Time is running out for Sampdoria coach Roberto D’Aversa despite a vote of confidence from club President Massimo Ferrero, writes Stephen Kasiewicz.
The Blucerchiati dropped into the relegation zone following a third consecutive Serie A defeat against Bologna last weekend.
D’Aversa had taken his players into a ritiro but, clearly, the three-day training camp prior to last Sunday’s 2-1 home reversal did not have much effect.
The statistics paint a melancholy picture, yet Ferrero remains defiant that D’Aversa is the man to prevent Sampdoria from sinking further in the standings. A paltry two wins from 12 matches and a whopping 25 goals conceded suggests otherwise.
The 46-year-old coach stated he constantly feels under pressure but is on course for a calamitous double drop after guiding Parma to Serie B last term.
Regardless of Ferrero’s assurances – the club president has a penchant for making outlandish and often meaningless public statements – the sword of Damocles is hanging over the head of the Doria coach. Defeat against bottom-of-the-table Salernitana on Sunday, December 21, will surely signal the end of a forgettable, ignominious period in charge for D’Aversa.
Unable to stem the tide he resorted to a bizarre threat of physical violence after hauling off substitute Kristoffer Askildsen in Samp’s comprehensive three-goal thrashing at Torino late last month. The Stuttgart-born coach is clearly a believer in methods from the old school.
When asked why he replaced the young Norwegian after just 12 minutes on the pitch, he bluntly said the 20-year-old was lucky he didn’t thump him.
Such outdated coaching motivational techniques have long been banished like some form of brutal catenaccio.
Whether said in the heat of the moment or an attempt at reverse psychology, it was a badly misjudged way to address the performance of a player still adapting to the numerous rigours of Serie A. Maybe D’Aversa had been watching Full Metal Jacket and was influenced by the notoriously cruel drill instructor played brilliantly by R. Lee Ermey.
Askildsen looked like he had emerged from a boot camp rather than a training retreat as the young midfielder started against Bologna with a shaved head. Who knows if this was part of a rather harsh regime, yet at least the Norwegian was handed a second chance and struck the post as Samp lost in front of a disenchanted support at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris.
The last time the Blucerchiati lost a trio of games in succession was in July 2020 when falling to defeats against Genoa, Juventus and Milan with their Serie A status already confirmed under Claudio Ranieri.
Only two victories (against Empoli and Spezia) is a poor return for a squad full of seasoned internationals and were it not for the heroics of former Inter and Italy winger Antonio Candreva, Samp could be rock bottom of the table. Tireless Norwegian international midfielder Morten Thorsby is one of a handful of players who can be excused from blame, but Samp’s problems are easy to identify.
Plagued by a wide-open defence and blunt attack, D’Aversa has channelled everything through 34-year-old Candreva. The former Lazio and Inter player has responded with four goals and three assists, including a stunning long-range effort in a 3-3 draw at home to Udinese.
The absence of young Danish playmaker Mikkel Damsgaard has not helped matters. One of the breakout stars of UEFA Euro 2020, the 21-year-old has excelled at an international level but is not trusted with the same level of responsibility at Samp.
New recruits, particularly a central defender and another striker, are desperately needed but by January Samp might already be isolated at the bottom of the table. D’Aversa is already living on borrowed time and only a dramatic upturn in results will save him from the sack.