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Siamak

╭∩╮( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)╭∩╮
Aug 13, 2013
15,024
+++ PRESS CONFERENCE PRE EMPOLI vs JUVENTUS +++


Massimiliano Allegri:

We still have a training, let's see who's still able to see. We will aggregate 2 or 3 players from the U23.
What is clear is that tomorrow is a MUST WIN game. Prepare ourselves mentally really well.
Today I'll evaluate the situation. Especially in the players who play in defence. Bonucci played 45 minutes but was not in shape.
For the other ones let's evaluate.

I'm devastated for McKennie because he was in an excellent moment and he's the only player with different skills.
Really sad for Kaio Jorge because he's a young player. We will wait for him as we will wait for Chiesa.
Waiting for Bernardeschi for next week.
Maybe Maybe Maybe Dybala'll be available vs Fiorentina. Rugani let's see. Chiellini out all next week. Alex Sandro is not available tomorrow.

Tomorrow there could be space for Kean from the start. If he starts one out of Morata or Vlahovic can rest.
Aké and Soulé? Two players who play on the right side of the field. Aké more on the side who loves the 1 vs 1 dribble. More linear player.
Soulé is more technical who loves to be at the end part of the action. (assist for example)

When in March the team is playing for the top 4 (1 is nearly impossible), Coppa Italia semi final and a return game vs Villarreal that means we are not doing that bad. Let's see how many trophies we can bring home even if winning every year is not easy.

We are already playing much better than in the past. The games we are doing are already better. We improved. We still need to improve in the management of the game. Managing the ball in certain moments.

Vs Villarreal there were moments where we controlled it really well and other where we were bad and not precise giving them the ball back a lot of times.

Who will do 85pts in Serie A will win the scudetto this year. That will be enough this year. 85pts are mathematically out of reach for Juventus. I don't tell you the 4th spot minimal points to reach because we are still running for it

Why is Juventus not scoring a lot?
This is a good one and a problem too solve quite fast. Vs Villarreal who missed a lot of passes. We made mistakes and they drew. If we were able to be more precise and score a goal more it would have been so important. In these moments you have to be more lucid.
Because the opponents when they have these opportunities they don't miss.

In the last 2 games Vlahovic touched only 46 balls. In Villarreal only 4 balls in their half.
==> In Spain it was difficult because of the way they play. I'm happy about Vlahovic start in Champions League

Miretti, Soulé and Aké are training with the first team. Aké is already a first team player since a few weeks. It's normal that with all these injuries they will be more present with the first team.

Vs Empoli at home we did ok for 20 minutes but then we conceded and we couldn't recuperate at all. It's a team that have these 3 players that play and stay upfront. We have to win tomorrow.

A big improvement from the team is that we are now trying to hurt the opponents in their weaknesses. We did it vs Villarreal. Empoli will be a total different game.
It's not about being conservative but understanding the moment when to kill the opponent. When you play at high level football you have to pay attention to NOT give the opponent the opportunity to come back in the game when you are leading. Unfortunately we did.

If Kean will play tomorrow he'll need to be at disposal of the team. But when he plays he has always the opportunity to create something so I'm confident.

+++ END PRESS CONFERENCE +++

Source: Siamak Guru & Grand GJustjuve
 

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Lion

King of Tuz
Jan 24, 2007
31,856
to be fair to ALLEGRI despite his Alzheimer's

he is missing like half the squad. two first choice cbs, 2 mids. 3 attackers.

and to make it worse cherubini and arrivabozo sold kulu and bentancur, ramsey without adequate replacements.
 
Aug 2, 2005
4,053
It is either that our players are seriously shit as a whole and lacking everything average good players have and our expectations of them are delusions.

Or Allegri has lost it.
At the same time... when Xavi manages to play a whole new youngesters and level up the team and make clear identity for them..

I will wait till next season for Allegri as I am not expecting anything this year

Sent from my SM-N986B using Tapatalk
 

campionesidd

Senior Member
Mar 16, 2013
15,397
It is either that our players are seriously shit as a whole and lacking everything average good players have and our expectations of them are delusions.

Or Allegri has lost it.
At the same time... when Xavi manages to play a whole new youngesters and level up the team and make clear identity for them..

I will wait till next season for Allegri as I am not expecting anything this year

Sent from my SM-N986B using Tapatalk
Xavi is the first Barca manager to fail to qualify for the CL knockouts in nearly 20 years (yes, Koeman is also to blame, but still) They are way off pace in La Liga. I don’t see how he’s the second coming of Pep.
 
Last edited:

cimenk

Senior Member
Jul 23, 2008
2,849
People praising Xavi for winning a Europa League match against Spalletti. While getting knocked out of CL group stage, and being 4th in La Liga. :lol:
Xavi came after the season start, without pre season and series of bad results under Koeman.

At least in terms of playing this Barca team is improving. He knew who he want to recruit under tight budget : Traore, Auba, Torres and played a lot of new youngsters Gavi and Nicho Gonzalez

You can say that its Napoli Spaletti team, but over 2 leg they clearly dominated them and create lot of chances. It can be more loss to Napoli. While we struggling against Napoli with 1 loss and 1 draw while at the same time Napoli attack more than us.
 

campionesidd

Senior Member
Mar 16, 2013
15,397
Xavi came after the season start, without pre season and series of bad results under Koeman.

At least in terms of playing this Barca team is improving. He knew who he want to recruit under tight budget : Traore, Auba, Torres and played a lot of new youngsters Gavi and Nicho Gonzalez

You can say that its Napoli Spaletti team, but over 2 leg they clearly dominated them and create lot of chances. It can be more loss to Napoli. While we struggling against Napoli with 1 loss and 1 draw while at the same time Napoli attack more than us.
Napoli are a joke in Europe. Even Sarri said the players just don’t care. Meanwhile they give everything against Juve.
 

s4tch

Senior Member
Mar 23, 2015
28,472
People praising Xavi for winning a Europa League match against Spalletti. While getting knocked out of CL group stage, and being 4th in La Liga. :lol:
context buddy, look at their position when he took over. my brother is a barca fan since ~2000, i have to watch countless matches when he visits. the change is undeniable compared to koeman, it's not even close.

koeman and interim manager:
https://www.transfermarkt.com/laliga/formtabelle/wettbewerb/ES1?saison_id=2021&min=1&max=13

xavi:
https://www.transfermarkt.com/laliga/formtabelle/wettbewerb/ES1?saison_id=2021&min=14&max=26
 

Post Ironic

Senior Member
Feb 9, 2013
41,928
context buddy, look at their position when he took over. my brother is a barca fan since ~2000, i have to watch countless matches when he visits. the change is undeniable compared to koeman, it's not even close.

koeman and interim manager:
https://www.transfermarkt.com/laliga/formtabelle/wettbewerb/ES1?saison_id=2021&min=1&max=13

xavi:
https://www.transfermarkt.com/laliga/formtabelle/wettbewerb/ES1?saison_id=2021&min=14&max=26
Oh, I wasn’t saying he hasn’t done well or improved them lots so far, just laughing at the ridiculous assertion that he’s somehow a revolutionary genius manager while Allegri’s washed up and sucks because of a decent 3.5 month start to his Barca career. He laid an egg in his two CL matches to finish group stage. They didn’t score a goal in 180 minutes, including the home game against Benfica. And they got knocked out of Copa del Rey by Bilbao, 3-2.

I mean, we went undefeated our first 13 league matches under pirlo and topped our CL group… looked pretty good at times too. How’d that turn out?

I’d say let’s see how they’re looking come May?
 

Hist

Founder of Hism
Jan 18, 2009
11,403
Xavi is the first Barca manager to fail to qualify for the CL knockouts in nearly 20 years (yes, Kidman is also to blame, but still) They are way off pace in La Liga. I don’t see how he’s the second coming of Pep.
It's more likely he is like Ole. Taking over from a widely disliked manager that lost the dressing room and is a breath of fresh air for the team. That they're improved is no surprise Ole started strong too.

We'll see whether there is more to Xavi than that over the next season when Koman becomes a distant memory
 

Mokku

Senior Member
Apr 17, 2019
2,436
Xavi has coaching experience now and a talented team, Napoli fluked the fist leg and for the second leg, Barcelona were clinical. There is a huge difference in quality and it could've been much more embarrassing.

The experience is everything. Pirlo in his mind had a picture of beautiful football but he never organised the defense ever. Allegri has sorted the defense but we have no width or midfield options. Barcelona have Pedri, Traore, De Jong, Aubamayang and other reliable players. Traore or even Boga would transform us. Its tough when our best players are injured.
 

cimenk

Senior Member
Jul 23, 2008
2,849
Xavi has coaching experience now and a talented team, Napoli fluked the fist leg and for the second leg, Barcelona were clinical. There is a huge difference in quality and it could've been much more embarrassing.

The experience is everything. Pirlo in his mind had a picture of beautiful football but he never organised the defense ever. Allegri has sorted the defense but we have no width or midfield options. Barcelona have Pedri, Traore, De Jong, Aubamayang and other reliable players. Traore or even Boga would transform us. Its tough when our best players are injured.
Now let's see when we are out of options and have Soule/Ake. There won't be McKennie, but will he keep playing Rabiot wide or get width with Soule/Ake
 

Hist

Founder of Hism
Jan 18, 2009
11,403
Xavi has coaching experience now and a talented team, Napoli fluked the fist leg and for the second leg, Barcelona were clinical. There is a huge difference in quality and it could've been much more embarrassing.

The experience is everything. Pirlo in his mind had a picture of beautiful football but he never organised the defense ever. Allegri has sorted the defense but we have no width or midfield options. Barcelona have Pedri, Traore, De Jong, Aubamayang and other reliable players. Traore or even Boga would transform us. Its tough when our best players are injured.

I keep seeing the "sorted the defense" claim, what's the evidence for that?
 

campionesidd

Senior Member
Mar 16, 2013
15,397
I keep seeing the "sorted the defense" claim, what's the evidence for that?
The evidence is simple. Goals conceded by Juve in the league
2016-17: 27
2017-18: 24
2018-19: 30
2019-20: 43 (Sarri)
2020-21: 38. (Pirlo)
This season: 15 goals conceded in first 11 games, 8 goals conceded in the last 15 games. That’s a total of 23 goals in 26 games- lower goals per game than both Sarri and Pirlo, despite the disastrous start of the season, where Allegri still hadn’t stamped his footprint. And the recent trend is about 0.5 goals conceded per game. Is that the evidence you need, or is it still not enough?
 

Hist

Founder of Hism
Jan 18, 2009
11,403
The evidence is simple. Goals conceded by Juve in the league
2016-17: 27
2017-18: 24
2018-19: 30
2019-20: 43 (Sarri)
2020-21: 38. (Pirlo)
This season: 15 goals conceded in first 11 games, 8 goals conceded in the last 15 games. That’s a total of 23 goals in 26 games- lower goals per game than both Sarri and Pirlo, despite the disastrous start of the season, where Allegri still hadn’t stamped his footprint. And the recent trend is about 0.5 goals conceded per game. Is that the evidence you need, or is it still not enough?
Sarri and Pirlo did not have strong defenses by your own admission. Allegris last season was where all the shakiness began.

2016 and 2017 that's the standard for what a sorted out Juve defense looks like. He made progress but this is far from sorted out. We've conceded in our last 4 consecutive games too which is not a good sign of defensive stability.

So no not enough. Maybe enough by Roma or Napoli standards not Juventus
 

Dino_mk

Senior Member
Sep 5, 2007
1,908
I keep seeing the "sorted the defense" claim, what's the evidence for that?
Exactly my thoughts. He sorted the defence but putting 10 players in our box, sacrificing every opportunity for attacking play. Opponents managed to score on last couple of games even with that setup. So I don't think it's sorted that good as many claim here.
 

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