View from the opposition: Genoa

Sixteen games into the season, what have you made of Genoa’s season so far?

“It’s been very disappointing compared to expectations. Genoa’s on-field performances have showed that the side is not up to the standard that president Enrico Preziosi had promised at the start of the year. In the summer Preziosi said that we wanted to build a side that could challenge in the top half of the table, a side capable of making it up to the fans after Genoa missed out on a Europa League place due to their failure to get a UEFA license. As it happens, they’re now down in 17th place with 16 points from 16 games. It’s the club’s worst start to a season under Giampiero Gasperini, including his previous stint between 2006 and 2010.”

How have the new summer signings settled in?

“As ever, Preziosi rang the changes in the summer, with lots of players coming in and out. Many of the new signings are proving to be a disappointment, especially Issa Cissokho and Diego Capel, both of whom are performing well below expectations. Then there’s Darko Lazovic, who’s struggling to fit in, and Diogo Figueiras and Goran Pandev, who really have make no positive impact at all on Genoa’s season so far. On the other hand, Cristian Daniel Ansaldi is playing very well – he’s an Argentine defender on loan from Zenit Saint Petersburg, and he also spent some time at Atletico Madrid last season before suffering a serious injury. When he came to Genoa he was a bit of an unknown quantity but he’s having a great season and is exceeding all expectations.”

Who has been Genoa’s most consistent player so far?

“I would say Nicolas Burdisso. Regardless of his 34 years, he has still got it. Some thought he was finished but he has had a fantastic start to the season. There’s also Leonardo Pavoletti, who has scored six goals in 11 appearances in Serie A and the Coppa Italia so far. That said, he spoiled it a bit by getting sent off early on in Genoa’s home match against Carpi, which saw him land a three-game ban and means he’s ruled out of the match against Roma. In any case, from a technical perspective there’s no doubt that the best player in the squad is Argentine winger Diego Perotti, but he’s having a season of ups and downs this year.”

What has been Genoa’s best performance of the season and why?

“The 1-0 win over AC Milan at Marassi on 27 September. Blerim Dzemaili scored the winner with a free-kick. Genoa showed great intensity and a real battling spirit in that match – they played lots of first-time balls in behind too. It was a fantastic Genoa performance and it got everyone quite excited, but we’ve not seen that type of form since.”

What has been the worst match and what went wrong?

“The worst performance of the season was definitely the 2-0 defeat to Empoli. Genoa simply never turned up. As well as this I want to mention two other performances, both negative but for different reasons. Firstly, the most frustrating performance was the most recent match, which Gasperini’s side lost 1-0 at home to Bologna, missing an array of chances themselves before conceding the inevitable goal at the death. The other one was the 2-1 home defeat to Carpi at the end of November, when Pavoletti got sent off after five minutes. If they had won that game I think Genoa’s season could have taken a different path, but as it happened it put a negative slant on the whole campaign.”

Which area of the team has been the strongest so far and which has been the least effective?

“The defence has been the best part of the team, despite the fact Genoa have conceded 21 goals already. As I said, Burdisso is having a great season and Ansaldi is back playing to the standard that attracted the likes of Zenit and Atletico. 23-year-old Armando Izzo is also doing well. He was signed from Avellino and this is only his first season in Serie A. Moreover, goalkeeper Mattia Perin is proving his status as one of the best in Italy. On the other side of the coin the forward line is struggling because Genoa don’t have a quality centre-forward to replace Pavoletti, who has had injury trouble and is now suspended. Gasperini has been forced to use stop-gap solutions, using players from other positions such as Goran Pandev and Serge Gapke to fill his boots. It’s not much better on the flanks either, seeing as Perotti is very off and on and Lazovic is not finding it easy to integrate into the way Genoa play.”

From what you’ve seen of all the Serie A teams, which side has impressed you the most so far?

“To be honest, from the teams I’ve seen play live against Genoa, none of the so-called big sides have impressed me all that much. Inter didn’t play well, even if they did beat Genoa 1-0 in the end. The same goes for Napoli, who drew 0-0 at Marassi. Juve beat Genoa 2-0 in Liguria, but they didn’t really deserve too, and neither did Fiorentina when they beat Gasperini’s side in Florence. More generally, I’d say that Napoli are the team I’ve been most impressed by. Maurizio Sarri’s side are a very well-organised outfit – it’s not just about the quality of the individual players, but the team as a whole. When you watch them play you can tell they have a clear system, with the whole team moving in harmony. Just like Arrigo Sacchi once did, I think Sarri has managed to get great players to adapt to the idea of playing for the team.”

What have you made of Roma’s season so far?

“It’s been a bit Jekyll and Hyde. They started very well and after the well-deserved win over Juve and their other impressive performances in September, the Giallorossi were everyone’s favourites to win the title. For those of us who don’t follow Roma closely, the way that their form and determination has dropped off is just inexplicable.”

Who is the Roma player most Genoa fans fear?

“If the real Roma turn up then Genoa should fear a number of players, especially Mohamed Salah and Miralem Pjanic. When Salah sets off at speed he is very dangerous, and Pjanic is lethal from free-kicks and orchestrates the team’s play to great effect.”

If you could add one Roma player to Genoa’s team, who would you pick and why?

“I’ll say Salah again for his speed and nose for goal. The Giallorossi have lots of great players, but I think Salah can decide a match single-handedly so I’d take him.”

What’s your prediction for Sunday?

“Both sides are coming off the back of some disappointing results and both sets of fans are unhappy with how their team has been performing. Given that playing at home can often be a disadvantage in these situations, plus the fact that Genoa have lost nine of their last ten in Rome, I think that it might just be Genoa’s day on Sunday…”