing showed a player of promises. El Kaddouri’s main weaknesses are his habit of drifting out of games (perhaps typical of most creative players) and his lack of conviction in some 50/50 situations. He needs to take on more responsibility and assert himself in matches. His goals and stronger performances tended to arrive against weaker teams.

Verdict: El Kaddouri’s loan spell from Napoli has ended. The club are keen to invest in the player but with half-sharing contracts no longer permitting in Serie A, Cairo will probably have to spend 4-5 million on the player. Has he done enough?

Alessandro Gazzi (ITA, 31), 11 appearances, vote 6

Perhaps the player to have regressed most from last season, when he was a mainstay of the side. Gazzi’s relative absence from the team has been quite strange given how much Ventura had relied on the player. Missed the first seven weeks of the season due to calcioscommesse and like Paulo Barreto never seemed to recover. Four of his eleven appearances arrived immediately after the suspension was lifted after which Gazzi started just once. Giuseppe Vives’s splendid form left the ex-Siena man in the shade while Basha was often preferred when the dirty work needed to be done. In addition to the suspension it seems Ventura wanted a more creative option in midfield in contrast Gazzi’s more aggressive style.

Verdict: One year left on his contract. A full pre-season without a suspension cloud hanging over him may revitalise his chances and form. Potentially a useful option in Europe. My suspicion is he will move on.

Jasmin Kurtic (SLO, 25), 16 appearances (2 goals), vote 7

Arrived on loan as part of the Brighi deal with the option for a permanent switch this summer. During his spells at Varese and Palermo had shown potential but seemed to be heading into a rut. His early displays were not encouraging, ponderous, wayward shooting, sloppy in possession. Ventura persisted and his faith was rewarded. Kurtic added energy to a tired midfield in the closing months, scored two important and well taken goals (at Lazio and Fiorentina) becoming one of the first names on the team sheet.

Verdict: Likely to be signed in the summer, providing a relatively average midfield with a mix of energy and creativity. Also likely to bring some experience and guile in Europe.

Panagiotis Tachtsidis (GRE, 23), 11 appearances (1 goal), vote 6

Like Kurtic, arrived in January in need of resurrecting his career. After a terrific Serie B season with Verona in 2011-12, struggled to adjust to the top flight at Roma and Catania. Best suited to the playmaker role, was drafted in to provide cover for Giuseppe Vives. It wasn’t until a substitute appearance at Inter in early March that the Greek international made his debut. He featured more regularly after that but only completed 90 minutes three times. A well taken goal away at Lazio being the highlight of his time at Toro so far. Seems to lack a bit of mobility and probably needed a great run in the side. Selected for the Greece World Cup squad.

Verdict: The team needs a general overhaul in midfield especially in terms of creativity. Based on what we have seen on the pitch, Tachtsidis is not necessarily the answer. That unless Ventura has seen something more in training.

Giuseppe Vives (ITA, 33), 33 appearances (1 goal), vote 7,5

The reverse Gazzi, ie. the most improved player in the squad. Vives missed just five games this season (three due to suspension) and completed the full 90 minutes 24 times. Impressive for a player who had been steady during his first two seasons with the club but was expected to feature little this campaign. The signs were encouraging from the start, Vives was man of the match in the season opener against Sassuolo and seemed revitalised (perhaps due to escaping any punishment in the calcioscommese scandal) but also by his new role as deep lying regista. His passing was crisp, often spectacular (see Immobile goal away at Roma), energy impressive and leadership skills exemplary. His contract was extended to 2015 once survival was achieved, just reward for his performances. In the final weeks of the season, he began to look a bit sluggish but it doesn’t overshadow his impressive year. A master of the tactical yellow card.

Verdict: Important in the dressing room and on the field, will be part of the squad next season which should take him past the 100 appearance landmark. Unlikely though to reproduce this season’s form, he should be used more economically.

Plan for 2014-15: The area (sales pending in attack) which needs the greatest injection of quality. Only Farnerud and Vives (contractually) are certain to stay. Gazzi and Basha offer cover and nothing else. If the club have their way El Kaddouri and Kurtic will be signed up and potentially starters. Tachtsidis and Bellomo are question marks. If Ventura sticks to a three man midfield or two man and a trequartista, three quality signings are needed. Emphasis on quality.

TORO 2014-15 (so far) - FORECAST

PADELLI – ALFRED GOMIS (GILLET OR LYS GOMIS)

DARMIAN (VESOVIC) – XX (XX)

GLIK (JANSSON) – MAKSIMOVIC (BOVO) – MORETTI

KURTIC (GAZZI, BASHA) – XX (VIVES, xx) – XX (EL KADDOURI, xx)

For more from Peter you can follow him on Twitter here and his book about his experiences following Torino can still be purchased from Amazon here.

Bourne's Player Review : Full Backs

In order to celebrate what has been an excellent season, I invited Torino fan Peter Bourne to discuss each member of the member, with a focus on which players should be retained for next season.

Matteo Darmian (ITA, 24), 37 appearances, vote 8

No outfield player played more minutes in Serie A this season than Matteo Darmian. Testament to his form, fitness and importance to the side. In the early part of the campaign, the 24-year old was overshadowed by his fellow wing-back, the more attack-minded Danilo D’Ambrosio. While Darmian started the season on the right, D’Ambrosio was switched to an unfamiliar left hand side. The latter prospered, caught the attention of other clubs, refused to sign a new contract and joined Inter when he was on the cusp of a national team call-up. Irony of sorts, D’Ambrosio (see Ogbonna) has yet to fair well at the ‘bigger’ club and is still to be called up for the Azzurri. Due to Toro’s perennial shortage of quality or fit left backs, Darmian was switched to the left for the second half of the season. And to complete the narrative, it was Darmian who finished the campaign in the national side. In all honesty, left-wing back is probably the weakest of the three positions he can play in. On the right side he has a more natural delivery and thrust, in central defence (where he will settle eventually) he looks composed and assured. Given that, his performances at left back, especially defensively, were always consistent and improving. As a full back, the 24-year old may be better suited to a four-man defence, as his inability to deliver in the final third is his main weakness. That said, he deserves the elevated rating.

Verdict: Signed a contract extension (until 2017) during the season but the late season national call-up has raised his stock. Milan are interested in bringing their former youth product home. Chances are Toro will try and not sell too many of the crown jewels and Darmian is not agitating for a move. To stay next season and possibly return to the right hand side.

Danilo D’Ambrosio (ITA, 25), 14 appearances (2 goals), vote 6,5

Based on the 14 performances this season, and two crucial goals against Bologna and Milan, probably deserves a higher rating. However, the rather unsavoury nature of his departure was a tad disappointing. A little like Ogbonna, it was not leaving that was the necessarily the problem, it was the lack of gratitude. D’Ambrosio’s contract was winding down and its not clear whether the club acted too late or the player was keen to move on. It was a sad end to D’Ambrosio’s four year spell in Turin which saw some highs and lows since his move from Juve Stabia in January 2010. On the back of his early season showings, he was on the brink of the national team and seemed to be developing into the complete modern wing-back. Remains to be clear whether Inter and their consistent instability was the right move.

Salvatore Masiello (ITA, 32) 8 appearances, vote 6

Toro’s (most) regular left-back during the 2012-13 season, and one of the remaining ex-Bari clan Ventura bought with him to the club. Signed a one year contract extension last summer and most of the pre-season was spent with the calcioscommesse scandal hanging over him (no charges were pressed). Started the season as back up to Giovanni Pasquale. Made his first appearance of the season in a bizarre substitute cameo in the first derby but his only run in the side came after Christmas when he started five games in a row. Maybe we were too accustomed to Pasquale’s hapless displays but Masiello looked to be playing his best football for the club before an injury sustained in the warm-up for the second derby match ruled him out for the season.

Verdict: Was relatively lucky to be retained last season, unlikely the club will offer Masiello a new contract.

Giovanni Pasquale (ITA, 32), 13 appearances, vote 5,5

After the summer-long pursuit of St Etienne’s Faouzi Ghoulam came to nothing (he eventually moved to Napoli and looks a good prospect), Toro opted for a more ‘second hand’ option in Venaria-born Giovanni Pasquale, a consistent performer during his long spell in Udinese. It looked like a fairly astute, short-term move, Pasquale only arriving after Andrea Dossena (another bullet dodged) failed a medical. Things started poorly for Pasquale, his 11-minute substitute appearance against Milan saw him concede a needless 94^th penalty (which cost Toro two crucial points). His first two starts against Sampdoria and Inter were barely more promising. Pasquale’s longest spell in the side came before Christmas, after which he was dropped for Masiello and then sustained an injury following the home defeat against Sampdoria which left Toro without a natural left back for the rest of the season.

Verdict: Maybe paid for not spending pre-season with the club. Frequent injuries did not help but Pasquale was one of this season’s big disappointments. Did nothing to fill the dreaded left back void. Will not be retained at the end of his loan.

Marko Vesovic (MNE, 22), 3 appearances, vote 6

Young Montenegrin international signed from Red Star in January. Following the success of Maksimovic, big things were expected of a another young talent recruited from the Baltic. We’ve only seen 179 minutes worth of Vesovic (starts against Inter and Genoa) and two relatively timid performances. Despite Toro’s struggles at full-back, Ventura seemed reluctant to give him an opportunity. Chances are he needs a full pre-season under his belt.

Verdict: Signed as back-up for Darmian, will seek to impress Ventura during pre-season and establish himself next season. Deserves a vote of confidence, only doubt on the horizon is his status as a non-European player which still could seem him sacrificed (possibly on loan) during the summer.

Plan for 2014-15: Right back looks relatively settled. Darmian should stay, Vesovic is an interesting back-up. Santos defender Bruno Peres is also set to join meaning Darmian could become the permanent left-back. The left hand side remains the club’s Achilles heel and needs to be addressed this summer with a quality signing.

For more from Peter you can follow him on Twitter here and his book about his experiences following Torino can still be purchased from Amazon here.

Immobile Departs

As expected, Torino striker Ciro Immobile has left the club to join Borussia Dortmund for a fee of around €19.5m.

The Serie A top scorer who scored 22 goals for the Granata last season has moved to the German giants on a five year contract, and the striker stated in a statement on his official website that this was an opportunity he couldn't afford to turn down.

That full statement can be found in English below.

Ciao Ciro, and thanks for the memories!

Forza Toro

Torino in Europe

Late on Thursday afternoon it was confirmed that Parma's appeal for a license that would allow them play in next season's Europa League had been rejected. That meant, that their place in Europe moved on to the next placed team in the Serie A table - Torino.

Whilst I am sure all Toro fans would have rather qualified in a more conventional manner, and would have done had Alessio Cerci not missed a late penalty, but this was a nice bonus.

Torino will find out their opponents for their first European match in twenty years on the 18th July when the draw for the third qualifying round is made. Their first match will be played on the 31st July (around a month before the Serie A season starts) with the second leg a week later on August 7th.

Bourne's Player Review : Centre Backs

In order to celebrate what has been an excellent season, I invited Torino fan Peter Bourne to discuss each member of the member, with a focus on which players should be retained for next season.

Cesare Bovo (ITA, 31), 20 appearances, vote 7

Has always been a more than capable player but injuries have curtailed his career. Genova’s Marassi proved his unlucky venue this season, away at both Samp and former club Genoa he was stretched off and faced a spell on the sidelines. During the second half of the season, Bovo enjoyed an injury-free spell in the team notably when Nikola Maksimovic was switched to wingback. Bovo is easily the most comfortable of Toro’s centrebacks in possession and despite the ‘nil’ in his goal count, a frequent menace from dead ball situations.

Verdict: Now in his second spell at the club, Bovo has done enough to be retained for next season.

Kamil Glik (POL, 26), 34 appearances (2 goals), vote 7

Became the first foreign player to be appointed fulltime Torino captain last summer. I was not necessarily 100% behind the decision, but as a leader Glik has excelled, proving the doubters wrong and perfectly embodying the spirit of the club. This season he seems to have cut out some of the rush of blood moments (the two sendings off in the derby games last season which partly earned him cult status). Glik struggled initially in the three-man defence, his lack of pace exposed during the early weeks of the season. It’s easy to forget how porous Toro’s defence was in the opening part of the campaign. Like the team he adjusted to the new system becoming one of the cornerstones of the side. Sometimes poor decision-making lets him down, the crucial penalty conceded at home to Parma a case in point. One surprising fact, Glik often seems more comfortable zonal defending than man-marking.

Verdict: Building a decent reputation for himself and wouldn’t be surprised if soon he has suitors in the Bundesliga or Premier League. Seems happy in Turin though and likely to lead the team in 2014-15

Nikola Maksimovic (SRB, 22), 23 appearances, vote 7

An interesting signing by Petrachi, recruited in the summer from Red Star Belgrade. Maksimovic is included in the list of centrebacks despite playing much of the season out of position at right wing back. Like most overseas signings, ‘Makso’ was given time to adapt to the league and Ventura’s particular style of play. Tall but good on the ball, the young Serbian looked more comfortable at the heart of the defence and is definitely one for the future. At right wing back he performed admirably but doesn’t have the pace, crossing ability or guile to offer what is required in the final third.

Verdict: Initially signed on loan, the club are in the process of tying him down to a four year contract. Has caught the attention of richer clubs but is likely to need another full season or two to fully develop. Almost certain to be a starter next year.

Emiliano Moretti, (ITA, 32) 36 appearances (1 goal), vote 7,5

Arrived literally through the back door in the summer. On the day the team met for the summer ritiro, Moretti suddenly showed up, kit bag in hand, to everyone’s general surprise. Like Bovo and Immobile, arrived after a disappointing campaign with Genoa. Following long spells with the Rossoblu and Valencia, the 32-year old was ready for a change. Initially expected to provide experienced cover, it was soon clear Ventura had Moretti pencilled in a starter on the left hand side of the three man defence. Easily Toro’s most consistent and reliable defender, he added balance and calmness to the reaguard. Often a goal threat. His potentially winning strike in Florence, unfairly ruled out, would have been the crowning moment of an excellent season. One black spot was the unfortunate, and ultimately uncostly slip, which gave Catania a 1-0 lead in early April.

Verdict: Will be one of the first names on Ventura’s teamsheet next season.

Guillermo Rodriguez (URU, 30), 6 appearances, vote 6

Looking back at my ratings, El Pelado was Toro’s most consistent central defender in 2012-13 (largely deputising for an injured Angelo Ogbonna). With Ventura switching to a three man central defence this season, Rodriguez was expected to find more opportunities – indeed he started the first two matches. Injuries though ravished his season and after Christmas he was only seen in the 1-0 away loss to Inter when Toro’s entire backline was injured or suspended. Rodriguez was arguably the Granata’s best player at the San Siro but nigging injuries continued to disrupt his return, proven by Ventura’s preference to play midfielder Giuseppe Vives in defence during emergencies.

Verdict: After two seasons and 28 appearances unlikely to be retained next season. Injuries denied him the chance to make a firm impression. A good player though.

Plan for 2014-15: Angelo who? Toro didn’t miss Ogbonna (who had been average last season anyway) and the money banked looks like great business. The centre-back area needs very little work during the summer assuming the quartet Bovo, Glik, Maksimovic and Moretti remain. Considering Matteo Darmian can act as cover as well, the club seem well placed. Young Swedish international Pontus Jansson will take Rodriguez’s slot in the squad and could be next season’s Maksimovic.

For more from Peter you can follow him on Twitter here and his book about his experiences following Torino can still be purchased from Amazon here.

Bourne's Player Review : Goalkeepers

In order to celebrate what has been an excellent season, I invited Torino fan Peter Bourne to discuss each member of the member, with a focus on which players should be retained for next season. 

Tommaso Berni (ITA, age 31), 0 appearances, no vote

Former Sampdoria, Lazio and curiously Wimbledon man was drafted in following Gillet’s ban as third choice goalkeeper. Never featured, aside from in touchline goal celebrations.

Verdict: Unlikely to be retained

Jean-Francois Gillet (BEL, age 34), 0 appearances, no vote

Toro’s virtual ever-present goalkeeper in the 2012-13 season and a faithful stalwart of Ventura. Was embroiled in the calcioscommesse scandal (related to his time at Bari) and received a belated three year, seven month ban during pre-season (later reduced to a little over a year on appeal). Gillet has always protested his innocence but the saga has cost him both his first team place and a spot in Belgium’s World Cup squad as back up goalkeeper. At nearly 35, still has time to resurrect his career. Toro have stayed loyal to the player who has one year remaining on his current deal.

Verdict: Would be surprising if Ventura reinstated Gillet over Padelli as first choice. And given that, unlikely Gillet will stay as a reserve. I would move him on. Feeling is though club will retain his services (short term)

Lys Gomis (SEN, age 24), 1 appearance (-1 conceded), vote 6

The goalkeeper who never plays, the perennial ‘number 13’. At nearly 25, Gomis still has a mere 22 first team appearances under his belt. On a positive note, a bout of sickness suffered by Padelli during the second half of the game against Genoa handed Gomis a 36-minute appearance and long-awaited Serie A debut. He looked nervous but was not to blame for the Rossoblu’s equaliser in a 1-1 draw. Cuneo-born and raised, Gomis switched his international allegiance to his parents’ native Senegal and made his debut in March against Mali. Desperately needs a full season (most likely in Serie B) to mature and improve. Now finds himself behind younger brother Alfred in the pecking order for next season.

Verdict: Lys, go out on loan and play some football somewhere.

Daniele Padelli (ITA, age 28), 38 appearances (47 goals conceded), vote 7

A lesson for Gomis. On signing at the age of 27, Padelli had less than 70 first team appearances to his name, keeping the bench warm in the provinces in between spells at Liverpool, Samp and Udinese. Was signed as an understudy to Gillet but seized his chance when the Belgian was banned for the season. Padelli’s form in pre-season convinced the club not to sign a new No 1. There were though a number of reservations, including the point @TorinoBlogger made that Padelli perhaps showed a lack of ambition have initially signed on as a reserve. Perhaps it was a calculated gamble by both club and player. The opening games were not too encouraging. Padelli lacked Gillet’s tidy footwork (a prerequisite of a Venturian goalkeeper) and looked both nervous and unconvincing on crosses (notably in the 3-3 draw with Inter) and long-range shots. His is a fine example of the benefits of giving someone a run in the side. By the turn of the year, Padelli had improved his kicking (and the defence readjusted to his style), mistakes were few and far between and he made several match winning saves (pick of the bunch away at Roma). Spent the final months of the season one booking away from suspension and sensibly trod the fine line to avoid missing a crucial game in the run in. Matured into a fine and reliable goalkeeper by the season’s end.

Verdict: Has earned his stripes and highly likely to be number 1 next season.

Plan for 2014-15: Padelli should be number 1. With (seemingly) no Europa League football, there is less need for an experienced back-up. Alfred Gomis has had an outstanding break out season in Serie B with Crotone and would be my choice as reserve. Lys Gomis to move out on loan, Berni and Gillet to depart.

For more from Peter you can follow him on Twitter here and his book about his experiences following Torino can still be purchased from Amazon here.

Torino FC Awards 2013/14

After only recently recovering from the heartbreaking end to the season that Torino suffered, it is now time to reflect on the positive aspects of what has been an excellent campaign.

Please read the write ups for each player in each category and email your votes to torinoblogger@hotmail.co.uk. The winning player for each category will be announced at the end of the month.

Player of the Season

Ciro Immobile
Signed in the summer as a replacement for the outgoing Rolando Bianchi, Immobile exceeded all expectations with an outstanding season. Despite not scoring his first league goal for the club until October, the former Genoa striker ended the season as the Serie A Capocannoniere with an exceptional 22 goals in 33 matches. His exceptional form at club level has lead to him being called up by Cesare Prandelli to the Italian national team, and he is expected to be included in the final 23 man squad for the World Cup.

Alessio Cerci
It will be difficult not to mention that penalty miss when referring to Alessio Cerci's season, but it is important to remember of the incredible contribution he made to Torino's campaign before that error. Giampiero Ventura's decision to move Cerci from his normal right wing position to a more central striking role seemed curious, but there is no doubt the switch worked better than anybody could have dreamt. Whilst statistics can often be over analysed in the modern game, the fact that Cerci was the only player in Serie A to achieve a 'double-double' (double figures in both goals and assists) his hugely impressive.

Kamil Glik
Whilst his season may not have been as exceptional as the previous two, Glik has been included for both his contributions on and off the field. Despite initially struggling to adapt to Ventura's new 3-5-2 formation, the Pole gradually grew into the role, and provided a number of imperious performances at the heart of the Torino defence, AC Milan away for example. As the first non-Italian player to captain Torino since 1960, Glik had a lot of pressure on his shoulders, but his personal tribute to 'Il Grande Torino' in the form of a personalised captain's armband was a classy touch.

Signing of the Season

Nikola Maksimovic
A summer signing from Red Star Belgrade, Maksimovic had to wait until to December to make his first start for the club, but even in this game against Udinese away it looked as if Toro had found a star. Comfortable on the ball and in the air, Maksimovic even played at right wing back towards the end of the season and never looked out of place.

Omar El Kaddouri
The Moroccan international signed for Torino on loan from Napoli, and added a creative spark that was so often missing last season. At times could be frustrating to watch when he lost possession, but his certainly one of the most gifted dribblers in the whole league. His tally of 5 goals and another 7 assists was an impressive return in his debut season.

Emiliano Moretti
The veteran defender arrived from Genoa in the summer tasked with providing experience to a young side, Moretti excelled on the left hand side of Toro's back three and apart from one slight mistake against Catania performed well in each of his 36 appearances, scoring 1 goal.

Surprise of the Season

Giuseppe Vives
At 33 years of age, I don't think anybody expected Giuseppe Vives to play such an important role in Torino's excellent campaign. Given the task of being Toro's regista, the former Lecce man often orchestrated Toro's play, perhaps best illustrated by his outstanding assist to Ciro Immobile against Roma.

Daniele Padelli
Now, I have to be a honest, at the start of the season after Padelli had made a number of high-profiled mistakes I was one of the Toro fans who believed that the former Liverpool goalkeeper should have been dropped and replaced by Lys Gomis. However, I am delighted to admit that I was wrong, and a number of outstanding performances in the second half of the season contributed to Toro's 7th place finish.

Matteo Darmian
For the past two seasons, Matteo Darmian has been Torino's most consistent player and therefore I guess the only 'surprise' was that he was able to continue this for yet another campaign. Despite being a player who is more comfortable defending than attacking, Darmian adjusted well to being played as a wing back (on both sides) and is finally receiving the international recognition his form has deserved.

Forza Toro

Torino FC Goal of the Season 2013/14 Video

The 2013/2014 season has been an incredible season for Torino fans, as their team challenged for a return to European football thanks to the goals of Alessio Cerci and Ciro Immobile (who feature heavily in this video).

Please take the time to vote for your favourite goal by voting on the poll on the right-hand side of this website.

Forza Toro!

Fiorentina 2-2 Torino

'If that game was a Hollywood movie, nobody would go and see it, because the ending is just too cruel.'

The above quote is taken from myself in the immediate aftermath of Sunday's game between between Fiorentina and Torino. They say time can heal all wounds, but the image of Alessio Cerci missing an injury time penalty that would have put Toro into Europe for the first time in 20 years is still ingrained in my memory, and probably will be forever. 

Giampiero Ventura made one surprising choice, as the suspended Cesare Bovo was replaced by Panagiotis Tachtsidis, and the experienced Giuseppe Vives moved into the back three.

Despite pre-match predictions that Fiorentina would take things easy on Toro, a club they are 'twinned' with, the Viola started much the brighter as Giuseppe Rossi forced Daniele Padelli into a great save. At the other end, a great run from Alessio Cerci ended with the former Viola winger being pulled back in the area, but Toro's appeals for a penalty were turned down.

On the hour mark, Juan Cuadrado, the home side's most threatening player was brought down in the area by Giuseppe Vives, although replays showed the Colombian may have initiated the contact. Giuseppe Rossi stepped up and sent Padelli the wrong way to give the Viola the lead. 

Giampiero Ventura brought on strikers Paulo Barreto and Marcelo Larrondo as Toro went in search of an equaliser, and within three minutes the latter scored his first goal of the season after excellent work from Alessio Cerci on the right wing.

Torino thought they had taken the lead when Emiliano Moretti prodded home from a corner, but the goal was disallowed due to an apparent push by Marcelo Larrondo. With Torino pushing men forward in search of a winning goal, they left themselves open to the counter attack, and Cuadrado supplied an inch perfect pass for substitute Ante Rebic to fire home. 

However, Toro were not ready to give up and with five minutes remaining Jasmin Kurtic fired an unstoppable free kick into the top corner to give the thousands of Torino fans who had travelled to Florence hope that they would witness an incredible comeback.

And then, in the third minute of injury time substitute Paulo Barreto was upended by Facundo Roncaglia and Torino were awarded a penalty. Former Viola player Alessio Cerci stepped up to take the spot kick, but almost unbelievably, his strike was save by Fiorentina keeper Antonio Rosati, and as has been the case so many times in Torino's distinguished history, the Granata had fallen at the final hurdle.

The atmosphere amongst the Torino fans after the final whistle is unlike anything I have ever witnessed in football, as the realisation of what they had just witnessed began to sink in, and thus the result was an eerie silence. 

That was until the Torino players, and a clearly distraught Alessio Cerci made there way over to the away fans for a deserved standing ovation for what has been an incredible season, and a 7th placed finish for a team who barely avoided relegation last season is an incredible achievment and every single member of the squad and coaching staff deserves immense credit for what they have achieved.

Sempre Forza Toro

Fiorentina v Torino Preview

Torino will have the opportunity to turn what has been an excellent season into a historic one when they face Fiorentina on Sunday evening.

The Granata will have up to 6000 fans cheering them on when they face the Viola, knowing that a victory will be enough to ensure a return to European football for the first time in twenty years.

After his red card against Parma, Toro will be without top scorer Ciro Immobile and he is expected to be replaced by Riccardo Meggiorini up front. Defender Cesare Bovo is also suspended so will miss the trip to Florence, but Uruguayan Guillermo Rodriguez should deputise.

Prediction
Fiorentina 0-1 Torino

Torino 1-1 Parma

Torino had the opportunity to secure sixth place and European football with a victory against Parma on Sunday afternoon, but could only take a point despite taking the lead.

Franco Brienza's sensational late strike for Atalanta to give them a victory against AC Milan meant this game was effectively a Europa League playoff, and once again Torino named an unchanged line up.

Ciro Immobile started the game nervously, but almost gave Toro the lead with an ambitious overhead kick from Alessio Cerci's cross, but it went over the bar. At the other end, Daniele Padelli had to be at his best to deny Marco Parolo from distance.

Three minutes before half time, Immobile forced Parma defender Gabriel Paletta into a mistake, as his poor back pass was collected by the former Genoa striker, and at the second attempt Torino's top scorer rolled the ball into the empty net.

Just after the hour mark, Parma captain Alessandro Lucarelli was caught out by Immobile's pace and hauled the Italy international to the ground - and as he was the last man, he received a red card.

However, ten minutes later the away side had an excellent chance to equalise after midfielder Afriyie Acquah was brought down by Kamil Glik after an inspired run into the penalty area. Antonio Cassano's initial penalty was saved by Padelli, but winger Jonathan Biabiany was quickest to react to pull the gialloblu level.

Things got even worse for Torino two minutes later when top scorer Ciro Immobile received a second yellow card for an alleged dive in the Parma area. Biabiany then had a great chance to win it for the away side, but in all honesty, both sides seemed happy with the draw.

That result means that Europa League qualification is still in Torino's own hands, but they must beat Fiorentina on the final day in order to guarantee a sixth place finish.

Forza Toro!

Torino v Parma Preview

With just two games of the Serie A season to go, Torino and Parma meet at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday, both with European aspirations.

Both clubs have exceeded expectations this campaign, and are currently the front runners for the final Europa League space, ahead of both Milan and Lazio.

Torino did have an injury scare over striker Alessio Cerci this week, but the former Fiorentina man is included in the squad for tomorrow's game. The Granata have won 6 of their last 8 games and are the form team in Serie A at the moment.

Opponents Parma had lost two games in a row before returning to winning ways with an victory against Sampdoria last weekend. The Crociati have not won away from home since an impressive 4-2 win at Milan in March, but they did beat Torino 3-1 in the reverse fixture this season.

Prediction
Torino 1-1 Parma

Chievo 0-1 Torino

Torino continued their outstanding recent form with a convincing 1-0 victory over Chievo on Sunday afternoon, a result that means Toro are only two games away from European football.

As expected, Giampiero Ventura named an unchanged starting eleven from the side that beat Udinese last weekend. Before the game, a moments silence was held in hour of 'Il Grande Torino' as this game was being played on the 65 year anniversary of the Superga disaster.

Daniele Padelli was forced into action to deny Ivan Radovanovic's long range free kick, whilst at the other end Alessio Cerci forced Michael Agazzi into making a save. Ciro Immobile harshly had a goal disallowed for an apparent foul on the goalkeeper, but on the replays it appeared as though Agazzi had just dropped the ball.

Torino had even more reasons to be aggrieved at the officials when Alessio Cerci's cross was blatantly handled by Dario Dainelli inside the area yet no penalty was awarded. The veteran defender was then lucky to stay on the pitch as it appeared as though he elbowed Ciro Immobile on two separate occasions, but he only received a yellow card.

Ten minutes after half time the Granata took the lead when Alessio Cerci's corner was flicked on by Jasmin Kurtic and then diverted into his own net by Gennaro Sardo. Torino task was then made somewhat easier when one of their former players, Sergio Pellissier was sent off just six minutes after coming onto the pitch after he received two yellow cards in quick succession - the second of which for dissent.

Toro had chances to make their margin of victory even more convincing, but Ciro Immobile and then Riccardo Meggiorini missed chances to extend their lead. However, Torino were never in danger of losing their lead and remain in 6th position with just two games remaining of an outstanding season.

Forza Toro!

Chievo V Torino Preview

On the 65th anniversary of the Superga air disaster, Torino will be hoping to pay a fitting tribute to 'Il Grande Torino' with a victory against Chievo on Sunday afternoon.

The Torino hierarchy did ask for this game to be moved so that the team did not have to play on the anniversary of the tragedy, but the Lega Calcio refused this request due to the fact Chievo are embroiled in a relegation battle, and their game has to kick off at the same time as the other relegation strugglers.

However, Urbano Cairo has chartered a private jet to allow the players to take part in the memorial service at Superga later that evening. Captain Kamil Glik will also pay his own personal tribute to those who died in the tragic plane crash, with a personalised captain's armband that features the following quote from Italian journalist Indro Montanelli :

"The heroes are always immortals in the eyes of those who believe in them. And so the kids will believe that Torino has not died: it is just away"

The Granata are in excellent form having won four of their last five games, and it is this form that means they currently occupy the final Europa League position. Toro have no injury worries, as both Giuseppe Vives and Cesare Bovo have recovered from slight injuries, therefore Giampiero Ventura is expected to name an unchanged side from the team that beat Udinese last weekend.

By contrast, opponents Chievo are in miserable form having lost four of their last five games, and have not beaten a side in the top half of the table since November.

Prediction

Chievo 1-2 Torino

Torino 2-0 Udinese

Torino now hold European qualification in their own hands after a convincing 2-0 victory over Udinese moved them into 6th place.

As expected,  Alessio Cerci returned from suspension to lead the line upfront alongside Serie A Capocannoniere Ciro Immobile upfront.

The Granata made a perfect start after just fifteen minutes, when Omar El Kaddouri cut in from the left wing before firing a low shot past Simone Scuffet. Toro almost doubled their lead soon afterwards, but Emiliano Moretti's header from a Ciro Immobile cross was off target.

The Granata finally did double their lead just before the hour mark, when Serbian defender Nikola Maksimovic threaded a perfect through ball to Immobile who scored his 21st goal of a remarkable campaign.

Riccardo Meggiorini replaced Ciro Immobile with twenty minutes remaining, and the hardworking striker almost scored his first goal of the season but he was denied by Scuffet. Opponents Udinese rarely threatened the Granata and were largely restricted to long range efforts, and Torino can only hope that their remaining three games are as straightforward as this one.

Forza Toro

Torino v Udinese Preview

Torino will face Udinese on Sunday afternoon knowing that a victory is essential in order to keep their Europa League hopes alive.

After last weekend's 3-3 draw against Lazio when they conceded in the 94th minute, Toro will be hoping for a less dramatic ending against Udinese. Alessio Cerci returns to squad after suspension, whilst Marcelo Larrondo is also available for selection after missing the majority of the season due to injury.

Udinese picked up an impressive result over Easter by drawing with Napoli, but are destined to finish in mid-table after a disappointing overall campaign. The away side will be without Antonio Di Natale for this game, Colombian striker Luis Muriel should deputise.

Prediction
Torino 1-0 Udinese

Lazio 3-3 Torino

For the second week in succession there was injury time drama, but this time Torino conceded in the fourth minute of injury time to draw 3-3 with Lazio.

As expected, Matteo Darmian returned to the starting eleven as he replaced Marko Vesovic in defence, whilst there were also starts for Jasmin Kurtic and Riccardo Meggiorini.

Antonio Candreva had the first chance for the home side, but he was denied by Daniele Padelli when through on goal. At the other end, Cesare Bovo came close to giving Toro the lead but his free kick rattled the crossbar.

Padelli was once again forced into action, this time to deny Stefan Radu, whose a long range effort looked to be heading into the top corner. However just before half time, the hosts took the lead when Toro failed to deal with a set piece and Stefano Mauri was on hand to head home from close range.

However, seven minutes into the second half the Granata were level when excellent work from Riccardo Meggiorini set up Jasmin Kurtic, and the Slovenian midfielder scored his first goal for the club.

Lazio regained the lead ten minutes later when Keita was fouled in the area by Padelli, and Antonio Candreva nonchalantly converted from the spot with a 'panenka' penalty. But Toro once again demonstrated their resilient nature of late, as they equalised once again, this time through former Roma man Panagiotis Tachtsidis.

Lazio were then reduced to ten men when defender Diego Novaretti received two yellow cards in quick succession. In the 89th minute, Ciro Immobile thought he had won the game for Toro when he fired a shot past Etrit Berisha but once again their was late drama.

In the dying moments, Felipe Anderson's long range shot fell into the path on Antonio Candreva who was narrowly played onside by Matteo Darmian, and the Italian international scored to deny Torino a crucial victory.

Torino are now three points away from 6th placed Parma in the final Europa League place, but face the Gialloblu in the penultimate game of the season - in what could effectively be a playoff for European football.

Forza Toro!