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Juventus V Milan- To good too soon?

This match is always produces some great display of football, but people must not get ahead of themselves, after all, it has only been four games. And two of those games ended in a draw and the Italian media was talking about what's gone wrong with Juve, for the love of everything holy, it is only the start of a very long season, they have to pace themselves if they want to come out on top and try to avoid burning out when it counts- does everyone forget what happened the last two seasons? They started of looking like title contenders and ended up in seventh place. As important as this game is, it's not a title decider as Del Piero said, to be able to make that prediction, one has to wait till after Christmas. This game is more of a morale booster, if they get any kind of result from this they can then use that momentum throughout the campaign. But having said that, even if it turns out to be a disappointing result, they still have the time to learn from their mistakes, and Conte is rather smart and he will always be a picture of calm and be realistic in his expectations.

This game will be very emotional for obvious reasons, Andrea Pirlo will face his old club, a club that he was with for 10 years! And least we forget Alberto Aquilani, who spent a loan spell in Turin only to be returned to Liverpool and after alot of negotiations managed to navigate his way to Milan. Having Pirlo face his old club has some benefits, he will no alot about the way they play but the flipside to that is that they will know an awful lot about him, most of all how to stop him from playing his game, as Catania found out last week,as the man marked him and he even admitted himself that he wasn't able to produce his best work. Not only that, but I believe Juve have made an error in getting rid of Felipe Melo, as every team needs a "hardman" in the middle and I feel that with Pirlo, Marchisio, Krasic and even Pepe are starting to look a little "frail". While Milan has the ever enthusiastic- Kevin- Prince Boateng. All I'm saying that The Old Lady would be wise not to rely so much on Andrea, after all they are a much better team than previous seasons.
Let's just all hope that age brings wisdom and not dementia from The Old Lady!

AC Milan 0 - Juventus 2 HD Alessandro Del Piero هدف ديلبيرو

Juventus- Just a blip, or deja vu' all over again?

DON'T PANIC!! It would be natural to assume the worst, given their track record but it would be slightly unjust to assume that, given the fact that they came back stronger and more determined after going down a goal. For the most part of last season it would be the opposite, they would score first only to concede the equalizer and then the game because they couldn't get their heads back in the game. Antonio Conte tried a different formation with Matri up front on his own due to Vucinic being suspended. This shows that Conte is willing to adjust and adapt and that he will not be stubborn and stick by his style of play no matter what is happening. The game started off sluggish, which was maybe a mistake, as Catania were the ones to draw blood first in the 22 minute.
Juve have to be careful about over reliance on Andrea Pirlo, he was unable to make a dramatic impact on the game due to the fact he was being man marked attentively, and it almost stopped Juve from playing their game. They must have a back up plan for Pirlo, because soon other teams will figure out that if you stop Pirlo, you stop Juve- and this can't  happen, someone else must be able to take the torch.
 Marchisio has always been a good little solider for the team and he is still young enough to get better, but he must stop picking up cards and making rash challenges because they will come back to bite him in the ass!
Congratulations to Krasic for scoring his first goal this term, he has been amidst some sensational talk recently, the most recent is that he will be wearing the red Of Man U, which off course is absurd- but his body language and misunderstandings with Conte did make me wonder. Milos did not have the prettiest of games but he did score the equalizer and then late on he did almost grab a late winner, but then he ran out of steam. It's all well and good to have a pacy player like Krasic- but he is just one man, he still needs support from his teammate.

Not a bad performance and Conte has time and the players to fix it- let's just hope he does it soon, because they can't keep losing points but above all they can't loose morale as the play AC Milan next week!

Napoli V Fiorentina- Goalless in Naples?

As strange as it might sound, there were no goals in Naples, Napoli had lost there midweek games, so you were expecting a goal feast but sadly none arrived. The game started promising,but the after 15 minutes they started to show up in fits and bursts, Fiorentina were without Gilardino, which proved decisive at some points as La Viola will be on the attack and not have the finishing touch. The longer this game went on the more frenetis it got, as they both realised 3 points were up for grabs. The second half showed a marked improvement with both teams going at it tooth and nail. A few key mistakes almost put Fiorentina ahead, most notably Fideleff who almost gifted a goal to Vargas but the Peruvian only managed to hit the side netting. Fideleff had to be taken off in the 54th minute as he was proving to be a liability, he was replaced By Aronica, who had just comeback from injury and almost put his team in front.
But it wasn't meant to be as they both left with a point, Fiorentina went on the defensive and Napoli lacked the desire to win.

Not what you expected from Napoli, maybe they just don't have what it takes to be real title contenders?

Milan V Udinese

When will the champions off Italy get their first win, to be fair to them it didn't help that Pato is now on the injury list. He had to be subbed in the first half, and one was thinking if Milan were going to get a goal back it was going to be through him. Lady luck has not been on their side as Zlatan, Boateng.Antonini, Robiniho, Gattuso,Bonera, Ambrosini and Flamini all out injured. Milan have lost that spark of creativity and they have seem to run out of ideas, because a number of times they did just kick the ball into the box hoping for the best not realising that they had 2 small guys and they could no longer relied on the big Swede. Udinese played well, and to get that early goal- even if it was a faux pas by Abbiate, just showed that they were that little bit sharper and alert the Milan. For Di Natale to be able to take the ball so quickly and then to have the composer to score the goal proves my point.
Milan had over 60% of the possession but when it came to that final ball didn't have the sharpness to finish it. What continues to baffle me is Aleggri's reluctance to play Emmanuelson from the off, because he does add the pace that The Rossoneri are missing, because for long period of the game they appeared to be rather static. But at least they did't lose like the city rivals Inter, who lost 3-1 to newly promoted Novara!
Novara were by no means intimidated by there opponents and went straight for the jugular. And as a result, Gasperini was shown the door. This early in the season, the Inter faithful have to hope they find a replacement sooner rather than later as it could destabilize the squad further.

Whomever said Serie A was boring clearly needs to go to Specsavers!

Napoli V Milan- Expect the Unexpected

 What a game.. it had all the ingredients for a phenomenal game, and it was, maybe not for the Milan fans. Napoli ran out as 3-1 winners to stun the Italian champions and maybe the could use this game, as painful as it was, as a wake up call to their faults. What Milan lack the most and was made glaringly obvious in this game is pace.As they have too many players the wrong side of 30, and most days it isn't that much of an issue as they bring in tremendous amount of knowledge and experience, but today,  they were to slow to catch Napoli and even slower to mount an effective counter- attack.

The game started well for the visitors as Alberto Aquilani, the former Juve man opened the scoring by getting on the end of a Cassano cross, that was on the 12th minute and less than 2 minutes later, Napoli had equalised with a powerful strike from an unmarked Edinson Cavani. The Rosoneri may have had a lions share of the possession but what mattered most was what they did with it and to be perfectly honest- not a lot. Milan had their chances but the final ball always eluded them. The midfield of Van Bommel, Seedorf and Aquilani didn't really have enough to stop anyone as Walter Gargano just sprinted past everyone- including Van Bommel, to pass the ball to Cavani who then made it 2-0 on 36 minutes. Milan went into the second half 2-0 down and alot to think about. But let's be fair to Milan, they have got a lot of key injuries, Zlatan, Ambrosini and Boateng not to forget Flamini who's out for five months. But part of the blame has to be placed on Allegri himself for not playing Urby Emanuelson earlier, as he brought the pace and that cutting edge that was needed. The night ended great for Napoli as the won 3-0 with Cavani getting his hat-trick.

Milan have to face a fiesty Udinese side in mid- week, so they must pick themselves up and continue to fight- there's no rest for the wicked!

Francesco Totti...

.... He is an Idol to Roma fans and, no matter what Zarate says, he is a phenomenon, but has is he able to cope with anyone with pace? Totti is not only a great player, but he has an even bigger ego and will make life difficult for any coach that tries to bench him or even substitute him- just ask Claudio Ranieri.

He has to remember that there is more to being Captain then getting your way all the time, he has to lead by example, and that means he must be willing to make sacrifices for the good of the team. After watching last nights game, you began to notice things about his game that are maybe not so great. On a number of occasions he did slow the tempo of the game and this gave Inter the opportunity to get back and get organised. I wouldn't dream of taking him off because he still has a powerful shot and some tricks up his sleeve- but maybe it's time for him to accept a lesser role. Take Juventus for example, they have their own idol and club icon in Del Piero, but he has come to realise that it's time for the newer generation to lead the club. He is still an amazing player, but he accepts that he may not be able to play the full 90 minutes or every single match, and every time he steps foot on the pitch he makes an exciting contribution- because he has had the rest and recovery that a man of his age needs, also because he knows that there is some competition ahead of him and it's not a given that he will play. It is this type of competition that has helped him role back the years, and it is the hunger that he has that means he is so loved by the Juventus faithful, the hunger that Totti has maybe lost due to lack of competition for his role. In the match against Inter he was seen to be at walking pace for some part of the game, which is not exactly a good sign, however Roma do have De Rossi amongst others who still have the hunger and drive and not to mention legs to pick up his slack- but for how long?

Inter V Roma.. Great Expectations?

The feeling before this game was, you will at least see a flurry of goals, with both defenses showing weaknesses that wasn't such a bas prediction to make. But the game ended goalless and both teams getting there first point, maybe not the way Inter had intended- but a point is a point, and boy, did Gasperini need it as his head is on the chopping block!
The first 10 minutes were rather stop/start but then in the 15 minute as Roma had started to find a rhythm Lucio " accidentally" kicked the Roma keeper in the head and Roma were forced to make an early substitution. It seemed like an accident but Lucio's reaction was that of a petulant child, and that epitomises Inter, they may be full of great players but they're such babies, you just want to hit them!
Fabio Borini was a bright spark in the first half, he showed his eagerness by his tireless runs and shots on goal and was popping up everywhere- at only 20 he's one for the future. Both teams seemed a little " out of sorts", with miss placed passes and many opportunities were created by silly mistakes by the opposition, this game showed a lack of real identity by both coaches, what has to be kept in perspective is that they are both new to this kind of managing, Luis Enrique come from the Spanish League while Gasperini was coach of Genoa- not exactly the same as Inter Milan.
The second half saw Roma more aggressive and focus with a shot on goal from the start but they lack the skill and finesse to finish it, so it ended all square at the San Siro, it is only the second League game, so don't push the panic button yet, there's still hope!

JUVENTUS - Primo Goal -Happy Birthday Paolo De Ceglie

Secret Gardens Italy

Juventus vs Parma 4-1 | Sky HD | Highlights Full Goals 11/9/2011 Serie A

Juventus V Parma- A near perfect game.

What a way to start off your campaign at your new home. Juve crushed Parma by 4 goals, and boy did they deserve it! The Bianconeri had 65% possession that resulted in a lot of pressure on the Parma goal and for large parts of the game they were stuck in their own half. Antonio Conte made the perfect start to his job as Juve boss, this result has surely proved his worth.
Juve started the game with only 3 new players, which was very smart on Conte's part, and it proved to be a wise decision as it was one of the debutant's, Stephen Lichtsteiner who opened the scoring. It was from a perfect cross from Andrea Pirlo, and Lichtsteiner showed great composer as he smacked it in the back of the net on 16 minutes. Pirlo was at the center of much of the attacks and has proven to be an important player in the side, his creativity and experience has given this Juventus team a whole new dimension in the way they play.He has also started to develop a fantastic understanding with Alex Del Piero, which is always a good thing as he is still a very important player. However,it wasn't Alessandro Matri's day as he had his first shot on goal ruled of for offside- which could be argued that it wasn't. And his second goal which was supplied by Del Piero, it all seemed like it was going to plan... but it hit the inside of the post and rolled agonizingly along the line without crossing it. Shortly afterwards he was substituted, which I'm sure didn't help his confidence, and what would have made him feel worse was when just a minute later Simone Pepe scored the second,.
It was a game for the debutant's as the new signing of Arturo Vidal scored on the 73rd minute. Through out the match, I was lightly let down by Claudio Marchisio, he had seemed to pop up her and there but didn't really have an impact on the game, but that was going to change, he seemed to have a moment of pure genius when on the 83rd minute he lobbed the ball in the back of the net to make it 4-0, he was supplied by midfield partner Andrea Pirlo. Yet the game was tarnished near the end when Paolo De Ceglie fouled Giovinco ( which looked rather funny, because De Ceglie is so big and Giovinco is so small) and not only got a red card which means he will miss the next 2 matches, but he also gave away a penalty, which Giovinco converted and ruined Buffons hopes for a clean sheet.

Juve are now on the top of the table, but the supporters must not get too excited, because after all it's a marathon not a sprint. And Juve must not burn out and conserve their energies.

Review of Hanna.

A film that will appeal to both sets of people: the bubblegum crowd and the intellectuals, it had enough action pieces to keep even a goldfish entertained!
The story is not to complicated if you really think about it but because the main actors are not annoying teenagers, you find yourself being immersed into this world of spies and trained killers. Saoirse Ronan plays the lead role perfectly, she plays the cold ruthless killer but she is also just a child and shows her innocent and vulnerable side. The thing that made this film appealing was that there were no tabloid stories about her and she wasn't everywhere unlike some people, if she can refrain from becoming an "it" girl, he future looks bright.
The idea of her living in the woods learning how to hunt with her father and then being in the real world with electricity gave the audience some background on her, and when she went to the hotel with all these modern equipment was realistically and added a bit of humour, if you had never seen it you would be amazed by electricity and electric kettles etc. When she met the English tourist, it showed you how little girls are more focused on the latest hairstyles and boys than surviving and in the end how shallow and superficial they are. But that was a mistake she made, because by having met them, she put their lives in danger- just ask Jason Bourne, but in the end Hanna is a girl who has been living on her own here whole life, so you can't blame her for wanting a friend. When the family do get caught, you don't see what happens to them, but guessing what happened to the hotel manager and the man in Berlin, it probably wasn't good. But by the end of the film, with all her fancy moves and her ability to adapt, was nothing compared to a gun, when Cate Blanchetts eventually does get them she has a gun and technology, the ending was good with the mirroring of the opening scene and completed the circle, alternative ending wasn't needed as I liked the way it ended in an edgy way. Don't want to give too much away but it was a brilliant film that would appeal to anyone.

4 out of 5. And compared to all the dribble out now, this was a refreshing change!

Juventus V Notts County..

What has to be remembered is that this was just a friendly, an exhibition to open the new stadium, but the match did make certain things very clear, Juve still can't defend from set pieces and that this is not a team. The latter is no surprise, given the fact that signings such as Elia and Estigarribia just happened at the end of the window, it was not surprising that they were out of sorts and didn't know where their team mate were. This team has all the ingredients to be a competitive force but they need time to become a team, this match made that visable clear, with all the miss placed passes and the miss timed runs. And it was the "old boy" Luca Toni who broke the deadlock in the first half. After the interval a lot of the new boy and the Juve kids were on the pitch, and they had the enthusiasm but it was fairly obvious... they didn't have the experience or composer. Notts got a leveler at the death and it all ended square.
After an extravagant opening ceremony, that meant that the game started more than 30 minutes behind schedule, this game showed that you may paper over the cracks and keep the fans happy with expensive transfer gifts.. but if you refuse to see the obvious and continue making basic errors, the supporters will not be happy. But least we forget this was an exhibition match... but you also have to admit it was a bit anti climactic!

TORINO-PARCUL VALENTINO