Re: Juventus 2017/2018 Serie A and Coppa Italia thread

[Luca]

I would’ve taken off Wingdzukic. Him and Asamoah is a worse combination than Molinaro and Jorge Martinez

Pjanic was absolutely not in it today

[rincon]

I think Torreira just nominated himself to join us next summer with this match.

[Luca]

3-0 Samp

That feeling when the white stripes turn red and not because of a Chiellini head injury but because you’ve become Milan

Allegri got wrecked today

[rincon]

Szczesny ffs. 2 games conceding 4 and like no saves.

[Luca]

Can’t really fault him on any of those goals

To be honest, I feel like this result is a long time in the making. We have gone through too many games this season on will and talent alone and not our play. If we play like this against Barcelona then our season willl quickly be finished

[rincon]

No part of our season depends on the Barca game.

[rincon]

Can’t really fault him on any of those goals

To be honest, I feel like this result is a long time in the making. We have gone through too many games this season on will and talent alone and not our play. If we play like this against Barcelona then our season willl quickly be finished

You said yourself how good we were looking for the first half of the game. This game was not one we took on will and talent alone. We were dominating, looked really fluid and conceded no chances.

This game we lost on finishing, bad luck and then taking out Bernardeschi.

[Luca]

@rincon no, I said Bernardeschi was looking dangerous. We did play a better first half than Sampdoria and Cuadrado definitely has to score that chance. This game was the exact same as the Super Coppa with Lazio. Cuadrado missed a golden chance at 0-0, and we end up down by a couple of goals.

3-2 is really undeserved.

I like that you’re positive about everything Rincon but we went down 3-0. Sampdoria is by no means a poor team but we were a great big joke today

[rincon]

Its not about being positive. How can I be positive after losing??

The analysis has to be right when losing too.

The 45 min we played some of the more fluid football we have played this season. Higuain had a chacne to score about 3 minutes in when Bernardeschi played him on goal. Cuadrado had a goal and did the worst possible decision. Higuain screwed up a 3v1 counter and passed to Cuadrado who STILL should have score with 1 touch but didn't get to the ball. Etc. Etc.

Blaming this on the team wanting to get through on will and talent alone is nonsense. The teamplay completely nullified Samp and afforded them no chances while we should have been well ahead.

Conceding a goal brought them back into the game and then Max taking out Bernardeschi broke the team.

The games were we try to just rely on talent are based on individual actions usually from Dybala and Higuain. Like the end of this game when Dybala scored the 3-2.

Unlike the Sporting game, this was the game where we didn't, how this result was a long time on the making I don't know. Unless its a reference to Higuain and Cuadrado being expected to miss chances.

[Luca]

Fair enough brother @rincon. I personally do not believe we played particularly well but definitely had the chances. My issue is, with all the attacking talent we have, you would think we would finish those chances and if we don't, create even more. Finals are decided by these individual moments because you expect the chance creation to be so limited but with all due respect to Sampdoria, this should not be the case.

I'm not blaming this game particularly on talent and will, but games in the past that we got through despite not playing well as a team but being rescued by a Dybala or Higuain type movement like you had latter suggested.

My reference is to our defensive play as well as our attacking play. Too many times have we made a defensive error that has cost us a goal, it happens. Rarely do you see it more than once but today we really got hit by 3 avoidable goals. Maybe the Toreira shot comes out of nowhere but the other two, we could've done better on. Then of course it goes back to the attack missing chances to put us out on front to begin with.

Of course you can be positive after losing, there's obviously a bigger picture to consider always but today we sucked in my opinion. Hopefully we can improve and we have a tough few games on the horizon, Barcelona, Napoli away...

[rincon]

I agree with all that.

The forwards really let us down with the finishing. 8 shots between the front 3 and 0 goals. Plus some bad decisions and then just plain bad luck.

The loss can be merited but given the chances we created to have scored 0 by the 90th was a big fail on the strikers.

The goals we conceded were fully avoidable. The first goal I give to chance, its a bad clearance, whatever. The second one though Szczesny should stopped that. You can't concede a long shot like that to your near post. He was even positioned properly but reacted too slow. The third one its unbelievable that no one cleared that pass (Licht ).

Everything went wrong in terms of the details of the match. You can't create that much and do nothing with it. Then proceed to concede on every chance they get.

[Luca]

I think our front four doesn't play that well together this season.

We only look like a good attacking team when Dybala is on the top of his game, he draws so much attention and he is just so damn good when he's playing his best. There is no better player in Serie A than Dybala on top speed.

However, we become too Dybala-centric and then he may not have the best of games but still get all the attention he would normally receive. It is at this moment when you hope players around him step up.

For me, Wingdzukic has to retire. Great solution for particular instances but it cannot be the staple of our team. We have the opportunity to play with one of Bernardeschi or Douglas Costa who are just much more dynamic players in what they can bring to our team going forward. Can we really sit here and say that from a winger's perspective, Mandzukic has been any better than Bernardeschi or Douglas Costa in the limited time we've been able to see them? Definitely not.

Cuadrado plays super well but when you miss a chance like today, you've got to be glued to the bench for a bit.

Pjanic-Khedira, our most experienced double pivot were also quite poor today.

When this much goes wrong, its only normal that you lose a match. Credit to Sampdoria, I knew this was going to be a very tough match and we always seem to play these types of matches right after an international break and before a Champions League game..

[Warrior]

Sometimes i wonder if we'd do better with a pitbull in the midfield, an intimidating player that can do dirty plays to calm the opposition.

Someone ala Poulsen but better.

[rincon]

ffs Allegri he is reading my posts about the match

“All I can say is that it was a good first half and we made some mistakes in our finishing and choices in the final third,” Allegri told Mediaset Premium.

“The first Sampdoria shot turned into a goal thanks to a scuffed clearance. We needed patience after going 1-0 down and not to lose our sharpness, as there were 40 minutes to go, plenty of time to turn it around.

“From a possible equaliser, we went to 2-0, that is football for you. That can happen too, but we cannot leave ourselves open to the counter and lose our cool like that. It’s disappointing.

“This was one of our best first half performances of the season, but we didn’t score a goal to show for it. Even when going behind, we had the chances and should’ve been less hasty.

“We’ve got to sort ourselves out, as we are conceding too many goals at the moment, especially away from home. Our only away clean sheet was against Milan.

“This was an unexpected slap that really made us lose our cool. We should’ve been patient, even if things weren’t going our way. It’s a long game, you have to stay calm.”

[Luca]

Could've mentioned how absolutely nothing came down the left side but I'm assuming Mandzukic must have naked pictures of Allegri on his phone in order to get such leeway

Class act from Allegri, those words are why he's my favourite manager

[Tomwin Lannister]

Kinda want us to go back to 4-3-1-2 if we can't land a real game changer on the wing

Berna #10 Dybala SS Higuain CF.

If the almost astoundingly inconsistent Cuadrado (Prefer him as a wing back) Costa and 40 year old CF Mandzukic are what's tying us to a formation with wide players, then sign me up to get rid of that.


GK
Spinazzola - (Most in form CB) - Chiellini - AS
Pjanic - Marchisio - SMS (Whichever order the manager sees fit)
Berna
Dybala - Higuain

[Luca]

Would love it but I feel like this season is 4-2-3-1 until the end

Also, I'm not sure if were better with an extra midfielder when we consider the drop off of an attacker

Cuadrado has been our best winger this season to be honest

As for the future, that's damn sexy @tom

[Tomwin Lannister]

Yeah as for this season, don't care tbh. Just lock up a CL place and be done with it.

But we need to seriously change next season. And for once i'd like us to field a starting XI twice in a row before match day 10.

[Tomwin Lannister]

Agreed about Cuadrado, but that's not a good thing
t
If we don't have a single consistent winger that has great output then we shouldn't bother. We'll be competing with teams that have real difference makers out wide. I'd rather stack the MF and keep 2 up top. I'm not sure we even have a top 10 wing pairing in Europe.

[Luca]

I agree with that tom. Not necessarily a good thing and considering Mandzukic's wing play it doesn't exactly paint the best picture.

I know I seem like a Mandzukic hater but I'm not, I love him as a player and as a striker but for what a winger ought to be doing in a 4-2-3-1, I do not believe in his characteristics. It's abundantly clear when Asamoah is the left back, who offers nothing going forward and never even overlaps play compared with Alex Sandro who makes that side dance.

But Cuadrado has earned his minutes at least. He's been decisive in the Champions League particularly. He has a great understanding with Dybala and Higuain and he even allows us to field Lichsteiner who still tries to play like he's 25 with a nickname of Forrest Gump. Now he's more like Forrest Stump because that tree is rooted to the spot

[Tomwin Lannister]

Don't know how Lichts reading of the game has dropped off he's absolutely clueless at times. Maybe he's just not motivated to keep it up after being CL dropped twice in favour for asshole Alves and SturaRB. Either way, he needs to be released along with Asamoah.

I just wish we'd convert Cuadrado to full back. But by all means this season he can start at wing until the season is over. And that can't come soon enough.

[Luca]

In the CL we ended up dropping Cuadrado to fullback. I'm sure it's something to consider but to me it's a waste. Particularly with Alex Sandro doing that job on the left. It's a matter of balance.

I think we need to find our best midfield pairing and find it soon. If its Khedira-Pjanic, then so be it but they better start playing like it

[rincon]

Bernardeschi has to play even if it is as a midfielder. Costa/Cuadrado can rotate as the starting winger on the other side. That or a 3-4-3.

Higuain
Bernardeschi - Dybala - Cuadrado/Costa
X - Pjanic
Sandro - Chiellini - Rugani - De Sciglio

With the winger sides changed as needed.

Higuain
Bernardeschi - Dybala
Sandro - X - Pjanic - Cuadrado
Chiellini - Rugani - Howedes

[Luca]

Bernardeschi plays with too much nerves right now. He commits needless fouls and picks up yellow cards. He’s so damn good but I think he needs to find some composure.

I believe he wants so badly to make an impact and it works against him. He wants to play and stay on the field and that’s never happened for him yet.

Reminds me a bit of Dybala when he arrived at Juve but he adapted a bit quicker

[rincon]

That all goes away with minutes. Creating an understanding between him and Dybala should be a priority for Allegri. They should always play together. If they clock it would be devastating.

[Luca]

Minutes aren’t so easily given on this team but man, Bernardeschi has so much upside. He has technique, size, strength, speed and creativity.

He’s a wonderful signing. I was really happy to see him start at #10 spot.

I’m hopeful by the second half of our season he’s a starter

[Sponsored content]