If anything was left unclear about Fiorentina’s approach following their 3-0 demolition of SPAL on Saturday, Coach Stefano Pioli duly cleared things up in his post-match press conference. “I think this Fiorentina has the quality to play a positive and attacking style of football,” he said. “We can’t always go at full pelt, but we played with the right determination and mentality. These fans inevitably give us something more when we play at home.
“The number of forwards on the pitch doesn’t decide how many goals we get. We can play with several if everybody is prepared to work hard, track back and help out.
This all-out attacking philosophy not only pleases the supporters, but ensures that this young team can truly give their all, knowing that even if they fail to take the three points their boss will back them to the hilt. Any timidity shown by this term has already been punished by a 1-0 defeat away to Napoli and in the second half of the match away to Sampdoria, when the Viola let a 1-0 lead slip to 1-1.
“We ran few risks against Napoli, even if we eventually lost, and those are the only real regrets of the season so far,” Pioli continued. “We needed more belief in ourselves and our approach to the sport. We also drew with Sampdoria, who are one of the form teams in Serie A at the moment and remarkably strong on their home turf. I want us to play the same way against any opponent, in any arena, whether it’s a mid-table club or the leaders.”
Therefore, with week of difficult matches – away to Inter on Tuesday and at home to Atalanta on Sunday – to come, the gauntlet has been well and truly thrown down by the Viola boss.
Those who watched the match with SPAL will have seen that Fiorentina barely put a foot wrong versus a team who had conceded just four goals in the new campaign and they must find this rhythm again at San Siro in midweek. Such self-confidence will undoubtedly trouble a nervy Inter side, and indeed many teams will find it difficult to beat such a united and positive Viola squad.
This summer’s new attacking additions in Marko Pjaca and Kevin Mirallas provide a much greater depth in the options available to the Coach, in addition to the already talented duo of Giovanni Simeone and Federico Chiesa and Valentin Eysseric as backup. Indeed, Fiorentina possess no less than six unique goalscorers already this term and have notched up an impressive goal difference of +8.
Yet only after this week will we find out exactly what this side are made of and whether or not whispers of possible contention for a previously unexpected Champions League qualification are to be taken seriously. Whatever the results, it is clear that Fiorentina supporters will see some incredibly entertaining football this term, and this fact on its own gives them something to smile about.
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