Porto fans unhappy with defeat but back Francesco Farioli all the way 💙 | OneFootball

After the defeat against Casa Pia, the blue and white universe questioned yesterday the current competitive form of FC Porto, a sentiment visible on the Dragons’ social networks and fueled by the unease on the eve of the match against Sporting, which reduced the first-place lead from seven to four points.

Francesco Farioli, despite the trust he has earned so far—a point highlighted by several fans—found himself at the center of criticism, especially for some choices regarding the starting eleven and the substitutions made during the match, with particular emphasis on not using Rodrigo Mora. The explanation he gave—“The idea was to have Rodrigo on the pitch, but we had to substitute Martim due to a foot injury, which changed the plan”—did not stop the criticism.

One of the criticisms was that Rodrigo Mora has characteristics that, with FC Porto constantly pressing Casa Pia, could have helped to disrupt the opposing defense with his technique and vision, something none of his teammates on the field managed to offer effectively. This opinion gained strength because Froholdt, who showed fever symptoms and was left out of the starting eleven, was still preferred as a bench option to come on.

Another contested decision was putting Jakub Kiwior on the bench, after the previous criticism of moving him to left-back following the arrival of Thiago Silva. Alongside his compatriot Jan Bednarek, the Polish international had been praised for his high-level performances and the solidity he brought to FC Porto’s defense, forming an almost unbeatable duo known as the ‘Polish wall’.

Kiwior’s removal from the center of defense has been criticized and even revived among Porto fans the ghost of 2019, when coach Sérgio Conceição broke up the Felipe/Éder Militão partnership, then solid at the heart of the league-leading FC Porto defense, to include Pepe. Militão was moved to right-back, the back line lost stability, and the title ended up at Luz.

The defeat in Rio Maior was the first in the league and, by itself, would not justify major alarm among Porto fans. The concern is due to the fact that the team’s performance level has dropped in the new calendar year: offensive production has sharply decreased and, in three of the last four matches, the Dragons conceded the first goal, only managing to come back in the game against Rangers. Therefore, the outcome of the classic against Sporting will naturally have an impact on the future.

Even so, FC Porto fans continue to fully support the coach, recognizing the substantial improvements implemented since last season.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.