Pavoletti, Petagna, especially Luvumbo, Shomurodov, but also Oristanio, finally Desogus and Pereiro, sooner or later Lapadula and Mancosu. A crazy battery of attackers, at least from a numerical point of view. Yet, Cagliari's problems are evident in front of goal. The team does not make the most of the situations it manages to develop, and thus make up for defensive errors or the technical/physical/mental gap with certain opponents. He scored just three goals in eight games, both with Zito the only two coming from open play against Bologna and Milan, both of which were unsuccessful. With a midfielder, Nandez, the third from the spot, in the last match against Roma (also useless). Only Empoli did worse in Serie A with just a very heavy goal, however, given that it allowed the Tuscans to beat Salernitana. It may be a coincidence, but the rossoblù gained the two points in the standings without scoring: 0-0 in the debut match in Turin, 0-0 at the Domus against Udinese. Something is wrong. Yes, but what?

Luvumbo is not enough

January is far away, but not too far away. And in the control room, reflections are the order of the day every day. There are those who could leave when the market reopens, perhaps more than one to make room for a more effective striker. Ranieri's jab at Shomurodov after Cagliari-Milan ("we have to hurry because in a little while I hope to be able to count on Lapadula") was not just the result of disappointment over the defeat or a truly poor performance. The strategies made in the summer by the management together with the coach do not pay off. Not yet, at least. And if Cagliari doesn't start scoring more frequently, a move up in the standings is unthinkable. Just as it is unthinkable that the offensive phase is entirely on the shoulders of the debutant Luvumbo and the result of his explosiveness (and unpredictability). First of all, because by pulling the cart the toy risks physically breaking even though at twenty-one there don't seem to be any limits (and in fact he had to miss the match against Fiorentina and a good part of the one against Roma). Then because the adversaries now know it, fear it, study it and are starting to take countermeasures. And a team that needs to save itself cannot rely on just one attacker, it needs goals from the entire offensive department. The rossoblù one, among other things, offers everything and more on paper. Experience, quality, unscrupulousness, cynicism. Yet, between more or less foreseen injuries, delays with preparation and difficulties with insertion, only Luvumbo makes sense up front and, in addition to his two goals, in concrete terms, there is the crossbar hit by Oristanio against Atalanta and little more.

The new expectations

Petagna, Shomurodov and Pavoletti: above all their goals are missing. The Uzbek made terrible use of the 308 minutes spread over the first eight games. Even the 278 collected by the former Monza player were below expectations. Ditto the 172 of the captain, the least employed so far. Lapadula, expected at the end of November, is a hope to cling to but not a certainty. As well as the quality of Mancosu, the genius (?) of Pereiro or the talent of Desogus, finally available as the Uruguayan. Something has to happen between now and January. And then something will change.

Fabiano Gaggini

© Riproduzione riservata