well, well, well......it didnt take very long for the tinkermans constant switching of players and formations to catch up with us, and almost cost us a few points.
We had no cohesion today, plain and simple. If not for some heroics by Trez late in the game, this game would have ended in a disappointing 0-0 draw against a team that will lose Recoba in the next few weeks to injury, and be a relagation battler for the rest of the season.
Again...NO COHESION !! Passes were poor all over the place, our guys were constantly bumping into one another, we looked pretty much like a bunch of guys who just got together for a sunday morning pickup game. What makes this even worse is that every time we picked up the pace, we almost looked foolish, with some real clumsiness out there.
First and foremost, MULEnaro has to go !! I told everyone here after a few preseason games that this jack-ass isnt Juve material. He cant pass, he cant control the ball, and has no defensive skills...why is he here ??
It hurts me to say that Neddy's time is just about up. He has lost most of his pace, and has to resort to fouls just to keep up with the opposing players.
Someone in a previous post said we played a 4-3-3 tonight, but I think we were definitely playing a 4-4-2, with Palla on the right. Palla wasnt bad, but he is not Camo, thats for sure.
On a positive note, I liked the Zanetti-Nocerino combo in the middle. They may be DM's, but they control the middle very well....and I must say that MULEnaro aside, the defense was pretty decent today
Torino played with heart, and heart alone. This game shouldnt have even been close, and I am already concerned about what Fiorentina will do to us next week
My ratings-
Buffon 7.5- wasnt too busy, but was dynamite when he had to be. I liked the way he swept the ball out of bounds while on the floor during a Torino attack
Grygera 6- not as good as his first performance...he wasnt as sharp. When he came forward, he wasnt too effective, either
Legro 6.5- with all the talking he did all week, I expected him to fall flat on his face...but he was pretty solid out there today. He may not be the long term solution, because I fear he will be injured soon enough
Chellini 7- I thought he played a flawless game, as if he's always played that position. He can play the middle very well, but I like him as a LB as well
MULEnaro 4.5- see my rant above about this jackass
Palla 6- played out of position, but did fine. His crosses are definitely better than Nocerino's, but he isnt Camo, thats for sure. I want to see him back as a forward
Nocerino 6.5- "little Gattuso" played well next to Zanetti, and broke up many of Torino's attacks. No reason that they cant play together from now on
Zanetti 7- solid as a rock, as always. Should get a return call to the Azzurri, IMO
Neddy 5.5- too slow, and made little of any chances he had. He is aging fast, right before our eyes...and it hurts
DP 6.5- an inspired performance by our captain. He didnt score today, but he made some nice moves, had some good passes, and hustled to help out the midfield
Trez 8- MOM...again !! The service wasnt there today, but made the most of what was given to him. He pressured the defenders when they had the ball (never saw him do that before), and pulled back a bit to help out the middies as well. Perfect finish to win the game
Brazzo NR- wasnt really in there long enough to give a rating...had a few crosses that we a wee bit off, however
Almiron NR- I saw one good pass...didnt notice him otherwise
Ranieri 5.5- different tactics, different formation, different players.....different results !! This mixing and matching will catch up with us soon enough, and Trez wont be able to save us every time