Inside Genoa: Gilardino’s Tactics, Transfer Window and Best Players

Ahead of Genoa’s game against Verona on Sunday, La Gazzetta dello Sport suggested the Rossoblu could no longer be considered the Serie A’s surprise package.

The implications were clear.  In their second full season under Alberto Gilardino, the Rossoblu are expected to be looking up rather than over their shoulder.

The early signs were good, as Genoa held reigning champions Inter to a 2-2 draw at the Luigi Ferraris on the opening weekend and won 1-0 away at Monza, extending a run of form that had seen them win 10 points from a possible 15 in the final five games of last season.

But with Destination Calcio watching on at a raucous Marassi, the Rossoblu were the latest victims of Verona’s rope-a-dope approach, which had already accounted for Napoli earlier this season.

Gilardino’s men created a hatful of chances, but could not break down the Gialloblu’s stubborn defence and were punished by some clinical finishing from the visitors, with new signings Jackson Tchatchoua and Casper Tengstedt sealing a 2-0 win.

New signings have been top of Gilardino’s agenda this summer, with Genoa splashing €16m on Portugal international Vitinha and half of that sum on Juventus defender Koni de Winter. 

The former Parma and AC Milan striker, however, admitted he’d hoped for more arrivals.

“I’m relieved the transfer window is shut. It’s never easy to constantly talk about players coming and going,” he said on Saturday. 

“I’m really happy with the signings we’ve made and the players who are staying. While we’re a bit thin in some areas, I’m pleased with the squad we have. It’s a shame we couldn’t complete all our business.”

Genoa welcome Roma after the international break and the response to their first setback of the season will be intriguing.

Transfers: The Rossoblu forked out approximately €34m on signings, with almost half of that amount spent on Portugal international Vitinha, who arrived from Olympique Marseille for €16m. Koni de Winter joined from Juventus for €8m, while former Sampdoria midfielder Morten Thorsby arrived from Union Berlin for €4m. The Rossoblu were active in the loan market too, signing Fabio Miretti from Juventus, Pierluigi Gollini from Atalanta and Alessandro Zanoli from Napoli, while Andrea Pinamonti joined from Sassuolo. 

Best performers: Junior Messias nearly put down a marker for goal of the season against Verona and his versatility remains key for Gilardino, with the Brazilian able to operate as left winger, in the No10 role and even as second striker. De Winter has slotted in seamlessly after joining from Juventus, while Milan Badelj remains an influential figure in midfield.

Tactics: Gilardino remains committed to the 3-5-2 formation that has served him so well at Genoa since he took over in 2022. Gollini has made the goalkeeper shirt his own following his arrival from Atalanta, while fellow new signing De Winter has started every game in Serie A so far. Vitinha and Pinamonti, meanwhile, look to be Gilardino’s preferred options up front.