juventus 2011-2012 The unbeaten all goals

Unlucky number 13...

Juventus have so far gone though the season unbeaten, an amazing feat wouldn't you say?? Yet they have also drawn 13 games and have missed the chance to go joint top with Milan after their latest draw against Bologna. Even the fans will be ripping their hair out, Juve didn't play that badly after they got the equalizer and even when they went a man down.

Juve had over 60% possession, yet that does not give me much comfort when they have 13 shots and only 4 on goal and only got the keeper to work 3 times, something is missing upfront. Maybe all the negative energy brought by Antonio Conte has started to have an adverse affect on the players- or maybe it's karma, for all the moaning and grief that Conte has caused the refs, the football God have taken away their scoring ability, whatever it is, the longer they go without winning the more it could affect the team, not only their position in the league but also it could have a very negative affect on team morale. Conte has not only angered the Gods but also the referee, as he was sent off during the Bologna match and is also banned for the weekends match against Genoa. One of the things a team needs to be a success is a stable leader and not someone who keeps throwing tantrums- not a very good example. Yet I still have hope in this side as I see a resurgence on the horizon!

The Old Lady

The following are some pros and con I feel about the current Juve side:

Pros

• High intensity approach to the game- always equals an exciting match
  



• Hardwork and determination from the team
  



• The " never say die" attitude




• The loyalty they have to their veteran players and willingness to play the youth- this has made the team fresher and has given Juve a new dimension




• The fact that goals can come from anywhere- last night De Ceglie got his first Serie A goal!
  



• They sit just a point behind Milan!

Cons

• High intensity can also lead to mistake being made- eagerness to score early on can lead to them becoming sloppy




• Constant complaining to the referee- the moment a decision doesn't go their way, 4 Juve players surround the ref!
  



• Falling over too easily- sometimes a player is in a good position and goes down looking for the cheap free kick, when it would've be better if the got on with it instead.
  



• Goals are starting to dry up in the forward positions- they only got a point against Chievo thanks to Poalo De Ceglie.




• Too many draws can lead to their undoing.

Just a few things to think about, but as supporters we also have a role in this.. which is to support them no matter what, and not jeer them as this does not help anyone and doesn't do anything good for their motivation, actually it can be rather damaging to their confidence. Remember where they were last season and be grateful Conte has gotten us this far, we have announced ourselves and hopefully Juve will be here to stay!!

Juventus V Chievo...

... Juventus should look as this game as 2 points dropped, how can they be taken seriously as a team if they've drawn 12 games? Conte might cling to the fact that they remain unbeaten, well that means nothing if half of them are draws! Juve had a high intensity to the game which has been their signature playing style this season, yet all the intensity in the wold means nothing if it doesn't translate into results- and by this, I mean wins!

Juventus had 60% possession which equated to 20 shots with only 5 on target and only 4 were good enough to force a save out of keep Sorrentino,who was in excellent form! Which is rather worrying, I've been saying it for a long time now- players should spend more time on target practice and less time moaning to the ref. Juve did get the first goal but it came from a set piece, which can go either way. It came from an unlikely source in De Ceglie. What worries me is how they couldn't fashion a goal from open play and how, with all their dominance they only had one goal?!! After that goal, it looked as though some nerves had settled yet there were periods in the first half where Chievo could have easily scored, and this is disturbing, the mere fact that almighty Juve could not brush aside Chievo showed a serious chink in Antonio Conte's tactics, also it doesn't help that Conte keeps chopping and changing the front pairing. It was fairly obvious that Alessandro Matri and Mirku Vucinic are not a great match, as they would often get in each others way!

The second half did show how slender Juventus' lead was and they kept up this high intensity, but there was just no end result and Chievo punished them on the 76th minute. Conte should start to worry as they are starting to struggle to score goals and Milan have just got their "mojo" working. Juve have a game in hand and now they must win this game if they want to have any hope for the title and to keep the pressure on Milan. The thing that can identify you as a championship team is your ability to adapt and do without certain players, Milan have shown that they can still score with the giant Swede, but Juve are a different side without Simone Pepe!

It is miraculous what Conte has achieved so quickly, and I respect that, however he must acknowledge that some is wrong with the team and not the REFS! ( most of the time)

I do worry for Juve as even a legend like Del Piero is finding it hard to help you!

Palermo v Milan- Ibracadabra!

What a game from the away team and what a return from Zlatan, only his second hatrick- if you can believe it! But what a performance by him. Milan played like the home side with over 60% possession and with 19 shots and 12 on goal, it would've easily been 5 or 6 for Milan. It felt like the injustice suffered by the away side against Juve gave them an extra boost, as they played like a side possessed!

Palermo were letting them self get bossed around and only had brief moment where it looked as though they were going to make Milan uncomfortable, they had 15 shots, so they were trying but only 3 were on goal which just made it abundantly clear how big the gap in quality there is between these 2 sides. Whereas Milan had the returning Ibrahimovic, they also had Robinho, Nocherino and even Thiago Silva, who, besides from being a top class defender even got on the scoresheet, on 58 minutes he topped of the "Ibra show" with a little gem from himself. This shows that Milan can get the goals from anywhere on the pitch which also means they can be very unpredictable to play against and they are not going to let go of the Scudetto anytime soon.

A vital 3 points for Milan, which will see them stay onto of the top of the table