Despite the enthusiasm that the new Salernitana coach Davide Nicola brought to Salerno, the Granata continue to struggle to escape the bottom of the Serie A table. The main problem that has been plaguing the Salerno-based team since the beginning of 2022 is the technical and organizational gap between their attack and their defense.
The attack is clearly not one of the most prolific. However, since Davide Nicola’s arrival, the team has started to score with some continuity. That was mostly due to Federico Bonazzoli and Milan Djuric, who scored a combined 7 goals and made one assist since January. They were basically responsible for all the last points earned by the team from Campania this year.
The defense, on the other hand, is the worst in Serie A with 63 goals conceded since the beginning of the season. That makes an average of 2.3 goals conceded per game, which is way too much for a team that wants to avoid relegation.
Davide Nicola’s side always enters the pitch with great will and a desire to show they are worth more than the position they hold in the table. For some good portions of their games, Salernitana seem to succeed. However, their recurring defensive flaws tend to compromise all the good work done during the week.
The Granata still have two games in hand that were postponed due to a Covid outbreak in the roster. They will have to play against Udinese and Venezia, which are also both involved in the relegation dogfight.
Thus, despite being nine points away from salvation, there is reason to believe that Salernitana still have chance as those two games could mark a turning point in their season.
With nine additional games to play and many clubs in the bottom half of the table now having a hard time after enjoying a better start of the season, the Granata will need to make the most out of some challenging matches such as those against Juventus, Atalanta, and Fiorentina.
It will be up to coach Nicola – a specialist in saving relegation-threatened teams – to solve Salernitana’s defensive challenges and channel their strengths to achieve a salvation that would seem more than ever compromised at first look.