Which summer signing has been the biggest waste of space in Serie A so far this term?
“Ricardo Quaresma is not a champion. When he has a good day he will cause problems for other players, but often he doesn’t make the difference. When he was young he seemed like a champion, but now he is an ordinary player.”
They were the words of Arrigo Sacchi in August and 11 games into the Serie A season you have to accept the fact that the former Italy boss may be right. At this stage of the proceedings Quaresma is the most significant transfer flop of the campaign.
While some may point the finger of doubt towards Fiorentina’s Juan Vargas, Andriy Shevchenko of Milan, Juventus’ Christian Poulsen or the Roma duo of John Arne Riise and Julio Baptista, the Portuguese winger has to be the biggest pound for pound disappointment.
Even Ronaldinho, despite his clear difficulties, has put in the odd performance to try and justify Milan’s capture of a player which their squad clearly had no need for. But Quaresma, an individual who Jose Mourinho specifically requested for his over-hyped 4-3-3 system, has failed to deliver. “This isn’t the real Quaresma,” admitted Mou after the 1-0 over Udinese.
It could prove to be another costly transfer mistake for the accommodating Massimo Moratti. Not only did Inter pay Porto a massive £15m, but they also handed over Pele as part of the deal. That could prove to be some sacrifice given that the young midfielder had shown signs of quality in his brief Nerazzurri career.
So what have Inter got for their money? Apart from a goal with the help of a Giuseppe Mascara deflection against Catania, not too much – inconsistent crossing, ball-hogging, an inability to regularly beat his man. There is of course his infamous Trivela kick, but Mustang has to show more than that if he is to avoid being labeled as a one-trick pony. Alberto Rabona Aquilani knows all about that danger.
It was of course never going to be easy for Quaresma to settle into Milan and Italian football. He joined at the very end of the transfer window which means he missed all of pre-season. He’s also getting used to the defensive duties of the game which the Portuguese League spared him.
But the he needs time theory can only be used for a limited period. If Quaresma, who also disappointed during a spell at Barcelona, wants to prove Sacchi wrong then now is the season to do it. Some players shine on the biggest stage, others – like Alberto Gilardino proved at Milan – lose their way. Which path will Ricardo take?
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Antonio Labbate
channel4.com
http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/blogs/al70.html
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