Going by last nights game against Milan, we'll be lucky to finish in Uefa spots never mind Champions League.

Nedved and Del Piero, the same players as last year carried the team last night, none of the new players seemed to be able to step up to the mark.

I'm not being funny here, but do you really expect Juve to be challenging for a CL place in their first season back after a year in the wilderness?

I would have thought that a UEFA place would have been the ultimate ambition this season. Everyone, particularly Nedved and Del Piero, is a year older and potentially on the decline after a year of stagnation in la Cadetti.

Shooting against Serie B defences last season won't have helped matters much either surely..
_________________
ACF FIORENTINA : FORZA LA VIOLA

I'm think we'll be good enough for intertoto and possibly for Uefa, but i was holding out a dream that we could get to fourth spot. I reckon Inter, Milan and Fiorentina will get the top 3, with Roma maybe getting fourth.

Our defense is still crap, but maybe with time....alot of time.

We bought a load of mediocre players instead of buying a few top quality players....even though really top players don't want to be at a club unless it's in the CL i still think the board could've bought maybe 2 really good players if they weren't so tight....yet they spend 50 million euro on a bunch of mediocrity. They should've bought Milito.

Also, i get the impression Secco is way in over his head.

I feel Champions League qualification can be achieved and is a realistic target. As I've said on the C4 forums, I wouldn't have signed Iaquinta, and would have signed someone like Giuseppe Rossi instead. Iaquinta's got a pretty decent goalscoring record in the last 3 years, but I feel he's a bit lacking in ability compared to the likes of Del Piero and Trezeguet, who along with Nedved I feel we'll be relying on too much this season. Del Piero and Nedved are in their 30s and need replacing at some stage (Hence why I wanted Rossi), while Trezeguet will spend half the time injured.

I'm glad some younger players like Molinaro, Criscito, Palladino and Nocerino will get chances this season, but despite the ability they undoubtedly have they all still have a lot to prove, and we can't expect too much from them. The defence is also a concern as I still feel another proven player is needed there. Legrottaglie and Boumsong are not what I would call reliable cover and should both be sold with a proven defender in Serie A brought in. Barzagli has often been mentioned, and I'd be happy with him, but I can't see that one happening. The only position I'm entirely happy with is in goal.
_________________
Forza Juve!!!

I know the some of the senior players keep re-iterating the a CL spot is realistic, but i think they may be saying what they hope rather than what they really believe will happen.
After seeing us against Milan we look a long way off the top, not just with a lack of scoring but all over the pitch. After watching that game, a Uefa spot would be an acheivement. I hope i'm wrong, but i think a CL spot is beyond us.

Likewise, i'm glad we've got the young Italian players that you mentioned. I wasn't impressed by Andrade in the pre-season, he seems totally unfit, hopefully it is only that he isn't fit rather than a lack of skill and positioning sense.
Legro and Boumsong have been pretty useless for Juve so far, i wouldn't be sorry to see them go.

In midfield, i'd give Tiago more time to prove himself obviously, and think the overall quality of the midfield has the potential to be very good.

up front, looks like Del Piero will be carrying the can again, hopefully Palladino really comes of age this season because we'll really need him if Iaquinta doesn't improve, as Trezeguet seems to deviate from scoring machine to absolutely non-existent, so if Palladino could be a reliable sub, and i think he can be.
Obviously Iaquinta wouldn't be anyone's first choice, be we'll give him more time, like alot of the other players will need more time, the reason i don't think we'll make a CL spot.

So long as we beat

So Ranieri thinks we don't need any more players to reach the CL!!!

Canna for a year or two wouldn't do any harm, at least he might settle in straight away!

Cannavaro would be a great signing and is the sort of player we need. I've even read one dodgy story about Thuram returning in a swap for Boumsong! Can't see Barcelona being that stupid though.
_________________
Forza Juve!!!

That's something you'd expect Moratti to do.

Last edited by Myles on 24-08-07 19:08; edited 1 time in total

Grygera is out for a month with a thigh strain, now we'll have to play Zebina instead!

In my opinion we were that bad, but the match report on the C4 website wasn't too critical of us, maybe it's just me.

Can't wait for the game tonight, i've been looking forward to this game for 12 months.

We needed a home game to start back and at least our first away game is against Cagliari, who tend to struggle to develop into a solid team every season due to their managers been constantly in fear of getting the sack from their crazy president.

It's good to be able to play against the non-scudetto contenders for the first month since we need time to develop ourselves.

Hopefully, we're steam-rolling everyone by the time November 4th comes around. I can't wait for that game.

In my opinion it was that bad, although the match report on the C4 website wasn't so critical, maybe it's just me.

At least our first away game is against Cagliari, who never seem to be able to development into a solid team any season due to their managers been constantly in fear of the sack from their crazy president.

We'll need some of the supposed easier games before we meet any of the heavyweights. Hopefully we're steam-rolling by the time 4th November comes around. I can't wait for that game.

LT

2-0

Trez and Iaquinta. So far so good

What a great quote from the Livorno coach, imagine if someone in the premier league said this

Quote:

“Lucarelli is not here, so there’s no point talking about him. I am happy with my players, but tonight I would have gladly head butted them all after the fifth goal. It was totally inadmissible.”

gurjio wrote:

It's good to be able to play against the non-scudetto contenders for the first month since we need time to develop ourselves. Hopefully, we're steam-rolling everyone by the time November 4th comes around. I can't wait for that game.

I'm sure this is what many people were complaining about in previous seasons, how Juve got a headstart by playing 'weaker' teams. Rivals took points off each other and then were, in effect, playing catch up. I haven't seen your schedule for this year though. How does it look? I'm too lazy to do the research :-P .
_________________
Non mollare mai.

"A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject".

A good result last night, and a Trezeguet hat-trick is very welcome, as well as a double for Iaquinta, even if one was a penalty and the other just hit him. We're already ahead of Inter as well!
_________________
Forza Juve!!!

gurjio wrote:

In my opinion we were that bad, but the match report on the C4 website wasn't too critical of us, maybe it's just me. Can't wait for the game tonight, i've been looking forward to this game for 12 months. We needed a home game to start back and at least our first away game is against Cagliari, who tend to struggle to develop into a solid team every season due to their managers been constantly in fear of getting the sack from their crazy president. It's good to be able to play against the non-scudetto contenders for the first month since we need time to develop ourselves. Hopefully, we're steam-rolling everyone by the time November 4th comes around. I can't wait for that game.

Hang on a minute, i posted this in response to someone asking if we were that bad against Milan. This post didn't appear so i posted a similar one, how the hell did it come up as gurjio's message and what happened to the post that asked the question in the first place?

Weird!

We looked nervous and our football was scrappy until we got the first goal, hopefully we don't need a goal in every game just to settle us.

The first goal was my favourite, great cross from Ale and great header too.

Not sure the penalty was actually a penalty, but Ale probably should've got a peno earlier, didn't actually see the replay as i was giving out about the ref to someone beside me in the pub

blackandblue wrote:

I'm sure this is what many people were complaining about in previous seasons, how Juve got a headstart by playing 'weaker' teams. Rivals took points off each other and then were, in effect, playing catch up. I haven't seen your schedule for this year though. How does it look? I'm too lazy to do the research :-P .

Oh come on! You's are seeded aswel, already looking for excuses?!

What about our new home shirt? Weary or what?!?!

Trezeguet just keeps on motoring. I have always been one of his sympathisers, and last night I felt vindicated. I don't think we will win the league, our squad is nowhere near good enough but we got an ideal start.

Are any of the British/Irish-based Juve fans planning to go to any games in the near future? If so, which ones?

I ordered my home and away shirt, plus a nifty red sleeveless on the day of release and they arrived next day by courier which I wasnt expecting!