On September 1st 2011 the summer transfer period had just ended and I was furious Juve could not land a real top player like Aguero, Tevez or even Giuseppe Rossi. While I was at the gym a strange man wearing a Beach Brothers 50th anniversary tour T shirt approached me and stated he had just arrived from the future and had some great news about my favorite team. For the next 15 minutes he went on to tell me that at the end of December of 2011 not only is Juve tied for first place in Serie A they are also the only undefeated club in all of Europe, Pepe has become Juventus best wing player, the defense and the vastly improved midfield have ensured Juve has 8 clean sheets and that Elia and/or Krasic will most likely be traded in January. As this news started to sink in the mysterious man ran away and I never saw him again, I totally forgot this conversation even took place until I heard the Beach Boys were planning a 50 year anniversary right after the game against Napoli.
I think even the most optimistic Juventus fan could not have expected such a remarkable turnaround after the disappointing last two seasons. Here are the main improvements on the team level compared to last season:
- Lack of injuries/athletic preparation. When a new coach is hired one of the first things you typically hear is that he will reemphasize the importance of the athletic preparation and that he will work closely with the medical staff to try to minimize injuries . This all sounds great on paper but rarely do you see the same results that we have seen so far this season. Other than Iaquinta and Vucinic the team has not really suffered prolonged injuries and the players do not look lethargic on the pitch like they did under Del Neri.
- Much improved defense and midfield. I was just watching a documentary on the 2006 World Cup and I could not help that notice that there were 5 defenders that played for Juve on the pitch in the final game (Buffon, Zambrotta, Cannavaro, Thuram and Grosso). A lot has changed since then and during last season under a defensive minded coach like Del Neri our club gave up a stunning 31 home goals in 19 games. So far this season Juve seems on its way of reestablishing its identity defensively since only Udinese has given up less goals in Serie A. After Ziegler was mysteriously shipped off at the end of the transfer period Lichsteiner remained as the only addition to a very suspect backline. We have seen good improvements from Bonucci and Barzagli has quietly become one of the best center backs in all of Serie A. Vidal and Marchisio have developed great chemistry and along with Pirlo they have ensured that the defense is better protected by the midfield.
- Return of the Juve spirit. The team has showed much more “grinta” than in years past, with the second half against Napoli being the best example. The team takes control of the action in most games and in the few times it has fallen behind it has shown a lot of character, a trait that was sorely lacking last year.
Now let’s take a look at how each individual performer, starting with our team manager and coach, contributed to a great start to the season. I have also included some of the Juve players out on loan as well as potential targets for the upcoming transfer season. I am also including a link to Google translate since I like to use some Italian words to describe our team: http://translate.google.com/?hl=en&tab=wT#en|it|
Marotta. Beppe Marotta’s first summer transfer period with Juve brought numerous new players many of them on loan with the option to buy (Pepe, Motta, Quagliarella, Aquilani). His three most expensive purchases- Bonucci, Krasic and Martinez- really struggled particularly in the second half of the season. Other than purchasing Motta and Martinez Marotta’s worst decision was hiring Del Neri, my least favorite Juve coach since Rino Marchesi. However since 2011 started Marotta has made a great Moggi impersonation. In January he purchased Barzagli and Matri who are now clear starters and in the summer transfer period he acquired Lichsteiner, Vidal and Pirlo for about the same amount Secco spent on Felipe Melo. Marotta also deserves credit for purchasing Pepe, Vucinic and Quagliarella. Grade: B+ when you count all of 2011.
Conte- I was fairly skeptical when Conte was hired considering his lack of experience. I did however write a column describing how the situation he inherited at Juve was eerily similar to when Lippi became our coach for the first time (http://juvefc.com/articles/0003juve1996.html). Conte has certainly been a revelation and has more than made up for his lack of experience with his ability to motivate players and willingness to suit his style to the strengths of the roster. While Del Neri stubbornly stuck to his 4 4 2 even after dreadful results Conte quickly realized that the 4 3 3 was a far better formation for his team against most opponents. Conte also deserves a lot of credit for sticking Marchisio back in the middle of the pitch and for not being afraid of starting the likes of Pepe, Giaccherini and Estigarribia over Krasic and Elia. Grade: A
Roster
1. Buffon- the fact that he was bored in numerous games is a testament to the vast improvement of Juventus’ defense. One of the lowest point of Buffon’s career at Juventus came last season after Storari had a memorable game at the Stadio Olimpico versus Roma. However this season in the same stadium versus the same opponent Buffon officially became San Gigi once again when he stopped Totti’s penalty kick. Grade: A-
2. Motta - figuring out Marotta’s thought process with the purchase of Motta is almost as challenging as understanding the second half of David Lynch’s “Inland Empire”. Grade: Incomplete.
3. Chiellini- moving to LB restored some of his confidence but is it his long term position? If Marotta acquires a top notch CB and keeps Bonucci between now and September 2012 the answer is yes. Grade: C+
4. Felipe Melo- Vidal and Marchisio have made everyone forget this former fan favorite. Galatassary will most likely purchase him outright next summer for around 12 million.
5. Pazienza- had very chances of playing; getting his only start versus Cesena after Pirlo got suspended. He did start over 25 games for Napoli last season so I think he can be a quality backup for the midfield but there are also rumors he could be sold in January (Marotta could offer him along with either Iaquinta or Amauri for Montolivo’s expiring contract or to Udinese for Armero). Grade: Incomplete
6. Grosso- Cannavaro’s club in the UAE hopefully has a vacancy at left back. Grade: D+
7. Pepe- both Del Neri and Conte emphasized the importance of strong wing players- Marotta purchased Krasic, Martinez, Pepe, Lanzafame, Elia, Giaccherini, and Estigarribia in the last two seasons to address the need . I do not think anyone could have predicted Pepe and Giaccherini would be the most productive of the list. Pepe truly symbolizes the Conte spirit and with Marchisio and Barzagli has been Juve’s best player. Grade: A-
8. Marchisio- the biggest reason for Juve’s improvement has been the massive upgrade of Pirlo/Marchisio from Melo/Aquilani. Moving back to the middle and playing with Pirlo has given new life to the Principino. He is now once again fulfilling his destiny of becoming the new Tardelli. Grade: A-
9. Iaquinta/Borriello/Higuain- Iaquinta gets a bad rap by Juve fans when he is lumped in with Toni and Amauri. While his inability to stay healthy has reached almost comical levels when he was able to play for Juve he has usually delivered (30 goals in about 90 games). It is looking like Marotta will unload him along with Toni and Amauri in January to make room for Borriello. Once Juve can get some Champions League revenue in its coffers Marotta will be able to finally get a world class striker. Juventus has great relations with Real Madrid and Higuain has lost playing time to Benzema so this appears to be a good fit. Grade: Incomplete
10. Del Piero- I realize posting a massive deficit while the team finishes in 7th place two years in a row when Italy is going through a steep recession is embarrassing, but announcing that this would be Del Piero’s last season at Juve as a way to distract everyone was the low point of the season so far. Alex has not been able to get consistent playing time but has worked well with Conte to transmit the Juve spirit to the rest of the team. Who will be the heir apparent to Del Piero and the prestigious #10 Juventus jersey? Could easily be one of these 4 players Giovinco/Giuseppe Rossi/Goetze/Jovetic . Del Piero’s Grade: C+
11. De Ceglie- his lack of ability on the defensive end has forced Conte to move Chiellini back to LB. De Ceglie has still time to become a productive defender but his future maybe on another club and in the midfield. I would offer him to Udinese along with cash in a deal for either Benatia or Armero. Grade: D
12. Leali/Frison/Branescu- while Juve still has the best backup GK in all of Serie A the club still lacks a heir apparent to Buffon. Last summer the club purchased Branescu and Marotta is also trying to purchase Leali from Brescia (he also plays for old friend Ferrara on Italy’s Under 21 team). I would also consider Frison of Vicenza just because his name sounds like Buffon’s.
13. Manninger- I can’t imagine a worst club to be on than Juve for an older GK. Grade: Incomplete
14. Vucinic- I still remember the day I was actually convinced Aguero was arriving; it was probably one of the best days to be a Juve fan since Calciopoli. Marotta was supposed to fly to Madrid the following Tuesday to seal the deal with Atletico. Some of my US colleagues actually knew who Aguero was and they could not understand why he would want to come to Juve. I listed the new stadium, the team’s past great number 10s and the high salary we were going to pay him as reasons for his decision. We all know how the story ended with Vucinic as a nice consolation prize. He has played pretty well and has developed good chemistry with Matri (who seems lost when Vucinic is out of the starting lineup) but in the tradition of talented players from Montenegro (if you are over 30 you certainly remember the great Savicevic) he can be maddeningly inconsistent and I cannot think of one game where he played well in both halves. Grade: B-
15. Barzagli- Marotta’s best purchase has become a poor man’s Scirea since he has no yellow cards so far this season while playing stellar defense. The fact that he had to play even in the Coppa Italia because Juve does not have other options at CB is however cause for concern. Grade: A-
17. Elia- In mid August Pepe was heavily linked with Spalletti’s club in Russia and Krasic was struggling during Conte’s first training camp. Marotta purchased Estigarribia, Giaccherini and Elia towards the event of the summer transfer window to bolster the depth on the wings. Elia had the most prestigious pedigree of the new purchases but has only played one half so far this season. I fear that Elia is about to join the list of the “oggetti misteriosi” purchased by Juve in the last 25 years which also includes the likes of Zavarov, Alejnikov, Esnaider, Tiago and Athirson. Grade: Incomplete
18. Quagliarella- I was very disappointed when Marotta purchased him after failing to sign Di Natale and Pazzini in the summer of 2010. Quagliarella got off to a great start on Juve developing great chemistry with Krasic prior to having a major knee injury. Quagliarella is now a fan favorite and is slowly regaining his form and Conte’s confidence after his knee surgery. Grade: C-
19. Bonucci- Matri is the only more expensive purchase of the Marotta era, Bonucci played better this season but I am still not convinced he is a starting caliber CB for Juventus. Considering in the last few years Juventus has regretted selling Balzaretti, Criscito and Cassani too soon we can all be grateful Bionucci was not sent to Zenit in exchange for Bruno Alves. Grade: B-
20. Toni- I am one of the few people that thinks Toni played well for Juve last season, so far Conte has not given him any playing time. I think there are better chances that Axl Rose and Slash will be spending new year’s eve 2012 together than Toni being on Juve past January 31st.
21. Pirlo- all of my friends that are Milan supporters cautioned me after Pirlo’s great start that eventually he would be spending most of the games walking around the pitch while providing uninspired passes to his teammates. While we have not seen that extreme quite yet Juve has certainly been a lot less “Pirlo dependant” in the last 6 games and to me that is a good thing. After the first month of the season it appeared that as Pirlo went so did Juve, and to me it seemed quite risky to bet the future success of the team on just one player with a reputation (and maybe it is an unfair one) for being injury prone. Regardless Pirlo has been one of the greatest free transfers for any club in recent memory. Grade: B+
22. Vidal- we can see why Bayern Munich was so furios when Marotta signed him. Developed great chemistry with Marchisio and reminded Juve fans of Edgar Davids but with a better offensive game and more versatility (I am still intrigued with the idea of seeing him at LB). There are some red flags with his family background and behavior while playing for Chile but for around 11 million euros he remains a great addition. Grade: B as in Budweiser and Becks.
23. Alex/Hummels/Kaboul/Toure/David Luiz/Bocchetti/Benatia/Caceres- Juventus will need to find valid alternatives to Lichsteiner and Barzagli in January especially since Sorensen will be loaned to a club where he can play regularly. Caceres appears on his way back and his versatility will be an asset to Conte, Marotta will then have to decide if Chiellini’s long term future is at CB or LB but that decision can be postponed to the summer which will also allow the club to further evaluate Bonucci as a CB.
24. Giaccherini- one of the most under the radar purchases of the last summer transfer season Giaccherini has played very well in limited duty. Grade: B and give yourself an A+ if you predicted he would get more playing time than Elia and Krasic combined.
25. Montolivo/Palombo/Kuzmanovic/Guarin/Pizzaro- Marotta needs to find a valid alternative to Marchisio and Pirlo, on the current roster Pazienza is the only logical fit. I am fairly skeptical Montolivo would want to join a team where he is not assured a starting spot with the Euro right around the corner but crazier things have happened. With Sampdoria not looking likely to return to Serie A next season (they are in the middle of the Serie B standings) it would make sense for them to sell Palombo who is the highest paid player on the team. Juve could offer Marrone on loan to replace Palombo in the short term. Juventus has also been linked to Kuzmanovic (formerly of Fiorentina) and Guarin of Porto but they appear to be considerably more expensive. In the last few days Juve has also been linked to Pizzarro who would make a solid backup to Pirlo.
26. Lichsteiner- a massive improvement from the Motta/Grygera duo. Lichsteiner has more than livid up to his Forrest Gump nickname by running like a maniac in most games. Grade: A-
27. Krasic- I think only Amy Winehouse’s tour manager had a worst 2011 than Milos Krasic. Grade: D- all the other players that barely got playing time got an incomplete but in Milos case he truly lost his starting job by performing poorly.
28. Estigarribia- all season long we kept reading quotes on how great Esti looked in practice , when he finally got a start versus Napoli he looked like the new Camoranesi. Has breakout potential in the second half of the season. Grade: B
29. Bosingwa/Kolarov/Aogo- I have to assume sending off Zeigler to Turkey right after purchasing him to fill a massive hole at LB was a way to show the rest of the players Conte was the new sheriff in town. If that was the intention, kudos because it clearly worked. But imagine how great Juve would be if we had the equivalent of Lichsteiner at LB? Krasic could be used to acquire one of these 3 options in January but I would also consider Armero of Udinese.
30. Storari- in February of 2011 many Juventus fans were in favor of starting Storari over Buffon and I agreed with them. Storari did not perform as well as last season in his two starts so far this season. He is still a great insurance policy on Buffon’s aging back. Grade: C for his play and A for staying at Juve when he could start on plenty of other clubs.
31. Immobile- tearing it up at Pescara playing under Zeman, he has 11 goals in Serie B and could be an important piece in the future either in a trade or as a backup for Juve.
32. Matri- after the game against Napoli his ceiling went from the new Inzaghi to the player Amauri was supposed to be, since then he has come back down to earth quite a bit- overall Matri exceeded expectations when you combine all of his stats from 2011, 15 goals in 31 games. With Cassano and Rossi potentially out he could be Balotelli’s side kick in the upcoming Euros. Grade: B+
33. Martinez- at least Elia was 3 million cheaper.
34. Marrone- could be sent on loan in January if Marotta acquires a backup CM. I would like to see him going to Samp in exchange for Palombo so he can get consistent playing time. Grade: Incomplete
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