Your level of optimism this year? (3 Viewers)

[Martin]

I remember my mood and the general mood around this forum last year. We had come off a terrible season, Lippi had quit, the defence had been a shambles and the future was not so bright. Even with Capello, we asked ourselves if Cannavaro can play a whole season without injury, is Thuram aging too quickly, will Zlatan flop, will Trez be back in shape to score decisive goals? I didn't expect much from last season, a 3rd place would do. And yet we came out top and if it hadn't been for Liverpool's amazing run, maybe we would have come close to winning the CL too.

Today the situation is different, we kicked off as champions. We have seen Zlatan adapt and he's become important for us, Trez is back to his old self, we have the exciting Mutu, we replaced Blasi with Vieira, true Buffon is out but Abbiati sure beats Chimenti and we finally have a sub for Zambrotta. Sure there may be a couple of changes yet in the next 3 days but evenso, it's not so bleak anymore, is it? Yet there is an air of discontent amongst us, discontent about some players never coming off no matter how bad they are, about a weak bench, about the failure to recruit a single creative offensive midfielder, about a lack of harmony in the team with an overstaffed attack line housing 3 forwards with a temper (I`m leaving Miccoli out of this)..

So I ask you then.. are you optimistic this year? Can we last the course or will we be picked apart by injuries, shut down by defensive opponents, failing to come through in the most decisive of times?

===

Marty and the gang, can you add a poll here and move it to the Polls forum maybe?

 

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[Zlatan]

I'm calm TBH. I think we have a very good team, strong in all areas. I also think we have decent enough cover for all the players, and a not so thin bench. Maybe we dont have as many quality players like some other clubs, but we have a lot of players that can play on various positions and cover more than one spot.


I'm quite happy with the team, my only concern is the CB position. If Thuram and Canna were both unavailable to play at the same time we'd be screwed.

Cassano is not a priority, altho I wouldnt mind getting him, especially if we kept Mutu as well.

 

[Gep]

Im looking forward so much for this season. we look so solid in all areas of the pitch.both flanks, attack, defence. more than last season. Our team really works hard as a unit. Our game is unlike one of milan who attack in numbers, but more of a patient approach. Watching last nights game showed how strong we were. we easily should have bagged a few more goals, but the work rate of the team as a whole impressed me and we never broke into much of a sweat. we never got stretched once. we looked very organised and i realise its just one game but you can see what were all about. Just hope injuries all at the same time doesnt effect our aims this season. Hurry back buffon!

 

[djleli]

a cup is our for sure i hope they are three altough my mind tells me we are gonna pick up 2.... coppa italia and campions league

 

[#10]

Im not sure about this season...all our moves look like the right ones. Vieira is finally a good partner for emo. Kovac, giannichedda and mutu are all class additions as is chiellini. Along with a few youngsters thrown into the pot, gladstone and belzeratti, providing some youth to the defence.

However i honestly believe in the 442 formation, we lack the edge. The season opener we merely wanged crossed into trez and zlatan, using their obvious height.

However nedved didnt look like he has his fire still, if not merely just blunt.
Emo and vieira are a gr8 potential partnership, but will it work? In truth it should , but we could end up with two pure dms, sitting holding, limiting our play.

Imho we needed another attacking wide man to replace kapo in both bench and potential attacking left wing. Unless cappello plans on making a rambo/chiellini wing combination, i see the need for realy cover for neddy.

Mutu could and should be the man, but the fact he could be on the way to roma infuriates me.

The hole cassano debacle infuriates me to the height of anger. Cassano, merely a little dribbling forward, who adds little else, isnt a playmaker or winger even set pieces are out of his reach. Mutu and DP satisfy both of these, yet cappello leaves them out, leaving dp out on physical height reasons......cassano is a short arse as well...bollox of a reason.

I fear cappello will merely try and fit his boy wonder in regardless.

Imho i hope all this cassano talk was a genius smokescreen for a talented left sided attacking player....we can always dream :dontcare:

 

[-Tom]

I'll have to wait how the Cassano-story ends to decide wheter I am confident or not.

Chiellini and Mutu could be decisive players in our solid squad, in my opinion. Capello obviously has his own ideas on this topic, so I guess that at least one of them will be "sacrificed for Antonio, which would be a great mistake.


With or without Cassano/Mutu/Chiellini: I somehow think that the CL-title is more realistic than the scudetto in this season. Inter looks quite strong to me, Milan also a great threat, despite their bad start into the Serie A-season.

Defense: A little thin, imo. To few backups, another RB would have been great.
Midfield: I love it. Even if a creative source is missing.
Attack: Great, if the injuries stay where they belong: At Inter or Milan...

 

[SobatPadi]

i will be very confident this year.. if we can get cassano...

 

[Marty]

I'm quite confident we'll perform well this season, we have a better chance of winning than we had last season, yet we won then.

I'm very interested to see what Mutu and especially Viera can do for our team, our midfield is extremely good this year, if Nedved can hit the form that is.

Abbiati looked strong against Chievo although he wasn't really pressured, I guess his real test will come later, against the better teams.

Again, the weak spot is our defence, at least if you look at the RB position.

Overall I'm very optimistic and I think we'll have a good chance on another Scudetto. As for CL, that's more difficult, but we should be able to do better than last year.

 

[Marty]

Poll created.

 

[Lawnchair Bes]

we need another option. something like "i still dont know what to expect"

 

[Marty]

OK, will add that one, more suggestions for poll options are welcome.

 

[JCK]

I have a feeling that it will be different than last year, we will start slow but along the season we will catch harmony, this might get us somewhere. I think we have a chance of taking a trophy this season.

 

[Turdhead]

I think this year will be ok, uni is easy, my parents have given me more money the drugs are in check.

 

[Tifoso]

We win both

 

[Respaul]

We'll do ok in the cl but not win
come 3rd in the league and our b team will win the coppa

 

[Elnur_E65]

I am optimistic.

Definitely going for the CL this season...

 

[Lawnchair Bes]

i think the term horribly is throwing people off picking that option

 

[Marty]

++ [ originally posted by Don Bes ] ++
i think the term horribly is throwing people off picking that option

Yeah, it was perhaps a bit extreme, so I changed it.

 

[Bjerknes]

I still do not know what to expect and I'm afraid our lack of creativity will hurt our chances further down the Champions League road again. The Serie A is always a possibility however when you look at all the weapons Inter posess you have to wonder when their curse will run out. This could be the season, however then again we have stated this several times in the past only to be disapointed by Inter time and time again. If we win the Scudetto I hope we win it much more convincingly as opposed to last season and hopefully we will play the sort of football that deserves recognition rather than criticism.

 

[Geof]

Milan is very strong, Inter seem to be serious challengers this year, not to mention subtop teams like Fiorentina who were pretty active on the transfer market... Our opponents will be stronger than last year I guess.

Now our team is good. Bad news for Gigi, but Abbiati should do for the 3 months without Superman.

I'm happy with the defence (though I would have kept Masiello or Tudor). Chiellini and Kovac are good add-ups. Zambrotta could be used somewhere else when needed, and Canna or Thuram could rest a bit. No idea about the brazilian guy, Gladstone. I hope he can cover if we have to face a long injury in central defence.
As for the right back, Zebina is OK. Not world class, but he should be enough. And we gave Balzaretti to cover.
And still, good old Pessotto to cover if needed.

The midfield is our weakest compartiment I guess. I'm worried about the lack of attacking minded mids. Emo-Vieira is a nice partnership, if they get on well, they could crush any attack before it's even started. They have also very nice passing, but who are they going to pass the ball? Who will be the playmaker, the guy that launches attacks? Nedved? he seems tired. A great player, but I feel the fire isn't burning anymore in this guy. Camoranesi? Good season last year, I hope he'll keep up the standards. But he's more of a winger; he stays on the right side, and he's not gonna breach defences on his own....
As for back up: Blasi (maybe off to Fiorentina ), Giannichedda. That's a not a lot is it? What if Camo or Nedved are injuried/out of form? Zambrotta could take the spot, with Chiellini on the left back. OK; Oliveira, is he still around? The lad proved to be insufficient I fear. Or maybe Mutu could fill the place; and that leads me to the...

Attack. Six attackers. That's one too much if you ask me. Now, Miccoli will only be used if really necessary, and sold when the first good offer arrives.
That leaves us with: Trezeguet, Del Piero, Zlatan, Mutu and Zalayeta.
Five great players. Three of them are in the position of demanding a starting spot. Trezeguet being the clinical finisher, Zlatan and Del Piero competing for a support striker spot. I really hope Alex can find his good form back, especially with the WC coming this summer, that might be his last one. Now, Juve are a team and must'n concentrate on one player. Rotate a bit and let the on-form player play.
Zalayeta will stay a 5th striker, a super-sub, a joker. He had some great timethis year, and I hope he can shine again this year.
Mutu hasn't got the chance yet to prove anythng in a Juve jersey. But we all know his talent, I just hope he can find his Parma form again. I read Cap wanted to make an offensive mid out of him, to play something between a 442 and a 433, that could be nice... I guess we'll have to wait a bit to see that happen.

My formation of the season (on 30th august):

--------------------------------Abbiati(Gigi when back)----------------------

Zebina-----------------Thuram-------Canna----------------Zambrotta

------------------Camo-----------Vieira-----------Emo--------------------

-------------------------------------------------Mutu----------------------
-----------------------------Zlatan---Trez--------------------------------------

or something like that.



So basically we do have a chance on every front: CL, Scudetto, Coppa, but the competition will be rude.
Holding on a Champions title is very hard, as we are the team to beat, so I predict a 2nd spot.
CL seems very open these days. I predict we make it to the final...
As fo Coppa... I don't really care... we could see some youngsters doing the job