Catania-Cagliari

By: Jeremy | October 15th, 2009

Ragatzu

For those of you who could not wait for the international break to pass, I wanted to get something up early regarding this weekend so we can understand how important a win is in Catania.

Last weekends home loss to Chievo was just inexcusable. In a league that is stronger and more balanced then it has been in years, a loss at home to a similarly situated team destroys momentum and keeps you near the bottom of the standings thus making games like this weekends road match at Catania that much more important.

Cagliari sits on 7 points and basically on the fringe of being a midtable team. That being said, they are very close to slipping back into the relegation battle and a loss to Catania will put us right back there. With a team that clearly has more overall talent then last years, to see a little regression is frustrating for all fans.

What makes this weekends game that much more important is the fact that it is the last of a nice run of four games against bottom feeder type teams where 7-9 points were vital after such a slow start. While we have six from the first three, if even in an unconventional manner with two road wins, this weekends game must bring a result of some kind because the games get tougher immediately. After this weekend, we play four games three of which are Genoa, Lazio, and Sampdoria, top teams in Serie A. To survive this run, we need the momentum of a win and three points against a Catania team that is pretty much in shambles and looking like relegation favorites.

Catania, like Cagliari, has dodged relegation since its return to the top level. Coach Zenga did an amazing job but has moved on to greener pastures across the island to Palermo, the more glamorous Sicilian Club. Mascara is still around and is by far their best player but we get them at the best possible time. This team has lots of injuries and suspensions which include Delvechio, Capuano, Spoli, Barrentos, and Alvarez. They will be missing atleast 4 first teamers this and with depth at a small club at a minimum, Cagliari should be able to use its full strength squad to push the pace and bring home a win. A win for them however levels them with us at 7 points and they saw a much more favorable schedule in the short term then we do.

Cagliari is going to be judged this year by how well Robert Acquafresca is replaced. No matter how much talent is added at various positions and how much the overall depth is strengthened, you cannot lose your top scorer and not adequately replace him and expect to be anything more then relegation fodder. With Serie A’s defensive style and attack already somewhat of a weak spot for Cagliari, how the strikeforce develops is vital to this teams success. As most have seen, to date it has been a failure. Cagliari received great reviews for signing Portugals leading scorer Nene under the radar for a good price. This seemed to offset the loss of Acquafresca but instead Nene has played sparingly and Allegri is back trying to turn Matri and Larrivey into Serie A strikers. This approach is what cost Nedo Sonetti his job and required a miracle from Ballardini just to stay in Serie A. Larrivey and Matri, the latter of which has moments of magic, are not players that need to see the field if you expect long term success. Even a young tempermental Acquafresca was light years better then both. Simply put they are not the answer and if Nene also turns out to be a flop, this team will get relegated or be very close despite the wonderful play of Cossu and new boy Dessena in midfield. I am ready to give youngster Ragatzu a start so lets see what he can do if Nene wont be playing. I know he is young, but the kid can play. I would rather lose with him then the same Larrivey/Matri combo as the second striker with Jeda. Allegri is being awfully passive with this situation and he needs to act soon by either playing Nene a full 90 for multiple matches or giving Ragatzu more time. I dont see any other alternatives at this point unless he is ready to experiment with a midfielder as a striker.

This weekend could finally see the debut of Croatian youngster Brkljaca, another midfield gem. He could turn out to the one who is moved to that striker role so watch him. We can only play so many midfielders in one game so lets hope he is not just another guy added to the bench depth at midfield. At some point, one of these guys will have to be converted to a striker and other then Cossu, who really excels in his supporting midfield role and should be left alone, no one excites me as a striker. They are all classic midfielders.

No matter how you look at it, a loss and even a draw, despite it being on the road, will be devastating. Catania is then back in the mix for survival and Cagliari move forward to play some tough games. For all the momentum gathered by the earlier road wins, giving up a lead and losing at home to Chievo makes the Catania match that much more vital.

Like most Cagliari fans, I am up and down in my thoughts because of the teams inconsistent play. I just cant figure out where we are headed even if the teams talent excites me. That being said, with all of Catanias problems and their overall lack of talent, Cagliari should win this match despite Catanias ability to play teams tough of late even if they seem to be coming up a bit short in the win column. Lets hope they dont pick up their first win against us.

Prediction:
Catania 1-2 Cagliari

Prediction record to date: 3-4