Statistical and Analytical Review
Fiorentina’s buildup couldn’t beat Inter’s press this time, but gives us something to watch
The Viola didn’t get the execution right, but may be developing a unique way to build up from deep positions.
Fiorentina’s buildup shape against Cremonese was bizarre and excellent
Vincenzo Italiano ignored the distinction between defenders and midfielders and the result is utterly fasincating.
Saponara or Ikoné is bigger than who’s better
The Viola have a real headache when it comes to picking the third attacker.
Who’s a better fit as the 10, Bonaventura or Barák?
The Viola system doesn’t use a traditional trequartista, but the role is still extremely important.
It’s tough to choose between Martínez Quarta and Igor
The Viola have 2 very solid options next to Milenković at the back, and that’s the best possible headache.
Is Fiorentina bad at set pieces?
It feels like the Viola never score from dead balls, but that feeling might be lying.
Fiorentina’s spends per point in Serie A explains a lot
The Viola are a step away from joining the league’s elite, but that one step is a very, very big one.
Fiorentina’s striker crisis by the numbers
The numbers agree with the eyeball test: the Viola center forwards have been pretty bad.
Why are Fiorentina bad against 10-man opponents?
The Viola seem to struggle even with a numerical advantage, so let’s see what’s going wrong.
Does Fiorentina have the squad depth to compete on 3 fronts?
Comparing the Viola squad to the ones that competed on 3 fronts in Europe last year highlights a couple of problem spots.
Who should be Fiorentina’s new goalkeeper?
We wrote the code, crunched the numbers, and came out with the best goalkeeper the Viola could sign this summer.
A rough assessment of Fiorentina’s European hopes
We use a lot of intuition and a little bit of statistics to predict Fiorentina’s European chances
What happens to Fiorentina’s academy graduates?
As debate rages on about Serie A’s youth development, the fate of the top Viola youngsters could provide some context.
Igor’s becoming a star by doing exactly what Fiorentina need him to do
The Brazilian defender has gone from unknown quantity to nailed-on starter in just a few months, and doesn’t look like slowing down any time soon.
It’s pretty weird that Fiorentina can’t beat other mid-table teams
The Viola have been fantastic against the top six and the relegation stragglers. It’s the teams in between that have given them trouble.
How Fiorentina’s defense stifled Atalanta
While la Dea weren’t at her strongest, the Viola’s scheme clearly left the visitors bamboozled.
A look at Fiorentina’s recent penalty woes and some possible solutions
Let’s try to figure out why the Viola have been sputtering from 12 yards out and how they can fix it.
Fiorentina’s late-game defensive failings have some surprising culprits
We’re not entirely sure what we learned here, but maybe it’s something.
Fiorentina is the worst dribbling team in Serie A and it’s on purpose
When you’ve got so many guys who can beat a man and almost never do, it’s time to look a little closer.
What Fiorentina’s shot distance says about the their attacking philosophy
Diving deep (maybe too deep) into some relatively obscure numbers.
Fiorentina’s problems in defense have a simple solution
After re-re-watching the past couple of games, we have even more reasons for optimism.
Using the numbers to unravel Fiorentina’s midfield tangle
With seven players competing for three midfield spots, Vincenzo Italiano has a puzzle on his hands.
Pezzella’s alignment has gone from neutral to chaotic evil
Take a deep dive on the captain’s troubling positioning against Bologna.
How has Fiorentina’s defense changed under Prandelli?
BeppeBall was pretty effective at times on the back foot, so let’s have a look at the numbers to figure out how the new mister has followed up.
Looking to the Advanced Stats for Help
Can the underlying numbers make sense of anything?
It’s too early to analyze Fiorentina’s new wingback tactics, so let’s analyze Fiorentina’s new wingback tactics
The Viola showed off some fascinating new wrinkles in their patented version of BeppeBall. Let’s have a look.
Stats dive: Amrabat is more than just a Pulgar upgrade
The Moroccan midfield general has very few weaknesses in his game.
Fiorentina’s forwards are the least effective in Serie A, but there’s reason for hope
Turns out that forwards who score goals can really help your team.
5 things we’ve learned about Montella’s substitution patterns
It’s been 12 matches and we’re starting to get a feel for how the Viola boss likes to use his bench.
How Brescia stifled Fiorentina’s attack and what Fiorentina can do about it
The Rondinelle provided a template on how to slow down what had been the league’s funnest offensive unit, but they also showed how to counteract their own defensive measures.
How Fiorentina manipulates space in attack without a center forward
Everyone wondered where the goals would come from in Montella’s strikerless formation, but the Viola attack has been rolling right along regardless.
Fiorentina pays the 8th-most salary in Serie A
GdS has released its annual report on player wages, and there are a few eyebrow-raisers for the Viola.