Gasperini working wonders with youth at in form Atalanta

Maybe the colours were to blame. Blue and black do not seem to bring much luck to Gian Piero Gasperini. A career high swiftly became a new low in 2011 as Inter sacked him after just five games. At least Frank de Boer lasted until the beginning of November. Poor Gasperini didn’t make it beyond mid-September and speculation mounted as Atalanta endured their worst start to a season in seven years that they might be tempted into taking the same drastic action.

The Bergamaschi lost four of their opening five games in Serie A. “We didn’t get any luck,” Gasperini complained. The results were a concern. Atalanta found themselves 3-0 down at home to Lazio after little more than half an hour in their curtain raiser. In front at Marassi, they then lost 2-1 to Sampdoria and returned with their tail between their legs from Sardinia where former striker Marco Borriello helped newly promoted Cagliari inflict a 3-0 defeat on them.

A crisis meeting was held the following Monday. Gasperini emerged from it with the backing of Atalanta president Antonio Percassi. A former defender who made 110 appearances for the club, Percassi believed the players shouldered a significant part of the blame. On a surprise visit to the club’s Zingonia training ground later that week, he rounded them up. “Everyone in the gym. Now!” Percassi shouted. “Listen up!” he continued. “I’ve got no doubts whatsoever about Gian Piero. He is our coach, the best coach possible for this team. He’s untouchable. I’m with him. Are you?”

Their attitude had been called into question. Still open during the first fortnight of the season, the transfer window had distracted some of the players and you could tell their focus wasn’t what it should be. Not knowing who was coming or going also disrupted Gasperini’s plans and he has unsurprisingly lent his support to Max Allegri’s idea that the window be brought forward and closed earlier. Once it shut, though, there was no excuse and, in fairness to Atalanta, they couldn’t catch a break. That continued against Palermo who left the Atleti Azzurri with all three points.

Since then, however, Atalanta have been a revelation. They have won five of their last six and have the best record in Serie A over that time; better even than champions and league leaders Juventus. It has been quite the turnaround. Gasperini dropped goalkeeper Marco Sportiello and the club’s big summer signing from Swansea, striker Alberto Paloschi. The changes didn’t stop there.

Gasperini promoted the kids and why not? Atalanta have the best academy in Italy. A club policy is to give every newborn baby in Bergamo a blue and black shirt. They like to catch them early. Joking aside there is no better person when it comes to identifying and nurturing talent than the academy’s director Mino Favini. If you’re wondering how Milan recently got so young and started to produce players of their own like Manuel Locatelli, it’s because they headhunted Favini’s righthand man, Mauro Bianchessi. But I digress.

Gasperini’s faith in Franck Kessié had already been handsomely repaid. Upon his return from a loan spell at Cesena, the 19-year-old Ivorian midfielder, who has inevitably drawn comparisons with Yaya Touré, scored in Atalanta’s first four games, including their only wins against Cremonese in the cup and Torino. Now Gasperini went further. Against Napoli, he started Mattia Caldara [22] at the back, Andrea Conti [22] and Roberto Gagliardini [22] in midfield and Andrea Petagna [21] up front.

Out of the mouth of babes came an improbable victory cry. Petagna got the only goal of the game. With Atalanta it seems the harder they come, the harder they fall. The next visitors to the Atleti Azzurri were Inter. Always unwelcome guests in his house, Gasperini exacted sweet revenge on them, condemning them to defeat for the fourth time in a row since they handed him a P45. Caldara then clinched another 1-0 victory in Pescara in midweek with his first goal at senior level. Gagliardini is desperate to follow suit. “Now it’s my turn,” he told L’Eco di Bergamo.

The trend in teams like Milan, Atalanta, Torino and Sassuolo playing a number of young and gifted Italians is a most encouraging one. In attendance at the Atleti Azzurri for the 3-0 win against Genoa at the weekend, Italy coach Giampiero Ventura owes Gasperini a small debt of gratitude for setting an example and potentially making his job easier by believing in potential.

As someone who cut his teeth coaching in Juventus’ academy, this is nothing new to Gasperini. He didn’t hesitate in giving Mattia Perin, Rolando Mandragora, Stefano Sturaro and Stephan El Shaarawy their debuts at Genoa. M’baye Niang and Suso went from lost causes to key difference makers at Milan on their return from six-month loans under Gasperini’s tutorship. If Atalanta hadn’t signed Petagna on a permanent basis, history might have repeated itself. The former Milan striker scored three times in his first 121 minutes as an Atalanta player.

Then again, Gasperini does have a way with forwards. Borriello nearly became Capocannoniere thanks to him. Statistically Diego Milito had his most prolific season in Serie A with Gasperini, as did Rodrigo Palacio. Just imagine if Genoa had got a deal over the line for the then unknown Robert Lewandowski? The Pole had a medical and trained with Gasperini for a few days at Pegli as Genoa prepared for life after Milito. “He didn't stay,” Gasp lamented this week. “But it was proof that Preziosi [the owner] has an eye for talent.”

Nineteenth on September 21, Atalanta are now up in sixth. Dare they dream of Europe? After all, it is not just Atalanta’s enfants terribles who are behind this hot streak. Despite losing fan favourite Maarten de Roon to Middlesborough in the summer, they managed to keep the much coveted Papu Gomez and Mauricio Pinilla. Jasmin Kurtic has also been much improved. Maybe Gasperini will do to him what he did to Andrea Bertolacci at Genoa. Roma were extremely grateful as such were the wonders Gasperini worked they were able to recall the midfielder from his loan spell and sell him to Milan for €20m. It serves as yet another testimonial of his ability to get players to realise hitherto untapped potential.

“We’re not not thinking about Europe,” Gagliardini admits. “Dreaming costs nothing and the fans have every right. But we know our objective is top-flight survival. We still need another 20 points.”

Could Atalanta mount an unlikely challenge for a Europea place? Let us know in the comments below