Out of the frying pan and into the fire: Prandelli in desperate need of results at Galatasaray

News of Cesare Prandelli’s appointment by Galatasaray was not especially well received in Italy. Barely a fortnight had passed since he resigned as manager of the national team during a tense press conference at Natal’s Arena das Dunas, in which he accepted responsibility for the Azzurri’s failure to make it beyond the World Cup group stage, but lashed out at clubs back home for not doing enough to support the development of domestic talent. 

If he was so concerned about that cause, asked his critics, then what was he doing fleeing the country so quickly? The World Cup semi-finals had not yet been played when he signed his Galatasaray contract – a deal which would reportedly double his salary to around €3.5 million ($4.4 million) per year. “The ship was still sinking,” wrote Aldo Grasso in Corriere della Sera. “And the first to abandon it was the captain.”

Such jibes seemed a little unfair. Managers are routinely criticised for refusing to fall on their swords after a failure, and yet that is precisely what Prandelli had done. And why should he turn down the chance to start afresh? Top jobs only come along so often in football, and early summer is precisely the time when European clubs prefer to make their appointments. 

Besides, if Prandelli really was jumping out of a frying pan, then he would quickly discover he had leapt straight into a fire. His first official game with his new club was the preseason Super Cup against bitter rivals Fenerbahce. Galatasaray lost on penalties, and Prandelli’s credentials were immediately called into question. 

Turkish media outlets accused the Italian of lacking the presence to win big games. Although his teams had often overachieved – be it Fiorentina’s back-to-back Champions League qualifications, or Italy’s unexpected run to the final of Euro 2012 – the fact remained that Prandelli had never won a trophy bigger than Serie B during his managerial career. 

And make no mistake, Galatasaray expect silverware. Specifically, the club is desperate to claim its 20th domestic title before Fenerbahce. Tradition dictates that Turkish sides wear a gold star on their crest for every five league championships won, and right now the two Istanbul teams have 19 apiece. The race for the fourth star has become an overwhelming obsession. 

But success in Europe is also a major goal. Foreign stars such as Wesley Sneijder would not be with the club if they did not believe it could compete on a continental stage. Galatasaray knocked Juventus out of the Champions League last season. Sneijder said recently that his team’s goal was to reach a semi-final. 

So far, Prandelli has not had much success on either front. After being defeated in the Super Cup, Galatasaray drew their second league match against Eskisehirspor and then lost to newly-promoted Balikesirspor. In-between, they were held to a draw by Anderlecht in the Champions League. 

A win over Sivasspor on Sunday brought much needed relief, but concerns persist over Prandelli’s tactical tinkering. In just six games, the manager has gone through four different formations, his team starting the season in a 4-2-3-1 but then toying with a Christmas tree, a diamond midfield, and most recently a three-man defence. 

His players have seemed uncertain of their roles at times, and occasionally downright angry. Sneijder raged at the manager and stormed straight down the tunnel after being substituted in the second-half against Eskisehirspor, a game in which he was deployed out wide the left. Prandelli has since moved the Dutchman back into his preferred central position behind the attack. 

The manager has also been undermined by circumstances beyond his control. This team was weakened by the departure of Didier Drogba in the summer, and while Prandelli was eventually able to bring in a forward of his choosing, Goran Pandev, the gulf in quality is apparent. 

Meanwhile, the man who hired Prandelli, Unal Aysal, has pointed out that the Italian was not his first choice this summer (Galatasaray had tried to hire Mircea Lucescu) before announcing he will not stand when his position as chairman comes up for re-election this month. Already there has been much speculation that his likely successors will want to a new manager of their choosing.

It is against that uneasy backdrop that Prandelli takes his team to Arsenal at Emirates Stadium. “We have to be courageous, and make sure we play our own style,” said Prandelli on Tuesday. But for a group of players struggling to adapt to a manager who might not be around much longer, that could be easier said than done.