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Juventus 2011/12 - A Preview

Monday 12th September 2011 | By David Amoyal

After two disappointing seasons that featured 3 different coaches there are many reasons to be optimistic for Juventus fans. The team is opening a brand new state of the art stadium, Conte one of the most beloved Juventus players from the last 20 years was hired as coach and Juve was the most active Serie A team in the mercato. Marotta brought in two of the stars of the last Copa America with Estigarribbia and Vidal, and for the same amount he spent last year on Martinez (12 million euros) he was able to purchase Lichsteiner, Pirlo and Pazienza. Many of the Juventus core players appear set for a comeback seasons- Buffon showed flashes of his San Gigi form in the last few games of the 2010-11 season, Marchisio is coming off a very good preseason and Chiellini now has Lichsteiner to his right on Juve’s backline. Last season Juventus had numerous injuries right as they were settling into 2nd place in Serie A, to address the issue Marotta has bolstered the depth of the squad. Juventus could easily contend for the scudetto considering many of its rivals have weaker squads.

Despite the fact that only Manchester City spent more than Juve this summer Marotta was not able to fully address the main deficiencies of the squad: only Lichsteiner was brought in to improve a very suspect defense and the team still lacks a true difference maker other then Del Piero . For a variety of reasons Juve was never able to purchase a real top player after being heavily linked to Aguero, Tevez, Higuain and Giuseppe Rossi. The team had to settle instead on second tier types like Vucinic, Elia and Vidal. While Juve has switched coaches 3 times in the past two years, they have never hired a coach with a prestigious track record. Conte had only coached 13 Serie A games prior to signing a two year deal with Juve, and he has an inexperienced staff around him. For the second consecutive transfer season Marotta has focused more on quantity than quality, he brought numerous players in late August not allowing them time to practice with the team during summer training.

The two paragraphs above while offering wildly different takes on Juventus’ off season can both be easily considered as the “truth”. Marotta has certainly gone out of his way to build the roster according to Conte’s wishes; he focused more on acquiring numerous offensive wing players than defenders at the end of the transfer period, and surprisingly loaned out Ziegler after the player clashed with Conte just a few months after signing him. Conte will certainly try to change the mentality of the team; he is much more interested in attacking the opposing team than his predecessor Del Neri who built his teams on defense and counterattacks. It will be essential for the team to improve in the backline; optimistic fans can point to the significant improvement at the RB position, the fact that Chiellini and Bonucci have now been able to develop chemistry and a return to form for Buffon. There is no denying the team has improved the level of talent on the team by bringing in Elia, Vidal, Pirlo and Vucinic.
With Serie A losing one of its Champions League spots it will be even more difficult for Juventus to the return to the highest levels in Europe; the team has now radically changed the roster for the second consecutive summer and there is talk once again of a new winning cycle beginning in Turin. Below is a breakdown of Juventus’ current roster with both a best and worst case scenario for each player.

	1.Gianluigi Buffon 1978 GK
	Last season was the most challenging of Buffon’s career, not only was he recovering from a major back surgery he also had to face the unexpected competition of Storari. Buffon returned to form towards the end of the season after a subpar start, and was able to regain his starting role for 2011/2012. Buffon will turn 34 during the season and is no longer in the conversation for best GK in the world; the days of Juve being able to receive much in return for Buffon are probably behind us. Best Case Scenario: Buffon regains his sainthood and becomes San Gigi once again, Juventus wins many games 1-0 and 2-1 just like during the Ranieri era. Buffon ends his career on a high note like Oliver Kahn who was a top GK well into his late 30s. Worst Case Scenario: Buffon’s back never fully recovers, his performance suffers as a result and he reminds Juve fans of Van der Sar.

	2. Marco Motta 1986 D R
	I am beyond puzzled as to why Motta was bought outright this summer by Marotta. His player ratings after most games last season were worst than his haircut; at times it appeared Motta was deliberately attempting to assist the opposing team with his reckless passing. Best Case Scenario: As a prank Motta’s teammates shave his hair and he magically becomes a modern day Birindelli. Worst Case Scenario: After another disastrous season Motta is remembered by Juve fans with the same fondness reserved for the likes of Molinaro and Poulsen.

	3. Giorgio Chiellini 1984 D LC
	Chiellini just turned 27 so he is entering the prime of his career. Chiellini was well on his way to becoming one of the top CBs in the world when Ranieri was our coach. Before the South Africa World Cup he was being mentioned by the foreign press as a worthy successor to previous great Italian CBs like Cannavaro and Baresi, he also has been prominently featured in recent FIFA games by EA Sports. Unfortunately in the past two years Chiellini has taken some steps back, I believe he lost confidence during the World Cup and has not been the same since. Giorgio would really benefit from playing next to an experienced CB that can help him develop better positioning and tactical sense. Best Case Scenario: Chiellini matures this season and goes on to become the next Cannavaro, or at least a slightly better version of Tudor. Worst Case Scenario: Chiellini remains reckless and settles into being a deluxe version of Torricelli for the rest of his career.

	5. Michele Pazienza 1982 CDM
	One of the first signings of the off season he came over from Napoli as a free transfer, and was able to get Rinaudo’s old apartment in Turin. DM Best Case Scenario: Pazienza proves that he is the best compliment to Pirlo in the middle of the 4 2 4 formation with Vidal moving to the left, and Pazienza becomes a modern day Tacchinardi or better yet Bonini. Worst Case Scenario: Conte adopts the 4 3 3 formation and Pazienza becomes a late game replacement for either Marchisio or Pirlo. He is the new Giannichedda and leaves Juventus after one season.

	6. Fabio Grosso 1977 D/M L
	Grosso was one of the last purchases of the Secco era, he was one of the most clutch players on the Italy team that won the 2006 World Cup; he will always be remembered for scoring the final penalty kick in the shootout against France. When he arrived from Lyon right at the end of the 2009 transfer season he appeared like the missing piece to Ferrara’s team, however he has been a massive disappointment with Juventus. Best Case Scenario: De Ceglie gets hurt and Juve cannot afford to move Vidal to LB, so Grosso takes over. He has a comeback season and is the best player Juve has had in that position since Pessotto retired. Worst Case Scenario: Grosso does not play often after De Ceglie establishes himself as the starter.

	7. Simone Pepe 1983 AM RL
	Pepe came to Juve in one of the Marotta trade mark loan deals last August. He had already become a member of Italy’s national team and was seen as an ideal fit in Del Neri’s 4-4-2 formation. He had a pretty good season and was one of the few players to show some real character. Best Case Scenario: Pepe improves and becomes a modern day Camoranesi, he becomes the ideal LW in Conte’s formation. Worst Case Scenario: Pepe only plays in the Coppa Italia and is sold in January to Zenit in Russia.

	8. Claudio Marchisio 1986 DM
	No Juve player was criticized more than Marchisio during the preseason. Marchisio has a lot in common with Chiellini: they are both fan favorites and considered potential future captains. They both established themselves during the year in Serie B and where both on the raise under Ranieri, they were also key members of the Azzurri squad in the last World Cup in 2010. Since then they have both had to switch positions due to injuries to other players and have regressed. Best Case Scenario: Conte switches to a 4 3 3 midfield in November, he inspires Marchisio who goes on to fulfill his potential becoming a modern day Tardelli. Worst Case Scenario: Marchisio never finds a permanent position in Conte’s 4 2 4 formation, he becomes the first CM off the bench and is no better than Jugovic was back in 1996.

	9. Vincenzo Iaquinta 1979 F C
	I injured my index finger as I was typing the paragraph on Iaquinta. He has shown flashes these past few seasons when he was healthy enough to play but most fans are losing patience with him. Best Case Scenario: Iaquinta stays healthy and becomes a super sub like Padovano was back in mid 90s, he is lethal in the last 20 minutes of close games. Worst Case Scenario: Iaquinta gets injured so frequently that the trainer’s room at Vinovo gets renamed in his honor.

	10. Alessandro Del Piero 1974 F C
	- This may very well be Alex’s last season at Juve, he seems eager to play in the new stadium and bring Juve back to the Champions League prior to ending his career in the US. Best Case Scenario: Conte becomes the new Lippi and wins the scudetto in his first season at Juve, Del Piero also has the honor of scoring the first goal in the new stadium which will eventually be named after him in 2015. Worst Case Scenario: Conte becomes the new Ferrara and Juve ends up out of the Champions League for the third straight season.

	11. Paolo De Ceglie 1986 D/M L
	De Ceglie had shown some good improvements last year prior to getting injured. He remains more adept at pushing forward than providing coverage. Best Case Scenario: De Ceglie stays healthy and improves defensively, he makes the bizarre Ziegler saga a distant memory and is the player Grosso was supposed to be 2 years ago. Worst Case Scenario: De Ceglie gets hurt and Marotta regrets loaning Ziegler.

	14. Mirko Vucinic SS 1983
	Vucinic is a very good player; he is somewhat mercurial and inconsistent but he is certainly a quality option for Juve’s frontline. It is however very disappointing to see he has been the biggest purchase of Juve’s offseason. After being linked to players of the caliber of Neymar, Tevez, Aguero, Rossi and Higuain Vucinic is at best a nice consolation prize. Vucinic will be able to play both as a second striker as well as a left winger. Best Case Scenario: Vucinic exceeds expectations and becomes this year’s version of Quagliarella, he is able to remain injury free for the year. Worst Case Scenario: Vucinic turns into the new Mutu minus the drug problem.

	15. Andrea Barzagli D C 1981
	Barzagli arrived from Wolfsburg in January and quickly established himself as Del Neri’s best option at CB. This season he will provide quality depth and could even start allowing Chiellini to play at left back. Best Case Scenario: Barzagli plays mainly during Juventus’ winning run in the Coppa Italia, he barely sees the pitch on Sundays as Juve’s starting defenders are healthy and play well. Barzagli is slightly better version then Kovac and Fresi during the 2011-12 season. Worst Case Scenario: De Ceglie fails at LB and Chiellini is moved to the role, Barzagli ends up starting 20 Serie A games.

	17. Elia- RW, RF, RM 1987
	Elia was close to transferring to Juventus last summer, but the club choose to pursue Krasic instead. Elia was very effective off the bench for Holland in the South Africa World Cup and was the last purchase of the transfer season for Juventus. Best Case: Elia takes over for Krasic in mid October and is this year’s version of Sanchez in Serie A. He is the player Hassler was supposed to be back in 1990. Worst Case: After another tough season for the team Elia states that Juve is the worst club he has ever played for.

	18. Fabio Quagliarella 1983 F C
	Quagliarella exceeded expectations the first few months of the 2010-11 season; he developed great chemistry with Krasic and made Juve fans forget about Diego. His injury was one of the turning points of last season. Best Case Scenario: Quagliarella’s knee is fine and he maintains his goal average from last season, he becomes the player Juve was hoping Marcelo Salas would be back in 2001. Worst Case Scenario: Vucinic establishes himself as the ideal partner for Matri, Quagliarella feuds with Conte (just like he did with Mazzari at Napoli) since he is no longer playing regularly and is traded in January for barely half of what Juve paid Napoli for him.

	19. Leonardo Bonucci 1987 D C
	Bonucci remains the most expensive purchase of the Marotta era, he came over from Bari last season. Bonucci started off well but became very shaky from November on; he never developed great chemistry with Chiellini and at times seemed lost. Best Case Scenario: Bonucci has a comeback season, he is much more disciplined on the pitch and becomes a deadly weapon on corner kicks. He reminds Juve fans of Tudor. Worst Case Scenario: Last season is not a fluke; Chiellini and Bonucci play well for Italy together but never maintain the same form with Juve. Bonucci turns into the new Mellberg and he is eventually sold to Fiorentina in exchange for Vargas.

	20. Luca Toni 1977 ST
	After suffering a rash of injuries in the frontline in January of 2011 Juve was linked to Luis Fabiano and Forlan, the team was still contending for the last Champions League spot. Luca Toni was brought in instead with a free transfer from Genoa, Juve would eventually also purchase Matri from Cagliari. Toni exceeded expectations in 14 games during the second half of the season. Best Case Scenario: Toni becomes a deadly weapon of the bench in close games against weaker opponents who are using the catenaccio; Krasic, Vucinic and Engibarribia provide him with plenty of quality crosses. He is the leading scorer in the Coppa Italia. Worst Case Scenario: Toni, Pirlo and Iaquinta become great friends as they spend most of the season in the stands at the new stadium.

	21. Andrea Pirlo 1979 M C
	Considering he has played over 300 Serie A games it is surprising to find out Pirlo just recently turned 32. He was arguably the best player on the Italy team that won the World Cup in 2006 (Buffon and Cannavaro have a great case as well) and is one of the best midfielders in the history of Milan. He is probably the best passer on Juve since Zidane. Best Case: Pirlo proves that he has plenty left in the tank, he starts 34 Serie A games and leads Juve in assists. Scenario: Worst Case Scenario: see the worst case scenario for #20.

	22. Arturo Vidal 1987 DM
	Vidal came to Juve after a controversial transfer from Leverkusen, supposedly he had also promised himself to Bayern Munich. Vidal is coming off a great Bundesliga season and has played extremely well for Chile in the Copa America. He is only 24 and can play all over the pitch, media outlets all over the world have praised Marotta for this acquisition. Best Case Scenario: Vidal is the player we were hoping Felipe Melo would become at Juve, he is an ideal partner to Pirlo and has an even better career than Edgar Davids. Worst Case Scenario: Vidal struggles to find an ideal position, and breaks Felipe Melo’s record for suspensions in a season. Juve ships him off to Bayern Munich with 10 million euros for Ribery in June of 2012.

	24. Giaccherini LW, L 1985
	For the life of me I do not understand why Juve keeps buying players like Giaccherini rather than giving a chance to its own young players. Giaccherini has only 1 year of Serie A experience despite being 26 years old. Best Case Scenario: Giaccherini becomes the starter at the LW; he is versatile enough to remind Juventus fans of Camoranesi. Worst Case Scenario: Pasquato explodes at Lecce and Giaccherini never truly fits in at Juventus.

	26. Stephan Lichtsteiner 1984 D R
	Juventus has had a massive whole at RB since Zambrotta left. To finally address the issue Lichsteiner was brought in from Lazio for around 10 million euros. He is probably the most offensive minded RB in the history of Juventus. Best Case Scenario: Lichsteiner develops great chemistry with Krasic and they form a devastating combination on the right. Lichsteiner also turns out to be very good defensively and becomes the new Zambrotta. Lichsteiner goes on to break Di Livio’s record for most kilometers run in one season. Worst Case Scenario: Lichsteiner and Krasic cannot cover anyone on the right wing; Juventus buys back Caceres to solidify the RB position.

	27. Miloš Krasić 1984 AM R
	When Diego played his first few games on Juve he appeared like the new Zidane, he was the star in Juve’s wins on the road against Roma and Lazio. Krasic had arguably an even better start with Juve, he developed great chemistry with Quagliarella. After the first two months Krasic’s performance started to go south, he received a two game suspension for diving in late October and Quagliarella had a serious knee injury in Jaunary that ended his season. Krasic never developed the same chemistry with Matri and was one of the worst Juve players in the disastrous second half. Best Case Scenario: After finally getting some time to rest during the summer Krasic returns to form, he performs during Serie A games the same way Boniek did during European competitions in the 80s. Worst Case Scenario: Just like with Diego the Serie A coaches prove that they have figured out Krasic, he eventually loses his starting role to Estigarribia.

	16. Marcelo Estigarribbia- RM, RW 1987
	Estigaribbia was probably the most surprising transfer of the summer; he was discovered in the Copa America during Paraguay’s surprising run to the final. His strong left foot, strong pace and good dribbling skills make him an ideal fit in Conte’s scheme. He did however struggle to prove himself in France’s second division. Best Case: Estigarribbia establishes himself as the LW in the second half of the season, and is the player Martinez was supposed to be last year. Worst Case: He only plays in the Coppa Italia after

	30. Marco Storari 1977 GK
	Storari was brought to Juve from Sampdoria as insurance on Buffon’s back. He had a great season and many fans advocated he keep the starting job even after Buffon was healthy enough to play. His performance against Roma in the second half was particularly memorable. Best Case Scenario: Totti scores a hat trick against Juve in Buffon’s worst game as a professional, after the game Gigi is seen joking with Totti and Conte decides to switch GKs. Storari is the best GK in Serie A and becomes Buffon’s backup for Italy in the 2012 Euro. Worst Case Scenario: Buffon becomes San Gigi once again and Storari is sold in January so he can play regularly.

	32. Alessandro Matri 1984 ST
	Matri is coming off a career year, he scored 20 Serie A goals last season (he scored 25 goals the previous 3 seasons combined). Marotta purchased Matri in January after Floro Flores turned down Juve to replace Toni at Genoa. On paper Matri and Quagliarella appear to complement each other rather well, they will both be competing with Vucinic for playing time. Best Case Scenario: Matri proves that last season was not a fluke; he goes on to become the new Pippo Inzaghi. Worst Case Scenario: It takes Matri two season to score his next 20 goals, Juve sells him to Bologna in 2014 and just like Di Vaio he is deadly when playing against his former club.

	33. Frederik Sorensen D RC 1992
	Sorensen was one of the few pleasant surprises from last season. While he is mainly a CB, he played well at RB in limited duty when the team was ravaged by injuries in January. Many of Del Neri’s decisions were puzzling last year, but probably none more than playing Motta over Sorensen for the last few weeks of the season. Best Case Scenario: Sorensen goes on to become the best Danish Juve player ever, surpassing Poulsen and Michael Laudrup. He reminds Juve fans of Iuliano for his ability to play both on the right and in the middle of the defense. Worst Case Scenario: Sorensen gets playing time after Lichsteiner gets hurt in early December. His performance is shaky and it becomes apparent that last year he looked great only because he was replacing Motta and Grygera.