Tiago Mendes (54 Viewers)
- Thread starter Turk_Bianconero
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People say the same as Del Piero and the way he gets bullied around sometimes. I think the problem with Tiago here is the space issue.
We play congested which equals to physical pressure which he dosent enjoy. But the way our team is built we must rely on physical pressure cause we havent got the fine cut on the edge of the sword as we used to have, which must not allow opposing players space behind our midfield running at our defense as we will collapse.
The best way to use such a player at the moment would be impact or games that suit him in certain games. Everyteam has a different way they go about there football this is where Ranieri must understand the opposition and play him in the games where physical pressure is not so great. To help ease him into understanding where he must improve.
Either Ranieri is getting the wrong information from his helpers or he dosent understand that some players just play certain styles. Italian football is getting more and more physical which is sometimes why players such as Del Piero struggle more and more. Iam not saying Tiago is not capable of Italian football its either he dosent want to understand or he still thinks playing at Juve is like playing at Lyon.
We play congested which equals to physical pressure which he dosent enjoy. But the way our team is built we must rely on physical pressure cause we havent got the fine cut on the edge of the sword as we used to have, which must not allow opposing players space behind our midfield running at our defense as we will collapse.
The best way to use such a player at the moment would be impact or games that suit him in certain games. Everyteam has a different way they go about there football this is where Ranieri must understand the opposition and play him in the games where physical pressure is not so great. To help ease him into understanding where he must improve.
Either Ranieri is getting the wrong information from his helpers or he dosent understand that some players just play certain styles. Italian football is getting more and more physical which is sometimes why players such as Del Piero struggle more and more. Iam not saying Tiago is not capable of Italian football its either he dosent want to understand or he still thinks playing at Juve is like playing at Lyon.
True that, the problem is in our team currently there is just no player like the Juninho or the Zidane, where Tiago would be most be useful for,so what do we do in this condition where there is just no WC midfielder to set up our strike force and Neddy just cannot do all the work..??
Either Tiago must step up and become our WC midfielder for the rest of the season,or Juve must buy a new one..
Either Tiago must step up and become our WC midfielder for the rest of the season,or Juve must buy a new one..
Coach or Gigli never said any bad thing about Tiago. But Tiago and Chiellini did...Now we know what was latest comment from Chiellini about coach.
If anyone has in Seria A, Ranieri has a character for sure. There was never a player who was coached by Ranieri who ever said bad thing but praising him including Mutu,Sisoko,Lampard,Terry, Davde A. etc.
Get of his back for fuck sake. Tell a management to spend some money first.
If anyone has in Seria A, Ranieri has a character for sure. There was never a player who was coached by Ranieri who ever said bad thing but praising him including Mutu,Sisoko,Lampard,Terry, Davde A. etc.
Get of his back for fuck sake. Tell a management to spend some money first.
Portsmouth Set To Sign Tiago – Report
Portsmouth are close to completing the signature of Juventus midfielder Tiago Mendes, according to The Sun.
zoom - galleria Tiago only joined the Bianconeri in the summer from Lyon for €13m, however he has been a huge disappointment in Turin.
Juventus Coach Claudio Ranieri had been singing Tiago’s praises before last weekend, saying that the 26-year-old had shown great improvement in training in recent weeks.
This led the Italian media to speculate that Tiago could secure his future at the club, as well as force Juve to scrap plans to sign Liverpool’s Momo Sissoko, if he played well against Catania on Saturday evening.
However the Portuguese international had a disastrous game and was substituted at half-time with the Bianconeri trailing 1-0.
Following their eventual 1-1 draw in Sicily, many believe it is inevitable that Tiago will be offloaded and according to The Sun, Portsmouth will be the benefactors.
The Premiership-outfit are desperate for reinforcements as their squad has been ravaged by players participating in the African Cup of Nations.
Manager Harry Redknapp is a big admirer of Tiago and is ready to splash out just over €10.5m to get the ex-Chelsea man.
This fee would probably suit Juve, although it would represent a loss of €2.5m for less than six months service.
Gianni Wilson
Portsmouth are close to completing the signature of Juventus midfielder Tiago Mendes, according to The Sun.
zoom - galleria Tiago only joined the Bianconeri in the summer from Lyon for €13m, however he has been a huge disappointment in Turin.
Juventus Coach Claudio Ranieri had been singing Tiago’s praises before last weekend, saying that the 26-year-old had shown great improvement in training in recent weeks.
This led the Italian media to speculate that Tiago could secure his future at the club, as well as force Juve to scrap plans to sign Liverpool’s Momo Sissoko, if he played well against Catania on Saturday evening.
However the Portuguese international had a disastrous game and was substituted at half-time with the Bianconeri trailing 1-0.
Following their eventual 1-1 draw in Sicily, many believe it is inevitable that Tiago will be offloaded and according to The Sun, Portsmouth will be the benefactors.
The Premiership-outfit are desperate for reinforcements as their squad has been ravaged by players participating in the African Cup of Nations.
Manager Harry Redknapp is a big admirer of Tiago and is ready to splash out just over €10.5m to get the ex-Chelsea man.
This fee would probably suit Juve, although it would represent a loss of €2.5m for less than six months service.
Gianni Wilson
Time For Tiago To Go?
After another disappointing spell at another one of Europe's top clubs, is it time to admit that Tiago Mendes can't cut it with the big boys? Gil Gillespie peers into the imperfect heart of the Juventus midfield.
It was supposed to be a make or break game for Tiago. But after a frustrating first half for Juventus in their game at Catania, the heavily-criticised Portuguese midfielder was replaced by Marco Marchionni and the team immediately found some purpose in their play.
Is this the end for Tiago? Is he heading for Tottenham or Lyon? It's difficult to say. Claudio Ranieri and the Juventus management are, publicly at least, defending their 13 million euro flop.
"He did not fail," said the Juve coach. "We continue to believe in Tiago and he will play when I consider the time to be right."
If he is sold to Spurs or loaned back to Lyon, it will be another failure in one of Europe's top leagues for Tiago. Questions have to be asked about whether this most talented of midfield utility players is actually capable of cutting it where it matters most.
A Look Back
In his first season at Benfica, Tiago looked like he was going to become one of the most outstanding midfielders of his generation. His work rate was phenomenal, his passing was crisp and accurate. He tracked back enthusiastically, and supported the strikers creatively. And he hit 13 goals in 31 league games.
It was no surprise when Jose Mourinho shelled out just over £8 million for the 26-year-old. But a promising start in the Premier League was only flattery. Tiago looked lethargic, went missing for entire games and eventually lost his place.
Despite not realising his full potential under Mourinho, tears were shed when he left for Lyon and the former Chelsea coach later admitted he had made a mistake in letting him go. Such is the pull of his potential. But failure was the end result at a top club in a top league.
In his first two seasons for Lyon - where the situation was comparable to Benfica in many ways - Tiago was quite simply outstanding, a hugely influential presence in Lyon's two consecutive Ligue 1 triumphs.
"They used to call me the washing machine", he revealed recently, "because I can manage tricky balls, cleaning them and serving them to my team-mates." His form propelled him into the Portuguese national team at the World Cup.
Once again, a step-up to a higher level beckoned, and Tiago chose to land in Turin where he was already being compared to Juve's Portuguese legend from the nineties, Paolo Sousa. Such boundless optimism proved to be premature, however.
Tiago was due to line-up alongside the Bianconeri's other major foreign signing, the Argentine Sergio Almiron. By spending around £15 million on the two central midfielders, Juve added some much needed power to their starting line-up, as well as issuing a signal of intent for the year ahead. 'La Vecchia Signora' were back where they belonged and had spent enough money to ensure some kind of title challenge. Club director Alessio Secco and Claudio Ranieri clearly believed they'd captured the new Emerson and Patrick Viera.
Sadly, it hasn't turned out that way. Tiago and Almiron were so disappointing in the first half of the season they hardly made it onto the pitch. Even in pre-season matches, Tiago looked weary and indecisive, out of sync with the slower, more deliberate back-beat that defines the football in Serie A.
Burden Of Expectations
It was almost as if the huge burden of expectation that had been lifted at Lyon was back on his shoulders, and he was struggling to deliver under the spotlight.
Tactically, he just didn’t look up to the task. In fact, after one particularly lame performance in a Copa Italia defeat at Empoli, one Italian newspaper described him as a 'ghost'.
Instead of firing Juve to a glorious return, the two misfits have spent most of their time sulking on the bench or criticising Ranieri at every opportunity. Not the done thing at Juventus. Tiago has been particularly vocal.
"If things carry on like this, I'll leave in January", said the 26-year-old before the winter break. For most coaches that would have been the final straw.
Ranieri's Options
But Ranieri is as mild-mannered as they come, and he has consistently shown patience instead of anger and allowed young Antonio Nocerino to shine and Cristiano Zanetti to grind instead.
And it's worked too, well mostly. Despite their midfield being a little lightweight, Ranieri’s side have exceeded expectation and established themselves in the top four. But the coach clearly believes that they might begin to suffer as the season lengthens and the legs lose their spring.
"I can't wait for Tiago or Almiron to adjust to our system," he admitted following this weekend’s draw at Catania. That doesn’t mean he’s stopped looking for potential replacements for the midfield duo, though it does seem the club have gone cold on Momo Sissoko.
It does look like he will get another few months to show he can do it, but looking at it coldly, what shines out is success at Benfica and Lyon, and failure at Chelsea and Juventus.
Should the Old Lady persist with him? Tell us what you think.
Gil Gillespie
After another disappointing spell at another one of Europe's top clubs, is it time to admit that Tiago Mendes can't cut it with the big boys? Gil Gillespie peers into the imperfect heart of the Juventus midfield.
It was supposed to be a make or break game for Tiago. But after a frustrating first half for Juventus in their game at Catania, the heavily-criticised Portuguese midfielder was replaced by Marco Marchionni and the team immediately found some purpose in their play.
Is this the end for Tiago? Is he heading for Tottenham or Lyon? It's difficult to say. Claudio Ranieri and the Juventus management are, publicly at least, defending their 13 million euro flop.
"He did not fail," said the Juve coach. "We continue to believe in Tiago and he will play when I consider the time to be right."
If he is sold to Spurs or loaned back to Lyon, it will be another failure in one of Europe's top leagues for Tiago. Questions have to be asked about whether this most talented of midfield utility players is actually capable of cutting it where it matters most.
A Look Back
In his first season at Benfica, Tiago looked like he was going to become one of the most outstanding midfielders of his generation. His work rate was phenomenal, his passing was crisp and accurate. He tracked back enthusiastically, and supported the strikers creatively. And he hit 13 goals in 31 league games.
It was no surprise when Jose Mourinho shelled out just over £8 million for the 26-year-old. But a promising start in the Premier League was only flattery. Tiago looked lethargic, went missing for entire games and eventually lost his place.
Despite not realising his full potential under Mourinho, tears were shed when he left for Lyon and the former Chelsea coach later admitted he had made a mistake in letting him go. Such is the pull of his potential. But failure was the end result at a top club in a top league.
In his first two seasons for Lyon - where the situation was comparable to Benfica in many ways - Tiago was quite simply outstanding, a hugely influential presence in Lyon's two consecutive Ligue 1 triumphs.
"They used to call me the washing machine", he revealed recently, "because I can manage tricky balls, cleaning them and serving them to my team-mates." His form propelled him into the Portuguese national team at the World Cup.
Once again, a step-up to a higher level beckoned, and Tiago chose to land in Turin where he was already being compared to Juve's Portuguese legend from the nineties, Paolo Sousa. Such boundless optimism proved to be premature, however.
Tiago was due to line-up alongside the Bianconeri's other major foreign signing, the Argentine Sergio Almiron. By spending around £15 million on the two central midfielders, Juve added some much needed power to their starting line-up, as well as issuing a signal of intent for the year ahead. 'La Vecchia Signora' were back where they belonged and had spent enough money to ensure some kind of title challenge. Club director Alessio Secco and Claudio Ranieri clearly believed they'd captured the new Emerson and Patrick Viera.
Sadly, it hasn't turned out that way. Tiago and Almiron were so disappointing in the first half of the season they hardly made it onto the pitch. Even in pre-season matches, Tiago looked weary and indecisive, out of sync with the slower, more deliberate back-beat that defines the football in Serie A.
Burden Of Expectations
It was almost as if the huge burden of expectation that had been lifted at Lyon was back on his shoulders, and he was struggling to deliver under the spotlight.
Tactically, he just didn’t look up to the task. In fact, after one particularly lame performance in a Copa Italia defeat at Empoli, one Italian newspaper described him as a 'ghost'.
Instead of firing Juve to a glorious return, the two misfits have spent most of their time sulking on the bench or criticising Ranieri at every opportunity. Not the done thing at Juventus. Tiago has been particularly vocal.
"If things carry on like this, I'll leave in January", said the 26-year-old before the winter break. For most coaches that would have been the final straw.
Ranieri's Options
But Ranieri is as mild-mannered as they come, and he has consistently shown patience instead of anger and allowed young Antonio Nocerino to shine and Cristiano Zanetti to grind instead.
And it's worked too, well mostly. Despite their midfield being a little lightweight, Ranieri’s side have exceeded expectation and established themselves in the top four. But the coach clearly believes that they might begin to suffer as the season lengthens and the legs lose their spring.
"I can't wait for Tiago or Almiron to adjust to our system," he admitted following this weekend’s draw at Catania. That doesn’t mean he’s stopped looking for potential replacements for the midfield duo, though it does seem the club have gone cold on Momo Sissoko.
It does look like he will get another few months to show he can do it, but looking at it coldly, what shines out is success at Benfica and Lyon, and failure at Chelsea and Juventus.
Should the Old Lady persist with him? Tell us what you think.
Gil Gillespie
