Roma V Juventus Pt 2

Sixth versus seventh in the league will go head to head this Sunday, and what a game it'll be! After the international break where Italy were triumphant in both games but Juve have lost their hardman-Giorgio Chiellini. The Juve full-back suffered an injury against Ukraine, which was supposed to be a friendly, but it didn't work out that way with Davide Astori getting sent off.

But all the rumours linking Juve goalkeeper Buffon to the new American Roma, it all may cause tension. The whole concept of a pure Roman club being taken over by American is rather odd... have they not heard that the US has gone bust?!

Gigi is one of the last great Juve players, he has been at the club for a massive 10 years and stayed with them when they got relegated to the second division, so one could say he has paid his dues. He has certainly been a loyal solider and quite often it is he who has kept Juve in the game. I wish him all the best and Juve will not be the same without you!!

GIANLUIGI BUFFON ORIGINS

A Juve without Buffon...

... Something unimaginable, isn't it? It would just seem strange without hearing his booming voice and witnessing his cat like reflexes each weekend. But Juve have a very simple mandate.. and that is to reduce the wage bill and Buffon earns the most, but does that mean they have to cut down on quality because that will surely happen on his departure.

They are not thinking what it will do in the long term, they will fall further down the league and lose any " pull" they had when it comes to getting quality players on the transfer market. Hence the loss in quality in the future. Buffon is not just a goalkeeper, he is a leader who commands respect within the group. And with Juve's leaky rear guard, they need someone like him who just beams confidence.

Gigi will not like the Premier League, not only because of the weather but also because it is a thugs sport and he will not fit in- he has too much class! Please don't go, find another way to balance the books!

Review of The Tourist..

What can be said about this, one would have thought that with two world class actors, it would be great... but one is mistaken. The greatest actor in this film was Venice, don't get me wrong, Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie are brilliant actors, but it did seem like they didn't even bother with this film, it was just another pay cheque to them.

The film didn't have a clear sense of itself, it wasn't sure whether it was a comedy or a serious film. What did show was how little effort was put in to this, and how every so often some one would just mention the word "tourist" just so you remembered what you were watching!

This film had moments when you could actually nod off and not miss anything, it was a film you would watch if you had nothing else to do but I wouldn't got to the cinema to watch this and I'm glad that I didn't at first but curiosity got the best of me!

2 out of 5- and that's only because I respect the actors involved and at the very end it did try to be smart!

Euro 2012 Qualifiers SLOVENIA VS ITALY-HighLights - 25-3-2011-.avi

Slovenia V Italy

This was a game that was a must win for Italy, and to prove to the world and FiFa that they are still a great footballing nation!! Italy are currently 11 in the Fifa ranking but what does that really mean...for God's sake England is in the top 10 currently sitting in 6th place, behind Brazil!

Anyway, back to the game, and what a game it was. Possession was 50-50 but Italy did seem to be more in control of the game,but the longer the game went goalless, the more I got this sick feeling in my stomach that Slovenia were going to sneak a goal. Slovenia did seem to grow more confident and adventurous as the game went on, but they could only manage to test Buffon three time as apposed to Italy who had seven shots on goal, but the Slovenian keeper who plays his Game in Italy was more than equal to it. That was until the 73rd minute when the unlikeliest person score... Thiago Motta. Motta is Brazilian born and even played a few games for them before switching his allegiance to the Azzurri.

This was a team effort and without any big names but extremely talented and hardworking players that have been overlooked in the past but are shining under Prandelli.

FORZA AZZURRI!!!

Depending on Del Piero....

Juventus are guilty of this, everytime they buy a new striker, they expect him to form a partnership with Alex. If Juve are to become competitive again they must find another way, because there will come a time when they can no longer relied on "Super Alex".

No one is denying his brilliance, I mean the man has scored over 200 goals for Juve and has been with us since 1993... but he is 36. He cannot be expected to play every game and at such a high intensity, he just doesn't have the legs for it. And knowing how most fans are, they are likely to remember what he has done recently for Juve and forget all the great things he has done in the past. I just hope he is smart enough to know when he should step down and give someone else a chance, as I believe it is this mentality that is holding back the Italian youth system. Players like Totti and Del Piero are national treasures,there is no denying that... but isn't it time to move on and build something new? It does look like Prandellie has the right idea, let's just hope the club coaches pick this up!

Milos Krasic |Juventus| 2010/2011 Goals & Skills

Feeling unwanted..

There is no worse feeling then feeling unwanted...but you have to admit that being unappreciated is even worse. Amauri, Giovinco and now, Krasic. Amauri may have had a dud season at Juventus, but it was not always the case, in his first season at Juve he scored 14 in 44 appearances but the tally was always on the decline and he was inevitably shown the door. And after he was pawned off to Parma, he has regained his form and looks like he is enjoying his football again, like a former Juventino, Giovinco. But unlike Amauri, Giovinco was tauted as the next " big thing", figuratively speaking of course, The Atomic Ant had everything in abundance, he had speed, agility and tons of skill, but he sorely lacked something that is cruicial for any footballer- height. His 5ft 5 stance was not the only thing that had hindered his performance, he was also lacking the physical presence that would help him work his magic. Unlike Little Messi, Giovinco still had to bulk up a little inorder to keep hold of the ball. His time at Juve was becoming more and more of a cameo appearance, and with his lack of playing time, he got out and has flourished at Parma.

I fear that if they don't start showing appreciation for all the hard work that Krasic has done for the club, I fear he will be looking to the exit aswell. You can see it in the mans body language...he is not happy, and would blame him when the media is more interested in the time that he took a dive to prevent the inevitable collision between him and a Bologna player, than his incredible speed and unquestionable talent. After the game with Brescia, all the who ha was all about Del Piero's goal, but Krasic's was just brushed over. He will get sick off this and leave like The Ant, and again Juve will live to regret it. What will it take for Juve to appreciate talent? Giovinco Diego and is it the time for Krasic... I certainly hope not because we so desperately need him.

Nike Soccer Commercial - Good vs. Evil

Juventus won?!

It is hard to believe, but they managed to hold on for the win. A place in Europe might be a stretch.. but you never know!!! I've been through this too many times, the question that everyone should be asking is... can they sustain this energy for the remaining matches? Thet have failed to keep this up so many times before, it's harder to stay optimistic, but I try!

They had over 50% possesion, so that tells me their passing is better and to everyones relief Delneri kept Krasic on!! So many times has he taken him off to my great annoyance, it's nice to see he is willing to give Krasic a chance, afterall he is a great player!

Juventus vs Brescia 2-1 - All Goals & Full Highlights [20/03/2011]

Palermo vs AC Milan 1-0 Dorin Goian Goal! *Serie A*

Palermo V Milan... Suicidal Rossoneri

A very costly slip up by Milan, and Now Inter are just a heartbeat from retaining the title. A part of me died inside, not only does this mean that the EVIL empire are going to strike back, but also my beloved Juventus are now sitting in 8th, albeit they still have to play Brecsia.

Milan were tacticaly beaten as this game went end to end like a game of ping- pong without working the middle. Milan were without Zlatan because of his suspension and it looks like they might also be without Alex Pato, he sustained an ankle injury but with a two week break from Serie A, let's just hope it's not serious- or Milan could be in trouble for the Milan derby.

Milan had over %60 possession but couldn't see the way through the Palermo defence, and once Palermo got the goal it became increasingly hard. Milan did have the best defence in the league coming into this game but were caught napping, and Goian took this as a chance to ponce, and pounce he did as the ball went flying into the back of the net. There were suspicions that he might have been offside but replays clearly showed that Van Bommel was playing him on.

Could this be the decline of the Rossoneri? Some say they still have not recovered from being knocked out of the Champions League, But what can be certain, is that we all wish that Lecce can cause an upset tomorrow, because let's face, no one wants to see Inter crowned Champions again...do they?

Inter Milan vs Bayern Munich • Promo • UEFA CL 1\8 • 23.02.2011

Inter, the last hope?

It is true.. Inter are the last Italian representative in the Champions League. It was a shock to everyone who wasn't an Inter fan, Bayern were leading 3-1 on aggregate and it should have been game over, but what both these teams suffer from is a "less than perfect" defence, and that's putting it lightly! What continues to baffle me, why did Bayern take of Robben? Unless he was injured, but that did look to be the case. Bayern were duly punished for presuming it was all done and dusted, they were to witness a dramatic comeback by Inter who would then go on to win the tie and book their place in the 1/4 finals. One does think that maybe this was the Bayern Managers way of getting his own back at the club!! I mean they have effectively fired him, so why should he bother to work. Just a thought! But not everyone in Italy is happy, Milan's Gennaro Gattuso wanted them to lose, and you know what...I did too, it should have been the red and black half of Milan. Inter are not exactly who you want to represent the country!

But all this matters none as Germany have the llast laugh and take the CL spot away from Italy anyway,

In with the old, out with the young....

That is what Juve's transfer policy is starting to sound like. Ever growing rumours that Aquilani is returning to Mersyside and Pirlo is coming to Turin, this is getting awfully confusing. I can understand why they would want him, he's a World Cup winner and he does have tremendous class and skill, but I think the major reason Juve would want him is because he would come on a free transfer, but he's 32!?

Andrea has hardly played for Milan this season, he's had a recurring injury, so he'll hardly be in the best form of his life. I guess the Bianconeri's midfield is fairly young, so an input of class wouldn't be all bad. But like I said before, he's been out of sorts of late and there will be no guarantee what Pirlo we would get, the genius or benchwarmer. Above all, would he want to end his illustrious career at a club that has all this pressure and trying to return to greatness, that kind of pressure for an old man can't be great.

But let us not forget the one who might be replaced, Alberto Aquilani had a miserable campaign at Anfield and has flourished on his return to Italy, so much so that he has regained a spot in the National side. He is only 26 and already has vision and a daring attitude that Juve need. He should be nurtured not thrown to the side. It would be sheer cruelty to get rid of him.

A.S. ROMA vs lazio 0-2.wmv

Milan V Bari...

A hard fought draw but most importantly, two points lost, but the silver lining in all this is that Inter drew their game as well. Meaning that Milan maintain their five point advantage, but the bad news,,,the next 3 game will be without the giant Swede, that means he'll miss the Milan derby!

Bari drew first blood, it resulted from a well worked free kick in which Rudolf was left unmarked and Van Bommel saw him too late to do anything. They were behind, after having much of the ball early on. Luck was not on the Rossoneri's side as they had two goals disallowed, the first was judged to be off side which clearly wasn't, and the second which was chalked off for a Zlatan hand ball, which it was. The second half saw a more determined side but still Bari did have their chances.

Late in the second Bari born Cassano made it level and from then on it was all Milan. As the half went on Milan were increasingly getting frustrated and they knew a draw will not suffice. Milan had over 70% possession, but their was still no winning goal. At this point Ibrahimovic was getting viably frustrated and resulted in him getting a red card and leaving Milan to play the rest of the game with 10 men.
I do wonder if there is something in the water in the north of Italy, as all northern teams went down to 10 me, Inter, Milan and Juventus- Maybe the pressure is getting to them!

Juventus - Cesena 3-1 | SKY HD | Highlights Serie A 7.11.2010 Ampia Sint..How it should have been..

Cesena Juventus 2-2 Ampia Sintesi - "Premium Calcio" - Highlights (12-03...Buffon was great, but where was everyone else?

Cesena V Juventus- What could have been?

Juventus have to look back at this and see it as two points lost, they started the game shaky and then nerves were settled with Matri's first goal and by the second Matri goal, you were left thinking that they couldn't let this slip through their fingers- yet they did. I mean the fact that Cesena had over 50% possession should tell you something is wrong, don't get me wrong, you only have to ask Sampdoria to know that they are a fiery side... but this is Juventus, surely that still means something.. doesn't it?

Juve's woes all stem from the back, and it was the poor defence that I believe forced Buffon to come out of his goal and inevitably lead to the penalty which subsequently meant that Cesena got back into the game. Something is seriously wrong when your own goalkeeper has no faith in his own defenders? The Old Lady are guilty of giving opposing players too much time on the ball, Juve don't press hard enough, it's like they are just inviting the attacker to get a shot off.

Motta's sending off in the 43rd minute did not help, it left Juve with 10 men for the entire second half- but he was asking for it with his over " enthusiastic" tackles where he would almost take some ones head off. But the worst was yet to come, at half time Delneri took Krasic off yet again!!! What is wrong with him?! It makes no sense taking off one of your best players, Krasic is starting to feel unappreciated, I can see it in his body language and the fact that he was suited and booted on the side looking on was not encouraging. I fear he might slip through our fingers if Delneri doesn't start showing him some respect, and it will be a huge loss for us and a huge gain to a competitor.

Juve are lacking a certain quality that meant they were feared and not laughed at. I will always be with Juve and I still believe they can regain some of their lost pride, but this performance doesn't help!

Whingy Wenger..

I may be the only one, but does anyone else just want to tell Wenger to get over it. He is still moaning about referee's making bad decisions in the game against Barca- newsflash, thoughout the entire game you didn't have a single shot and Van Persie got sent off in the 55th minute and Barca dominated possession, One does feel for Wenger, his side is the only English side that plays with any flair, but his continuing moaning sullies the game. You cannot deny that on the day, Barca' played a hell of a lot better!!

This is contrast to last night's match where AC Milan were clearly the better side with a more attack minded side and had over 60% of the possession. All the talk that the Italian game is slow and boring was pushed aside by yesterdays performance. Milan were attacking and fielded a young side, dismissing rumours that they are an ageing side, but it was evident that their is still a need for experience. Milan should be proud of their performance as they shed some much needed light on how Serie A is actually played, and helped dismiss some distorted perception of the Italian game.

Milan are out????

A sad day for Italian football, all our hopes lie with Inter. A tragedy that the team that had won the Champions League a massive 7 times, were knocked out by lowly Spurs. Milan learnt from their mistakes in the first leg and didn't let their guard down, but still tried to push forward but one has to remember that Spurs were leading 1-0 on aggregate, so they could afford to spend the majority of the game defending- the Rossoneri could not. Milan had a make shift midfield, with their regular players all out, Andrea Pirlo, Gennaro Gattuso and Massimo Ambrosini, these players may all be over thirty but their experience in these big game were vital.

Boateng was in doubt for this game as he had sprained his ankle in the 1-0 win against Juventus. And it was made apparent that the Spurs players knew about this and tried everything to take him out without making it obvious. Milan were the more attacking side with 16 shots but only 4 on target. Something was not clicking with the front three as chance after chance went amiss.

I may be the only one, but every time the ball went to Flamini it was followed by a chorus of booing- it was awfully annoying!! And the commentators found it necessary to mention his tackle in the first leg every time he got hold of the ball- again very annoying! But I liked what Seedorf had said in the press conference beforehand, he basically said Flamini was a premiership player and he learnt this thuggish play from you BARBARIANS!! Okay, I may have added the last part, but it is true and any English team should be used to it.

Another thing the commentator felt a need to mention every two second was the Gattuso- Joe Jorden incident, the way they keep going on about it makes it sound like Gattuso killed someone-completely ridiculous! Milan had 63% possession and you just felt that if they had five more minutes they could have snatched it, but like I said before, when you play a team that has the luxury of putting 10 men behind the ball it becomes difficult.

A heartbreaking end, even to a devoted Juve fan like myself, it is hard to watch as the Italian teams drop like flies.

Magical fixes..

Juventus are showing their stupidity, they continue to go out and try to buy one player that they think will be the saviour to all of the Old Lady's ills. The latest rumour is that they are going to make an attempt to but Javier Mascherano, did they learn nothing after last season- One good player will do nothing if all the other players are less than perfect. Last season they bought Diego and Felipe Melo in the vain hope that these two players can help turn around the season, and how exactly did that work out?! They sold Diego at a loss and remained in 7th place. And anyway, why would Mascherano leave Barcelona, but more to the point why would Barca sell him after paying a hefty sum for him? Some clubs just have money to throw around- I wish Juve had some!

Jealousy is an ugly thing...

People cannot understand greatness an so they have to find any tiny flaw, and make it all anyone ever talks about- it's quite petty actually!

There is something really wrong with the sports media if they can't remain informative and impartial. Milos Krasic is at the crux of all the media criticism. It is really starting to aggravate me how everyone is crucifying him for diving, when we all know that everyone does it. I know this doesn't excuse him, but one has to remember he is very fast and very skinny and any knock can send him hurtling to the ground. He may be too fast even for himself, and because he is a small guy, maybe he is just afraid of getting hurt.. has anyone considered that?!

And unlike a slimy Portuguese guy ( ronaldo) he rarely complains or asks for a penalty, and unlike ronaldo, you don't want to slap him, Krasic seems like a good guy he just needs to get a handle on how Italian football works.

Do people forget what happened to Nedved, maybe Milos doesn't want to end his career in agonising pain!

Pavel Nedved : A True Legend

The headache of being the Goalkeeper...

Commentators and fans alike do not appreciate how hard it must be to be the one between the sticks. To have all that responsibility and burden must take its toll, and not to mention be regarded as a hero and then quickly labeled as the villain of the game after one mistake.

Buffon had a fine game yesterday, up until the goal. Gigi is but one man, his team should help him out... shouldn't they? It was a tame goal, but the team should have reacted, to be fair to them they did but they lacked the cutting edge to finish it, and chance after chance was stopped by the great wall of Milan. So people, I tell you now....LEAVE GIGI ALONE!

Gattuso Goal in Juventus vs AC Milan 0-1 05/03/2011

Juventus V Milan- The Great Gattuso....

Same old, same old, I'm getting so used to losing and they can't disappoint me anymore- yet a part of me had this glimmer of hope, maybe, just maybe they would pull out a pleasant surprise, instead it was pure agony. Which was made even greater with Gattuso's goal. But what made the game all that more agonizing, was the fact that Juve started off so well in the first half but lacked that final touch. The statistics say it all, 12 shots but none on target and a mere 39% possession to Milan's mighty 61%.

Juve were more than a little bit shaky at the back and almost paid for it early on when Zlatan Ibrahimovich had an opportunity to put his team ahead in the third minute but Traore got a toe to it, causing it to go off target. That's exactly what I've been talking about, the Bianconeri have a rushed, almost panicked way of defending and often you do see player just ballwatching which is rather troubling.

Alessandro Matri did have some opportunities to put the home side ahead, but his indecisiveness and reluctance to pull the trigger meant that nothing resulted from it. One has to think that maybe the pressure of what this shirt represents has got the better of him. But this is a very different Juve to that of old. And it is becoming increasingly difficult to watch them, Delneri should be very worried, as he is fast heading towards the gallows and Juve are fast slipping down the table.

" Smaller teams"?

There is no such thing as a lesser team, especially when it comes to Serie A. Juventus have been guilty of underestimating these so called smaller teams and have paid for it dearly, they are currently in seventh place, 17 points of top spot, now tell me..who is the smaller team?

Juve have the history and prestige of a big team but the way they have been playing lately, it begs the question.... are they still a worthy of being called a big team or have they just been coasting on the legacy of their past?

The Bianconeri do tend to be more awake when they are playing one of the top five, this is all good but it wont win you the title. To win the title, they must be present for EVERY game. When you consider team like Chievo have beaten the might of Inter, Inter who won the treble last season, you have to wise up to the fact that there are no small teams left. And when you do start to believe other teams are smaller than you... that's when you start to fall, because the battle for survival can be stronger than the battle for the title.

juventus vs milan 6 a 1- can this Juve do that???

What's the worst that could happen?

.... When it comes to Juventus, an awful lot could go wrong. We all know they have a stale attack and that their offensive tactics are a bit outdated- the long and hopeful balls to the big target man. But the worst that could go wrong is if Milan score first and Juve panic, which they often do and then concede again!!

They have to remain calm and composed, there is always a way back into the game, if they just stay calm. I fear that the longer the game remains goal less, the more tense it will get and hence mistakes will be made- mostly by Juve. So Juve must score first to settle the nerves, because this game will be hyped up so much, almost to a ridiculous level. They must try to ignore the media and instead visualise the win and then find a way to make it happen.

The defense must be airtight, like Melo said, " there's no room for errors". Because Milan will pounce on any sign of weakness, they must also avoid giving away needless free kicks, all this is doing is giving the ball back to the Rossoneri and giving them an opportunity to attack. They must try to keep the ball and keep it on the ground, and Delneri should avoid subbing Krasic, unless injured of course, because he is their best player. And above all, try to avoid getting yellow card as they still have games to play, and everyone is important to make sure the team succeeds.

Juventus V Milan- Just another game, right?

This is maybe the most exciting games in the calender, made more with the fact that Juve are going through a " bad" patch and Delneri's job is at risk, while Milan are sitting comfortable at top, but they still have to look out for Inter who are getting closer. This game is an extremely important and emotional game- mostly for Juve fans. But all said and done, Milan have to keep their place at the top and one could say they have more reason to win this.

The Bianconeri did beat Milan 2-1 in their first encounter at the San Siro, but that was in week 9 and this is a very different Milan side, they are brimming with confidence and have the strikeforce to back it up, while Juve are the polar opposites, they have suffered back to back defeat, have a shaky backline and a depleted attack force. Juventus do generally show up for the big games, and this attitude maynot win them the title, but they may be able to squeeze a victory.

Milan V Napoli- Calmness wins..

With all the hype surrounding this match I was kind of disappointed. Don't get me wrong, it was an amazing display of talent... but what happened to Napoli and more importantly, where was Edinson Cavani??

The match started off very free flowing and open but Napoli did spend most of the time playing in their half. But with all the pressure and possession that Milan had, they still couldn't score. This game saw Milan field Ibrahimovic, Pato and Robinho as the front three, Allegri must have one eye on the Champions League as he knows that he can't have Cassano so he must try and encourage Zlatan and Pato to work together. This was starting to work well but... you could see that Zlatan would get annoyed with Pato if he didn't get the pass just right and they both were a little selfish. It does beg the question.. will Ibra's constant whining and complaining put him in bad waters with the team... because there is only so much you can tolerate.

The second half saw Pato get a yellow card but more importantly, it saw the first goal. A cool and calm slotted the ball past the keep from the penalty spot. The keeper did get a fingertip to it but it was just too powerful. After that goal Milan were in their stride and were on the hunt for the second. With Inter just three points behind them at the time, they couldn't afford to let an equalizer sneak in. That did not look to be the case as the Rossoneri were in control with 59% possession, Napoli on the other hand had a mere 41%, but more to the point, they didn't test Abbiati once through the whole duration of the match.

On the 77th minute an increasingly confident Pato got the ball to Kevin Prince- Boetang, who came on for Robinho, and he got the second goal- and then was subsequently given a yellow card for taking his shirt off in celebration. But the game was far from over, pato who was now brimming with confidence had yet to score. And score he did on the 79th minute,this was great counter attacking play by Milan, and it saw Pato run halfway up the pitch, with only two Napoli defender ahead of him and eventually Zlatan came in support, but he was not needed, as Pato lobbed the ball over the keeper to make it 3-0 to the home and game over for Napoli.

Now as I am a Juve fan, I just hope they have spent some time on target practice, because they do get themselves in good position only to be let down by the final ball. And with a side like Mila who seem to be on fire right now, that is not a good idea. Another thin The Old Lady needs to work on is their defence, they have to stay sharp and alert if they are to beat the Rossoneri and to get some pride back.