Chievo once again defied the odds and ignored the critics to finish comfortably clear of the relegation zone. The small town club from Verona were able to replicate their formula of cautious, well organised and pragmatic football. Some may consider those words just another way of saying "boring" because, at times, Chievo were almost unbearable to watch, often deploying a five man defence designed to stifle the opposition whilst feeding on scraps up front. However, their mid-table finish is proof that the approach can be effective if not exciting. Things weren't all rosy for the Flying Donkeys as they made a less than flying start to the campaign. The summer brought the loss of their player of the season from last year in Michael Bradley as he went to Roma and the squad struggled to cope. Domenico Di Carlo was sacked after a horrid run of five straight defeats which made the club prime candidates for the drop. However, a wave of optimism greeted the appointment of Eugenio Corini who was a Chievo hero having captained the side to unprecedented success during his playing career. However, this was his first managerial post in top flight football and the pressure was on immediately. He secured a much needed victory in his first game and managed to make his side more difficult to beat. The team picked up results in most of the games where they should have against the teams around them and even caused a few shocks along the way including victories over the two Rome clubs either side of the new year. January brought another huge loss to the squad as their excellent goalkeeper, Stefano Sorrentino, left to join fellow strugglers Palermo. Christian Puggioni did quite an admirable job in replacing him but Chievo were dragged back into trouble with four defeats in five games going into March. However, as is often the case with the Gialloblu, they were able to get a morale-boosting result when they needed it as they overcame title-chasing Napoli, at home. It was a game which summed up the best assets of Corini's side. They were dominated in possession and outplayed by their superior opponents but stayed well organised, disciplined and compact in defence before striking on the break. It was a strategy which worked in further games away at Siena and against Roma at Stadio Olimpico, a 1-0 victory which guaranteed their safety. Cyril Thereau got the only goal late on after Chievo had been battered by the Giallorossi for almost the entire match. The Frenchman had a knack of popping up with vital goals all season and his form has attracted the attention of several bigger clubs. One man who has already left is Corini who had disagreements with the board over the future direction of the club. In truth, the direction seems to be neither up nor down. Chievo remain steady and for a club with the limited resources they have, that is a victory in itself.
