(03-08-2013, 08:36 PM)Mystik Wrote: So as it stands now - do we have 4 CL spots for next season?

(03-08-2013, 08:36 PM)Mystik Wrote: So as it stands now - do we have 4 CL spots for next season?

(03-10-2013, 11:13 AM)ACMILAN1983 Wrote: Wow...just wow after reading this article from Kris Voakes on goal.com

http://www.goal.com/en/news/1717/editorial/2013/03/10/3803053/where-would-juventus-second-choice-team-finish-in-serie-a?source=breakingnews&ICID=HP_BN_3

Not only does he seem to miss the point of having a B team if the lineup he suggests is to be the Juve B team, but he also seems to fail to realise that taking these guys out of the A team squad to put them into the B team squad would kill Juve given the importance of a strong squad in the modern game.

What's even more ludicrous is suggesting that Juve B side he puts out would do particularly well in Serie A, it would be a disaster. This is given the fact Marrone's far from ready to lead a defence and be the central point of a 3 man backline (it's like us shoving Salamon in and he's probably got more experience). De Ceglie and Isla are wide players, with neither showing at any point of their careers that they're capable in front of the defence. Paul Pogba's a midfielder, not a trequartista, nor has he shown he can play the role and there's a bizarre inbalance between the attacking and defensive aspects of that side.

I'm not sure that side would actually finish in the top half of the table, and if it did it would be more about certain quality individuals than anything else. Even looking at individual quality, the only players capable at this point of lifting that group into competitive respectability are Pogba and...that's it! Let's be honest, Isla, Giaccharini, Matri and Quagiarella are decent players but either failing to live up to expectation or are simply decent players, not players to lift the side to a higher level. The rest aren't anything remotely interesting or are just promising youth at best (only Marrone falls into this category).

Let's see how our backup lineup compares. We have:

------------------------Amelia---------------------
De Sciglio-----Bonera-----Yepes-----Antonini
------------------------Ambro---------------------
---------Nocerino-----------------Muntari-------
Niang-----------------Pazzini-------------Robinho

This is assuming Abate's our first choice RB. I also counted De Jong as our first choice DM (making our midfield De Jong, Montolivo and Flamini) and Boateng as RF as we've seen in important matches of late. Even with this, we still have talent left on the bench, as Zaccardo and Salamon could take Bonera's place and Bojan isn't included here.

To me, this lineup is better all round, with better balance and players all in their proper positions. Even at an individual level, I'm not convinced Juve's "B team" are better.

(03-11-2013, 02:58 AM)Aficio Wrote: Now Fio have emerged as most dangerous competitor. However, our aim is not 3rd anymore.