A Christmas Wish for Every Serie A Team
It's time to spread some holiday joy to every Serie A team, whether it's first-placed Juventus or bottom-of-the-table Parma, every side has a wish and we'll pinpoint exactly what they are right here.
Some teams will need desperate help in the January transfer window, while others will need to call on superhuman forces for better results going forward.
Every team has a weakness and would call upon one wish to help them clog a particular hole in the squad.
Without further ado, here's a Christmas wish for every team in Serie A.
Atalanta: A GPS for German Denis
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The 33-year-old German Denis was supposed to once again spearhead the Atalanta attack like he's done for the past few seasons.
The Argentine striker scored 44 goals for the Bergamo-based outfit in the past three seasons, but he has only found the back of the net four times in this entire campaign. Granted, Atalanta keep losing some of their best players every summer, so the support hasn't been as great for Denis up front.
While Denis scored a brace in Atalanta's last match of the 2014 calendar year, he has been very inconsistent this season and the squad will need him to deliver on a more consistent basis.
Someone needs to buy a TomTom and strap it on to Denis' right foot with the goal coordinates, or else Atalanta risk going down to the Serie B.
Cagliari: A Plan After Zemanlandia
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There was plenty of fanfare in Sardinia this summer after the diabolically offensive Zdenek Zeman was hired as the new coach to lead a new-look Cagliari side.
Unfortunately, the signings brought in consisted of raw, inexperienced players mostly coming over from the second division.
Zeman loved playing a high line and pressing his opponents, but all too often the lack of discipline from the defenders shows, and it's the reason why Cagliari are in the bottom three and have conceded 29 goals in the opening 16 matches of the season.
The biggest question will have to do with what Cagliari have planned post Zeman. The latest report from Italian newspaper La Gazzetta (in Italian) says that he's on the verge of being fired.
Cesena: All We Want Are 3 Points!
3 of 20
Cesena haven't won a game in their past 16 outings in all competitions, putting them in 19th place in the Serie A table.
It's not too surprising though, as the side were only just promoted to the Serie A and have a very modest group with a limited budget. Adding to the chaos, Cesena canned their coach Pierpaolo Bisoli and replaced him with another journeyman in Domenico Di Carlo.
The problem isn't the coach, it's the squad—a goofy mix of second-division players, old veterans looking for one last sail in Serie A, sprinkled with a few youngsters. On a more positive note, watch out for Gregoire Defrel. He's one of their most interesting players coming through the ranks.
Chievo Verona: A Joga Bonito Tutorial
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Historically, Chievo Verona have been about as fun to watch as looking at a Daniele Bonera juggling video.
It's time Chievo go down with some style. The side actually brought in several entertaining players over the summer, and there was hope that they would stray from their usual three defensive-midfielder setup by adding more flair with the likes of Ruben Botta, but so far it hasn't helped.
Chievo need a true playmaker in the center of the park as they stumble their way into the holidays with a surprising 1-0 win against cross-city rivals Hellas Verona picked up on Sunday.
Empoli: A Badge of Honor
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Someone get coach Maurizio Sarri a badge of honor, because he's really played some brave football with Empoli. After coming up from the Serie B this past summer, Empoli have strived on playing an attractive brand of football with some talented youngsters.
Even though Empoli rely on the two senior citizens Massimo Maccarone and Francesco Tavano for their goals, the play in the spine of the team has been great to watch.
Twenty-three-year-old Manuel Pucciarelli has been a joy to watch, while 20-year-old center-back Daniele Rugani has been one of the best defenders in Serie A this season, even receiving attention from Antonio Conte.
It'll be hard for Empoli to stave off relegation, but they'll entertain plenty on their journey forward.
Fiorentina: A Voodoo to Reverse Injury Curse
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Ever since 2013, Fiorentina have been absolutely decimated by injuries to some of their star players. Most notably, the star tandem of Giuseppe Rossi and Mario Gomez has hardly been able to play a game together.
Rossi has suffered multiple catastrophic knee injuries in his career, and the problems have continued during his time in Tuscany.
It's so unfortunate when you consider how prolific he has been in his brief time with the Viola. Last season, the Italian-American netted 16 goals in only 21 matches, and he was headed for the capocannoniere title until another devastating knee injury ruined his season. This injury also didn't allow him to get fully fit in time for the World Cup, and he missed out on a trip to Brazil as Cesare Prandelli disposed of him in the final cut.
If Fiorentina had a healthy Rossi, they could easily have finished in the top three in Serie A.
Genoa: A Positive January Window
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Genoa owner Enrico Preziosi is known for his wheeling and dealing in both the January and summer transfer windows, often completely gutting the squad and not allowing them to build any semblance of chemistry.
Now that Genoa are going into January with a surprising place in the top five, it'll be interesting to see what Preziosi does to reinforce the squad. Genoa did well to bring in the exciting pair of Iago Falque and Diego Perotti, who have played well in the attacking trident alongside Alessandro Matri.
Most notably, it has now seen Liverpool make inquiries about their talented young goalkeeper Mattia Perin according to Sky Sport Italia (via Football Italia).
The Grifoni must resist tempting offers for some of their stars and keep hold of this particular nucleus if they want to really keep the momentum going and finish in the top five.
Inter: Some More Transfer Funds for Mancini
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Roberto Mancini was brought in last month to save the sinking ship that Walter Mazzarri had left.
Unfortunately, this is hardly the Nerazzurri side that Mancini remembers from his last stint in Serie A, back when Inter had one of the finest sides in Europe and were favored to win the Scudetto each season.
Now, Inter is struggling just to get into the top five and back into a European place. Some of the transfer signings like Nemanja Vidic or Yann M'Vila haven't worked out, and depth is needed throughout the squad.
Erick Thohir must open up the wallet in the next few months and allow Mancini to build a squad in his own image.
Juventus: Some Luck in Europe
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It's time for Juventus to overachieve in Europe. After inexplicably failing to get out of the Champions League group stage last season under Antonio Conte, they've managed to find their way into the knockout round this campaign under new coach Max Allegri.
Juventus will face Borussia Dortmund in a tricky two-legged affair which will pit the Bianconeri against a side that have been woeful in the Bundesliga but have looked much better in Europe.
Going through to the next round is imperative for Juve to finally showcase their immense talent on a worldwide stage. They certainly have the squad depth and talent to go deep in the Champions League, all they need now is a bit more luck going their way in Europe.
Lazio: Keep Hold of the Young Stars!
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Lazio are quietly in third place in the Serie A table going into the break, and they must hold on to their young stars if they want to remain competitive.
The biggest knock on the Biancocelesti recently has been their penchant for letting very important players leave the club. The sale of Hernanes to Inter was met by plenty of negativity by the fanbase, who openly voiced their displeasure at how Claudio Lotito was handling the club and even boycotted going to games.
Right now, 20-year-old Felipe Anderson has exploded on the scene. The ex-Santos man scored a brace against Inter in the final match of the 2014 calendar year and really seems to be an exciting prospect.
Milan: A Better MilanLab
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The amount of injuries Milan have had to endure for the past few seasons has been alarming. Namely, the supposed state-of-the-art medical facility known as MilanLab hasn't really built the best reputation after the recent string of incidents.
Whether it's purely a coincidence or more to do with medical practices is still up in the air. Either way, coach Filippo Inzaghi will need his squad healthy if they are to mount a serious push for the third place in the standings and get their place in the Champions League back.
It seems that when one player returns to health, another few go to the treatment table. Stephan El Shaarawy has finally been able to build some continuity after missing virtually all of last season, but now Milan has been without more than half of their usual starting defense.
Napoli: A Defense That Matches the Offense
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Napoli go into the new year with their head held high after defeating Juventus in the Italian Super Cup. However, it's not all fun and games in southern Italy, as the reality of the Napoli starting XI is that it's woefully unbalanced.
Ambitious president Aurelio De Laurentiis must open his checkbook and bring in a fine defender who can help a back line that's been porous for the past few seasons, since Rafael Benitez took over. With the wealth of attacking options available, one can only imagine just how good this team would be if they had a defense that matched their level of talent.
Raul Albiol is above average at best, while his defensive partner Kalidou Koulibaly is still very raw and error prone. If Napoli bring in an experienced veteran to anchor the back line, they'll be a much more formidable side going into 2015.
Palermo: A Lifetime Signature from Paulo Dybala
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Palermo's eccentric president Maurizio Zamparini seems to have a magic wand in discovering talented young South American players.
Only a few years ago, he had a front line consisting of Edinson Cavani and Javier Pastore. Now, he's been blessed with a 21-year-old magician by the name of Paulo Dybala.
Dybala has found the back of the net seven times this season but has shown bursts of world-class ability which have made the front pages across Europe. He has formed a great partnership up front with Franco Vazquez, another Argentine entering the prime of his career.
It's unlikely that Zamparini will pass up a lucrative offer for Dybala, so the ultimate gift would be for the young phenom to pen a deal that would tie him to the Sicilian outfit for life.
Parma: Salvation
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Could the past six months have been any worse for Parma? First, they're ousted from the Europa League because of financial discrepancies, then they lose some of their most important players due to various circumstances.
To start the season, their explosive winger Jonathan Biabiany was held out due to heart problems which could have jeopardized his career. Adding to the run of bad luck, Gabi Paletta hasn't been able to stay healthy and most of the players brought in during the summer have looked out of their elements.
Parma sit at the bottom of the Serie A table with relegation looming on the horizon. It's a sad possibility for a squad that only last season had gotten themselves into a European position.
Roma: A Run of Poor Form by Juve
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Despite getting knocked out of a very difficult group in the Champions League, Roma are flying in Serie A and sit comfortably in second place.
However, three points separate them from top-of-the-table Juventus, and Rudi Garcia's men can only wish that the Bianconeri will drop points to start the new year.
The second clash between Roma and Juve should be an absolutely tantalizing affair given the chaos and controversy that came out of the first leg earlier this season. The Giallorossi will be looking to make up points any way they can and hopefully get themselves a Scudetto after three seasons of dominance from Juventus.
Sampdoria: Manolo Gabbiadini Under the Christmas Tree
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One of the surprises of the season, Sampdoria are tied for third place in Serie A. Unfortunately, their star striker Manolo Gabbiadini is heavily linked with a move to Napoli, according to ESPN, with some sources saying that the 23-year-old has already agreed to terms with the club.
Gabbiadini is the team's highest scorer with seven goals, but he is also involved plenty in the link-up play.
New president Massimo Ferrero seems to be ambitious about his club, so it'll be interesting to see how he allocates funds in the January transfer window.
One thing's for sure, Manolo Gabbiadini is the type of player the Blucerchiati desperately need to help them stay in the top five and get an unlikely European place.
Sassuolo: A Few More Fans
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Tiny Sassuolo are a club representing a village that has a population smaller than 40,000. After reaching Serie A promotion for the first time in their history two seasons ago, they have shown no intention of simply going back down to the lower divisions under wealthy president Giorgio Squinzi.
Squinzi made several important moves in the offseason, signing Simone Zaza outright and securing Croatian full-back Sime Vrsaljko.
The biggest problem has been that his team doesn't have much of a fanbase at all. They average less than 13,000 spectators for home matches despite playing an attacking brand of football and being comfortably in mid-table for the time being.
Some of the supporters who do show up at the stadium are actually converted Modena fans just looking to watch some Serie A action.
Torino: A Real Replacement for Cerci and Immobile
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Last season, Torino had one of the finest attacking units in Italy with Alessio Cerci and Ciro Immobile spearheading the front line.
The two combined for 35 goals on the season, helping the side reach the Europa League after Parma were unceremoniously dumped out due to financial issues.
Once Cerci was sold to Atletico Madrid and Immobile to Borussia Dortmund, replacements were needed. Amauri and Fabio Quagliarella were brought in to carry the goalscoring burden up top, but they have only managed four goals between them this season.
It's a tally that simply won't help with the relegation battle, so expect Torino to reward the club and the fanbase with a more prolific striker in the transfer window.
Udinese: A Rejuvenation Potion for Di Natale
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The legendary 37-year-old Antonio Di Natale flirted with retirement at the end of last season, only to please the Udinese faithful by announcing that he'd stay for another year. It seems impossible to imagine the club without their captain leading the line, but it's nearly come to that for Udinese fans.
Despite being in the twilight of his career, Di Natale has scored eight goals so far for his club, continuing the impressive goalscoring streak that he started in his early 30s. He has netted a goal tally in the double digits for the past eight seasons, four times scoring over 23 goals in a domestic campaign.
He's certainly a figure that Udinese fans would love to see turn back the years and give them another few seasons of greatness.
Hellas Verona: Continuity
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As good as Hellas Verona were last season after getting promoted from the Serie B, they've been a lot more inconsistent this time around.
The club simply haven't been able to replace the likes of Jorginho or Juan Iturbe, who were sold immediately once big offers came around. They're now banking on the tired legs of Luca Toni to drag them away from relegation after he surprised everybody by scoring 20 times last season as a 36-year-old.
Verona are in 15th place in the table, and haven't been able to mount a consistent run of form yet. They'll go into the new year coming off a momentum-sapping 1-0 defeat at the hands of rivals Chievo Verona.
