Udinese restarts, the start of the meeting with the new Sottil and market doubts

UDINE. Let’s start once again. Without some certainties that only in forty days, at San Siro, in the debut of the new Serie A against the Italian champions AC Milan, we will know if they have been “amortized” by work: on the pitch and behind the desk.

It is the day of the Udinese 2022-’23 meeting with a new coach and the unknowns dictated by the market as current as ever, since they affect a key department and could also extend to other areas in the event of excellent farewells.

The guide

It starts again with Andrea Sottil in place of Gabriele Cioffi who in the meantime has married at Hellas Verona. The former defender who wore the Juventus shirt between 1999 and 2003 is a rookie in Serie A, but this is not the detail that should raise doubts in terms of impact in the top flight.

Udinese in the last two occasions has always bet on people, given that Luca Gotti was Igor Tudor’s deputy when he inherited his bench in November 2019 and that the move of the “deputy deputy” was also applied last year to avoid that an empty passage would complicate the salvation plans.

The question marks rather concern Sottil’s tactical creed, accustomed to the “4” defense during his career as a coach, perhaps in the context of a 4-3-1-2, or with an attacking midfielder behind two strikers, where from these parts the 3-5-2 and therefore the rear trim “with the trident” is a must from Udinese.

The choices

What will Sottil do? Will he investigate during the retreat whether it is possible to change the tactical set-up – which cost Gotti dearly last winter – or will he start again exclusively from the certainties of the previous management?

Here are the question marks that feed, even in the case of a confirmation of the “3” defense, the curiosity for a tactical change that could also bring Udinese out of the usual tactical track, it is said with that 3-4-2- 1 (already mentioned two seasons ago for a couple of games by the bianconeri) who would be able to propose new features without upsetting the game system. We will see. Also by evaluating the upcoming market movements.

The moves

It goes without saying that the perplexities concern the defense which, compared to the last four months of last season, has lost two elements out of three at the level of owners (Marì and Perez) and is likely to greet the third, Becao. From there Sottil will have to start again, from the reconstruction of the rearguard.

In midfield there are many rumors involving the bianconeri, in particular Walace, but if the Brazilian were confirmed with Makengo and Pereyra the median would already be tested, it would be enough to act in the alternatives, where he showed some limits last year. THE

n attack Deulofeu is on the starting foot: giving up the Catalan will not be easy, a weight graft will be needed (given that Pussetto’s loan from Watford has also expired), while the possible sale of Molina has already been foreseen, given the inclusion in the squad of the Irish of Nigerian origins Festy Ebosele. Two purchases in defense, one in midfield, a couple in attack. Is this Gino Pozzo’s plan?