Who can revive a Serie A which, apart from Naples, is starting to get boring?

The results of the 21st day of Serie A

Salernitana-Juventus 0-3 26′ penalty, 47′ Vlahović, 45′ Kostić

Cremonese-Lecce 0-2 58′ Baschirotto, 69′ Strefezza

Roma-Empoli 2-0 2′ Ibañez, 6′ Abraham

Sassuolo-Atalanta 1-0 55′ Laurienté

Spezia-Naples 0-3 47′ pen. Kvaratskhelia, 68′, 73′ Osimhen

Turin-Udinese 1-0 49′ Karamoh

Fiorentina-Bologna 1-2 14′ pen. Orsolini, 19′ Saponara (F), 47′ Posch

Inter-Milan 1-0 34′ Lautaro Martínez

Verona-Lazio 1-1 45′ Pedro (L), 51′ Ngonge

Monza-Sampdoria 2-2 12′, 58′ Gabbiadini (S), 32′ Petagna, 99′ pen. Pessina

The Serie A standings after 21 days

Naples 56; Inter 43; Rome 40; Lazio 39; Atalanta and Milan 38; Turin 30; Udinese and Bologna 29; Juventus (-15), Monza and Empoli 26; Fiorentina 24; Lecce and Sassuolo 23; Salerno 21; spice 18; Verona 14; Sampdoria 10; Cremona 8.

Why is the championship suddenly boring, and what could revive it for the public

Just two or three weeks ago, regardless of the standings already established at the top (and also at the bottom: but here something has changed), we were talking about the pleasure of a tournament that was showcasing some new talents, including Italians, now born in full hands in the 2000s. Last extended weekend, from Saturday to Tuesday, caused a series of yawns as well as confirming the obvious – the excessive power of Napoli – together with the less obvious, such as the slow ascent of Hellas Verona against Spezia. And without the penalty given to Monza over the 90th minute, who knows, even Sampdoria could have begun to hope. Since there are four months left until the end of the tournament, what can you invent to find a meaning (even if there is no meaning)? The evil ones point to the further disqualification of Juve, which would put at least one contender back into play for salvation. But even a run-up to second place in the Champions League, starting from the rear, could generate a wake-up call. And if Monza himself really believed in the chance of going to the Conference League? Everything, as long as the matches are not dull or phone calls. Because in any case it has been seen, in defiance of the forecasts (great calm), that almost everything has yet to find definition. Give us a reason, preferably more than one.

Because Stefano Pioli did the right thing, and the criticisms against him are ungenerous

In public opinion, lately, the habit of beating up the Milan coach for the hallucinating results (in a negative sense) that he is reaping has become established. The numbers are certainly not on Stefano Pioli’s side, but what he decided to do before the derby – then lost – was probably the only move available to him: turn the team upside down, apply a form proven in training and theoretically in strings of the rose, replace the most exhausted elements with someone who still had will and bite. It didn’t go well, so much so that in the first half the Rossoneri were already down: but not even the second half, resetting the traditional parameters, gave a jolt. Returning useful to the coach to repel the detractors: you see, even as we are used to (and with textual changes) it is no longer good. Applause then to Stefano Pioli who in trouble goes big, he does it in the derby, it’s either good or bad: he doesn’t lack courage. But it is of little use if Théo shrinks in the area, if Origi doubles Giroud and Inter play knowing they can score at any moment. If he believes it, he’d do well to proceed with the three-man defense, given that four-man would have been criticized equally by the usual, ineffable Arrigo Sacchi. To those who make it a question of DNA, great calm: do you remember Alberto Zaccheroni’s Scudetto and the three-way defense that spoke in Milanese?

Because Hellas Verona is back in motion, even if it is still far from convincing

The great calm more obvious than the first part of 2023 is for Hellas Verona, which after having trodden the bottom of the ranking sees the silhouette of Spezia, the club that precedes the Scala family in the fight towards calm waters. Taken over by Sean Sogliano as sporting director, the yellow and blue club has hoarded prospects on the January transfer market, already gaining satisfaction from Ondrej Duda in the trocar and from top-of-the-line Cyril Ngonge. The defense is always beatable, the right wing is still without Marco Faraoni, behind not very prolific center forwards (Milan Djurić, Adolfo Gaich, Kevin Lasagna himself) bets and veterans out of position alternate: but evidently the spark has struck, the coach nominal Marco Zaffaroni has brought order and tranquility, the environment begins to believe in it and – once freed of those who waited for the end of the season to look elsewhere – he has found compactness and unity of purpose. At the moment the Venetians would be in B, and even making a speech on the merits, Spezia has gained more tractions for staying: but in football, miracles happen after Christmas, not before.

Because Bologna are averaging two points per game, despite playing without Arnautović

Twenty-two points in eleven games. In Bologna they will build a monument for Thiago Motta, an imaginative coach who sees longer than his colleagues in changing the position of those who have given everything in a certain role: the results can be seen on the pitch, with the whirling of the midfielders and the recovery of the fundamental Jerdy Schouten. The back four has become more hermetic, Riccardo Orsolini makes no mistakes, Lewis Ferguson is hungry to emerge and Joshua Zirkzee is also contributing to the cause. Everything suggests that with the return (when?) of Marko Arnautović, things can only improve further: great calm however, because the importance of the Austrian centre-forward must also be evaluated from the point of view of his influence in the locker room. And if things work like this, the technician will think, why change them? With the risk that the team is linked to the moons and the physical conditions of its most representative man. It doesn’t happen, but if it does…

Because for new injections of good football it will probably be necessary to go to the rookies

Returning to the neighborhood of the “game players”, who in principle should always be right, one wonders which team has been up to now which, apart from Naples (obviously, as the year soon accustomed), has most satisfied expectations and the gaze of its spectators – and, why not, also of the opponents – without losing out, as is the case instead of the Cremonese Alvini management. The too many ups and downs of so many protagonists do not allow us to give a precise answer: in flashes Lazio, Fiorentina, Atalanta, Turin have embodied a good rendering of the schemes tested during the week and of their coach’s ideas, even if the three points didn’t always come. But it can be agreed, going down the standings, that Marco Baroni’s Lecce has displayed a recognizable, technical and fast game almost everywhere, capable of recalling the best Sassuolo in the period of Eusebio di Francesco or Roberto de Zerbi. Do those hungry for great football ask for more? Great calm, the last months of this anomalous “Clausura championship” are made to reveal the best from the youth sectors. Come on Matías Soulé and Samuel Iling, come on Michael Adopo and Brian Bayeye, come on Luka Romero and Giacomo Faticanti: we’re just waiting for you.