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FIORENTINA FANZONE
Here is your monthly round up of all things Fiorentina, including match reports, transfer activity and comments from the manager.
Fab February
After a great start to the season in January, the manager had expressed his fears of a downturn in the following month, as the fixture difficulty level increased. However, so far it has gone better than expected, with Fiorentina hanging on in there at the top of the table, with only one more defeat to add the one in January. The club are almost through from the group stages in Europe too. So, all in all it’s been a fab Feb.
Transfer news
It’s Mbappe time! Yes, none other than the maestro himself has signed for Fiorentina! There were rumours that he might have joined in pre-season, but it was never really on. However, a deal was struck last week with Real Madrid that suited both parties. Madrid were after a young defensive midfielder, Fiorentina were after a bit of cash from a defender swap to pay the bills, and the manager saw it as an opportunity to suggest Mbappe was included in the deal. The eventual deal saw Rovenna, Kostic and Martinez leave the club with Karsdorp, Goretzka and Mbappe arriving with 10m in his back pocket. Both Karsdorp and Goretzka have played for the club before, and are known to be reliable performers, but the main excitement from the fans is to see Mbappe turning out in the purple shirt of Fiorentina.
‘’I’m delighted to have signed Mbappe, he brings more passing to the side, and we have the option of making him captain and a 25 rater for the second half of the season. Goretzka despite his age brings amazing triple skills into midfield, and although selling Kostic for Karsdorp means we take a hit at the back, we knew we had to do that anything to bring in some cash to pay the wages. Karsdorp has good triple skills too, so fits in with the team dynamic.’’
In terms of further transfers, there have been no significant rumours as yet, though it is thought likely St Maximin may need to be sacrificed at some point to keep the cash flow situation under control, it is likely a lower rated midfielder will be sought for him to add balance to the side, though playing three up front has proven to be very beneficial in some games this season.
In terms of the squad overall, there is no-one that has been underperforming, so it may be that transfers remain fairly sporadic rather than the usual rush of action. There are still squaddies that need to make minutes, so that may well be the focus in Europe from now on, as well as some home games.
Match reports
Week 9
Fiorentina 4-0 Marseille
Another great result for the purple ones. We decided to switch things around tactically, though spent the game giving up tactical advantage it didn't seem to matter much.
St Maximin got us off to the perfect start in the 1st minute, and his reward was an instant substitution for a defender!
The other strikers, Berardi and Martinez also got on the scoreboard, and along with an own goal, it looked a good home win, which the stats would also back up.
Things change for the next week or two however, as we face up against some of the best sides in the division, in a better test of our credentials to be up there.
Next up is Real Madrid in the cup away, easy! It is thought the manager is even considering playing all his squaddies to concentrate on the league, but we will see.
Week 10
Barcelona 1-1 Fiorentina
The top two early season pace setters faced off in what turned out to be a bit of a disappointment for the fans, as both teams started cautiously.
Fiorentina made the early moves, with a disallowed goal from Martinez, but he made amends by firing the away side ahead after 25 minutes.
The away side tried to defend the lead, but it was just too long and too far to manage it, as Barcelona got the late equaliser from Lovren with only 6 minutes to go.
Who knows what might have happened if Fiorentina hadn't clammed up, but the stats were a little in Barca's favour as it was. gg Mati man
So, Fiorentina got an away point from a rival, not too bad, but others in the hunt mostly won, so it tightens up at the top.
The difficult run continues with a tricky match against Atletico Madrid next.
Week 11
Fiorentina 3-1 Athletico Madrid
Great win against a very strong side. We decided to risk an adventurous line up, with the 3 up front, and a few other tweaks from last week.
Despite being initially countered, we got the very early 1st minute goal from St Maximin which led to a few changes, however we continued to perform well, and Martinez got the second before half-time. We didn't clam up this time, and it looked iffy when the opposition got one back through Odegaard, but we kept our shape and got the all important third through Berardi.
Locatelli had his best game in a purple shirt, and is now close to levelling up.
Overall we created enough chances to deserve the win, unlucky Si, I'm sure it'll turn around soon.
Week 12
Juventus 2-2 Fiorentina
Phew, we came away with a point from one of the better teams in the division, though I'm not quite sure how.
We were up against home and tactical advantage but still took the lead twice, through Spinazzola and Chuk, before they hit back twice, and even had time to miss a penalty.
I feared the worst when Locatelli got a second half red card, and it was only the heroics of our keeper that kept it 2-2, ul Tony.
Cancelo had a good game at the back, as did Chuk in midfield, but it was our keeper that stood out.
So we drop off the top spot, but I'm happy with how our 3 matches against teams around us went, with a win and two draws. It eases off in terms of difficulty next week, before some more tough ones await.
Week 13
Fiorentina 1-1 Lens
Bit of a disappointing home draw to be honest, in game we hoped to win.
Fair play to Lens though, they countered well, and took their chance, whereas we were wasteful for a change.
We had to switch formations around to bit to cater for the missing Locatelli, but felt we had enough to not worry about TA, but obviously not. gg dude.
It could have been worse though, as it was left to super sub Licata to net a 92nd minute equaliser just before the ref blew the final whistle.
A few teams lost around us lost, so it wasn't all bad, though PSG move ominously joint top.
Week 14
Real Sociedad 2-0 Fiorentina
Well, that was shite. The writing was on the wall with some poor performances of late, and we deserved to lose this one.
Sociedad scored the early goal, which led to some tactical changes, and even when they got a red card they still scored another.
Fair play to the agressive home approach, it worked. The main difference in terms of the stats was Sociedad were more accurate with their shooting. gg dude.
We have Mbappe and Goretzka coming in, so fingers crossed that brings the form back, however it's only PSG next..
The sensible approach would be to play C next, but our worst performances have come when starting C, so maybe we need to be brave.
Week 15
Fiorentina 5-2 PSG
Wow, I wasn't expecting this result, and based on the stats it was a deserved win.
PSG have the best squad in EF1, but insist on playing for abs/having an excuse for losing
so the tactics were exactly as expected C v A
Our top performers of late, Berardi and Chuk were the main men again, scoring two each, with sub St Maxim netting the 5th.
We got 61% possession, and 24 shots v 13, so a win was certainly deserved.
The fans were jubilant, but the manager was less enthusiastic 'we played really well tonight and deserved the win, but we have tough games to come, and PSG appeared more concerned with getting attackers some abs than winning, so we won't be getting carried away'
It's Bayern away next in the league, so it's not getting any easier!
Europe – DPT
Game 3
Fiorentina 2-0 Aston Villa
We faced an unmanaged side here, following Drum’s departure for Roma, and preparing for unknown tactics was tricky. As it turned out Villa played a D, but luckily despite the lack of chances and action, Fiorentina manage to nick a couple of goals. Spinazzola and Martinez were the scores, and Rovenna got man of the match, in what was a fairly boring, standard match for the home fans.
Game 4
Aston Villa 2-3 Fiorentina
We got very lucky here, after being outplayed by a strong Villa side for much of the match.
It started fairly cautiously for both sides, but the early own goal from Villa defender Sutalo spurred a few changes. Villa hit back to 2-1 up before Saint Maximin got a second half equaliser.
Berardi was the main man again with the late winner, but the congratulations went mainly to Marmardvili in goal for all his saves. Ul dude.
The win puts us in a very strong position in the group, almost qualified, so it may be that some fringe players get a chance to play in the remaining two games in the group.
So, just the one defeat so far this month again, however there is the small matter of a trip to Bayern Munich on Friday, so that is likely to change! Munich sit joint top with Fiorentina and PSG,and there is only 5 points between all of the top eight so there is likely to be a lot of moving up and down the table to come. So far much of the top eight is as expected, however as predicted Lisbon are having a good season, less obvious however was the iffy form of AC Milan and Athletico Madrid, but there is still plenty of time for them to move up the table.
Words 1736
Here is your monthly round up of all things Fiorentina, including match reports, transfer activity and comments from the manager.
Fab February
After a great start to the season in January, the manager had expressed his fears of a downturn in the following month, as the fixture difficulty level increased. However, so far it has gone better than expected, with Fiorentina hanging on in there at the top of the table, with only one more defeat to add the one in January. The club are almost through from the group stages in Europe too. So, all in all it’s been a fab Feb.
Transfer news
It’s Mbappe time! Yes, none other than the maestro himself has signed for Fiorentina! There were rumours that he might have joined in pre-season, but it was never really on. However, a deal was struck last week with Real Madrid that suited both parties. Madrid were after a young defensive midfielder, Fiorentina were after a bit of cash from a defender swap to pay the bills, and the manager saw it as an opportunity to suggest Mbappe was included in the deal. The eventual deal saw Rovenna, Kostic and Martinez leave the club with Karsdorp, Goretzka and Mbappe arriving with 10m in his back pocket. Both Karsdorp and Goretzka have played for the club before, and are known to be reliable performers, but the main excitement from the fans is to see Mbappe turning out in the purple shirt of Fiorentina.
‘’I’m delighted to have signed Mbappe, he brings more passing to the side, and we have the option of making him captain and a 25 rater for the second half of the season. Goretzka despite his age brings amazing triple skills into midfield, and although selling Kostic for Karsdorp means we take a hit at the back, we knew we had to do that anything to bring in some cash to pay the wages. Karsdorp has good triple skills too, so fits in with the team dynamic.’’
In terms of further transfers, there have been no significant rumours as yet, though it is thought likely St Maximin may need to be sacrificed at some point to keep the cash flow situation under control, it is likely a lower rated midfielder will be sought for him to add balance to the side, though playing three up front has proven to be very beneficial in some games this season.
In terms of the squad overall, there is no-one that has been underperforming, so it may be that transfers remain fairly sporadic rather than the usual rush of action. There are still squaddies that need to make minutes, so that may well be the focus in Europe from now on, as well as some home games.
Match reports
Week 9
Fiorentina 4-0 Marseille
Another great result for the purple ones. We decided to switch things around tactically, though spent the game giving up tactical advantage it didn't seem to matter much.
St Maximin got us off to the perfect start in the 1st minute, and his reward was an instant substitution for a defender!
The other strikers, Berardi and Martinez also got on the scoreboard, and along with an own goal, it looked a good home win, which the stats would also back up.
Things change for the next week or two however, as we face up against some of the best sides in the division, in a better test of our credentials to be up there.
Next up is Real Madrid in the cup away, easy! It is thought the manager is even considering playing all his squaddies to concentrate on the league, but we will see.
Week 10
Barcelona 1-1 Fiorentina
The top two early season pace setters faced off in what turned out to be a bit of a disappointment for the fans, as both teams started cautiously.
Fiorentina made the early moves, with a disallowed goal from Martinez, but he made amends by firing the away side ahead after 25 minutes.
The away side tried to defend the lead, but it was just too long and too far to manage it, as Barcelona got the late equaliser from Lovren with only 6 minutes to go.
Who knows what might have happened if Fiorentina hadn't clammed up, but the stats were a little in Barca's favour as it was. gg Mati man
So, Fiorentina got an away point from a rival, not too bad, but others in the hunt mostly won, so it tightens up at the top.
The difficult run continues with a tricky match against Atletico Madrid next.
Week 11
Fiorentina 3-1 Athletico Madrid
Great win against a very strong side. We decided to risk an adventurous line up, with the 3 up front, and a few other tweaks from last week.
Despite being initially countered, we got the very early 1st minute goal from St Maximin which led to a few changes, however we continued to perform well, and Martinez got the second before half-time. We didn't clam up this time, and it looked iffy when the opposition got one back through Odegaard, but we kept our shape and got the all important third through Berardi.
Locatelli had his best game in a purple shirt, and is now close to levelling up.
Overall we created enough chances to deserve the win, unlucky Si, I'm sure it'll turn around soon.
Week 12
Juventus 2-2 Fiorentina
Phew, we came away with a point from one of the better teams in the division, though I'm not quite sure how.
We were up against home and tactical advantage but still took the lead twice, through Spinazzola and Chuk, before they hit back twice, and even had time to miss a penalty.
I feared the worst when Locatelli got a second half red card, and it was only the heroics of our keeper that kept it 2-2, ul Tony.
Cancelo had a good game at the back, as did Chuk in midfield, but it was our keeper that stood out.
So we drop off the top spot, but I'm happy with how our 3 matches against teams around us went, with a win and two draws. It eases off in terms of difficulty next week, before some more tough ones await.
Week 13
Fiorentina 1-1 Lens
Bit of a disappointing home draw to be honest, in game we hoped to win.
Fair play to Lens though, they countered well, and took their chance, whereas we were wasteful for a change.
We had to switch formations around to bit to cater for the missing Locatelli, but felt we had enough to not worry about TA, but obviously not. gg dude.
It could have been worse though, as it was left to super sub Licata to net a 92nd minute equaliser just before the ref blew the final whistle.
A few teams lost around us lost, so it wasn't all bad, though PSG move ominously joint top.
Week 14
Real Sociedad 2-0 Fiorentina
Well, that was shite. The writing was on the wall with some poor performances of late, and we deserved to lose this one.
Sociedad scored the early goal, which led to some tactical changes, and even when they got a red card they still scored another.
Fair play to the agressive home approach, it worked. The main difference in terms of the stats was Sociedad were more accurate with their shooting. gg dude.
We have Mbappe and Goretzka coming in, so fingers crossed that brings the form back, however it's only PSG next..
The sensible approach would be to play C next, but our worst performances have come when starting C, so maybe we need to be brave.
Week 15
Fiorentina 5-2 PSG
Wow, I wasn't expecting this result, and based on the stats it was a deserved win.
PSG have the best squad in EF1, but insist on playing for abs/having an excuse for losing
Our top performers of late, Berardi and Chuk were the main men again, scoring two each, with sub St Maxim netting the 5th.
We got 61% possession, and 24 shots v 13, so a win was certainly deserved.
The fans were jubilant, but the manager was less enthusiastic 'we played really well tonight and deserved the win, but we have tough games to come, and PSG appeared more concerned with getting attackers some abs than winning, so we won't be getting carried away'
It's Bayern away next in the league, so it's not getting any easier!
Europe – DPT
Game 3
Fiorentina 2-0 Aston Villa
We faced an unmanaged side here, following Drum’s departure for Roma, and preparing for unknown tactics was tricky. As it turned out Villa played a D, but luckily despite the lack of chances and action, Fiorentina manage to nick a couple of goals. Spinazzola and Martinez were the scores, and Rovenna got man of the match, in what was a fairly boring, standard match for the home fans.
Game 4
Aston Villa 2-3 Fiorentina
We got very lucky here, after being outplayed by a strong Villa side for much of the match.
It started fairly cautiously for both sides, but the early own goal from Villa defender Sutalo spurred a few changes. Villa hit back to 2-1 up before Saint Maximin got a second half equaliser.
Berardi was the main man again with the late winner, but the congratulations went mainly to Marmardvili in goal for all his saves. Ul dude.
The win puts us in a very strong position in the group, almost qualified, so it may be that some fringe players get a chance to play in the remaining two games in the group.
So, just the one defeat so far this month again, however there is the small matter of a trip to Bayern Munich on Friday, so that is likely to change! Munich sit joint top with Fiorentina and PSG,and there is only 5 points between all of the top eight so there is likely to be a lot of moving up and down the table to come. So far much of the top eight is as expected, however as predicted Lisbon are having a good season, less obvious however was the iffy form of AC Milan and Athletico Madrid, but there is still plenty of time for them to move up the table.
Words 1736
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