My feelings of indifference towards the Laziali are not shared by all…

RECENT ENCOUNTERS:
Our record against Lazio is fairly mixed since the return to Serie A. The first year, we defeated Lazio comprehensively, 3-2 in Rome following a brilliant Zanetti-ADP display, and then a crushing 5-2 win at home late in the season. Last season in Rome, Manninger conceded an easy goal to Ledesma, before “The Beard” pulled it even with a bullet header off a corner to finish 1-1. The return leg was one we will never forget of course, that, appropriately, of Pavel Nedved’s farewell to calcio in which we triumphed 2-0. While our league results have been pretty positive, Lazio outplayed us last season on their way to the Coppa Italia, winning both in Lazio after coming from behind and in Turin.

RECENT FORM:
Juventus- (WW)- We’ve started the season on the right foot. The squad is determined, united, and eager to win. Ferrara has certainly pushed the right mentality onto the team, and with the squad adjusting well to the new tactics, we have played forceful and gritty. Against Chievo we struggled but held our resolve, whereas against Roma we outplayed them in their own home. Let’s hope for a combination of the two.
Lazio (WW)- Lazio are another one of the teams thus far 100% in the league, as Ballardini has similarly had a positive effect on his squad. He did well last year with Palermo, giving them more consistency and a big-game spirit, and it seems he’s transmitted that to the white-and-blue half of Rome. They defeated Inter in the SuperCoppa, and then edged past Atalanta and defeated a plucky Chievo (as we all know) in Verona. They are in good form as well.

FORMATIONS AND LINEUPS:
Juventus- This is when the season starts to get tricky, with a few injuries as well as fatigue. 7 Juventus players started in the Azzurri win over Bulgaria in Turin, and with the Champion’s League starting this week at home against Bordeaux, I would expect several of these players to get rested, namely Iaquinta, Cannavaro, and Camoranesi. Grygera came back from international duty with a slight problem and Del Piero has not been able to resolve his thigh issue quite yet, so left at home are Del Piero, Grygera, Sissoko, Salihamidzic, Zebina, and Sissoko.

In defense, I would expect Legrottaglie to get the nod to partner with Chiellini, giving Cannavaro the rest for the mid-week game. Caceres should certainly debut at right-back as Zebina, Grygera, and Brazzo are all staying home for this game. Left-back is interesting, Grosso played Wednesday but said he’s in good condition and ready to start, but he also might be rested for the Champion’s League game this week, though Ferrara has indicated he will play. It all depends on how much Ferrara wants to rotate, of course, and here we will get a good look at an important part of coaching; squad rotation. I would prefer Grosso to be rested, a lineup of Caceres-Legro-Chiellini-De Ceglie, which is our 2nd-string defense (except for Chiellini) and I feel pretty good about it. That’s a new feeling.

Midfield is a guessing game as always. Tiago, Camoranesi, Marchisio, Poulsen, and Felipe Melo all played international games a few days ago, so no player is “fully rested.” The good news about Felipe Melo’s international game is that he will receive a length ban I would imagine, for kicking a Chilean player in the crotch, so less exhausting Europe->South America travel for him.

In attack, Iaquinta is widely expected to be rotated out, and with Del Piero absent, one would expect Trezeguet to return to the squad, and hopefully bang in a goal. That would do wonders for his confidence. Diego should return as trequartista as he was not called up by Brazil, though Giovinco could get a surprise appearance up alongside Amauri or maybe slot in for Diego.

Predicted XI: Buffon; Caceres, Legrottaglie, Chiellini, Grosso; Tiago, Melo, Marchisio; Diego; Trezeguet, Amauri

Lazio- Zarate and Rocchi are fighting to be fit for the match, whether either of them will be is anyones guess. Inzaghi Jr, Stephen Makinwa, Siviglia, Brocchi, and Cribari are all definitively out of the match. Ballardini will probably go with his preferred 4-3-1-2 with Brazilian midfielder Matuzalem as trequarista and Juve-killer Julio Cruz up top. (God, I wish he retired) For better information, check out Cathal and Franco at the Lazio Offside, they do good work.

Predicted XI: Muslera; Lichsteiner, Diakite, Radu, Kolarov; Dabo, Baronio, Mauri; Matuzalem; Cruz, Zarate.

KEY PLAYERS:
Diego- Duh. This kid has taken to calcio like he’s been here for 5 seasons. What has impressed me a lot about Diego is his excellent tactics and his willingness to chase down the ball when the other team has possession, in general, sacrificing for the team. It shows despite playing in the most arrogant position, he is humble and a team player.
Cruz- I need not explain why.

KEY BATTLES:
Ballardini v. Ferrara- Push- Both are young Italian coaches who impress both with their tactics as well as motivational skills. Both are very good coaches.
Cruz v. Bianconeri- Bianconeri: He has a fetish for scoring against us, as does Rocchi, but I’m confident we can keep them quiet.

FERRARA’S THOUGHTS:

«We will be playing against a team which has the same amount of points as us and which immediately achieved important results, especially in the Super Cup. I know they have some problems with the line-up and that Rocchi and Zarate might not be available but Cruz will be there for sure and he is a player who often caused harm to Juventus having scored even against me. In any case, I hope to find the best Lazio opposing us. We have a delicate and difficult match ahead of us against a team which will create various difficulties. We are returning to Rome immediately, but we have already forgotten about the victory we had a fortnight ago even though we want to win again and continue down the same road».

[Regarding international players] «They all got back safe and sound even from a psychological point of view thanks to the many victories obtained. Only Grygera suffered a blow which must be evaluated. Caceres returned today whilst Felipe Melo will join us in Rome but there are no problems with him. The same applies to Grosso who immediately fit in well. I think there will be some changes with regards to the last match also due to Tuesday’s Champions League match».

[About fatigue and rotation] «With so many matches to be played it will be harder to recuperate the physical and mental energies and we will have to manage our strengths. We knew this and this is why we wanted to build an ample team. I will have to rely on everyone».

Other previews and prediction: 2-0 to the Bianconeri. I think we’re going to hold this one, a refreshing change from the past two years where we returned from international breaks horrendously.
Lazio Offside
Football-Italia
Football Italiano
Goal.com (EN)

LAST WORD: This man is insane.

KEEPERS

7.5: Aside from a bit of an error on a (wrongly) disallowed goal against Gilardino, Buffon made no mistakes, as we’ve come to expect. He has made some solid saves, but has not been on the same level as previous years. The last two seasons he’s missed nearly 3-4 months due to injury, something that has surprisingly not really hurt our team. Perhaps remaining healthy will bring him back to his superhuman form, as of now, I would give the best keeper award to Julio Cesar, much as it pains me to say it. Seeing his reactions against Lecce when the season was quickly going down the toilet was even more painful.
BEST MOMENT: There have been some “great” saves, but unlike last year not any particularly “world-class” ones. I’ll give it to his save against Cagliari on Biondi.

ALEX MANNINGER- 6.5: Brilliant piece of work by Secco, given Buffon’s injury problems and the absurdly low price. A better keeper than probably all save 2-3 of the starters in Serie A, Manninger held down the fort during Gigi’s absence. No stunning saves, and he made a few “small” errors against Inter and Lazio but in general he was steady, consistent, and a reassuring presence at the back, which is all you can ask for from a backup keeper. On Football Manager, Manninger demanded playing time and eventually went to Roma to fulfill it. Luckily in real life, Alex understands his role and is fine with it.
BEST MOMENT: Juventus 4-2 Milan. Conceding two at home might not seem like a good game, but it was a deflected shot and a tap-in he could do nothing about. Aside from that, looked confident and was not troubled by Milan at all.

ANTONIO CHIMENTI- N/R: Thrown in to sweeten the Manninger deal along with the Belardi loan, he is the team’s muppet.
Best Moment: Never setting a foot on the pitch.

DEFENDERS:

GIORGIO CHIELLINI- 8: Not quite as good as last season and looked uncharacteristically nervy in some games, but as a whole, Giorgio was still a colossus this season. The steel and grit he provides in the back is crucial to the team. Continued his rock-solid partnership with Legrottaglie until the end of the season when injury and suspension pulled the duo apart; not surprisingly, the team started conceding plenty. I still don’t know if he was sent off for dissent or a poor refereeing call against Chelsea. Future captain of Juventus and the Azzurri.
BEST MOMENT: He’s scored a good amount of goals this season, but his header against the Toro brought us local bragging rights, 3 points, and furthered the Granata’s relegation.

NICOLA LEGROTTAGLIE- 7.5: A very good campaign from the former winner of the dubious bidone d’oro prize. Alongside Chiellini, the duo had the best defensive record in Serie A until the end of the season. Like Chiellini, he is not quite the same when playing without his partner. Still a bit vulnerable on the counter-attack, but with Giorgio’s pace by his side, it is generally not a problem. Deservedly called back into the Nazionale and could be going to WC2010.
BEST MOMENT: Against a team like Atalanta, Juve often had trouble finding the motivation. Atlanta has a dangerous attack with Floccari and Doni, but in the andata in Bergamo, Legrottaglie organized the defense wonderfully and the less-evil Nerazzurri barely had a sniff on goal.

CRISTIAN MOLINARO- 6.5: If you look at my player ratings from last season, I gave him a 4.5 and hoped for his departure. He has upped his game significantly the season, and always gives his all, playing the most minutes of any Juventus player this season. Defensively he has developed into a reliable left-back, and I can honestly say when he was up against Robben and Malouda, I was not panicking. He did well to contain the both, which is not easy. I’d give him a 6.5 or possibly even a 7, but he is still woefully lacking in the offensive department. Please, someone teach him to cross!
BEST MOMENT: Containing Robben very well in both Champion’s League games, to the point that Schuster switched Robben to the other flank to try and attack Grygera/Salihamidzic, or defending against Balotelli perfectly in Juventus-Inter.

ZDENEK GRYGERA- 5.5: I’ve always liked Grygera, but towards the tail end of the season it has been painfully obvious he is not the caliber of player to man our right flank. He’s been caught out of position and responsible for several goals. Last season he started out poorly but grew steadily into his role, but sadly has not really continued this growth. If only Criscito was right-footed…
BEST MOMENT: He’s not as defensively sound as Molinaro, but he provides more up front. Without a doubt this goes to his goal against Inter at home, in stoppage time, that allowed us to save face.

PAOLO DE CEGLIE- 5.5: I maintain PDC should be played at left-mid instead of left-back, where his pace and crossing ability are even more useful. Until the end of the season, as a left-back, his defending was pretty mediocre. A run out of games could give him the confidence and experience to become a great left-back though. He gets his own rating as a midfielder.
BEST MOMENT: In the Pro Bowl of the Serie A, the Coppa Italia, PDC pulled a Sean Taylor, refusing to give in to the nature of the glorified friendly. Except he managed to take himself out with a crunching tackle against Napoli.

HASAN SALIHAMIDZIC- 5.5: In the games he’s played at right-back, he’s offered the same thing we expect from Brazzo. Nothing flashy, nothing fancy, but hard work and consistent mediocrity, which for a reserve defender is not a bad thing. Was injured for too much of the season, though. Like PDC, he gets a separate rating as a midfielder.
BEST MOMENT: Mr. Versatility allowing us to sub a midfielder for a defender and still be balanced.

JONATHAN ZEBINA- 6: The exact opposite of Grygera in that I’ve never liked him nor particularly rated him. Neither did Ranieri. Was out all the beginning of the season with a thigh injury, but has grudgingly earned some respect from me with his performances towards the end of the season. Is he a better right-back than Grygera right now? I would say that’s true.
BEST MOMENT: Not conceding 2-3 penalties, not being sent off, and not slapping a cameraman in his first game of the season. That’ll do.

LORENZO ARIAUDO-6: Didn’t exactly pull a Motta or a Santon, but slowly brought into the team by Ranieri in the Coppa and eventually used in Serie A. When he played, he did not look very nervous, which he credited Legrottaglie’s presence and instruction for. One for the future, the question is, loan him for experience, or keep him as a reserve? He has the capability to play well as a reserve or in rotation, but it might deprive him of vital playing time. If he goes out, he definitely should go to a Serie A squad.
BEST MOMENT: I’ll go with his debut in general. He looked pretty good out there given his age and confirmed our youth academy is producing some great talent.

OLOF “The Beard” MELLBERG- 6: I thought it was great to compare him to Loria, who Roma actually spent money on. It makes me feel a lot better about his transfer. Against Real Madrid, Roma, and other big games, Mellberg played wonderfully, making crucial tackles and generally being dominant in the air. Against the lower, weaker teams, he was schooled. A good reserve, but no one is suggesting he take a starting place anymore, unless perhaps at right-back. At right-back he is not as adventrous as Grygera or Zebina, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. There are rumors of Olympiakos offering 3million euros for him. No dice, it would cost much more to get an equally capable replacement.
BEST MOMENT: He’s a reserve, unless we are playing in the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. There he should automatically be guaranteed a starting shirt.

DARIO KNEZEVIC- 2.5: He gets a bad enough rating for his awful performance(s), but also, he was brought in as cover, yet managed to be injured nearly all season, taking a cue from ex-Juventino Jorge Andrade. Brilliant defending such as in the Napoli game where he inexplicably decided to try and an audacious clearance despite no pressure…giving the ball to an unmarked Lavezzi. Even when he was healthy towards the end of the season, Ranieri chose Ariaudo over him. Thank God we only brought him in on loan, he is on the first bus back to Livorno.
BEST MOMENT: Snapping his knee so he wasn’t even an option. I’d rather play Grygera or De Ceglie as center-back.

JORGE ANDRADE- 0: We spent 4.5million euros per game on this guy. I don’t blame him, I blame Agricola. This is the stuff he should be failing. We nabbed him instead of Gabriel Milito much in the way we got Poulsen instead of Xabi Alonso. It does comfort me to see Milito out for the last year with a knee injury.
BEST MOMENT: Tearing up his contract.

MIDFIELD

MOMO SISSOKO- 7: Momo came under a bit of criticism as the season went on for his propensity to win the ball and turn it right back over, but was a titan in the midfield for the first half of the season. Great performances against Real where he never stopped running, constantly pressuring the other midfield and forcing them to abandon Guti as a playmaker and stick to the wings. Broke his foot after being played too soon after injury, and in some games we missed his energetic presence in midfield.
BEST MOMENT: His goal against Palermo, where Sissokodinho actually worked.

CLAUDIO MARCHISIO- 7.5: I would argue jointly with Nedved, he was our best midfielder this season. Early injuries to Zanetti and Poulsen moved him up the pecking order, and give credit to Ranieri for playing him early in the season over Tiago. (though I will never understand why Ranieri chose Tiago over him for the game at Stamford Bridge) Energetic, young, Italian, and from Turin, it can’t get better. Shows great confidence and maturity for his age, positioning himself very well. As the season has moved on, he’s started to display a bit of goalscoring ability, which, with a bit of training I’m sure he could be great at. Should have been called up over a few players for Lippi’s most recent Nazionale squad, but Lippi probably wanted to leave him to the u-21 team.
BEST MOMENT: Hard to decide, as a whole performance, the 4-2 win over Milan was brilliant, he was all over in midfield distributing balls, winning them back, dribbling through the Milan midfield and unleashing some screamers. For a single moment, his goal against Fiorentina. Followed a genius Del Piero assist through and calmly chipped one of the best Serie A keepers. With the confidence and ease in which he did it, you would have never known it was his first professional goal.

CRISTIANO ZANETTI- 6.5: I docked him a little bit because of his never-ending injury struggles, those thigh strains really are a killer. But since his return from injury, he’s shown us what we’ve been missing. An engine in midfield, pressuring the other team well and winning balls back, he also is a quite good passer of the ball. It’s that combination that neither Tiago nor Sissoko have. He will be an important part of next season if he can stay healthy.
BEST MOMENT: His wonder-volley against Atalanta, possibly the Juventus goal of the season.

TIAGO- 6.5: Tiago, Tiago, Tiago……I can’t make up my mind on you. The Portuguese midfielder put in some very good performances this season and had more or less won a starting spot before he got injured for 2-3 months, but alternated that with some utterly average ones. I do like he’s showing more emotion and a real commitment to the Juventus cause, but the jury is still out on this one.
BEST MOMENT: Flattening Balotelli. No really, I’m serious.

PAVEL NEDVED- 8: The Czech warhorse had a great season, providing plenty of assists and becoming the highest scorer among non-strikers. Played well even though he was abused with 180min week-in-week-out by Ranieri. When played as a center-midfielder, was excellent and I think we should have moved him there and prolonged his career. It seems he had made up his mind to retire in the last month, despite not annonuncing it until the day before, because he played like a man possessed. Never won the cup with the big ‘ole ears, but certainly deserved to. Enjoy retirement, Pavel.
BEST MOMENT: That wonderful volley against his personal punching bag, ASS Roma, seconds after entering the game.

MAURO CAMORANESI- 7.5: Sigh…..when Mauro plays, he’s magic. Unfortunately over the course of the last two years, that “when” is becoming more and more rare. Only was fit enough to start in 1/3rd of Serie A games this season, his presence has been missed. We need to hire some Asian massueses on-call 24/7 for this guy, we can split them with Zanetti, Zebina, and all the other players that got nasty thigh strains this season.
BEST MOMENT: Soldiering through a dislocated shoulder against Reggina for the first half, and scoring a nice goal in the process.

CHRISTIAN POULSEN- 4.5: Everyone I’ve talked to in Spain has crowed about Poulsen, saying he was arguably one of the best midfielders in La Liga during his two year spell. Given the talent in this league, that’s no small compliment. Similarly, people have told me about his success when at Schalke. But he hasn’t reproduced that form at Juventus. To be fair to Poulsen, he was A. Coming under the impression as a vice-Xabi Alonso, when he is in fact a reserve to Zanetti. And B. He’s dealt with injuries all season and has been unable to get a decent run out. But in the few games he’s played, he hasn’t stamped his authority on the pitch. Christian hasn’t been awful, but has really made zero impact either. I’m not entirely ready to give up on him, yet, it seems quite clear from his play that his confidence is completely shot. Maybe it’s because we greeted him by calling him a “rubbish player.” Maybe it’s because he was quickly moved to 3rd-string. Whatever the reason is, let’s hope he can sort it out. He’s a good player and has plenty to offer Juventus.
BEST MOMENT: Dumb-luck goal against Catania in stoppage time after a whiff of a clearance from one of their defenders, a simple tap-in but was so significant in reviving Juve’s form.

HASAN SALIHAMIDZIC- 6.5: As stated in his defender rating, Brazzo, as many of our players, has been plagued with injuries all season, and thus unable to produce his best form. In the brief time he was healthy, he played 2 sensational games that made me wonder why he cannot play more often like that.
BEST MOMENT: His game (sorry for music…eh) in the 4-1 thrashing of Bologna. Brazzo was wonderfully dangerous and created plenty of great opportunities for the forwards and scored a very intelligent goal.

MARCO MARCHIONNI- 5.5: Infuriatingly inconsistent, that’s the best way to describe his season. When we signed him on a free transfer from Parma, he was one of the best wingers in Italy. Injuries and a lack of playing time have certainly limited his explosiveness. (Side note, if I told you last August we would have our most injury-plagued season in 5-6 seasons, which one of you would have predicted Marco would have remained healthy? Yeah, keep your hands down.) In general he provides good delivery and decent defensive cover, but he is in average match fitness, has a far too heavy touch, and sometimes drifts out of the game for long periods. I don’t think we should sell him if we are going to keep with a winged 4-4-2 formation as he is a good reserve to an often injured player. But Marco has not seized his opportunities when given.
BEST MOMENT: Nearly completely changed the game with a great turn and long strike against Chelsea in London. Certainly not his best moment, but unfortunately I will remember his season for his heavy touches against Inter and Milan that could have killed the game…he was lucky against Roma that Riise left him completely unchallenged in similar circumstances.

SEBASTIAN GIOVINCO- 7.5: Instead of the “Magic Fairytale of the Atomic Ant” perhaps he could write a book “How SuperSeba was criminally underused in 2008-2009.” As many of you know, I generally supported Ranieri, but one of my main sticking points was why he didn’t play Giovinco a lot. I still don’t understand it. I can see concerns about his physical strength and being able to hold up the wings, but in every game after the first few months, Giovinco had a massive impact when playing. The only game I remember where he was average after November or so was the 2nd derby against Toro. He’s obviously has no Cassanata issues, and everytime he played, we played better. I would love for someone to ask Ranieri and get an honest answer, I don’t think it’s that he had any personal beef against him or anything, Ranieri and Giovinco are both nice guys. The last thing I will say is that many attacking Ranieri for not playing Giovinco enough, a fair criticism, but many extended that to complaining Ranieri wasn’t giving our youth a chance. In the last two years, Criscito, Nocerino, Chiellini, Molinaro, De Ceglie, Marchisio, and Sissoko, all young players got solid runs out. Some cut it, some haven’t.
BEST MOMENT Either his 1v1 with Del Piero against Catania in the Coppa where there was a wonderful teacher-student embrace, or his goal against Lecce where he whipped in a free kick quite obviously with instruction from the master.

PAOLO DE CEGLIE- 7: Everytime De Ceglie played at left-mid, which was not often enough, he tore the other team apart. Given his pace and his excellent crossing, he provided fantastic service for the center-forwards. I’d like to see him play up there more, I think he could be a better winger than fullback, and Italy could really use a left-winger, we haven’t had one in ages.
BEST MOMENT: The 4-2 Milan demolition derby where PDC tore apart Milan’s right-flank, getting Zambrotta sent off and providing a perfect cross for a beastly Amauri header to give Juventus the lead. Close 2nd his cross against Lecce, came on as a substititute late on, and his first touch of the ball is an inch perfect cross again for Amauri who bangs it in late in the game to give Juventus the win, 2-1.

FORWARDS

ALESSANDRO DEL PIERO- 7: Del Piero has really fallen off since Christmas time, like Amauri, but that shouldn’t make us forget his unbelievable start to the season. Match-winning goal after match-winning goal, splendid free kicks, and a goal against Zenit, and 3 against Real Madrid to singlehandedly give us the group win. One of the best assists I’ve seen to Marchisio against Fiorentina, but other than that, he’s been hot-or-cold. Needs to refind his shooting boots.
BEST MOMENT: Tough call…but I’m going to go with Del Piero’s first goal against Real Madrid. Good long direct ball from Marchisio to Del Piero who dummies for Amauri. Amauri then turns and passes it back to Del Piero…with Casillsa coming a bit out of the goal and Blanco defenders hot on, Del Piero skewed pace for class. Top right corner, Casillas no chance. That was the shot heard round the world. Juve is back in the Champion’s League, baby.

AMAURI- 7: Like Del Piero, Amauri has fallen way off the pace from his terrific start to his Juventus career. In the fall Amauri was singlehandedly saving our season, scoring something obscene like 11 goals in 17 games. Powerful in the air, skilled with the volley, he’s a class forward. If only we could figure out what the hell stopped that dynamic duo. With Diego, Giovinco, Marchisio, Criscito, Camoranesi, and perhaps D’Agostino, he should get some mouthwatering service.
BEST MOMENT: Doppietta against Milan. Brazilians can samba too, Dinho.

VINCENZO IAQUINTA- 7: Yes, I’m aware I gave them all 7s, but I think it fits for the importance they each played in the campaign, with minus a few points for inconsistentcy. Iaquinta is the direct opposite of what happened to Amauri and Del Piero, he struggled for playing time in the first half of the season and had niggling injuries preventing him from expressing his best form. There were strong rumors that Roma or Zenit wanted him in January, but the Calabrian Cannon never wavered in his faith to the bianconeri. Once he shook the injuries…..well, he’s been Serie A’s form striker for the last 2-3 months or so. Let’s hope he can keep this form going for the Confederation’s Cup and then next season. After waiting his time on the bench, Juve has repaid his faith with a contract extension until 2013. Bravo, Vincenzo!
BEST MOMENT: Probably his goal against Milan, (see a trend here?) where he used all of his force to hold off Flamini, who was having a good game himself, and got himself in the right position to head it into the net. Vincenzo di forza!

DAVID TREZEGUET- 4: The player does not deserve the criticism for most of the rating, but the only “untouchable” of Ranieri’s 2007-2008 team has been anything but this season. After undergoing double-knee surgery to prolong his career 4-5 years, David has never really been given a run out in the team, particularly after his poorly-timed outburst against Ranieri following his substitution against Chelsea. His poaching instinct is still there, he just needs to get a few games out. Obviously there have been very strong links to his departure, but one would hope with Ranieri gone, Trez will decide to stay. I think this’ll be summer #6 of massive rumors about Trez leaving. The management’s words have hardly helped things, either.
BEST MOMENT: There’s been few…so I guess his goal against Palermo assisted by Amauri will have to suffice.

MANAGEMENT:

CLAUDIO RANIERI- 6: He had to go at the end of the season, no doubt, but with some average players in the squad (Poulsen, Tiago) and a hell of an injury crisis, he managed to do pretty well. In March, we were in the Coppa semis, 2nd place within striking distance of Inter, and the Champion’s League round-of-16. Then it all came apart, quickly. My chief complaints with him was the way he never seemed to get pissed about poor performances, and some of his strange team selections, ie- not enough tinkering/rotating, and not playing Giovinco. Give him some credit for giving Marchisio a very good run out.

ALESSIO SECCO- 6: Amauri, Giovinco, Marchisio, Manninger, good. Mellberg, De Ceglie, average. Knezevic, Chimenti, Poulsen, fail.

After the words come the facts. The day after the announcement and the official presentation of Ciro Ferrara came the time to begin work on the field. The adventure has begun, for him as coach but also for all the members of his technical staff. At the start of the afternoon session all the team got to know those collaborating with him. The faces are known to all since they are those of professionals coming directly from the youth sector.

The deputy-coach is Massimiliano Maddaloni. Michelangelo Rampulla will get back to coaching the goalkeepers while Dodo Sormani is the new technical assistant. Only Andrea Scanavino has been confirmed as trainer and is a sign of continuity from the Ranieri period.

Here are the presentation details of the four collaborators of Ciro Ferrara:

Ciro Ferrara

First of all a first class player who was capable of winning 6 scudetti on the field. He is also a valid manager capable of leading the youth sector in one of the most important times in its history. He is now also the coach of the first team. Since 1994, when he joined Juventus, Ciro Ferrara has made of the relationship a stronger one each day.

Born in Naples on the 11th of February 1967, as a player he played 500 matches in the Serie A, 247 of which with the Napoli jersey and 253 for Juventus, the team which he played for between 1994 and 2005. Besides 8 scudetti (one of which was revoked), he won 2 Coppa Italia, 5 Italian Supercups, a UEFA Cup, a Champions League and an Intercontinental Cup.

He formed part of the technical staff of the Italian national team who went on to win the 2006 World Championships as an assistant to Marcello Lippi. Since 2006 he is the personal responsible of the Juventus youth sector. In 2008, with the return of Lippi as Italian national coach he was once again appointed as assistant to the national coach.

On the 18th of May he replaced Claudio Ranieri as coach of the first team.

Michelangelo Rampulla

Two years later, Michelangelo Rampulla returns to coaching the goalkeepers of the first team after having been part of Didier Deschamps’ technical staff.

This is another experience for one of the most loved persons by the Juventus supporters. Born in Patti (Messina) on the 10th of August in 1962, his name is linked to Juventus since 1992. For 10 years, as a goalkeeper, he was part of one of the most successful periods in the history of the club.

After having shelved his gloves, he remained with Juventus undertaking various roles within the youth sector (Primavera goalkeepers’ coach, goalkeeper coaches’ coordinator and coaches’ organization coordinator) but also as the person responsible of the Juventus Club Doc Coordination Centre. This, apart from that of goalkeepers’ coach during the Deschamps period in the 2006/07 season.

Massimiliano Maddaloni

As deputy-coach, Ferrara re-embraces an old companion who formed part of his adventure since the times of the Napoli youth sector. Massimiliano Maddaloni will be undertaking the role simultaneously with that of Primavera coach.

Having joined Juventus at the beginning of the 2007/08 season as coach of the Allievi Nazionali, he has been successful since the beginning of the season as Primavera coach. Having won the Viareggio Cup in February and gone close to triumph in the Coppa Italia, the bianconeri under his direction are currently busy with the final phase of the championship after having dominated the elimination phase.

Born in Napoli on the 22nd of June 1966, his sports curriculum includes a long parentesis as professional footballer in Serie C and D between 1985 and 2000. As coach, before his arrival in Turin, he coached Tuscan teams (Viareggio, Forte dei Marmi, Versilia and Cecina) in Eccellenza category, Serie D and Serie C.

Adolfo Sormani

A historical name for Italian football is now part of the staff. Son of Angelo Benedicto, Adolfo “Dodo” Sormani, is the new technical assistant to Ciro Ferrara, with whom he has already been collaborating for two years within the youth sector.

Born in Genova on the 11th of August 1965, he is close to the end of his second season with Juventus as technical instructor within the youth sector. This is the latest stage in a career which saw him first as a player (for a number of important team such as Parma, Napoli, Avellino and Sambenedettese) and then as coach of Serie D teams like Portosummaga, Conegliano, Chioggia and Cattolica.

Andrea Scanavino

Andrea Scanavino represents continuity in the technical staff. He will keep the role of athletic coach. His collaboration with Juventus will continue after he joined in 1999, the year in which he was enrolled as the person responsible for the recovery of injured players.

In these years he collaborated actively with all the professionals who came along: from Giampiero Ventrone (during the two periods of Marcello Lippi and with Carlo Ancelotti) up to Riccardo Capanna, and through the times with Massimo Neri during the Fabio Capello era and Antonio Pintus during the time of Didier Deschamps.

juventus.com

 IERI… OGGI… DOMANI… SEMPRE JUVE!!!

“The long stop is finally over. Now I have practically two weeks to work in order to recover my best form and therefore I should be available for call-up for the match against Chievo”. Paolo De Ceglie is finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and after nearly two months since the injury suffered against Napoli in the Coppa Italia on the 4th of February, he is ready to get back on the field.

The Under21 international has been training with the rest of the team for a number days now without feeling the effect of the nasty blow suffered in a collision with Gargano which resulted in the fracture of a rib, the injuring of another two and a pneumo-thoraic injury: “It was quite a blow – recalls Paolo – but as soon as the medical staff and the trainers give the go ahead I will not stop to think about it but try to train to the maximum to regain my best form as soon as possible”.

During the last few weeks, Juventus obtained good results and registered five consecutive championship victories: “We must win all the coming matches if we want to keep on fighting for the scudetto – continues De Ceglie – Now a difficult match against Chievo awaits us. Chievo is going through a good time and just like all the teams trying to avoid relegation they will surely give us a hard time. We, however, absolutely want to win the three points”.

juventus.com

In other injury related news, Juventus’ official site detailed a practice Wednesday whereby De Ceglie, Zanetti, Legrottaglie, Ekdal and Camoranesi participated in most of the session with the group, including a mini-match without goalkeepers. Afterwards, Legrottaglie and Ekdal worked separately whilst Camoranesi returned to the gym alongside Salihams and Manninger. Zanetti and De Ceglie went on training with the group carrying out shooting exercises and a mini-match on a reduced field of play.

To add to the number of players on the field a number of Primavera players also trained with the squad- the site read. These were Daud, Alcibiade, Yago and Duravia, as well as Nocchi and Pinsoglio who before the match worked together with Chimenti under Giorgio Pellizzaro (our goalkeeping coach).  BTW, FYI our next match is against Chievo on Sunday, April the 5th.

IERI… OGGI… DOMANI… SEMPRE JUVE!!!

Uefa Champions League – 25 Febbraio 2009

Stamford Bridge – Londra – h 20.45

Oh, how the times have changed at Stamford Bridge since Mr. Ranieri got canned back in 2004. Well not exactly. I mean John Terry, Frank Lampard, and Petr Cech are still there. Also Chelski favorites under “The Pompous One” such as Robben, William Gallas, Claude Mikelele, and Gudjohnsen were also either brought to the Blues or nurtured by The Tinkerman himself. So I guess in a sense not that much has changed really. But player personnel aside, Claudio Ranieri will make his return to the London based club in front of many fans who probably wish they could have the Italian tactician back instead of the mess they have now Goose Hiddink.

But Scolari’s out and the Goose is ready to go. Hiddink takes over as the interim head coach until the end of the season when his future at the club will be further discussed- unless he’s fired before then. Last weekend the Dutchman’s side defeated the in form Aston Villa after Anelka struck his twenty first goal this season, in contrast to Drogba who’s only found the net once all year. The biggest change you’ll see in Hiddink’s side is in the introduction of a 4-4-2 formation with the aforementioned Anelka and Drogba together up top.

Drogba Anelka

Kalou Lampard Ballack Mikel

Cole Terry Alex Bosingwa

Cech

Hiddink’s recent thoughts on his side:

Chelsea must, and can, impose their game and not play reactive football. I like proactive football, and that’s the way we worked in this (one week) period of training, to re-establish a proactive team. I cannot have a judgement about the recent past, what I try to do is find the strength of this team and one of the demands is imposing our way of playing.

Hiddink being proactive

It seems though Goose, that the only one doing the imposing these days is Frank Lampard, who owes it all to Ranieri. Against Villa he practically gift wrapped Anelka’s goal and has been Chelski’s only bright light as of late. Anyways with direct orders from Ranieri, Sissoko will eat him up and spit him out. Conveniently for Juventus, Ballack seems to be playing at levels only seen since his house league days and the once grand Petr Cech has been looking a little shaky recently to boot. Against Villa, Chelski’s defence was exposed a couple times and with a little more creativity they could’ve easily put one or two goals past the Blues. So I’m excited, the problem is Drogba might be too. Keep your fingers crossed there.

For Juventus though, we’ve been waiting for this moment for more then two years. Big victories against big clubs is apart of our petigree and we’re hoping to prove a bit of that at Stamford Bridge. Del Piero, Camoranesi, Nedved, and Trezeguet will realise the magnitude of this game but it will be important for them to stay relaxed and not get too nervous (they’re pros but it can happen). ADP will start with Amauri up front, as Ranieri will look to Il Capitano for more of the magic he showed at the Bernabeu vs Real Madrid back in 2008. Everyone and their nonna’s know he’ll be the key to our success in this game.

Del Piero Amauri

Nedved Marchisio Sissoko Camoranesi

Molinaro Chiellini Legorttaglie Grygera

Buffon

Against Palermo Tiago looked cool under pressure didn’t he? I mean, shit, it only took him two years to adjust. Anyways, he played a solid game and the pair of CM’s complimented themselves surprisingly well. The argument that Ranieri will start him over Marchisio this Wednesday to me is a fallacy. Marchisio should be well rested, and although the ex-Chelski man is in surprisingly good form at the moment by his own standards, Marchisio has more Champions League experience this year and he’s definitely more dynamic. I think Ranieri had the option of playing Marchisio on Saturday but knew Hiddink would be watching. You see he’s a tricky old man that Ranieri, he threw a bone to Tiago whilst keeping the book on Marchisio closed until Wednesday. It’s brilliant, might not be true, but it’s brilliant.

Ranieri being proactive

Nedved can’t play another 90 mins just days after his effort in Palermo can he? Well no not effectively at least (sorry Pavel please forgive me). But knowing Ranieri, he wouldn’t take the risk starting the young Giovinco in a game like this. However Seba’s almost guranteed some playing time now so relax- let’s say around the 85th minute or so lol. Now aside from Del Piero, Camoranesi’s play is the next most important key to this game, if not equally as important. His creativity is glaringly vital here and now is the time we need him to find his form. Camo I’ve loved you from the moment I saw you, don’t let me down.

Sissoko, who has already more than doubled his goal tally with Liverpool (3 vs 1), showed some great work ethic again and nicely finished on his second goal of year. I’ll be honest though, Palermo gave him way too much time and space in their final third. For guy with a hard shot, they were asking for trouble there and Sissoko rightfully made them pay the price. Against Chelski we can’t make the same mistake. Thus Sissoko’s effort will be vital for us in our midfield. I’ve noticed that tactically when our opponents try and play up field, behind our midfield line and just in front of our defense, Ranieri turns Momo into a libero. Similar to a sweeper, Momo will roam a few feet above our back line and soak up some of the pressure. I can’t imagine anyone in the world better suited for that than Momo. I expect Chelski to do well coming forward so we’ll have to watch that area very carefully. I wonder if Ballack’s ass is still stinging from the last time he got Momo’d?

Speaking of our defense now, Giorgio is unbelievably important to us here. As if that wasn’t painstakingly obvious. Our defensive line against Chelski will have be tighter and more organized, and his wonderful sense of timing and movement, being a real step above Legrottaglie’s, will provide us with just that. He’s of a different class plan and simple. Just shut up Nicola and ride Chiellini’s coattails to success. Without him we’d be dead meat defensively in this competition. Thank God he’ll be there to keep us in check for our offside traps. That could be the difference between Drogba and Anleka… making the difference, or not. 

I wonder what Ranieri’s thinking of doing with Mellberg? He didn’t play Saturday so he could be well rested for this game, right? I mean he was arguably playing his best defence up until he was left on the bench Saturday so that would suggest he’s planning on playing here wouldn’t it? Mellberg could either be starting with Chiellini in the middle, or like he did against Lazio a few weeks back, he could fill in for Grygera at RB. Really I don’t care which position he plays, I just want him on the pitch defending. He isn’t sick at coming forward but neither is Grygera. Also he’s probably at least as good as Legro, and Nicola just played 90 mins v Palermo. But who knows, it’s not as clear cut here.

And finally, Buffon. My God he hasn’t lost a step since coming back. Still the best at coming off of his line, still the quickest at reading the play, and still fearless cutting down angles with surgical precision. It’s true, some days you’d rather be lucky than good. But I’d always want Gigi back there in any case. He’ll be solid for Wednesday, he always is. Lastly, Mr. Abramovich this one’s for you… a one… a two:

I’ll give you all I got to give if you say you’ll love me too
I may not have a lot to give but what I got I’ll give to you
I don’t care too much for money, money can’t buy me love

Can’t buy me love, everybody tells me so
Can’t buy me love, no no no, no. – The Beatles

IERI… OGGI… DOMANI… SEMPRE JUVE!!!

But that’s a different topic. I stressed several times at the end of this summer that I was impressed with Secco’s mercato and I thought he did a very solid job. Nothing legendary, but a very good job we should all be pleased and satisfied. I think you can really get a good feel for his success when compared to others, including the prices. And no, I cannot believe I’m saying this. At the end of last season, I gave him a 2 for ratings. Tiago, Almiron, Boumsong, the only signing he made that made a real impact was Grygera on a Bosman and Iaquinta, though he would become a supersub. So without further ado, here is my mid-season report card for various big clubs, perhaps to highlight Secco’s success. (Dear lord, I’ve praised Molinaro recently and now Secco. Shoot me)

MILAN:
Everyone knew what Milan needed. A strong center-forward and a defensive rejuvenation. Last summer Borriello was heavily linked to Roma, and I said one season proved nothing. I do take a bit of pleasure in the fact that a certain Romanista pointed out Borriello’s statistics were very similar to Amauri, implying they were equal in ability. No doubt Amauri would have been a brilliant buy for Milan, but they decided to get Dinho and the other half of Borriello. No significant changing of the defense.

Zambrotta- B-: Zambro is quite obviously past his best, but they did get him for a decent price. Clearly a stopgap measure though…along with Senderos.
Senderos- C+: Last season Phillipe was disastrous for Arsenal, why the hell would you snap him up as defensive cover? The fact that they signed him on a loan clearly means it’s a temporary measure because they didn’t want to actually invest in defense.
Dinho- B: He’s scored some important goals, but his transfer fee could have been far more useful in signing Amauri instead. You already have Kaka and Seedorf, he was pretty unnecessary. Still looks a shadow of his past, but at least he’s playing unlike his compatriot Adriano/Ronaldo.
Borriello- B: Just like his game for the Nazionale, he’s been guilty of some pretty awful sitters with Milan. A slightly higher grade because I think he will come good. He’ll never be a world-beater but I think he provides a good threat that Milan hasn’t had in a little while.
Cardaccio + Viudez- N/R: They haven’t played yet. Investment for the future, but that doesn’t help Milan’s case for a Scudetto this year.
Antonini- B: He played well for Empoli, but he hasn’t convinced me yet. It’d be nice if he got to play a bit more.
Sheva- F: Step in the wrong direction.
Abbiati- A: This was one of the smarter things Milan did. For all of Gallani’s talk about Dida and Kalac, it was clear that neither would cut the grade. Of course we Juventini know Abbiati quite well, who did excellent when he was in Turin. Hasn’t made any horrible errors yet, that’s a step-up. Milan never invests big in a goalkeeper, so Abbiati is probably as good as it’s going to get.

Mercato Grade: C: Simply put, they didn’t get what they needed. Borriello, Abbiati, and Zambrotta were alright signings/recalls, but Dinho, Sheva, and Senderos probably shouldn’t have been signed. Minus some points for not dumping Emerson and Dida, although we all knew Dida’s massive pay packet would be difficult to offload. Milanistas are biting their fingernails for the next mercato. Will Gallani get what Milan needs to be dominant? Or will he continue adding to his 2003-2004 Galacticos squad?

INTER:
Coming off of two (?) consecutive Scudetti, Inter didn’t need to change much, just tweak to Jose’s preference and an assault on the Champion’s League. Continuing with his 4-3-3, Mourinho went after wingers, presumably to flank Ibra much in the way Malouda/Kalou/Wright-Phillips flanked Drogba at Chelski. They didn’t need to change much, but their mercato sucked.

Muntari- B+: The only real signing that has more or less settled in. If you thought Secco loved defensive midfielders, take a look at Branca. Cambiasso, Muntari, Dacourt, Vieira….oy. He’s played decently thus far, but still hasn’t shaken the card-accumulating habits he’s had in the past.
Quaresma- F: A man doesn’t get the Bidone d’Oro for nothing. Ricky has looked awful whenever he’s played, offering very little but questions of why Inter spilled out so much for him, including Pele.
Obinna- N/R: Highly rated young player, was signed by Inter with the intention of going on loan to Everton. Didn’t get a work permit, and now rides the pine in Milan. Scored a nice goal against Roma, but that’s about it. One for the future, but he should have been sent on loan in August, if not to Everton, then, y’know, maybe Chievo. Anyone know how much Inter paid for him?
Mancini- C-: He’d probably get an F if Inter had forked out as much money for him as they did for Quaresma. Mancini hasn’t looked as awful as Quaresma, but he’s still made very little impact. Mourinho has more or less reverted to (Roberto) Mancini’s formation because of these two duds. An interesting case, he looked pretty poor the last few months at Roma, but I wonder if all sides would have been better off had he taken some anti-depressants and stayed. Roma could have used him, Inter isn’t, and Mancini would be getting playing time, albeit with a smaller paycheck.

Mercato Grade: C-: For the amount of money, the signings were pretty awful. Juve’s refusal to bring in Stankovic has paid dividends, as he’s been one of the best performers of the season. Kinda ironic. At various points, Adriano, Crespo, and Cruz have looked destined to leave. Obinna probably will, so Mourinho needs to figure out what he’s going to do up front with Ibra. Team’s performance hasn’t really been hurt by the non-transfers, though.

ROMA:
Roma got men for the positions they needed, unlike Inter or Milan. I don’t think they got the best men for the job; their signings for the most part were big-club rejects, ie- Riise, Baptista. The depth is still a little iffy.

Riise- C+ Cicinho, Cassetti, Tonetto, Panucci…Roma decided to add to their list of mediocre fullbacks. Of course, he became the pariah of Liverpool after scoring an inexplicably idiotic own goal against Chelski in the Champion’s League, a diving header that Cicinho would repeat a few months later against Bologna. He’s looked crap thus far, and I doubt he’ll do better than mediocre.
Julio Baptista- B-: Unlike many of the above mentioned transfers, Baptista isn’t complete trash, but he’s incredibly average. A few good years at Sevilla followed by flops at Real Madrid and Arsenal. If Spaletti decides to stick with his 4-2-3-1 in the future, it seems the trequartista position is better filled by Aquilani, Pizarro, or Perrotta. Baptista hasn’t really wowed at out-and-out striker either. Good backup? Sure. Can Roma win with him starting? Meh.
Menez- A-: No, he’s not the next Zizou, and no, neither is Gourcuff. My only question about the Menez signing was if Roma needed him now, or in the future. Certainly a promising player, but that was about it. He’s struggled a bit, but he’s starting to display all his potential. Pacey, skilled on the ball, young; Jeremy certainly has a bright future ahead of him.
Artur- B: I’ll be very honest and say I have not watched this guy much, but Roma was sending out Curci (long overdue) and a replacement was needed. Romanistas have had a few heart attacks with this guy, but he looked confident in the last game I saw him playing.
1/2 of Vucinic- B: I think they overpaid.
Loria- C-: Couple people (Romanistas) mentioned Juve was interested in him this summer, I never heard anything though. Thank god. This guy has looked totally out-of-sync, slow, dumb, and just about every negative adjective you can think of, no wonder he never got a chance out of the Juve youth team. He isn’t a completely worthless defender, he just can’t handle pacey strikers. Ferrari’s having an excellent season at Genoa, that was one poor trade.

Mercato Grade: B- : This was a Secco market. A few atrocious signings, a few decent ones. Coulda used one or two more signings, but at least they filled positions they needed. Shame they gave up Galloppa.

FIORENTINA/LAZIO/NAPOLI: I’m not going to go as thoroughly into their mercatos. (no offense intended to the tifosi of these teams, I’m just lazy) At the start of the season they all looked genius. Corvino had snapped up Gilardino, Jovetic, Melo, and Vargas. Marino had swooped for Maggio and Denis, and whoever heads up Lazio had finally signed Carizzo, Zarate, and Rosenthal. These have been hit or miss, for the most part. Gilardino, Zarate, Melo, and Maggio have settled in and made a solid impact. Rinaudo, Jovetic, and Carizzo have been average, (though Carizzo is much better than Nonno Balotta) and Vargas and Brocchi have been less-than-impressive.
Fiorentina: B+ (Comotto can’t replace Ufjalusi)
Lazio: B+ (Carizzo, Rozenthal, Zarate, Brocchi, solid. No major flops)
Napoli: B (Didn’t uncover another Hamsik/Lavezzi, but Maggio has been great.)

JUVENTUS:

The squad had been more or less totally revamped over the last 3 years, and it was pretty solid last year. We just needed some backup and a few tweakings. Overall, every signing Secco made this summer has done adequately, and with the exception of Poulsen (who I’m not giving up on) they have integrated beautifully.

Amauri- A+: We all knew this guy was straight beast. What none of us knew, of course, was that Trezeguet was going to have major reconstructive knee surgery. Had he not, Amauri’s signing might get a different grade, but goddamn, has he delivered. It’s gonna be tricky as hell figuring out how ADP, Trez, Amauri, Iaquinta, and Giovinco are all going to get enough playing time.
Poulsen- B: Some might say it’s a bit generous, but we signed him to be Zanetti’s backup. The guy has succeeded in the Bundesliga, in La Liga, and with the Danish national team, I’m sure he’ll come good. He’s been unfortunately to be sidelined thus far. We switched from Nocerino to Poulsen for 1million euros extra, is there anyone here that disagrees we traded up?
Ekdal, aka Mellberg’s son- N/R: It was pretty clear from the get-go we didn’t sign him to play much. Inter and Chelski were hot on his tail a few years ago. He’s got a few minutes here or there, but he’s only 19 so no rush.
Mellberg- B+: When you compare him to Loria and realize we paid nothing for him, it makes his transfer look brilliant. After a trial by fire v. Gilardino, he’s looked confident and has merged well into our system. Can play center-back or right-back capably. How about that absolutely monstrous tackle on Drenthe in the Champion’s League…
Manninger- A+: This without a doubt was Secco’s best signing, period. We got him for cheaper (!!) than Artur. I don’t know how we snuck in and nabbed him, he wasn’t a secret. Playing for Siena last year, he was one of the best keepers of Serie A. Aside from a (fairly large) mistake against Inter, Manninger has played excellently, far above what I would expect from a reserve keeper. When we found out San Gigi would be out for 3-4 months we panicked, but Alex has shown we have nothing to worry about. I remember this summer we swapped Belardi for Chimenti, and we Juventini (including yours truly) were outraged that Chimenti would be our 2nd keeper. It’s pretty clear in the end that Secco was planning otherwise the entire time.
Chimenti- N/R: He’s our 3rd keeper. I’m pretty sure we swapped him to sweeten the deal for Manninger and because he seems to get along with the squad well alla Peruzzi in Germany ‘06.
Giovinco, De Ceglie, Marchisio- A+: The only one we had to buy back was the 2nd half of PDC’s contract from Siena. Great stuff from the management to put faith in these three youngsters and recall them to base. Each have had dazzling games, but more importantly, none have had terrible. These piccoli gobbi are not benchwarmers, they have shown they are Juventus material. Particular kudos to Marchisio who has just been excellent in center-mid the entire season.
Knezevic- C- He’s like Senderos except rather than having played for Arsenal, he defended for a team that got relegated. I’m alright with signing him on a loan as backup, especially since Andrade decided his career should end, but he’s going to be out for 5 months, injured. What. the. hell.

Mercato Grade: A-: We could have used another center-back considering Knezevic decided to tear his knee alla Andrade. Mellberg and Poulsen have done well as reserves when called upon. Manninger has been superb in goal. Amauri has been tearing it up, and Marchisio, De Ceglie, and Giovinco have all impressed with the time they’ve been given. Tiago has started to prove his worth, so we have 2-3 players per position who have all proved to be up for the challenge. I’m glad we sent Almiron on loan to Fiorentina, although I wish we had sold him instead. Overall, though, the mercato were intelligent, well thought out, and we have a solid squad. When you consider our mercato v. the other of gli big, I think he did well.

Boy-oh-boy do we like to do things differently here at the Juventus Offside. Man-crushes, binge-drinking, and good ol’ fashioned rival club bashing have normally been the specials of the day until now. Today, Alessio and I proudly present to you all our post pre-season predictions. Now you may be asking yourself some simple, and very valid questions like: Hasn’t the season already began? Shouldn’t we be focusing on current issues? Why would you guys even attempt to win over our hearts now with this late lame-ass effort?  Well my friends the answer is simple… I’m incredibly lazy. The truth is Alessio had his part done about two months before the season began, and I, well, have a love affair for beer. However, time heals all wounds and you’ll be glad to hear Alessio is slowly talking to me again. Moving on, here now are some answers to some pressing questions about what we can expect this season, six months in the making.

What do you think about our transfer season?

Alessio:Overall, I’m pretty satisfied with it. We brought in quality reinforcements, and while we weren’t thrilled about it at the time it appears they were perfect for us. My friend Anthony remarked that we only brought in reinforcements where our youth players weren’t coming through, and that bears mentioning. Instead of a fantasista like Van der Vaart or Diego, we have Giovinco. Instead of Grosso as our left-back, we have De Ceglie. (Sorry, marco!) And lastly, instead of Xabi Alonso as our midfield general, we have Marchisio who put in a great performance the other day against Artmedia. We didn’t have a prima punta or defensive midfielder coming through, so we got Poulsen and Amauri. We have some great depth, I’d like maybe one or two more defenders, like Criscito. Not Knezevic. Rather than feeding him to the wolves (literally) we should have slowly integrated him in, subbing him in and playing Coppa and “smaller games.” Regardless, we have good cover.Manninger is a top-class backup keeper. I didn’t like getting rid of Belardi, but when we realized Chimenti wasn’t our starting backup, I was much more relieved about it. He did great against Italy last week. So in general, I think Secco and co did some good work this mercato. If we offload Tiago and sign Appiah on a free transfer, good deal. Appiah wants to play in bianconero badly, and there’s no doubt he’d be better than having Tiago on our bench, and he’s probably got similar (or lower) wage demands.

roberto:If you had some how been able to look into the future at the end of last year and tell me who we’d end up signing, I would’ve looked you in the eye while I slowly placed my hand atop a searing stove element. We needed quality defenders (plural) then, and we still need them today. Until that area’s addressed, Secco’s still an idiot.

What did you think of our pre-season friendlies? How did they go in your opinion?

Alessio:I never put too much stock into pre-season friendlies, but I was happy with them. Our management is planning for a big year for us, so we had several prestigious friendlies. I think (and so does Legro) we played too many, we don’t want injuries or our players to be exhausted. Last year we had some problems with Del Piero and Camoranesi missing pre-season and with Serie B, they started out poorly. 1/2 our team was at Euro2008 or the Olympics, so they’re all in good form. Best was 0-0 against Manchester United, we proved that we can hang with the best.

roberto:I think our pre-season this year was a calculated gamble by Ranieri and Juventus. Fearing his job would be on the line, Ranieri had to make sure we were more than ready before the start of our Serie A campaign to guarantee our entry into the Champions League group stage. So, we scheduled a lot of games within a short period of time. This of course raised our chances of someone getting seriously injured. However, the Tinkerman knows that there was really no alternative for achieving match fitness in time other than playing (you guessed it) matches. When all was said and done, Juventus put in some descent performances along the way, made it into the CL group stages, and came out virtually unharmed.

Who will be our breakout star this season?

Alessio:Hard decision, I think all our signings will do well. I was enthusiastic about signing Tiago, but he had shown elements of his lack of “personality” before, and Almiron was unproven at a top level. I can’t see that happening to our new arrivals. Maybe nothing eye-popping, but I don’t think they’ll flop. Everyone says Giovinco, and I think he will light it up. I’ll go with Marchisio though, he really impressed me against Artmedia. I’d been talking him up before but he distributed the ball well with good passing, showed some good individual skills, and showed no hesitation in challenging for the ball. His performance made me forget about Xabi Alonso already, let’s hope he continues to grow.

roberto: “Our” breakout star is going to be Amauri. Ask yourself one thing: Is there another striker like him in the world?

Who will make the biggest impact this year?

Alessio: Dr. Agricola. Seriously. If we can stay relatively healthy and injury-free, we can do very well this season. Other than that? Camoranesi. He’s proven how crucial he is to the team and he’s without a doubt our most creative player, and his crosses are beautiful. He needs to stay injury-free.

roberto:Amauri will make the biggest impact this year. Aside from focusing on his array of abilities for a minute, think of this guy’s potential on the international scene. No doubt he’ll make his Azzurri debut as soon as his passport comes in, plus he’ll be enjoying his first taste of the Champions League with Juventus. I’m telling you, sooner or later, you’ll be forgetting about Giovinco… in a good way.

Last season injuries and suspensions hurt our backline badly, and in January we were regularly fielding a Legro-Grygera center-back partnership. Do you think our defense has enough depth for this season?

Alessio: I’d be a bit more comfortable with another player, but I think we’ll be ok. Andrade’s relapse was a real downer, because I thought we would be well covered. I wish we brought back Criscito and slowly integrated him, he could be great alongside Chiellini. One an enforcer, one more of a positional-Cannavaro/Nesta style defender. We have Chiellini, Legrottaglie, Mellberg, Zebina, Grygera, Salihamidzic, Molinaro, De Ceglie, and Knezevic, most of these players can cover in alternate positions. I think yes. I think with the Champion’s League TV revenue and maybe a bit of leftover transfer kitty, Secco might be waiting till January to either bring in reinforcements or an added team member, which is a good idea.

roberto:No chance. I don’t see our defensive personnel having enough gas for Serie A, international duty, and the fucking Champions League. Come January, we’ll need to make a big move (when have you heard that before?)… But of course by then who’s going to be eligible to play for us in the CL?

We’ve finally made it back to the Champion’s League after a two-year absence. Do you think we have a legitimate chance at winning it? How far do you expect to go?

Alessio: We could win it, but I don’t expect to. On our day, we can beat any team in Europe. But with injuries, suspensions, exhaustion, and general poor form, we won’t be always playing in top shape. So it all depends how the season ends up, I would like a quarterfinal finish. Of course it would be nice to win it in Rome, which as all Juventini know is the stadium where we won it last, against Ajax. Extra bonus of winning it in Roma’s territory, but I’m not holding my breath.

roberto: Here’s what I think the issue (or question) is concerning our Champions League hopes this year. Can we expect our club’s inherit grit and determination to make-up for our obvious lack of depth in our back-line? The answer my friends is harder than fuck to come up with. All I know is that in sports, anything can happen. Juventusis off to a good start this year and with a little luck we can certainly go far. Who wouldn’t like to see our boys that battled Serie B lift the trophy up above their heads in Rome?

Can Ranieri deliver us the Scudetto this year? What do you think are our chances of victory? What is the key to Juve winning the Scudetto?

Alessio: Yes, in my opinion our Champion’s League commitment might be our undoing. I don’t think the Italian media is giving us enough credit. I think Inter has a bit of an advantage, and Milan/Juve have an equal chance with Roma just slightly behind. If we don’t get some penalty bullshit this season and Inter’s defensive injury crisis continues, I think we have good odds. As of now, Bwin is giving 2.20 on Inter winning the league, Milan 3.50, Juve 5.25, and Roma 6.00. (Fiorentina is far behind) It’s going to be a pretty open championship and I think any of the big 4 could feasibly win it.

roberto: Ranieri is a good coach. Personally I think this will be his last best shot at winning anything with a top club, and I hope he can be successful. The guy is a class act who seems to know what it takes to win. This year our lads look like they’re in good shape which leads me to believe we can certainly contend for the Scudetto this year. What’s the key to Juventus winning the Scudetto? The name of the game is consistency folks. It always has been, and always will be. If we can put out a more consistent performance than Inter this year, the league championship is ours.

What are your opinions on Milan’s mercato? Inter’s? Roma’s? Fiorentina’s? Other squads?

Alessio: Long question. Here we go:
Milan-They did well in bringing in reinforcements, they’ve been too weak over the last few years. Sheva, Ronaldinho, Borriello, Zambrotta, Senderos all have high potential, whether each player attains it is up to debate. They didn’t really reinforce the positions they needed, but they do have quality players, but it’ll be a battle for many of them to get back to glory. I don’t think they are enough to win the Scudetto, but they don’t have the Champion’s League to worry about. Hopefully Pirlo can get back to his best.
Inter-When Mourinho first arrived, the media was predicting a whole-scale revolution, but most Calcio fans knew one really wasn’t happening. Muntari and Mancini are pretty good pickups, however as most people have been saying Mourinho is their best signing. I don’t think he’s god, but he’s certainly better than the tactical dunce that was Roberto Mancini. If they pick up Quaresma, they have done very well in the market. Suazo’s had a year-to-forget and should pack his bags, for whever.
Roma-About time they started moving, Prade should have done this a month ago when they were training at Trigoria, so it’ll take a bit for the team to integrate. Menez is a quality pickup, and I’m sure he’ll be kicking ass in the spring, he’ll need some time to adjust. Baptista and Riise I’ll hold off final judgement though, Riise doesn’t impress me and Baptista had sort of been floundering over the last few years. They almost have enough depth, 1-2 more players (out-and-out striker and a CB) would be perfect.
Fiorentina-Home run. Quality and quantity. Prandelli should be happy he has backers like the Della Valle brothers and Corvino as his talent scout. Vargas will be sensational. They could do with another CB though, they didn’t properly replace Ufjalusi. If anyone can get Gilardino to his “Serie A Young Player of the Year” best it’s Prandelli.
Catania- Great work in the market, I think Zenga and co. will comfortably survive relegation and they’ve set some building blocks for the future. ~10 points above relegation.
Torino- A team destined for the relegation battle couldn’t do better than picking up relegation-specialists Amoruso and Bianchi. They had no firepower last season, but with Rosina and that duo up front, the Toro will also avoid relegation. Good pickups.
Others-Lazio and Palermo seem similar, both brought in a lot of new recruits and I’m not sure how they’ll settle. Palermo’s midfield still sucks. Midtable for both. Genoa brought in Palladino as their new #10, so I’ll be watching, Former Juve youth coach Gasperini did well in getting Ferrari for their leaky defense, not enough for a Uefa cup push but also mid-table. Napoli did great work yet again, they are really rising. 

roberto:Milan Milan Milan. Much like Juventus, they forgot to do anything significant about their back-line. Flamini this, Ronaldinho that. Zambrotta was a good move but last I checked, he isn’t exactly who you’d want in Kakakladziii’s boots. Inter just fucking pisses me off. Now they finally an official mascot in their gypsy Quaresma. Roma still pisses me off, but I like what they’ve done with the place. Just a matter of getting everyone on Spaletti’s page… or off it, who knows. Fiorentina is grooving with Gilardino’s revelation. I’ll add Lazio here as they’ve really found a star in Mauro Zarate. The kid is dope.

With the Big 4 temporarily enlarged to the “Big 5,” who do you think is going to finish in 5th place?

Alessio:Tough call. I’m going with Fiorentina. I think the Champion’s League is going to take a toll on them (even if they have a good bench) and they’ll slip a bit. Not as catastrophic as Lazio but a slip none the less. No offense to Viola fans.

roberto:Napoli, you watch.

Giovinco, De Ceglie, and Marchisio all impressed on loan last season. Do you expect them to winning starting spots by the end of the season? With young players like Essabr and Pasquato out on loan will they have similar seasons?

Alessio:Not quite starting roles for all, but I think Giovinco and De Ceglie may be starting towards the end of the season. Marchisio will be playing often but he won’t be first choice quite yet, I don’t think. Essabr and Pasquato? No, I think they need 2 years on loan, they have great potential but are very young. With Rossi, Esposito, and Ekdal also around we will be set for years to come.

roberto:Molinaro shits himself to sleep every night thinking of the day De Ceglie takes his starting role from him officially. Oddly enough, many Juventini have the same dream however we have very different endings. Marchisio will get to start and so will Giovinco. They will impress, and we will all rejoice in song. Molinaro is garbage… I just wanted to add that.

Who’s going to get relegated?

Alessio:Lecce, Cagliari, and Reggina. Lecce’s team doesn’t impress me, Cagliari was very stupid to not keep their coach, and Reggina isn’t going to survive if they keep dumping their star forwards. Berretta is a good coach but I’m not sure he can do it with Lecce. I think they might be replaced by their hated rivals AS Bari. BWIN is calling Lecce, Chievo, and Reggina with Siena, Catania, Cagliari, and Bologna very close.

roberto: Cagliari, Reggina, and Bologna. Too bad for Jeremy over at the Cagliari Offside. The man works hard… go check him out.

This year, Empoli took the hardest dive, from a Uefa cup finish to relegation. What team do you think is going to do comparatively poor this season? Who will rise the most?

Alessio:I don’t think any team is going to have a comparatively disasterous season. But I think Udinese is going to drop out of the Uefa cup spot.

roberto: Inter, they really need some steady coaching in there. Oh boy, look out day 13!

Despite eventually being sacked, Claudio Ranieri was very popular in England while with Chelsea. Do you like the Mister? Do you think he is capable of leading us to silverware?

Alessio:I do like the guy, he seems like a good motivator and a good tactician. His subs were sometimes off last season, but I do think he can win us silverware. If we get the Coppa Italia we get a silver star (for 10). If we win the Scudetto we get our 3rd star. I’d love a Scudetto, Coppa Italia, and quarterfinal CL finish.

roberto: I feel like I already answered this question. Yes and yes.

If you could add one player (realistically) or one particular position to the squad, what would it be?

Alessio:Fabiano Santacroce. A solid young center-back. I’d like Criscito to return as an alternative.

roberto:If De Ceglie wasn’t around I’d love to have Maxwell from Inter. Just think of the quality we’d have with him and Nedved on our left side. But, if I could only have one player than I’d have to go with a centre-back. Maybe Ferdinand… Maybe

For shits and giggles, predict Serie A 2008-2009

Alessio:
1. Inter
2. Juve
3. Milan
4. Roma
5. Fiorentina
6. Napoli
7. Lazio
8. Sampdoria
9. Udinese
10. Palermo
11. Genoa
12. Atalanta
13. Torino
14. Catania
15. Siena
16. Chievo
17. Bologna
18. Cagliari
19. Reggina
20. Lecce

roberto:
1. Juventus

 IERI… OGGI… DOMANI… SEMPRE JUVE!!!