Blog: The odd couple
Slammed by critics after failing to impress, Serafino Ingardia thinks Tiago Mendes and Christian Poulsen could be Juve’s secret weapons this term
To many Juventus fans, Tiago Mendes and Christian Poulsen represent all that has been wrong with the club’s transfer policy under previous boss Claudio Ranieri and sporting director Alessio Secco.
Tiago had a good reputation in Europe, a clever midfielder, good at attacking and defending. Following his spells at Chelsea and Lyon, the Bianconeri thought they had brought in a world-class star.
Poulsen, the angry Dane, was instead a 'safe’ gamble. Ranieri preferred him to Xabi Alonso by claiming that the former Sevilla player was going to be even better than Momo Sissoko. Neither move paid off.
I’m not a big fan of the pair and never have been, but I believe a good player remains a good player no matter what. Tiago and Poulsen were two big investments and Ciro Ferrara has the duty to try and preserve their market value.
Tiago was on his way to silencing his critics last term before an injury picked up at San Siro halted his progress. Juve had spent the previous summer trying to offload him but with no success. It was a similar scenario this year with Poulsen, but the Dane continually refused all the destinations offered to him.
Now though there are certain conditions in place which could revive their Serie A careers. The Portuguese international has felt comfortable in Juve’s new three-man midfield and is one of the reasons why Cristiano Zanetti was allowed to leave.
Tiago can build the action, especially if fielded alongside defensive midfielders such as Felipe Melo, Claudio Marchisio and Sissoko. In that position, Tiago could make a real difference for the Bianconeri.
Poulsen, on the other hand, could come in use during a long hard season. After all, as Ferrara explained, the Dane is a professional who trains hard and never gives up. So now that Sissoko has been ruled out for a month or even longer, Christian should fit in perfectly.
Rotating players will be essential for Ciro and it is safer to have players with international experience than unproven youngsters. My feeling is that both Poulsen and Tiago could play an important part for Juventus this season, consistently helping them in the push for the Scudetto.
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