After three consecutive top half finishes under Marco Giampaolo, Sampdoria were given a reality check this season.
There was optimism when Eusebio Di Francesco was named as the man to replace Milan-bound Giampaolo. The new manager had previously worked wonders with Sassuolo and gotten Roma to the Champions League semi-final but it became quickly apparent that he wasn't the right fit for Blucerchiati.
Di Francesco's previous sides have always been defensively leaky but often made up for it with the potency of their attack. Unfortunately for the manager he only managed to maintain one of those traits at the Marassi. 9 goals conceded in the first three games was a bad omen. Samp ended up losing 6 of EDF's first 7 Serie A matches and scoring a paltry 4 goals. It was a complete disaster and the club had no choice but to get rid of him.
Former Premier League winner Claudio Ranieri is now making a name for himself as something of a fixer and he came in to save Samp's season. He quickly made the team much more well organised defensively and lost just 1 of his first 6 games in charge, keeping clean sheets in half of them. The honeymoon period ended at Cagliari where they were 3-1 up with just 20 minutes to go but somehow conspired to lose the game. Samp's form was very inconsistent from that point. They picked up some impressive results like a draw at Milan and victory in the first Derby della Laterna of the season but on certain days they'd ship goals for fun, losing 5-1 to both Lazio and Fiorentina.
Samp were still very much in a relegation battle when the Coronavirus pandemic struck and three consecutive defeats after lockdown plunged them further into trouble but Blucerchiati found form at just the right time. The start of July marked a run of 5 wins from 6 games which secured their top flight status.
The upturn in form unsurprisingly coincided with Fabio Quagliarella's return to fitness and form. The veteran didn't have as spectacular a season as the last one where he finished on top of the scoring charts but he still netted 12 times and provided 5 assists, making him Samp's most productive player. Manolo Gabbiadini matched the captain's goal tally and Federico Bonazzolli may be the man to replace him long term. The young striker went on a hot streak post lockdown and scored 5 goals, some of them spectacular in the Quagliarella mould. The likes of Karol Linetty and Jakub Jankto had solid campaigns in midfield. The backline blew hot and cold but January recruits Maya Yoshida and Lorenzo Tonelli added some much needed experience. Emil Audero kept a respectable 9 clean sheets too.
Unlike his previous stint at Roma, Ranieri will be sticking around and will start next season in the Samp dugout. He'll need improvements throughout his squad to achieve anything more than another mid-table finish at best next season.
