• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Football Thread 2011/12 |OT9| Dedicated to Morosini & others who didn't make it. RIP.

J

Jamie OD

Member
Even though I think the league will really be decided when City faces Newcastle next Sunday, I'm hyped for tonight's game to begin.
 
Z

Zabojnik

Member
fadetoblack said:
Long post but I'm getting a bit frustrated with fellow Juventini wanting to cut our squad players.

You guys say this now, but we're going to need players like Borriello, Giaccherini, Estigarribia, Pepe, and company who don't play every week but contribute their 20 games a season across all competitions even if those are substitutions. We need a slightly bloated squad given the high intensity we play at and that well be in thee competitions next year (four with supper coppa, I guess).
Click to expand...

Indeed. You need to strike a balance between quality and number or players, though. Which is why, I think, some of us would like to 'get rid' of Borriello. Not because we think we can manage a long and tiresome season with one less striker, but because we're hoping to get someone better in his place. :) Then, there's Matri. It seems pretty clear to me that Conte isn't his biggest fan. Far from it, in fact. So let's sell him and get someone Conte will actually think about using when Vucinic and Mister X won't be available.

We get rid of Grosso, Krasic, Iaquinta, Amauri (he's technically on loan, no?), Martinez, Motta, one of Pazienza or Padoin, Melo, possibly players like De Silvestromwh haven't really lived up to our quality, Ekdal probably too thoug I really like him. We loan out Sorensen, probably Marrone, Giandonato again, sign Verratti which it looks like we have for ages. Promote Appelt or Buoy, even.
Click to expand...

No complaints here, perfect.

Our defense remains largely unchanged. Potentially we bring back Sorensen and give him a runout in coppa games, but he's clearly behind Caceres and Lichtsteiner at RB and Barzagli, Bonucci, and Chiellini at CB. Very seriously an emergency player. We buy a LB to compete with Paolino for backup role when Chiellini is in the cente, or for LWB position. Possibly we get linked with Bastos again.
Click to expand...

It may not seem like it now, given how incredibly well the Barza-Bonny-Chiello trio has been performing this season, but I still think we need a world-class CB to complete our defense. Sure, we could make due with Caceres or hope that Barzagli and Bonucci repeat what they did this year. But if we're really serious about making it back to the very top and staying there, we should think about getting someone like, say, Hummels. Easier said than done, I know.

In the middle we really need a vice-Pirlo and some cover for our box-to-box midfielders. Maybe Verratti doesn't get loaned right away. Frankly, if we're bringing Giovinco back, I would use him alternatively in the centre in an emergency. Still dislike the fucker, but that's football. Maybe Aquilani makes a surprise return? As a backup his fragility isn't that much of a concern.
Click to expand...

I could live with Giovinco returning, if he keeps his mouth shut. Aquilani never convinced me, same as Montolivo, but I guess there are worse players out there. I think we could do better, though.

Up front, we possibly get a new RW to properly compete with Pepe (we can't actually imagine him as a CL starter, right?). I'm thinking Destro at Siena has the qualities to play in that role, maybe Elia surprises us, possibly this Ramirez chap we've been linked with in the past. And we get a new ST and vice-Vucinic since Delpo is going to the USA. ST pecking order will probably be something like New Striker (Dzeko? Torres? Suarez? Somebody from the Portuguese league?), Matri, Quagliarella/Borriello. That is totally reasonable for three competitions. It leaves us with plenty of depth and talent, cover for injuries amd tactical changes. We don't want to go through the injury crisis at Milan and blow our title chances or fail to qualify for CL knockouts.
Click to expand...

Yep, we definitely need a better Pepe + current Pepe as backup, don't know who would be ideal. I'd give Elia a second chance. Our first priority should be a prima punta, obviously.

The fact is, next year is not the year to even think about the treble. It's to consolidate our place in the league, make some waves in Europe, and make a run for the Coppa. To use Conte's favourite phrase, we haven't achieved anything yet. Baby steps, man. We are right to get excited, but can't pretend we are a Goliath team yet. We're still leagues behind Bayern, United, Milan in terms of a complete squad, let alone Madrid and Barca.
Click to expand...

Couldn't agree more. We're still very much a work in progress, which is why I have no particular expectations for next season. As I've said before - this season could very well be our best chance to win the scudetto in the next few years. Who knows what'll happen next year with the added CL stress. But I'm positive we'll do well on all fronts.
 
Y

Yurt

il capo silenzioso
Zabojnik said:
Indeed. You need to strike a balance between quality and number or players, though. Which is why, I think, some of us would like to 'get rid' of Borriello. Not because we think we can manage a long and tiresome season with one less striker, but because we're hoping to get someone better in his place. :) Then, there's Matri. It seems pretty clear to me that Conte isn't his biggest fan. Far from it, in fact. So let's sell him and get someone Conte will actually think about using when Vucinic and Mister X won't be available.




It may not seem like it now, given how incredibly well the Barza-Bonny-Chiello trio has been performing this season, but I still think we need a world-class CB to complete our defense. Sure, we could make due with Caceres or hope that Barzagli and Bonucci repeat what they did this year. But if we're really serious about making it back to the very top and staying there, we should think about getting someone like, say, Hummels.
Click to expand...

Matri :( It's weird how the tables turned, he was Conte's undisputed first choice in the first half of the season. I guess Conte met Federica.

Hummels is my dream signing, I'm a HUGE HUGE fan. It's really unlikely he's going to leave BVB though, not for Italy at least. Hmm, Astori keeps getting linked with us lately.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Calling out rumors, insiders and "sources"
2 3 4 5
245
22K
Varteras replied
UEFA Women’s EURO 2017 [OT] The Netherlands 16 July – 6 August
2 3 4
193
20K
Peru replied
  • Locked
Football Thread |OT14| Only Wilbury's belly is smoother than BAAAYEEERNs season
396 397 398 399 400
20K
655K
Timurid replied
Football Thread |OT13| This title has been fixed
393 394 395 396 397
20K
688K
Blue Lou replied
  • Locked
Football Thread |OT11| Campaign: Save a donkey in Colombia
395 396 397 398 399
20K
701K
pulga replied
Top Bottom