Parma have reached the first international break with a change on the bench already made and only a small group of players offering encouraging returns. After five rounds, the early campaign has become a test of response under Alberto Gilardino, with the club seeking a steadier path after Carlos Cuesta’s brief spell in charge.
An early change at Parma
- Parma opened the Serie A season with one win, one draw and three defeats under Cuesta.
- That return prompted the club to replace him after only five matchdays.
- Gilardino has taken over a side struggling to turn performances into league points.
- The individual numbers broadly reflect the team’s difficult start, with few Parma players delivering consistently strong fantasy-football returns.
Romero carries the attacking burden
David Romero has been the clear exception. The new forward has scored four of Parma’s eight league goals, accounting for half of the team’s total in the opening five fixtures.
He was initially finding his bearings against Juventus and Monza, before making his mark in the fourth-round meeting with Como. Romero followed that goal with another against Genoa, lifting his fantasy average to 7.9.
At a moment when Parma need their new coach to give the season a clearer direction, Romero’s early contribution gives Gilardino an attacking reference point. The task now is to find more support around him.
Limited support elsewhere
Lontani is the other recent arrival to have made a positive initial impression. The 2008-born attacker scored against Monza and has recorded a fantasy average of 6.6.
Beyond Romero and Lontani, the list of Parma players who have reached a solid passing average remains short. Adrián Bernabé, Diego Carlos and Sierro are among the few to have maintained that level after playing at least three rated matches.
The first weeks have therefore left Parma with a familiar problem for Gilardino: a striker in form, a handful of acceptable individual displays, but too little collective continuity. The break arrives as an opportunity to reset a season that has changed manager before it has properly settled.
