Inzaghi’s curious tactical decision, and now the pressure is mounting

Well, it’s safe to say that October was a poor month for Bologna and Filippo Inzaghi. The month started off with a very disappointing loss in Sardegna against Cagliari, before we witnessed two consecutive draws against Torino and Sassuolo.

When the team kicked off November against Atalanta, though, there was some optimism because of how Inzaghi had seemed to change his tactics in the last two games in October.

After the break versus Torino, the coach decided to change things up and go for a 4-3-3 formation. We saw a continuation of this from minute one against Sassuolo, and some interesting things happened as a result of this change.

For instance, and perhaps most noticeably, Riccardo Orsolini got to play in his favored position. The versatile midfielder started as a part of the midfield three in a 3-5-2 formation against Torino, but as Bologna were behind at the break, Inzaghi decided to introduce Mattias Svanberg at the expense of Danilo.

This change saw Orsolini move from central midfield to the right hand side of the attack alongside Rodrigo Palacio and Federico Santander. Here, Orsolini was able to go into attack, using his quick feet to go past defenders and creating chances for his teammates. He got the assist for Arturo Calabresi, although that was all about the defender’s brilliant move.

In the next game, Orsolini got continued faith from the coach, and proved how valuable he can be for the team. Don’t get me wrong, Orsolini has performed admirably in central midfield when called upon, as he has given the team exactly what they were missing earlier in the season. However, he should be used higher in the field to cause more problems for the opposition defence.

The 4-3-3 seemed like a perfect fit for the players we have at our disposal at the moment. Therefore, it came as quite the surprise when Inzaghi decided to return to 3-5-2 against Atalanta.

Orsolini dropped out of the team as a result of this change in formation, and the team suffered because of it. Bologna more often than not throughout the game lacked the very creativity that the winger has brought in recent games. Earlier in the season, this lack of creativity was our most pressing problem, but Inzaghi dealt with it by introducing Orsolini and Svanberg into the side.

Against Atalanta, Svanberg once again started in midfield, and his creativity has become integral to our side. However, at times during the game, there was too much distance between our midfield and attack. Svanberg was not able to impose himself on the game as much as he would have wanted as a result.

Palacio, unfortunately, struggled during the game, as did Ladislav Krejci on the wing. This left the team rid of creativity, and the team lost the game because of it.

Against Chievo at the weekend, Inzaghi needs to return to the 4-3-3 formation so that he can include both Svanberg and Orsolini. The flying donkeys has struggled immensely this season, but we still cannot take the win for granted given how the team has played of late.

Already, there has been talk of the game against Chievo being decisive for the future of Inzaghi at the club. It is still early in his tenure, but still. The results thus far have been very poor, and we are currently very close to the relegation zone. Even though last season under Roberto Donadoni was a disappointment, we were never really close to going down. It is safe to say that things haven’t gone as we’d hoped under the new coach.

Inzaghi needs to turn things around quickly, both for himself, and for the club.

Photo: Bologna FC