Since I am now at peace with this terrible exit from UCL, I still have a little benefit of a doubt left.
Yes, game management and substitutions are very weak, BUT we have to agree that the team is very young, a lot of new players and injuries in defence does not help too
By now im not defending Motta. Frankly by xmas things were very clear. Im almost thinking we should have brought someone like Ranieri in as a caretaker from xmas break (people here dreaming about Zidane lol). We need right now exactly someone with bags of experience. There werent that many good options around available.
There is just too much going wrong. Everything about the current setup is wrong. I even remember when we had Ranieri and we went out against Chelsea who at that time made semis regularly (2008-09), we showed lot of passion and grinta and went out with a fight and we simply didnt have enough quality and we spent much much less.
It seems now Motta goal was draw in Netherlands all along. Frankly looking at the big picture. We shouldnt lose at home to Stuttgart and Benfica. Its not about even the quality. Mind you these are Stuttgart and Benfica not Real or Bayern. We LOST AT HOME, to German 4-5 team. Benfica are ok side but they arent same level with those big 3.
Its the main priority. Especially when there was the old group stage. Never lose home games. Then try to get smth in away games. Sometimes we had difficult groups and you go Nou Camp or Munich and hope for a draw depending what stage the game is (by nov-dec both teams could settle for a draw).
But this new CL has almost given false security. Add 2 home wins to our points. And we are in that top 8 and our CL knockout only starts now. Why are they LOSING at HOME CL games to 4-5th German teams? Ironically we DIDNT LOSE AWAY ANY GAME IN THAT LEAGUE TABLE PHASE. WE FUCKED IT UP AT HOME. I DONT CARE ABOUT YOUNG TEAM ETC. EVERY TEAM HAS NEW PLAYERS EVERY YEAR: NOT EVERYONE IS 20 IN THIS "YOUNG TEAM". ARE THEY PROFESIONALS OR NOT? WE SHOULD NOT LOSE HOME CL GAMES UNLESS ITS ELITE LEVEL OPPOSITION LIKE REAL OR BAYERN. WE LOST TO STUTTGART AT HOME. HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE? POOR GAME MANAGEMENT. THAT GOES BACK TO THE COACH TBH.
Thats the other issue. Id argue we should have lost ages ago in serie a. It would have given us a wakeup call. Still there was that unbeaten run excuse till january. And even then "oh we lost to Napoli, they are at the top of the table". That 4-4 with Inter was in October. Had we lost that. What then could have happened. I feel the wheels would have come off earlier.
Some of these excuses are laughable.