As we steam into the second international break of the season, things are looking up for Fiorentina. Paolo Vanoli has wrung good performances from the team and the results are following: 5 of the club’s 9 points have come in the past 3 games. Moving Christ Inao Oulaï and Pedro Gonçalves to the starting lineup looks like a solution to a number of problems in midfield and attack. There are plenty of reasons for, if not optimism, tranquility. And that’s the environment Arthur Atta walks back into, having
finally recovered from injury.
Atta is just a million euros off being Fiorentina’s most expensive signing ever but has suffered through a miserable start to the season. He showcased some nifty touches early on but was enveloped by the Grosso Cloud of Doom along with everyone else, then suffered a rather mysterious injury that’s kept him out since late September. With Paolo Vanoli moving Fiorentina to more of a 4-2-3-1 and with Gonçalves locked into the trequartista role, figuring out where to fit the ex-Udinese playmaker becomes one of the mister’s top priorities.
First and foremost, Atta needs to get his feet under him. He’ll have missed two months of games by the time the break ends so I doubt he’ll go straight into the XI but figuring out his long-term fit remains difficult. He looks best suited to play in either a midfield three or as one of a pair behind a striker. That’s not to say he can’t play as part of a double pivot. He’s got all the physical and technical tools and has shown a willingness to do the defensive work. Going back to his Metz days, though, he’s never played as part of a midfield two.
The other reason I’m low on Atta as a partner for Oulaï is that there’s already a logjam in that area. Nicolò Fagioli, despite his recent struggles, is a good player and his distribution will be necessary sometimes. Cher Ndour is the secret ingredient, the one that you don’t notice but amplifies the taste of the whole dish. Marco Brescianini has found new life of late too. With four proven options for two spots, it might be hard for Atta to break into the lineup as part of the engine room.
It’s more likely that he’d displace Gonçalves as the 10, but even that’s a tough ask. The Portuguese playmaker just makes things happen with the ball at his feet; in comparison Atta’s reliant on his teammates to find him in the final third. Gonçalves’ suspect conditioning is the variable but if Vanoli’s willing to start him regularly, he should play himself into a higher level of fitness fairly soon.
That would leave Atta in the uncomfortable role of impact sub. It’s a long season and his teammates’ form will fluctuate, giving him opportunities for more minutes, but right now he looks like the odd man out. It’s a tough place to be for a guy with a €26+ million price tag, the sort of situation that can lead to dissatisfaction with the fan base and sour the narrative for a player irreparably. I think he’s a good enough player to show his quality sooner than later but due to developments beyond his control, he may not be able to contribute nearly as much as we’d have liked this year.
