He delivered the maximum possible for each side, doing so with consistency and continuity. This is precisely why Bologna’s first half of the season has been so disappointingly poor.
It is rare to see Italiano struggle this much at the helm of a team. In Serie A, since December 14, Bologna have lost to Juventus, drawn with Sassuolo, lost to Inter, lost at home to Atalanta, drawn with Como, beaten Verona and lost to Fiorentina.
This is a deeply negative and depressing run of form that has effectively halted the team’s push for a place in Europe. Sixth place is only seven points away, but this is not a matter of one defeat or one bad performance.
At the moment, nothing seems to be working and this is truly surprising, because what is happening to Bologna is not something that usually happens to Vincenzo Italiano’s teams.
Sartori errors
It is also impossible not to point out that, perhaps for the first time in years, Giovanni Sartori has probably made mistakes in most of his transfer dealings. More accurately, the moves made in the summer and in January have not yet produced the desired results.
They may well do so in the future, guaranteeing both technical growth and financial value, but right now Bologna look like a distant relative of the team that made an entire nation dream and convinced Italian football fans that something had changed at the top of the league.
As the great figures of the game often say, the quality of a signing must be judged over the long term. For now, however, Bologna is not benefiting at all from its summer and winter transfers.
One thing must be made absolutely clear: the mistakes made by Sartori and Marco Di Vaio do not justify the poor performances of Italiano and his players. There have been too many negative results and too many points thrown away in ways that are hard to understand and at times unacceptable.
The transfer market did not provide the much-needed support, that much is undeniable, but Italiano must find solutions, and quickly. Otherwise, the season risks slipping into anonymity and mediocrity, which would represent a terrible step backwards for Bologna supporters.
Europe out of reach?
The season is still long, of course, but the sixth place is far away. Bologna need at least three more wins than Como, and that is no small task, especially since Fabregas and his team, unlike Bologna, seem to have found perfect balance and harmony.
The defeat against Fiorentina on Sunday was a heavy and unexpected blow. Fiorentina are enduring one of their most difficult seasons in recent years and, although they have shown signs of improvement, they still have many problems. Italiano’s team failed to take advantage of this in any way and even found themselves two goals down.
A change of pace is essential and here comes a chance to make it. Next weekend Bologna will face Daniele De Rossi’s Genoa, a side fighting for survival but currently in better form than Orsolini and his teammates.
Genoa look hungrier, more united and more determined. It will be a very demanding match and it will be up to Italiano to find the right solution to restart his team. At the moment, nothing is working.
The defence struggles against every opponent, from the strongest sides to those at the bottom, revealing a worrying lack of solidity. The attack, meanwhile, is far from the aggressive and relentless force typical of Italiano’s teams.
New players are expected to arrive in the coming days, particularly attacking wingers capable of bringing unpredictability and flair. For starters, Simon Sohm has already arrived to replace Giovanni Fabbian. The squad is changing and will continue to change, but a turnaround is needed and it is needed immediately.