Below we have a guest post from my good friend Tariq Falaknaz evaluating the players we brought in over the last 12 months, how they've performed, and whether they deserve to continue wearing the Bianconero shirt. Enjoy.
A simple glimpse at Juventus’s formation at the start of the 2010/2011 season would give you the impression that this team is capable of achieving Champions League football, and quite possibly competing for the Scudetto.
Some of our transfers have been well received
After all, it seemed the club wanted to fill all the holes in the team as a start, with goalkeeper Marco Storari brought in, to substitute for Buffon who was then injured, after a series of very impressive displays with Sampdoria. The defensive line has been bolstered with the promising pair of Marco Motta and Leonardo Bonucci, while the midfield was given the most attention with the arrivals of the elegant Alberto Aquilani, the resilient Simone Pepe, the continuously impressing Jorge Martinez, and the swift Milos Krasic. The front-line required necessary pace and speed, and since President Andrea Agnelli’s then dream Eden Dzeko seemed impossible, Fabio Quagliarella was brought in to add a second dimension to the attack. Along with strengthening the first team, the bench received its fair share of attention as well, with Leandro Rinaudo and Armand Traore being brought in as substitutes to the defensive line should anything happen.
The first signing, however, made by General Director Giuseppe Marotta was Coach Luigi Delneri, who managed to achieve a remarkable feat by getting Champions League football with Sampdoria. An experienced coach in Serie A, better known for his stubbornness to the 4-4-2 formation, be it fixed or fluid. Delneri also happened to be one of the most tactically intelligent coaches in Serie A, which is something Juventus desperately needed after a disastrous 2009/2010 season which mostly fell down to injuries and tactically inept coaches.
Come January, many things have changed, primarily with injury situations and players failing to live up to their potential, striker Alessandro Matri was loaned from Cagliari, experienced forward Luca Toni was brought in from Genoa, and defender Andrea Barzagli was bought from VfL Wolfsburg.
As we near the end of the season, with Juventus sitting at 7th place in what seems to be another disastrous season for one of Europe’s top clubs. Some question the choices Marotta has made, while some question some of Delneri’s choices in the starting formation, or some of his odd substitutions. While the decline from “Scudetto Challengers” to “out of Europe” can be due to many various reasons, judging the performances of Marotta and Delneri have been the highlight of them, and it warrants a better look into the minds and decisions of the former Sampdoria duo.
Lets kick things off with the man responsible for putting everything together, Giuseppe Marotta. Marotta didn't have big shoes to fill, after all his predecessor was Alessio Secco, however he had a lot of work to do, as his predecessor was Alessio Secco. His first priority, understandably, would be to build an all-round stable team by filling in the gaps left by below average players. As well as reducing wages and the overall age of the team, and letting go of players that are past their prime. In short, building for the future.
A lot has been said about those who were sold or let go, and those who were bought or loaned. There is no point in trying to understand why Diego was sold to Wolfsburg, why Trezeguet was let go and why Caceres was returned to Barcelona. Some, like Trezeguet and Camoranesi, deserved a better farewell for staying with Juventus despite the drop to Serie B, while others like Diego and Caceres left question marks that are still unanswered.
However, with a full season under their belt in the Black and White shirt, it's time to further understand and assess some of Marotta's signings over the Summer and Winter transfer windows of the 2010 / 2011 Season.
It's worth noting, that in the Worries and Potential sections, the players will be looked at prior to the season start. Sort of a “What Marotta saw in them” section to further understand why they arrived in the first place.
Name: Alberto Aquilani
Transfer: Season long loan with right to buy from Liverpool
Loan: No cost, the club only pays the players wages
Price: €16,000,000 right to buy over a period of three years
Fans Reaction: Extremely Happy
Worries: Just returned from an awful spell at Liverpool and has a bad history of being plagued with injuries.
Potential: Immense. Aquilani had already established himself, when fit, as one of the best midfielders in Italy, known for his precise passing and thunderous shots. An understandable signing by Marotta, the midfield needed someone of his caliber.
Assessment: To say Aquilani returned with a bang would be an understatement. He showed the entire world what he is capable of, and eventually cracked his way back into the Nazionale. Played a major role in the first part of the season, dictating play and starting counter-attacks, all while learning how to defend. The biggest concern would be his dip in form, as he went from being heavily influential to influential as the season comes to an end. However, that can be due to the entire team collapsing since the beginning of 2011.
Final Thoughts: Aquilani should be purchased, no doubt. The entire team is putting on sub-par performances at the moment, and Aquilani is the type of player that thrives on his teammates. If what Marotta said was true, and Juventus are indeed going to buy 2 or 3 quality, game changing players, then right now, we haven’t seen Alberto Aquilani in full motion yet.
Name: Alessandro Matri
Transfer: Half a season long loan with right to buy from Cagliari
Loan: €2,500,000
Price: €15,500,000 right to buy over a period of three years “Rumoured to be a forced option, which means Juventus are forced to buy him”
Fans Reaction: Happy
Worries: Hasn't played for a big club or in European competitions. Buyout price, compared to Pazzini, seemed high.
Potential: Very high. Never had the opportunity to play with a big club (his 2 minor appearances for Milan don't count) and spent most of his professional career in Cagliari. Known as a modern clinical striker, and bought due to Quagliarella's and Toni's injuries. Giampaolo Pazzini was always the primary target, as both Marotta and Delneri are familiar with him. However, Garrone wanted €15,000,000 paid directly, something the club couldn't do. Enter Alessandro Matri.
Assessment: Surpassed all expectations. Scoring 8 goals in 14 games in all competitions. Got his first call-up to the Nazionale, and scored on his first appearance as well. There are no realistic downsides to his transfer as he has been only playing for two months. Can't be blamed for some of the performances he has put in as the midfield seems to be starving him of the ball lately.
Final Thoughts: Matri, just like Aquilani, should be purchased without a doubt. In a day and age where decent strikers cost €25,000,000 and higher, a 26 year old striker familiar with Serie A for €18,000,000 seems more than just a fair price. His imminent future partnership with Quagliarella could be the lethal duo Juventus have been searching for all along.
Name: Armand Traore
Transfer: Season long loan from Arsenal
Loan: €500,000
Price: No buyout clause
Fans Reaction: Indifferent
Worries: A 21 year old Left back at Arsenal who hasn't had much play time, a club known for giving youth a fair shot.
Potential: Low. Virtually unknown to Juventus fans. Was brought in as a substitute for Paolo De Ceglie.
Assessment: Traore hasn't put in the best of performances, at best he was an average player. Didn't have much playing time and spent a lot of the time being injured. His crosses and passes left a lot to be desired and unfortunately he isn't worthy of the number 17 or the black and white colors.
Final Thoughts: With no buyout clause, Traore will return to Arsenal when the season ends, Hopefully not making a return any time soon.
Name: Andrea Barzagli
Transfer: Purchased from VfL Wolfsburg
Loan: No loan price, direct purchase
Price: €300,000, with a maximum of €600,000 based on performances
Fans Reaction: Confounded
Worries: Generally no worries, as he was one of the best choices as a 3rd defender.
Potential: None, his chances of being a starter are slim and he is at his prime. However he would make a great 3rd defender, and Barzagli understands that.
Assessment: Barzagli's transfer took everyone by surprise. During a period where the club was severely lacking in the attack department, Marotta opted to sign a defender. With Legrottaglie heading to Milan that made sense, and that sense was overshadowed by the fact that the club needed a striker, desperately. However, Barzagli did more than redeem himself. He has put in some impressive displays, a prime example would be the game he played VS Inter, and has already proven to be a bargain for his price. His experience is something that is fairly obvious to see as some of his interceptions and tackles just scream class. At 29 years of age, he still has a good 3 to 4 years left in him.
Final Thoughts: An absolute steal. Along with Chiellini and Bonucci the central defense should be in safe hands for years to come. That's without mentioning Frederik Sorensen.
Name: Fabio Quagliarella
Transfer: Season long loan with right to buy from Napoli
Loan: €4,500,000
Price: €10,500,000 right to buy over a period of three years
Fans Reaction: Shocked
Worries: Was never a prolific striker, inconsistent.
Potential: Unknown. At 28 years, he is at his prime, however he was always known for scoring some of the most beautiful goals, but never as a prolific striker. The fact that he was inconsistent was a major concern, which made his potential unpredictable. A chance that Marotta took.
Assessment: Without a shadow of doubt, the best signing Juventus has made this season. One, that is sorely missed as well. It is no coincidence that once Fabio got injured on that fateful day, that Juventus have been in decline. Came as a replacement for Diego, and one that has not been received well by the fans. His pace and his unpredictability tortured defences as well as giving the midfield a whole other dimension of attacking choices. Scoring 9 goals as a secondary striker, all while lacking the option of a proper clinical striker up front. His telepathic partnership with Krasic was something of beauty. Currently sitting as the top Juventus scorer this season, and he hasn’t played since January. This just shows how much the team misses his presence. With Matri’s arrival, Fabio should get the support required in the front line, all while supporting and getting support from the midfield as well, this might just be the start for him.
Final Thoughts: Despite the injury he received, which will very well have a major effect on his pace, there is no doubt that Fabio should be bought. A lot will be questioning whether he will have the same effect he had this season, and in all honesty it is unknown at this point. However his play-style and his unpredictability suite the formation and the play-style of this Juventus perfectly.
Name: Jorge Martinez
Transfer: Purchased from Catania
Loan: No loan price, direct purchase
Price: €12,000,000 over a period of three years
Fans Reaction: Questioning
Worries: Never played for a big club. Was never a difference maker. Price was too high and the purchase was made almost too quickly.
Potential: High. While never being a game changer, he has been putting impressive displays for Catania in recent years, and at 27 years of age he was in his prime.
Assessment: One of the worst signings of the year. Apart from the Milan game, spent most of the season injured or benched. When given the shot to prove himself, he was less than a shadow of the Martinez of Catania, putting in horrible performances one after the other. With 12 appearances to his name, and only one decent performance, this has been one year to forget for the Uruguayan winger / attacking midfielder.
Final Thoughts: Juventus are stuck with him for the next 4 years, unless the club decide to sell him for a massive loss. Could be given a second chance to redeem himself next season. However, trading him + cash for another, higher quality player seems a much better option that would benefit both sides.
Name: Leandro Rinaudo
Transfer: Season long loan with right to buy from Napoli
Loan: €600,000
Price: €5,000,000
Final Thoughts: Cutting to the chase, with 1 below average performance to his name and spending almost the entire season injured. Everyone can safely assume he is returning to Napoli and not coming back to Juventus, ever.
Name: Leonardo Bonucci
Transfer: Purchased from Bari
Loan: No loan price, direct purchase
Price: €15,500,000 over a period of three years
Fans Reaction: Pleased
Worries: Spent one season only in Serie A. No experience with a big club.
Potential: Very high. Considered one of the best young defenders in Italy, and has built himself quite a reputation partnering with fellow Bari player Andrea Ranocchia. Touted as part of the next-generation of Italian defenders to guard the back-line of the Nazionale.
Assessment: Considering this is his second season in Serie A, absolutely fantastic. Leonardo has not only grown as a player ever since he transferred from Bari, but is slowly building a great relationship with Georgio Chiellini. The defender cannot be blamed for some of the defensive errors that have happened during the season, as most of the blame would fall on the Fullbacks, since the central defenders need to cover for them as well. However, he has not yet fully developed to be the central defender that would be attentive and focused for an entire match, also struggles with fast and tricky players, but then again, he has just turned 24. Georgio Chiellini is known as the Juventus rock, however with Bonucci and Barzagli Juventus now have a mountain.
Final Thoughts: A wonderful breath of fresh air to finally see a young defender in the Juventus back-line that has what it takes. His understanding with Chiellini can only get better from here. A spot on purchase from Marotta, even though having two defenders will the same characteristics can cause some issues, however it should not be of major concern.
Name: Luca Toni
Transfer: Purchase from Genoa
Loan: No loan price, free transfer
Price: Free
Fans Reaction: Confused
Worries: Old. Washed up. Slow. Way past his prime.
Potential: None. Luca Toni is slowly nearing the end of his career, the only real potential Juventus fans see, is the possibility of him being a reason for Amauri to be sold.
Assessment: Initially, Luca Toni was thought to be the replacement for Fabio Quagliarella, despite Marotta insisting that he wasn’t. It could be the fact that both Amauri and Iaquinta were injured, and we only had Alex to depend on that prompted his purchase. Despite all that, Luca Toni has actually done well with the club. Mostly given a secondary striker role in which he holds the ball for as long as possible to allow the team a momentary break to catch their breath. However, he has been negatively affecting Matri when both are on the pitch. Despite that Toni understands that he is no longer first choice, and he is fine with it. Over all decent performances and one magnificent header.
Final Thoughts: It’s a bit tough to judge this one, on one hand Toni has done more than Iaquinta and Amauri have done for the club this year, on the other his wages are quite high for a player of his age, sitting at €2,000,000. This could have been a good opportunity to get an experienced striker, which could help out the two useless ones in the squad, or a panic buy. In any case, Luca Toni’s arrival was quite an odd and unexpected one. However I would say just for the sole purpose of him being a free transfer, it might not have been such a bad idea. The fact that he took a 50% to join Juventus, certainly helps his case as well.
Name: Marco Motta
Transfer: Season long loan with right to buy from Udinese
Loan: €1,250,000
Price: €3,750,000 over a period of three years
Fans Reaction: Approving
Worries: Didn’t have much play time in Roma. Has a few issues with consistency. Hasn’t really played continuous matches to be properly assessed.
Potential: Very high. Previous captain of the Italian U-21 National team and had everyone else backing him to be the next great Italian Right Back. Showed a decent level of skill and play for a player of his age, in the brief chances given to him, during his time in Udinese and Roma.
Assessment: To say Motta was a flop is an understatement. Motta is easily solely responsible for costing Juventus many points, and not only that. Horrible in every possible way, bad positioning, horrible interceptions and uncalled for yellow and red cards are just the beginning. His crosses are completely inaccurate and worthless, his passing is predictable and easily intercepted while his surges to the front often end up with the opposing team getting the ball and counter-attacking. If that wasn’t bad enough, Motta has a habit of just randomly kicking the ball when he is close to the defence, despite him having enough room and time to pass it to a fellow player. Every possible hope any Juventus fan had for Motta to be a decent right back has been put to rest. To make matters even worse, his horrendous performances have been negatively affecting Bonucci, Chiellini and Barzagli as well. With their constant presence required to watch over an area they shouldn’t have to worry about, the central defence struggles and the imbalance causes openings for opposing teams to take advantage of. Undoubtedly the worst performer for Juventus this season, and some may argue that he could be better utilized as a winger, but to that you just have to look at his passing and crossing to judge.
Final Thoughts: One can see the potential Marotta saw in him; but after a season of getting many chances over and over again, Motta is a disaster and should be shipped back to Udinese. However, some argue that due to his incredibly low price, he should be purchased and either kept as a 3rd right back or traded for another player. It’s hard to see that happening, considering how his approval is required if he were to transfer to another club, and Juventus don’t want to risk having another stubborn player who refuses transfers, receives his wages and does absolutely nothing to benefit the club. If indeed that was the cast, at 26 years old, sitting on a purchase agreement that sees him tied to the club for 4 years, it just seems a waste to spend €5,000,000 on him.
Name: Marco Storari
Transfer: Purchase from Milan
Loan: No loan, direct purchase
Price: €4,500,000 over a period of three years
Fans Reaction: Satisfied
Worries: None, his performances with Sampdoria cemented his reputation as a solid, classy goalkeeper.
Potential: None, at 31 years of age, Storari is at the peak of his career, can be a super-sub goalkeeper for Buffon for years to come.
Assessment: Absolutely fantastic. Commanding the back-line and making saves that would make even Buffon jealous. Put to the test several times and has always come out on top. There is not much more to be said about him, Storari has been the best goalkeeper for Juventus this year, edging out Buffon himself. The fact that he communicates with the defence and commands his area so well is something that cannot be taken for granted. He cannot be blamed for any of the goals on him, as it was mostly defensive errors. His highlight has to be during the Inter game, in which him and Bonucci bumped heads, then raised his thumb at the players and cracked open a smile. Confidence galore.
Final Thoughts: No-brainer by Marotta. With his master class performances with Sampdoria, and the relationship they already had between both of them and Delneri, he was the perfect choice to be the deputy for Buffon.
Name: Milos Krasic
Transfer: Purchase from CSKA Moscow
Loan: No loan, direct purchase
Price: €15,000,000 over a period of three years
Fans Reaction: Overjoyed
Worries: No rest due to the Russian League being played during summer. Not familiar with Serie A.
Potential: Massive. Krasic was known to be an extremely quick winger with a precise strong shot. Known also for his many screamers during his spell at CSKA Moscow and the Serbian National team. Was the star signing of the summer.
Assessment: It’s always hard to judge someone’s first year in Serie A. However, he has been proven decisive in many situations. The comparisons with Nedved are only physical unfortunately, as he still lacks that untiring fighting spirit that Nedved had. However, in his own way Krasic has been hugely beneficial to the team, scoring and assisting left and right in 2010. His form, since the beginning of 2011, has taken a massive dip unfortunately. This can be attributed to exhaustion as he hasn’t had much rest since joining Juventus, and it can also be due to the teams dip in form. Despite that, Krasic is an absolute star, if he can maintain consistency throughout an entire season then he could possibly be a major game-changer. The only issue seems to be that his attacks are very one dimensional, which can be attributed to the fact that he is more accustomed to being just an attacking winger, instead of an attacking and defending one. He usually receives the ball, sprints through the defence in an attempt to bypass defenders and eventually cross or pass the ball into the box. A lot of the defenders have learned all his tricks and have successfully contained Krasic, which can be a major concern for the next season. In his defence, however, the absolutely horrible defensive displays from Motta require him to fall back and assist in defending, something which he is clearly not familiar with. As Delneri mentioned early on in the season, Krasic is a great player, but needs to learn how to defend. Even when Sorensen is playing as right back, his lack of offensive abilities hinder Krasic as well. In the early parts of the season, he built an almost-telepathic relationship with Fabio Quagliarella, something which has greatly effected his form, as the lack of a quick attacker to move with him can cause issues in counter-attacks. It’s very hard to assess someone who is unfamiliar with the language and the league, all while suffering the incompetency of Marco Motta. As a first season in Serie A, he has been one of the most influential players in the team.
Final Thoughts: It was either Krasic or Dzeko, and Dzeko was Agnelli’s dream. Thankfully, we got the former, and the fact that he waited for Juventus made it all the more special. He came for a decent price, and despite his dip in form, he has been a great asset to the club, and one that could be devastating next year. His on-field relationship with Fabio Quagliarella was mesmerizing, and with his imminent return and Matri’s arrival, Juventus fans might truly see a different version of an unleashed Krasic next season.
Name: Simone Pepe
Transfer: Season long loan with right to buy from Udinese
Loan: €2,500,000
Price: €7,500,000 over a period of three years
Fans Reaction: Understanding
Worries: Was always a jack of all trades, but a master of none. Never really spent time playing for a major club. Hitting his peak while barely achieving anything.
Potential: Realistically, none. Pepe was at the peak of his career and known to be average in everything he does. Known for his always giving it his all, constantly.
Assessment: Pepe has not really been a star performer, but he hasn't been bad either. Known for his workman like spirit, he played every game with heart, whether he had a good or bad one. Constantly running up and down the flank, untiringly, and at least giving the defenders a thing or two to think about, but Pepe's major effect has not been on the field, but more out of it. Known for being a clown, he has lifted spirits when down in the club, be it by making jokes during training or pulling pranks, like prank calling Aquilani while he was on live television. Every club needs someone to lift people when they are down, whether small or big, and fortunately Pepe has been there to help lift the mood a little when people were down. On-field, it's worth noting that his performances were above average, mostly used as a sub for either Marchisio or Krasic, he always gave it his all. That being said, his all is usually found lacking, but then again by that point most people should have realized that Pepe was more of a joker in the midfield rather than a game changer. To his credit, Pepe has taken every role Delneri has thrown at him without complaining, from playing as a winger, to a second striker, to a left-back. His undying spirit has also occasionally paid off, such as a beautiful late-game equalize against Fiorentina and a late winner against Lazio.
Final Thoughts: Originally, Juventus fans had doubts to why Pepe was brought in considering the amount of midfielders at the club. However, his versatility proved to be quite useful as he was utilized at every possible way. It's worth noting that Pepe might have been originally brought as a substitute, as every major club needs to have a strong bench. This was not a risk Marotta took, in fact, everyone knew well enough that Pepe was at best above average, but his untiring runs and his spirit are two things that have been lacking lately. The fact that he is versatile in the midfield, can play as a left back, is a hard worker, lifts the spirits of those around him and never complains about being on the bench should be more than enough reason for Marotta to fully purchase him from Udinese, and that he should.
That pretty much covers all the major transfers that have happened in Juventus during the 2010/2011 season, however there is one particular transfer that hasn't grabbed headlines. Someone who up until October 2010, was virtually unknown to most people.
Name: Frederik Sorensen
Transfer: Season long loan with right to buy from Lyngby
Loan: €30,000
Price: €120,000
Fans Reaction: Went Unnoticed
Worries: None
Potential: None. Realistically everyone knew he was for the Primavera team and didn't pay much attention to his transfer, not much was expected of him as he was too young and virtually unknown at that point.
Assessment: This is as good as it gets. A 19 year old central defender, from a second division club at a fairly average league, comes for a trial season at one of Europe's biggest clubs. His transfer barely gets any recognition from the press, and no reaction from the fans. Injury plagues the team, and Sorensen is called to fill a role he isn't familiar with, right back, in the first team. To say he has impressed is truly an understatement, as he has been nothing less than exceptional. He has been one of the most solid defenders of the season, and the statement that truly makes you realize how special he is, is the fact that he has been the best right back for Juventus in the 2010/2011 season. Obviously, being young and a natural central defender, he is very limited in attack, however that should not be a concern since it's rather doubtful that he will be a permanent right back. His highlight has to be the Inter game, playing a crucial role in defence, silencing Samuel Eto'o and assisting Matri for the winning header. Juventus fans today, may be witnessing history in the making.
Final Thoughts: €120,000 for one the most promising central defenders in Europe, and one who has impressed Calcio fans with his natural defensive talent and positioning. At 19 years of age, Sorensen is definitely a safe pick for the future, and has over 10 years to give to the club, and at €120,000 that is daylight robbery. Sorensen can be considered as an official Juventus player as there is no doubt Marotta will be buying his rights from Lyngby. If he doesn't, some serious questions will be raised.
With that done, it seems the only think to left to judge in regards to the transfer window is the man responsible for those players, Giuseppe Marotta.
Marotta has done an impressive job, and no blame can be placed on him for signing players that once had great potential, and eventually failed to live up to it. Considering the right-back was occupied by Grygera, the midfield was a complete mess which also included Poulsen and the disastrous pairing of Melo and Sissoko. Chiellini's central defence partner was Fabio Cannavaro, and the attack included Amauri who at that time went a year without scoring in Serie A and the injury-prone Vincenzo Iaquinta.
The squad desperately needed to change, and most importantly, needed to be younger. While some might argue that a few “champions” or “stars” could have made the difference this year for Juventus, the prime answer to that would be Jorge Martinez. While he is no star, however his injuries and delayed returns made his presence this year in the team pretty much worthless. Now picture if Marotta had splurged on one of those “champions” or “stars”, there wouldn't be an adequate replacement for them in the team if they got injured in a similar way as Martinez did, as all funds would be spent buy those players. Marotta has in one season, created the base for a future team, with adequate subs and starters to help Juventus be what it was before.
Alessio Tacchinardi said in a recent interview that Juventus had a few stars and the team was built around them. The current team is being built with that model in mind, everything is in place, the only missing key components are the 3-4 “game changing champions / stars” that Marotta has promised to purchase for the 2011/2012 season. This was originally a 2 to 3 year project, so patience is required, and it has to be mentioned that at the same time as improving the first team squad, young players for the Primavera and the future of Juventus are being purchased as well.
As far as transfers go this season, Marotta has done an exceptional job, and earned himself more time to see his project through. From transfers to the man responsible for making everything click on the field, Luigi Delneri. While Delneri is not a big name in the coaching world, he is well respected in Serie A. Tactically superior to most of the Serie A coaches right now, if not all.
Delneri managed to form a team that, prior to Quagliarella's injury, was competing for the Scudetto. His great work with improving Krasic and Aquilani's defensively has not gone unnoticed, however his greatest work this year has to be Felipe Melo.
Melo was, to say the least, one of the worst deals for Juventus in the 2009/2010 season. With a little bit of faith from Delneri, Melo has transformed into a beast in the midfield. The most consistent player for Juventus, excluding “that” Parma game, and by far the best player this year.
Despite his great work with players, some of his choices have to be questioned. For example, playing for a draw against Fiorentina and Lazio, when the team could desperately use the points, or some of his substitutions. Granted, some of his odd substitutions have paid off, like subbing on Luca Toni in the Genoa game, however a lot of that can be attributed to luck as well.
His lack of “going all in” is also a major concern, as perfectly demonstrated by no other than Jose Mourinho, when his team is falling behind, he throws all his cards in. Delneri has yet to throw in 3 attackers and 2 offensive midfielders in hopes of equalizing or possibly winning the game, something which can be attributed to his lack of a winning mentality. Furthermore, Delneri plays an overly defensive game, absorbing pressure from teams and playing on counter-attacks, something that will definitely be exploited if the team gets to the Champions League and plays a big team. Something that also causes a major concern against teams with a better and faster offensive force, playing under the same strategy.
There is also the concern that the team can only play well against a big team, defeating Inter but losing to Bologna, Bari and Lecce certainly don't help his case, although truth be told, a lot of the blame falls on the backs of the players themselves for under performing.
Delneri has taken a lot of the blame for this season, and he rightfully deserves some of it. Some still wonder why Motta is even considered as a starter with Sorensen available. However, Juventus have lacked continuity in recent years, and it would do them good to keep the ex-Sampdoria coach another year, and provide him with better quality in hopes of achieving better results.
Although the dream coach for the club would be Didier Deschamps for most Juventus fans, his arrival seems difficult without Champions League football. While Andres Villas Boas has truly demonstrated he has the winning mentality required, he has pledged his allegiance to Porto for the next year to try to win the Champions League with them.
For the time being, it's a safer, better bet to give Delneri another chance at Juventus, all while providing him with the star quality the team so clearly lacks, in hopes for a better result next year. Though perhaps after the Chievo game, Delneri's time in Juve should be reconsidered. However, only when an adequate coach has been found...
Written by Tariq Falaknaz- Follow him on Twitter