In the work-up towards a dangerous Napoli-game, here are some thoughts on the Parma-disaster.
A few situations were in my mind clearly deciding for the match.
First, Quagliarellas injury. It not only meant that the most proflific forward was missing, it also meant that Amauri was needed when barely match fit. When match fit, Amauri isn't good enough to play for Juventus. Having Quagliarella up front throughout the game could have made things different.
Second, I think Krasic should have been awarded a penalty early on. There certainly was a lot of contact and the Serb was objected. A goal from that penalty kick would change how Parma approached the game.
Thrid, Melo. In his first 15 games this season he has produced some stability and he has been a presence in the middle of the field. The mistakes from last season have been mostly missing. Apart from a few games, Melo has been good so far. Then along came Parma and Paci, and Melo snapped. In a way he simply cannot allow himself to do. Losing a man 15 minutes into the game is horrible and certainly a big factor in how the game played out.
Had any of these three situations ended differently for Juventus, I think the result would have been a completely different one, and a much more pleasing one, for Juventus.
Also the two goals from Giovinco momentarily before and after the break are demoralizing. Delneris fault, I think, was to expose too much too early on in the second half. Playing a man down isn't a death sentence, there are certainly possibilities even if the other team still are 11.
This is where the fourth situation comes to mind. When Amauri played the ball over Palettas head, and the defender decided to handball it, the Argentinian should clearly be sent off. Both the handball it self could be enough, but also the situation, where Amauri would have been clear on goal had Paletta not fouled, qualified for a red card. Moments later Legrottaglie reduced Parmas lead.
The fifth situation is where Crespo was awarded the penalty. I think that situation was very similar to the Krasic-situation, and it's aggravating that the referee chose differently on the two occasions. This happened straight after Legrottaglies goal. Again, Delneri was at fault for not instilling confidence in the players and telling them to be patient. And again, the time of the goal was demoralizing.
In the second half, had any of those situations ended differently, I think Juventus would have equalled the score or even won the game.
This Parma-game was a case of Murphy's law, and is not representative of the strength of this Juventus team. Even if I'm not terribly optimistic looking forward to the Napoli game, at least there are explanations as to why Juve lost on Thursday. I hope Juventus will strike back against Napoli!
Forza Juve!