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Chronicles of Tinkerman
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His team selections were far too questionable at times and the football they dished out even more insipid. The constant overuse of an ageing Del Piero led to Pinturrichio’s loss of his purple run of form. The gross underutilization of the versatile ‘Atomic Ant’ Giovinco, led to a slow growth of a prodigious young prospect whilst players of similar caliber (Pato and Balotelli) got regular chances to grow as players and to establish themselves key roles in their respective starting elevens’. A rigid 4-4-2 system often went out of sync with the trequartista abilities of Del Piero. He also strictly depended on two-pivot holding roles generally played by Sissoko, Zanetti, Marchisio or Tiago, which confined the team’s creative play to making repeated crosses from the wing. Ironically, their best winger Mauro Camoranesi spent most of the season on the medic’s table than on the pitch providing crosses. Indeed, injuries have seen at least half the best eleven sidelined for majority of the year, but that is just one part of the story that saw the Old Lady fail to build on last season’s success.

However, it wouldn’t be prudent to hold Ranieri alone responsible for Juve’s instability and general lack of direction. The management as a whole, have been frequently been caught lacking foresight and ability. It just so happens that the coach is not only the perfect scapegoat but also a much easier variable to change than the entire club management. The two year courting of Diego was quite contradictory considering he prefers to play as a Trequartista, something which Ranieri rarely used. That leads us to believe that Ranieri’s role at the club was always looked at as a temporary one and the completion of Diego’s signing was perhaps, the final nail in the Tinkerman’s coffin. So what happens after Ranieri’s departure?

For now, the focus for Ferrara would be to hold on to the third place as the changes in the Champions’ League format sees the top three clubs from the Serie A gain automatic qualification to the group stages. Also, according to next seasons Champions’ League format a fourth place finish could mean much tougher competition for the Old Lady in the qualification rounds. A respectable end to the season could see the former Napoli and Bianconeri favorite being promoted form care-taker to full time coach. The management also plans to make the most during the Transfer window this season with Alessio Secco the clubs football director already gearing up for the summer by snapping on the heels of Quagliarella, Cannavaro, Fabio Grosso, Cassano and a host of others. On the coaching side of things former player and Captain Antonio Conte, who has successfully led Bari to Serie A this year, is seen as a Pep-Guardiola-esque favourite to take over next season. Luciano Spalleti, Mancini have also been considered.

For now Claudio Ranieri has once again been sacrificed at the altar of success and it would be interesting to see if the successor would live up to the trend and inherit success during the forthcoming seasons. If that happens, it would just enforce the Tinkerman’s legacy of being the manager that a team needs but does not deserve.

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