We were told we would only make signings that improve the team and help us reach our objectives. Matri will probably help, but does any1 believe Toni and Barzagli meet this criteria?
Is Barzagli and upgrade on Legro? No, imo, he will just be injured less. He would have been free in the summer, yet we spent 300k (whether its deducted from Diego's fee or not is irrelevant as it's still a loss of 300k), and there is a further 600k in bonuses if certain conditions are met (probably CL). I doubt there was a line of clubs for Barzagli, so the idea that we may end up paying 900k for a player whose contract would have expired in a few months doesn't represent smart business.
Toni was hardly a hit at Roma or Genoa, missing games through injury despite his limited time at both clubs, yet we sign him, and not so long afterward he is out injured for a month. It would be unfair to blame Marotta for this, but the writing was on the wall. Regardless, the fact remains he is past it as player, is not a long term option, and his goal scoring record since returning to Italy is nothing to write home about.
With that said, I still haven't given up on Marotta like some of you. The fact of the matter is that as a result of the past regimes incompetence, he has had to juggle 2 objectives which are in direct conflict with 1 another. For that reason I am willing to give him more than 6 months, even if I already see some mistakes (although with the benefit of hindsight).