Friday Poll: Are Fiorentina winning at the wrong time?

Watching Fiorentina win 3 matches in a week has been a lot of fun, especially as they’ve improved as those 7 days proceeded: dire but ultimately victorious against SPAL, competitive but lucky against Atalanta, and dominant over Napoli. The players have taken to Giuseppe Iachini’s tactics and look like a cohesive unit, one in which all eleven men on the pitch (and every single one on the bench, too) are on the same page. After Stefano Pioli’s slump last year and the listless return of Vincenzo Montella, the fans are daring to hope for a sustained run of competence again.

Then again, is that what’s necessary right now? The Viola remain a bottom-half side with some serious flaws in the squad, highlighted by a shortfall in midfield but with wingback and central defense also needing some reinforcement. While it’s fun to dream, this side isn’t likely to qualify for Europe this season: leapfrogging all 5 sides in front of them would take a miracle.

Maybe, just maybe, this is the wrong time to string together some results. If Iachini’s able to paper over the cracks in the roster, January could finish and Patrick Cutrone could be the only addition. Daniele Pradè and Joe Barone could look at this run and decide that the team’s fine as is (aside from some deadwood to be transferred out), leaving necessary additions alone until summer. If the Beppe hoodoo wears off, as it has at other clubs he’s coached, that could mean another plummet down the standings and another relegation scrap.

According to this school of thought, the Viola need to visibly struggle a bit more for the next few weeks so that Rocco Commisso will open up the pocketbook. It’s spiritually similar to what Sam Hinkie did to the Philadelphia 76ers: swallow some Ls and wait for things to break the right way. The difference is that there’s no draft full of stars waiting to reward a crappy team in Serie A; it’s only the cold, hard reality of the drop.

There are, of course, plenty of counter-arguments. For one, a strong showing on the back half of the season could make Fiorentina more attractive to players, both those currently in the squad (hi, Fede) and those looking to join. Developing a winning (or at least not losing) culture is a big part of that. Too, as fans, we know that this team isn’t going to rack up trophies every year. We’re here for various reasons, but we’ve all learned to simply enjoy those brief intervals of brightness that separate the darknesses from each other. Being upset about winning flies right in the face of any attempt to find some pleasure in watching this janky Viola side triumph despite its own self-inflicted problems.

Here’s your weekend thread for whatever’s on your mind. Stay loose.