A very weak start and a poor ending resulted in one of the worst seasons in the last decades for Timão. The fact that Corinthians was struggling to get away from relegation zone at one point says it all about the hardship that the second biggest club of the country fans-wise had, this season.
In the middle of October, Corinthians hosted their interstate rivals Flamengo and suffered a humiliating 1-5 defeat, in what was the new coach Vágner Mancini’s second match. The club dropped to relegation zone as a consequence, and the fans feared the worst.
The club reacted very well to the big defeat. Without ever being impressive, Corinthians managed to pull out a great sequence. Mancini had a good impact on the team, as did the new signings Cazares, Otero and (to a lesser extent, due to injuries) Jemerson.
From round 18 to round 29, Corinthians picked 24 out of the possible 33 points, having only lost to the then title favourites Atlético MG. The last win of this period was the team’s best moment in the season: a 5-0 home win over the in-form Fluminense.
The next round, Timão would be back at nightmare, losing to their arch-rivals Palmeiras with another humiliation (0-4), which clearly affected the team’s confidence. It was evidence that Corinthians was still far from the top teams in the country, and the final 8 rounds saw Timão winning only once.
The main references of the team seemed aged and under motivated. Cássio, Fágner and Jô seem far from their best years. Important departures like Carlos Augusto and Pedrinho and the low form of players like Luan and Mateus Vital had also an important role in the weak performance.
Corinthians must admit the need to reconfigure many principles in their planning for next season. Unless something unexpected happens, Corinthians should prepare the fans for another season away from the top positions.
