Two new players all but ready, but how will Inzaghi integrate them?

So, good day and happy new year folks. 2018 was a bad one for our beloved Bologna, and we currently find ourselves in big trouble in the relegation zone. Roberto Donadoni’s firing and the subsequent hiring of Filippo Inzaghi has not worked thus far. There were rumors that a bad result against Napoli the other night would be the last straw, but Inzaghi has still got the job.

One would think, though, that a bad result against Spal on the 20th of January will most likely be the nail in the coffin for the former Milan striker. Before that game we also face Juventus in the Coppa Italia, but that game is already a lost cause.

Therefore, all focus should be on getting our third win of the season in Ferrara in two weeks time. We currently find ourselves three points behind Empoli in 17th, and four behind Spal in 16th. That’s not a lot, but if we were to lose, one would seriously start to consider whether we’ll be in Serie A next season. Another must win game, hopefully with a better result than against the likes of Empoli and Parma before Christmas.

One of the most interesting things moving forward towards the game in Ferrara though, is what our team will look like in that game. Because, Riccardo Bigon is currently working on several deals to strengthen the team, and two players are all but ready.

Nicola Sansone and Roberto Soriano are both today undergoing their medicals at the club before signing their respective deals with the club. Both will join us on loan with an option to buy outright at the end of the season. Both are property of Villarreal, although Soriano has spent this season on loan at Torino.

Sansone, a winger by trade, much in the same mould as Simone Verdi, although operating from the opposite flank, will strengthen our attacking outlet considerably. Our team has been crying out for creativity all season, and Sansone will definitely contribute with that. He has only got three games under his belt in La Liga this season for Villarreal, but we all know what a talented player he is from his time at Sassuolo.

Soriano joined Torino on loan in the summer, but has struggled to find his place there, especially after Walter Mazzari took over the reigns. The midfielder has eleven games for Torino this season, but has averaged only 42 minutes per game, and he was therefore interested in finding another club. He’ll most likely go straight into our midfield, contributing with his precise passing and creativity.

These two acquisitions beg the question, how will Inzaghi integrate them into the side? Both players should be sure starters for a team which overall has lacked the cutting edge going forward. However, neither player seems fit to play in Inzaghi’s preferred system of 3-5-2. Sansone in particular played the best football of his career under Eusebio Di Francesco in a 4-3-3 formation at Sassuolo, and it’s exactly that formation Inzaghi should go for to integrate them into the side.

With a 4-3-3 formation, we could be fielding a midfield of Soriano alongside Adam Nagy and either Andrea Poli or Mattias Svanberg. That trio should be astute enough defensively to help the defence out, whilst also providing enough creativity to create chances going forward.

Which brings us to the front three, which in my opinion should consist of Nicola Sansone and Riccardo Orsolini on either side of Federico Santander. The former two excel at beating their opponents with clever dribbling, cutting inside and creating chances for team mates. Santander in the centre of the attack should provide a decent outlet for the other two to play off of, and that trio should be able to create trouble for a lot of sides.

Acquiring Sansone and Soriano is great business, but Inzaghi needs to move away from his beloved 3-5-2 to integrate them. We really need more attacking power, and a 4-3-3 would see us being able to utilize Orsolini as well, something which I’ve been crying out for all season.

The two new acquisitions won’t be the only ones in January, as we are rumored to be wanting 4-5 new starters in total. We have been linked with a variety of central defenders, full backs and some strikers as well. Time will tell.

Until next time.

Photo: http://bolognafc.it