IT is something that regular football watchers hear whenever a skilful player fails to deliver an accurate final ball, the ability to outrun, outfox outmanoeuvre defenders rendered meaningless if they cannot convert it into a goal or an assist. It is a fair and obvious criticism, one which in the past has been levelled at Gareth Bale, Raheem Sterling and even Cristiano Ronaldo during his early years at Manchester United.
Just like that trio of star names did in the past, Federico Chiesa has become the focus of attention thanks to a string of spectacular performances for Fiorentina. The pacy winger has been linked with many of Europe’s top clubs, with Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City rumoured as potential destinations in England, while Inter and Juventus are routinely mentioned as being interested in signing the Italy international.
Still only 21, it is now more than three years since he first pulled on a first-team shirt for La Viola, following in the footsteps of his father by playing at the Stadio Artemio Franchi. Enrico had no trouble finding the back of the net and scored 138 Serie A goals over the course of his career, but his son has yet to prove himself in front of goal.
Sure, he’s bagged the occasional exquisite goal, you’ve probably seen a clip of it on Twitter or YouTube. Perhaps his long range drive against Atalanta in September 2017, the stunning solo effort against Cagliari back in March, or even a dinked effort over Sampdoria’s goalkeeper from last month.
1070 – Federico #Chiesa has found the back of the net in Serie A 1070 minutes after his last goal in the competition. Wait.
— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) September 25, 2019
It may come as a surprise to those who have only seen these short clips, but there’s not really a long back catalogue to choose from. Chiesa, for all his skill, speed and obvious quality, has only scored 17 times in his 105 Serie A appearances for Fiorentina while – perhaps even more frustratingly – adding a total of just 12 assists.
All too often, he can be tempted into dribbling himself into a corner where the defence can easily win back the ball. One of his best traits is tenacity, clearly willing to give every last ounce of energy to the Fiorentina cause, but that can backfire too as the desire to make a difference sees him trying too hard to score when there was an easy pass available.
A prime example came in La Viola’s recent victory over AC Milan. Already two goals up at San Siro, he had a chance to kill the game off with a penalty only to see Gianluigi Donnarumma save a weak spot kick attempt. Regular watchers of the Tuscan side could sense what would happen next as, rather than shrug off the miss, Chiesa sought immediate retribution and tried to take on the Rossoneri defence singlehanded, his frustration palpable as he was easily dispossessed.
That lack of composure is affecting him on international duty too, his record for Italy beginning to set alarm bells ringing. Going into this week’s round of Euro 2020 qualifiers, Chiesa has represented the Azzurri 15 times but has yet to score, continuing the same theme of failing to deliver that tangible production when it matters most.
Shooting when an easy pass is available and passing when he should shoot, there is a certain naivety to his play, but one that both he and his manager are working to overcome. Recently, Vincenzo Montella has shifted to a 3-5-2 formation, pairing Chiesa with Franck Ribery in attack and he believes this should help his young star.
“Federico has been extraordinary over the last couple of games and we hope he can maintain this level of consistency,” the coach told reporters at a recent press conference. “He can be a top level player on the European level. Chiesa is not a striker, but we moved him closer to the goal because he has pace and can shoot with both feet.”
The presence of Ribery is clearly having an effect, his stature as a proven world class player routinely seeing Chiesa defer to him and that has improved the decision making of the latter. It was the Frenchman who would visibly lambast his team-mate for that aforementioned mindless run, and the words must’ve still been ringing in his ears when an Erick Pulgar pass found him just inside the Milan half.
Turning the full-back with ease, Chiesa drove at the Rossoneri central defenders, drawing them to him before slipping a perfect pass to Ribery who, after pulling the ball back, slammed it beyond Donnarumma to give Fiorentina and unassailable lead.
It was a devastating counter-attack, one would that would not have been possible without Chiesa’s powerful run, but it was also a goal that left some fans feeling a sense of palpable frustration. “While that pass to Ribery was simply brilliant, in a way it shows the exasperation of watching a player every week that has shown he can perform to that level but doesn't always deliver,” Serie A expert and life-long Fiorentina supporter Chloe Beresford told Unibet. “He so clearly has this sublime level of skill, but unlocking it has proven to be very difficult so far.”
She is not alone in that belief but it seems as if Chiesa, just like Ronaldo, Sterling and many others before him, is slowly beginning to grasp the nuances of his role. The tutelage of Ribery is certainly helping, and Roberto Mancini will hope to see proof of that improvement as Italy take on Greece and Lichtenstein this week.
Forget the highlights, the stepovers, the talk of a sky high transfer fee and a move to the Premier League. When it comes to Federico Chiesa, right now only one thing matters: end product.
