Leonardo Bonucci (482 Viewers)
- Thread starter Dostoevsky
- Start date
- Tags 50-50 a_legend bonuccbauer butthurt judas much passing. wow pep's favourite "defender" prodigalsonreturns wasteman supreme
At some point I do agree with you when it comes to let the under-performing guy sitting on the bench and by that giving an another guy the chance to have time on the pitch. When it comes to Torres I think he would play way better away from Chelsea. This chaos with new coaches every season and by that new systems and ideas on the field might be something that doesn't suits him mentally.
We are more talking about having balls.
---------- Post added 08.03.2012 at 20:46 ----------
BTW I do agree with you when it comes to Borriello, ADP and Elia. Honestly I believe this does not have something to do with Agnelli. A good leader must trust the guys below him and that is what he does.
We are more talking about having balls.
---------- Post added 08.03.2012 at 20:46 ----------
BTW I do agree with you when it comes to Borriello, ADP and Elia. Honestly I believe this does not have something to do with Agnelli. A good leader must trust the guys below him and that is what he does.
Agree Agnelli should trust the people under him but at the end of the day juventus ars in the business of winning and after two months Of under performing and having Bonucci constantly fuck up its time to interven and settle shit down because Conte is not doing that. He continues to tinker with personnel and formations when we did not need to do so and now I feel it's out of control and Agnelli needs to step in and then Conte can start again because It almost seems like Conte doesnt know where to go for here. He's never been in this position as a coach and I think he is a bit lost in between taking those risks that make you into a big time manager or settling because he's afraid of losing a d becoming a Ranieri type coach.
In Defense of Leonardo Bonucci…
Let’s face it Juventini: in a season dominated by euphoria and interspersed with frustration (all these draws…), the one factor that has us reaching for unanimity this year is the excellence of our DEFENSE. With Andrea Barzagli cementing his status as Serie A’s best defender, Giorgio Chiellini returning (after a brief stint at left-back) to his old dominating “Keyser Giorgio” self, and the arrival of Stephan Lichtsteiner – followed by that of Martin Cáceres – almost completely erasing the nightmares generated by Jonathan Zebina, Zdenek Grygera, and Marco Motta combined, Gigi Buffon has been left with very little to do this season (and he’s certainly not complaining).
And yet, in that insurmountable barrier that has become the Juventus backline (only 17 conceded goals in 27 matches, the best defensive record in Serie A), there is ONE player that continues to keep worldwide Juventini divided: Leonardo Bonucci. Finding himself under a constant (and sometimes harsh) barrage of criticism, the central defender’s technical abilities have rarely been questioned but he has frequently been lambasted by fans, mainly for his inability to keep risk-taking low and concentration high for 90 minutes. So much so that arrival rumours of Cagliari defender Davide Astori started circulating earlier this year, and Bonucci’s recent unhappy match streak (vs. Milan, Chievo, Bologna…) hasn’t exactly improved things.
Selling Bonucci however would, simply put, be a wrong move by Juventus.
A Skilled, Offensive Stopper
A ball-playing defender, Bonucci has contributed far more offensively than both Andrea Barzagli and Giorgio Chiellini combined. It can be argued that it’s the defending that matters, but Leo’s passing abilities are a fundamental asset to the kind of play Antonio Conte demands from his team. Inevitably like any other player, he has misplaced some passes but has also completed a staggering 881 out of 1,005 attempts (i.e. 87.7%). Whilst Barzagli’s passing percentage is actually a bit higher, Bonucci offers something different from the former Palermo captain: a higher fraction of long balls, often leading to promising attacking situations for Juve. As for defensive mistakes he is certainly not exempt, but neither are Chiellini (whether on the left or the centre) or Barzagli.
It is also important to remember that defenders tend to reach their peak at a later stage and last longer, as their understanding and reading of the game improve with experience. In some ways, it is almost ‘normal’ that Bonucci makes errors. Juventus would have lost one of their future legends if they immediately sold Alessio Tacchinardi at age 19 – back when he was still playing sweeper – for being a poor defender. Nicola ‘Born Again’ Legrottaglie (signed from Chievo to replace the aging Ciro Ferrara & Paolo Montero) was 27 when he first joined Juve, and it took 4 years until he started playing properly – even if the player would probably rather give credit to Jesus. Another example of a defender starting to perform late is Juve’s own Andrea Barzagli, whose sublime season makes him currently one of the best, if not the best, defender in Serie A. Many argue that his years in Germany were a waste and he certainly never imposed himself at the Azzurri level, but it is highly possible that Barzagli would have struggled had he moved straight from Palermo to Turin.
Room for Improvement
Bonucci, despite all his errors, has definitely displayed maturity and tactical awareness for his age especially with Conte often switching to a ‘back three’ lineup, where the former Inter player has played in the middle between Barzagli and Chiellini. The switch to a three-man defense is rendered possible because of Bonucci’s “anchoring” of his two defensive partners: in a ‘back four’ he plays on the left side of central defence (when partnered with Barzagli) or on the right (when paired with Giorgione, like last year), which also shows the player’s versatility.
Of course there is no denying Astori is playing well at Cagliari at the moment, but much like Bonucci at Bari it is a different thing once you step into a ‘big club’: performing with the heavy Juventus shirt is a whole other ballpark, something which Leo has shown great adaptability for. It would be absolutely needless for Juve to take a risk by replacing someone who is doing well (and is only going to improve) with someone who might take just as much – if not more – time to settle and flourish. Upgrading Marco Motta & Zdenek Grygera with Stephan Lichtsteiner & Martin Cáceres was a really smart (and necessary) decision. A swap between Bonucci and Astori would not be.
Perhaps the lack of patience on Bonucci despite his age is due to the fact that he was brought in to play immediately. Bonucci was preferred by Beppe Marotta over Andrea Ranocchia (who solidly partnered with Leo at Bari but had suffered a long lay-off due to injury) in Summer 2010 because Juventus needed a player to fill the void left by Fabio Cannavaro. The fact is, Bonucci has not only more than capably replaced the former Azzurri captain (going back, would you prefer having him or Cannavaro during the 2009-10 season? Doesn’t seem like a very hard choice in hindsight…) but the central defender was (and is) not only an immediate solution but also a long-term partner to Chiellini in central defence, not just at the Juventus level but the Italian national team one as well.
Conclusion
To sum up, the Old Lady already has a potential leader of their defence at their disposal. Rather than destroying the player with excessive and harsh criticism (though Bonucci seems mentally strong enough to not let this get to him), it is only right that Bianconeri fans help him fulfill his promise. Starting this Saturday, against Fiorentina…
http://juventiknows.com/in-defense-of-leonardo-bonucci/
Let’s face it Juventini: in a season dominated by euphoria and interspersed with frustration (all these draws…), the one factor that has us reaching for unanimity this year is the excellence of our DEFENSE. With Andrea Barzagli cementing his status as Serie A’s best defender, Giorgio Chiellini returning (after a brief stint at left-back) to his old dominating “Keyser Giorgio” self, and the arrival of Stephan Lichtsteiner – followed by that of Martin Cáceres – almost completely erasing the nightmares generated by Jonathan Zebina, Zdenek Grygera, and Marco Motta combined, Gigi Buffon has been left with very little to do this season (and he’s certainly not complaining).
And yet, in that insurmountable barrier that has become the Juventus backline (only 17 conceded goals in 27 matches, the best defensive record in Serie A), there is ONE player that continues to keep worldwide Juventini divided: Leonardo Bonucci. Finding himself under a constant (and sometimes harsh) barrage of criticism, the central defender’s technical abilities have rarely been questioned but he has frequently been lambasted by fans, mainly for his inability to keep risk-taking low and concentration high for 90 minutes. So much so that arrival rumours of Cagliari defender Davide Astori started circulating earlier this year, and Bonucci’s recent unhappy match streak (vs. Milan, Chievo, Bologna…) hasn’t exactly improved things.
Selling Bonucci however would, simply put, be a wrong move by Juventus.
A Skilled, Offensive Stopper
A ball-playing defender, Bonucci has contributed far more offensively than both Andrea Barzagli and Giorgio Chiellini combined. It can be argued that it’s the defending that matters, but Leo’s passing abilities are a fundamental asset to the kind of play Antonio Conte demands from his team. Inevitably like any other player, he has misplaced some passes but has also completed a staggering 881 out of 1,005 attempts (i.e. 87.7%). Whilst Barzagli’s passing percentage is actually a bit higher, Bonucci offers something different from the former Palermo captain: a higher fraction of long balls, often leading to promising attacking situations for Juve. As for defensive mistakes he is certainly not exempt, but neither are Chiellini (whether on the left or the centre) or Barzagli.
It is also important to remember that defenders tend to reach their peak at a later stage and last longer, as their understanding and reading of the game improve with experience. In some ways, it is almost ‘normal’ that Bonucci makes errors. Juventus would have lost one of their future legends if they immediately sold Alessio Tacchinardi at age 19 – back when he was still playing sweeper – for being a poor defender. Nicola ‘Born Again’ Legrottaglie (signed from Chievo to replace the aging Ciro Ferrara & Paolo Montero) was 27 when he first joined Juve, and it took 4 years until he started playing properly – even if the player would probably rather give credit to Jesus. Another example of a defender starting to perform late is Juve’s own Andrea Barzagli, whose sublime season makes him currently one of the best, if not the best, defender in Serie A. Many argue that his years in Germany were a waste and he certainly never imposed himself at the Azzurri level, but it is highly possible that Barzagli would have struggled had he moved straight from Palermo to Turin.
Room for Improvement
Bonucci, despite all his errors, has definitely displayed maturity and tactical awareness for his age especially with Conte often switching to a ‘back three’ lineup, where the former Inter player has played in the middle between Barzagli and Chiellini. The switch to a three-man defense is rendered possible because of Bonucci’s “anchoring” of his two defensive partners: in a ‘back four’ he plays on the left side of central defence (when partnered with Barzagli) or on the right (when paired with Giorgione, like last year), which also shows the player’s versatility.
Of course there is no denying Astori is playing well at Cagliari at the moment, but much like Bonucci at Bari it is a different thing once you step into a ‘big club’: performing with the heavy Juventus shirt is a whole other ballpark, something which Leo has shown great adaptability for. It would be absolutely needless for Juve to take a risk by replacing someone who is doing well (and is only going to improve) with someone who might take just as much – if not more – time to settle and flourish. Upgrading Marco Motta & Zdenek Grygera with Stephan Lichtsteiner & Martin Cáceres was a really smart (and necessary) decision. A swap between Bonucci and Astori would not be.
Perhaps the lack of patience on Bonucci despite his age is due to the fact that he was brought in to play immediately. Bonucci was preferred by Beppe Marotta over Andrea Ranocchia (who solidly partnered with Leo at Bari but had suffered a long lay-off due to injury) in Summer 2010 because Juventus needed a player to fill the void left by Fabio Cannavaro. The fact is, Bonucci has not only more than capably replaced the former Azzurri captain (going back, would you prefer having him or Cannavaro during the 2009-10 season? Doesn’t seem like a very hard choice in hindsight…) but the central defender was (and is) not only an immediate solution but also a long-term partner to Chiellini in central defence, not just at the Juventus level but the Italian national team one as well.
Conclusion
To sum up, the Old Lady already has a potential leader of their defence at their disposal. Rather than destroying the player with excessive and harsh criticism (though Bonucci seems mentally strong enough to not let this get to him), it is only right that Bianconeri fans help him fulfill his promise. Starting this Saturday, against Fiorentina…
http://juventiknows.com/in-defense-of-leonardo-bonucci/
