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Just words, yeah, let's hope Juve leaves it at that

Even Praet himself says that things haven't gone well. Lets hope Juve listens.

Didn't we have some issues with Sampdoria in the summer because of that czech striker ?

No point making business with them right now, since they can only offer decent at best and/or overpriced players. No gems in their current squad as far as i know.

Warrior wrote:So we'd have a LB rotation of Darmian + Spinazzola... while earning the jackpot for Alex Sandro ? Where can i subscribe ? We'll MAKE money by doing this.

Enough money to fund a world class (or soon to be WC) midfielder, which is still the priority. Emre Can/Pellegrini/Barella are not immediate solutions...

Well, with Marchisio's physical decline, along with players like Sturaro still on the team sheet, I think its feasible to have enough playing time for Emre Can, Pellegrini/Barella/Cristante and then still make another midfield signing.

By this, I mean its too early to predict the future of players like Khedira. We play 50 games per season and right now were not depending on much in the midfield area.

I do completely agree regarding Praet, I don't see him as rated that highly but if he joins, I hope he impresses us

Yeah everyone that joins I hope they become great of course. Its just a matter of what bets seem more worthwhile.

It was like when Beppe signed Lemina permanently (Praet not as bad ofc). Wtf was that. Was a scrub during the loan and very predictably stayed a scrub. It was a gamble that he could become great and it didn't pay off. Its fine that Beppe loses some as they can't be perfect on transfers. A lower risk gamble would be to sign players, like we usually do, who have been performing already and look to take the next step.

So when Praet gets outperformed by his teammates at Sampdoria, I have to ask, why him for Juve?

I of course did not watch him at Anderlecht, so maybe he was looking like a top talent, who knows.

I do agree, I just like to play Devil's Advocate from time to time, if only to explore different ideas and maybe lend an explanation here and there.

Personally, I don't get moving for a player like Praet- with all respect. I mean, we have turned out a lot of gems, in Serie A especially, we usually know what were getting into when we make a signing but of the players we have been linked with: Sergej, Cristante, Barella, Toreira, Praet? Definitely seems like the worst of the lot.

But in a team where even Sturaro can find an odd game, who knows

I'm a bit pissed off to see us throwing and waste money here and there on unproven players.
We should have learned from past deals like Pereyra,Sturaro,Lemina etc.
Why don't we go for a big name in midfield for once? Sandro's likely sale might provide us with some cash to buy a replacement for him and add some to fund a new midfielder.

I wanna see us splash 70-80 mln € for Niguez (my first pick),Milinkovic-Savic or Koke. If Can also comes on a free we'll have our midfield problems fixed for the years to come.

That leaves us with only RB as a problematic position where we can always adapt Cuadrado to play there.I'm sure he can be world class there.

As for the "dissapointing" names we are linked with I only think Jankto or Torreira will do good here with the second being a question mark how he will fit in our already fragile midfield.

I like Torreira's style, sadly he might be too short for us. Max already complained of Marchisio's height and he isn't even short. Since we have Pjanic he said he needs a taller CM next to him to win duels and prefers Khedira for it. In terms of style Cristante is the man for that, probably the best cm in the league in the air. Sergej fits the bill too. Mid 3 for him, can't have 2 midgets in a pivot.

I don't know how Jankto holds himself physically, I'd guess he is fine since he isn't short. Jankto I rate more than Torreira so far (besides the height). I'd like him more for the LCM role than the double pivot pivot, the Matuidi role. Jankto seems too attacking for being able to play with Pjanic in the centre. Mid 3 for him.

Even Pellegrini and Barella seem made for a mid 3 as well. Always assuming that the other mid is Pjanic of course.

All these guys I have a hard time seeing in a double pivot except for Sergej and Cristante.

I think our future lies with the 4-2-3-1 alternating with that 4-4-2/4-3-3 that Allegri has been playing where the left wing is a midfielder. There those guys can fit. Then next to Pjanic we play one of the two (Sergej/Cristante) or we stick with Khedira/Bentancur. Only considering the links we have so far.

tl dr: drop the cash on Sergej and be done with it. Sell Sandro for it if need be. He is the exact guy we need.

Agreed with that, Sergej + Can would really bolster our midfield

I do disagree about our future being with 4-2-3-1, I think were going to be a 3 man midfield team. Its more solid and allows Pjanic to really do his thing but that's not to say we won't ever use the 4-2-3-1 because I know we will too, we have the attackers for it

I feel like this is going to be a big summer for us

Pjanic has payed the best football of his career, and the best football for us, in 4-2-3-1. A lot better than he was in a mid 3.

In general I prefer the mid 3, no doubt. The problem with that is Dybala. Allegri has said so many times that Dybala plays best through the center. He is no winger. If we commit to Dybala, we likely commit to using a SS. Then we talking of a 4-2-3-1/4-4-2 or a 4-3-1-2. The later one seems too forced given our squad, wide players and lack of midfielders.

I disagree regarding Pjanic in a pivot versus a trio. He's been immense in all of our big games, unsurprisingly every one of those games were using a midfield 3

https://www.whoscored.com/Players/30226/Fixtures/Miralem-Pjanic

https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/1225333/Live/Italy-Serie-A-2017-2018-Cagliari-Juventus
https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/1225311/Live/Italy-Serie-A-2017-2018-Juventus-Roma
https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/1225300/Live/Italy-Serie-A-2017-2018-Bologna-Juventus
https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/1225291/Live/Italy-Serie-A-2017-2018-Juventus-Inter
https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/1225284/Live/Italy-Serie-A-2017-2018-Napoli-Juventus

*I'm not using whoscored to suggest I'm basing this off of his rating, I just mean these are all games we played the midfield 3, and you can go on and look at more of them. Pjanic has been brilliant for us

A 3 man midfield doesn't necessarily rule out Dybala in our attack, like you said, a 4-3-1-2 is possible and even a 4-3-2-1 with him in a "free" role like against Napoli this season

We didn't play a mid 3 in most of those games. Its a 4-4-2 as flat as can be and Pjanic and Khedira played in their regular roles.

Against Napoli Costa was hard on the right and Matuidi on the left. Old school 4-4-2.

Dybala has been playing his same role every time in all these games.

In a midfield 3 Pjanic plays either as mezzala or regista, as we have played some times this season. Iirc in none of the games that Max has done that, Dybala has played.

Checked those who scored links, its even in there.

Look at Bernardeschi's and Matuidi's heat map against Cagliari. Wings, 4-4-2.

Against Roma, mid 3, no Dybala.

Bologna, mid 3, no Dybala.

Napoli, 4-4-2. As traditional, static, old school, as a 4-4-2 can be. Says it straight up in the lineup there, 4-4-1-1.

Inter, mid 3, no Dybala.

Pjanic is brilliant in general, mostly so since Max changed his position. Anyway, doesn't matter. Pjanic will come through anyway, no need to discuss about that.

Most importantly, its Dybala. Allegri has said so many times that to exploit Dybala he has to be played centrally and that he cannot be a CF at a big club.

I was only talking about Pjanic in a midfield three, not Dybala.

Also, any line up with Matuidi as a winger is still a midfielder 3 in my eyes but I do see your point.

It's true about Dybala, its a lot like Del Piero to be honest, you'd never see him successfully playing up top alone for any "big" club.

Right now, it seems Dybala's worst enemy is himself and rather than building our formation and playing through him, he's been playing himself out of the 11. I hope he comes back from injury stronger than ever because we need him and he's that good

Yes I guess you can call it a midfield 3 but it doesn't change much as it doesn't change the roles of Khedira and Pjanic. We play with no mezzalas so its unlike the mid 3 in a 3-5-2 or a 4-3-3. Its like when Sturaro is right back we are not changing the shape of our midfield, he just plays a different role.

Its the same as having Mandzukic on the left but you have someone that runs faster and passes better instead of a terrifying giant.

Agreed, its just like Del Piero. It was worth to commit to Del Piero, I think it'll be worth committing to Dybala as well.

rincon wrote:Agreed, its just like Del Piero. It was worth to commit to Del Piero, I think it'll be worth committing to Dybala as well.

He's absolutely worth it. I hope he retires with Juve to be honest. Its just recently, its hard to imagine when even Bonucci left, you just never know what's going to happen, until it does

Still praying we see that Bernardeschi and Dybala chemistry bloom into something really devastating

What's taking you so long to sign Emre Can?
I can't stand him in a LFC shirt, Please take him away asap

So we ain't making any moves this transfer season?
We loaned out Pjaca and we have Dybala & Cuadrado out for a month.Hopefully we won't get anymore injuries.
The situation in midfield is almost the same with injury prone players such as Marchisio and Khedira.Pjanic has that tendency to get minor injuries time to time as well.
We also got De Sciglio on that same boat.

We should have brought a solid player just in case.A jolly able to play multiple positions.Padoin type

It seems we might be trying to hijack Politano's move to Napoli. Cuadrado's injury apparently could be pretty serious.

rincon wrote:It seems we might be trying to hijack Politano's move to Napoli. Cuadrado's injury apparently could be pretty serious.

Maybe that explains the Carrasco links a bit more but I still feel like between Bernardeschi and Douglas, were ok, they've not exactly played a full season of minutes in their first halves of the season

ffs take Emre Can

We tried, Liverpool said no

So basically we only have 4 attacking players now just like last year when our 4 attackers got tired and we had no one in bench to give them a rest.

Cuadrado sadly will be out for longer than a month apparently.So like Luca mentioned there are rumors we might go for Politano.
Is he any good? All I know is that he plays for Sassuolo and is a winger.Could probably cost us 25m €.