Not too sure about this, it kind of makes one ask, where is Juve heading anyway?
Ask the question: who should be the next coach last winter when Rocky had to leave, and i am sure, besides names like Hiddink, when we talk about long term, about this moment NOW, if not managers like Hiddink and Capello which are out of our league anyway as it seems, i am sure many thought about Prandelli, maybe Gasperini and so on. I for one def didnt think about Del Neri to take over after this season even if he had a good season.
And thats the thing now. Is our board really that clueless? Who ever is up there. I guess Marotta knows something what we might not know, but in the end, he just came here also. I am talking about our people at the helm of this club. Did they just looked at the standings and said: "Who ever gets the 4th spot, will be hired". I def feel like this. So one has to wonder, what if Palermo had made 4th spot?
Its Del Neris past what worries me. His time at Roma was terrible. And he already took over from Rudi Voller, Roma was in a big mess.
This Juve is also in big mess. Is Del Neri really up for it? Lets also check some facts.
Del Neri is just 2 years younger than Lippi. Yet this season was Del Neris biggest highlight of his career. And now hitting 60 this autumn, its not like his something special, or is he now? Ancelotti for example is 50 years old. And compare the cv-s.
Realistically speaking, i dont expect us to win serie a next year anyway, too much to improve, so many players need to be replaced. And we might not have the money to do it all in one season. Also the new team needs time to start "clicking".
I just think that this might be a step too far for Del Neri. I think Samp was a match made in heaven for him. I am not taking any credit away from him, it was a great achievement. Last season Samp finished 13th!
But still...if we just forget what happened this season. We had Ranieri...we were supposed to improve...find the winning coach, and now after all what has happened...the season was already over a long time ago...now we get Del Neri, who isnt exactly a winner, just a manager who had a good season, in a bit weak serie A.
I think Del Neri could be another Ranieri. He might get us that top 4 finish, but i dont think he can make us significantly better. This Juve needs time to improve, but it also needs a manager who can be part of this all for longer time. Thats why someone like Prandelli deserves to look out for in a way. Season by season working there at Viola, improving things here and there.
I wonder what will be the objective for next season?
Oh and btw? If Bayern win CL, 2011-12 CL Italy will only have 3 spots, right? So that means we need to finish in top 3 this next season (2010-11). Is Del Neri up for it?
I don't feel at all it was a case of 'whichever manager gets 4th spot' we will chase...Any manager is a gamble. Obviouslt by grabbing a manager who has achieved success in various leagues, countries, teams, is a way of offsetting the risk. But I do not see any such managers available to us, not just because they are tied up and happy, elsewhere, but because we finished 7th, and are in a terrible state from the top to the bottom of the club.
Del Neri has got the best out of cassano. Marotta has helped to bring in players, on a much smaller budget than he will have care of at Juve, which have been combined very well by Del Neri. That understanding between Manager and Transfer King is imperative for any hint of success.
I find Marrotta's signing more valuable, potentially, for we have lacked a decent man in charge of our transfers since Moggi was crudely dispatched. Many of our present problems stem from the woeful errors of Secco. I mean...regardless of what Ranieri said, we wanted Alonso, but chose instead...Poulsen. Last season we desperately wanted D'agostino, but ended up paying large for Melo. The Amauri transfer is the strangest of all, as I never thought he was worth 20m, or whatever close to that figure we paid for him. We needed a goalscorer, not an amauri...
Suffice to say, Secco's work in the transfer market, other than with the Diego purchase, has been atrocious. he has not only wasted huge amounts of money, but also failed to sell players who were underperforming...Moggi wouldn't give a fuck if Poulsen 'wants to stay and prove himself'.
Its important to have a decent transfer man in place. Marotta is a vast improvement on what we have had for a few years now...As for the manager..Del Neri is an obvious improvement over Zach and Ciro. Only an idiot will say 'but zach won a scudetto ten years ago, so he is the best'. Its clearly more relevant that Del Neri has been working consistently, when Zach was unemployed, unwanted, discarded by the italian game.
this is an insanely important period for the club. Do we go further down? or start to claw our way back up the table?
So much needs changing in the squad. We have one decent defender, some talent and muscle in the centre of midfield. a dead winger, a weak but fast and skilful winger. No natural goalscorer, once Trez leaves. Aging DP, regularly injured, and hardly prolific Iaquinta, and possibly the worst brazilian striker ever to leave brazil.
Can Del Nerio AND MArotta improve us enough to put us back in the mix with Inter??? Not in one season. I don't think ANY manager could do that, we have fallen too far to recover that swiftly. But can they get us back into the top 3??? With some decent signings, strong management, stripping away the dying and inadequate players...Yes, I reckon that is the aim, and a possiblity.
Forza Juve...