It'll be interesting to see how our defence fare against Dortmund and hopefully more CL teams this spring. Our record in Serie A is deluding in my opinion.
I'm not confident they can stand against the best in Europe. But I'll be gladly surprised, if they do
This worries me more then anything else vs Dortmund, Subotic and Hummels are deadly on corners/set pieces, truly not boding well for us every time they get a corner.
Our problem with set pieces seems so strange though. It's not like we don't have players who are strong in the air, and I can't imagine that the knowledge how to defend set pieces is something obscure or unknown to every coach but a few.
Its mainly concentration issue, one that I have seen most top teams in the game have (barr Chelsea maybe). But with us, we have VERY few defensive headers, basically just Chiellini, players who are willing and aggressive headers who mark the main heading threats of the opposition. Its either CBs or DMs who are every teams main defensive assets in this scenario. For us now its just Chiellini, then Bonucci who seems to be scared of contact, especially heading ones, and our actual DM is Pirlo...Pogba and Vidal are just regular CMs who hustle and bustle around the box covering lose balls or marking lesser threats (like Vidal with Antonelli he failed with). Then you have your heading assets in attack, like Llorente, and in part Morata, you cant expect attackers to know how to defend headers just because they can score em. At best you just put them on the nearest corners and let them head away weak lower corners.
This worries me more then anything else vs Dortmund, Subotic and Hummels are deadly on corners/set pieces, truly not boding well for us every time they get a corner.
Our problem with set pieces seems so strange though. It's not like we don't have players who are strong in the air, and I can't imagine that the knowledge how to defend set pieces is something obscure or unknown to every coach but a few.
Its mainly concentration issue, one that I have seen most top teams in the game have (barr Chelsea maybe). But with us, we have VERY few defensive headers, basically just Chiellini, players who are willing and aggressive headers who mark the main heading threats of the opposition. Its either CBs or DMs who are every teams main defensive assets in this scenario. For us now its just Chiellini, then Bonucci who seems to be scared of contact, especially heading ones, and our actual DM is Pirlo...Pogba and Vidal are just regular CMs who hustle and bustle around the box covering lose balls or marking lesser threats (like Vidal with Antonelli he failed with). Then you have your heading assets in attack, like Llorente, and in part Morata, you cant expect attackers to know how to defend headers just because they can score em. At best you just put them on the nearest corners and let them head away weak lower corners.
We'll also concede a decent percentage of total conceded on set pieces, statistically, because it is the best and sometimes only way a lot of teams in Serie A can get good attacking territory and openings against us.
We'll also concede a decent percentage of total conceded on set pieces, statistically, because it is the best and sometimes only way a lot of teams in Serie A can get good attacking territory and openings against us.
Yeah, but logic tells us that we should still have people on the posts. Both of those GIF goals above would have been stopped by someone on the back post.
Yeah, but logic tells us that we should still have people on the posts. Both of those GIF goals above would have been stopped by someone on the back post.
That is true, but we are still very weak at defending them, its not like they have alot of corners per game, they generally score on the few set pieces they have.
But as I said, in past years I would say weirdly enough almost all top teams have this issue, partly due to the art of individual defending diminishing quite a bit in past decade or so.
That is true, but we are still very weak at defending them, its not like they have alot of corners per game, they generally score on the few set pieces they have.
But as I said, in past years I would say weirdly enough almost all top teams have this issue, partly due to the art of individual defending diminishing quite a bit in past decade or so.
Our defence is relatively small in general, but he made up quite a bit with positionning and awareness. Chiellini who's supposed to be an aireal wall, isnt close to barzagli in that regard
Our defence is relatively small in general, but he made up quite a bit with positionning and awareness. Chiellini who's supposed to be an aireal wall, isnt close to barzagli in that regard
Why? Us losing wouldnt suprising really. Neither is Allegri is a great coach or anything that one should suddenly say he sucks just because we lose, just a decent/good coach who is experienced in these stages and with certain type of footie but has his limitations.
Why? Us losing wouldnt suprising really. Neither is Allegri is a great coach or anything that one should suddenly say he sucks just because we lose, just a decent/good coach who is experienced in these stages and with certain type of footie but has his limitations.
Though I feel this above posters sentiment in a way, I wouldnt mind if Juve had a true top coach, as unlikely as it is, someone like Simeone (even if he was a rival player who I absolutely hated back then).