Serie A View #1673

The Juventus Soap Opera continues.

It has been an extremely difficult time for Juventus over the last couple of weeks. From getting annihilated by Napoli in Naples. Knocked out of the Champions League group stage. Drop points from some of the inferior sides in Italy the unavailability of Vlahovic This campaign it has been an absolute mess this season. In spite of this a few weeks ago They were semi-comfortably in the top four. After all that has gone wrong this season, things were starting to turn their way. However, then they were hit with a huge scandal and investigation. As I said last week They went from in the top three to not even in the top 10. They received a negative 15 point deduction. This week they might be sanctioned even further to negative 20 points. For breaking financial rules to benefit the club. It has been just a total disaster. To make matters worse. They are finding life extremely difficult and even though they were in the top three out of stage, yet nowhere near challenging for the title. Juventus is a side that has dominated Italian football for the last decade. This is now going to be their fourth year in a row without a title. On top of that. This week they were beaten by Monza. The newly promoted side has done a league double over Juventus. They have been one of the surprises of this season in Italian football. However, it doesn't soften the blow or make it anything less embarrassing. They have beaten them in two of three meetings this season. They beat Juventus home and away. It has just become a saga at this point. In addition to that, Paul Pogba was brought back this summer. I criticized the decision very heavily saying it was the wrong move for the club and Paul Pogba was just running away from his problems. Made him the highest paid player at the club. Something due to the financial situations that they're dealing with right now was a horrendous decision. They are now looking to offload him due to the financial reasons and the fact that he has been injured twice since rejoining the club. From a personal perspective, he is fighting for his football life. Meanwhile, Juventus continue to undergo an erratic situation. They are too many points back to qualify for the Champions League. They're only route to do so would be winning the Europa League which will be a huge challenge. Since the scandal and investigation came to light, they are without a victory. Juventus however, did beat Lazio in the Copa Italia quarterfinals. They will have a two-legged semi-final with Inter Milan. They will meet Fiorentina or Cremonose on the other side. This may be the only meaning they have left this season. They're going to go into the summer and they're going to lose a critical piece. Due to what has gone on with them as of late, it is not going to be an attractive destination and they're likely to lose a big piece. In light of all of these events, they made a horrendous decision. On top of that. The midfield of Juventus is skint. They have very little quality in that area. It is probably the biggest weakness they have only for them to let Weston McKinnie depart for leads. United. Leaving them with Manuel lockitelli and Adrian rabbit in that area. They have a couple youngsters that are capable of filling in but their midfield took a big hit with his departure. Whether or not you rate the American midfielder is to your own emission, but the departure of Weston hugely damages the midfield at Juventus. In the last couple of months they got bounce from the champions. Was given a negative 15 point deduction. Lost a critical piece in midfield. Saw their big splash of the summer get injured. The entire thing is falling apart. The Copa Italia is the only thing they have to play for. I somewhat back them to win it. However, even if they win the Copa Italia, the decisions they've made over the last 24 months has damaged everything Juventus has built.

Cremonose In Coppa Itaila Semi Final

Cremonose has put together an improbable cup run as they found themselves in a semi-final they were never supposed to get to. Cremonose Will certainly be relegated this season unless there is some improbable miracle to turn things around. It would take a historic run this second half of the season to pull it off. The newly promoted side has been in trouble from day one. From the first game of the season there was just a sense they would be fighting for their lives. It would be almost impossible for them to survive. Frankly, they really don't stand much of a chance. They have been dreadful in the league. They haven't managed to win one game this season. Even against the other bottom teams in the league, they have failed to register maximum points and even one match. It has been an epic failure from the very beginning. They're going to face the sword of relegation by the end of the season. They are 10 points from safety and have conceded 35 goals this season. Only Sampdoria have scored less goals than them this campaign. They have been dreadful and would need something miraculous to even make a tempt at survival. However, in the cup they have been absolutely fabulous They find themselves in a semi-final. For the first time since since the 90s. However, somehow they've managed to do when no one expected them. Remember no wins in the league. Yet they have found themselves in the semi-final. Not only that, they had to go to Naples to beat Napoli and on Wednesday they went to Rome to beat Roma. Both Roma and Napoli made serious critical errors in their matchups against them. They did not field their strongest team. They may have underestimated, they relegation side and both of them were punished for it. Had Roma played at full force they probably would have won the game. There was no legitimate reason for them to do that. Roma’s next five games are not against the top six. There was no legitimate reason for them to rest. Dybala Abraham Zalewski Matic and Smalling I've already spoken about this but to put two teenagers in midfield was a huge mistake by Jose and equally Napoli played the reserves in their round of 16 battle with them. They were underestimated and they punched them in the mouth. However, the story of this cup run will go into the history of their club. Even if they don't make the final and even if they do and lose, going to Napoli and two Roma and beating them is something they'll never forget. Now They have a two-legged affair with Fiorentina. They should not be the favorite going into the semi-final but after what we've seen in this cup, there's no reason why it couldn't go their way. Not a win in the league, but they're in the semi-final absolutely madness.

Playing Charles de Ketelaere Upfront is the only way to Save Milan

Talking about AC Milan each week is starting to wear me out and break me down. Some part of me wants to ignore it completely. AC Milan is a big club with so much history They were the champions last season . Apart of me wants to just pretend it's not happening to them. However, they're incompetence has folded my hand once again. AC. Milan has not been the same since the restart of Italian football. It started reasonably well with a victory against the seahorses. Then against Roma they looked like the best team in the league for about 70 minutes. Roma came back and rescued a point out of nowhere. A goal from Ibanez and a late equalizer from Tammy Abraham saw Roma deal a point in Milan. Ever since then. AC Milan have been a shelv themselves and continue to struggle. A defeat in the Copa Italia against Torino. A draw against relegation threatened leche and then the last 2 weeks. A four goal annihilation against Lazio and last weekend against Sassuolo They were ripped apart limb for limb. At one point it was 5-1 to Sassuolo They have conceded nine goals in their last two games. That is 3 weeks in a row without maximum points. It is just one disaster after another. The Champions League race is as tight as it gets at the moment. Only three points separates sixth place Roma and second place Inter Milan. AC Milan slid to fifth after their horrendous performance this weekend against the green and whites. Sassuolo find themselves near the bottom of the table and they absolutely humiliated AC Milan. AC Milan, as I've been saying every week made horrendous decisions in the transfer market. They didn't bring in the right pieces to push them on. They then brought in a striker that scored 21 goals last season and have proceeded to play him in midfield. I'm going to say this again because I don't think it can be said enough. King Charles is not a midfielder. He is not a central midfielder. He is not an attacking midfielder. He is a striker. The fact of the matter is AC. Milan are nowhere near where they need to be. They have been ripped apart into consecutive weeks. They shown to not have a stomach to hold on to any sort of advantage. They can't take advantage of any sort of momentum or confidence. They can't even hold their own against the lower teams in the league and the very meaning of the season is now trying to qualify for the champions league. Which by the way, they may not do. Atalanta Roma Lazio Inter are all better than AC Milan right now. Maldini's recruitment hasn't been good enough within this season. Nothing that can be done now. He mismanaged January could not find or bring in the right sort of signings. We haven't seen enough from the Bundesliga boys on the pitch that could probably change AC Milan a bit and then again we're talking about King Charles being played out of position. Pioli is holding on to his job security. It is almost certain that he will be sacked if he fails to qualify for the champions league. In fact, I think unless we see some drastic change within AC Milan, we are going to see see them. Make a change at manager. Pioli may have won the league last year but he's also hugely responsible for why they have been off this season. Leao, last season was one of the most dangerous players in the league. Now every time I watch him play I don't recognize him anymore. A premier League move certainly is on the cards for him in the distant future. They are negotiating a new contract but nonetheless he is not looked like that player. However, again, I don't want to keep repeating myself, but my biggest criticism surrounding AC Milan despite Maldini and his inability to bring in the right sort of pieces so AC Milan could have a better chance of defending their crown. My biggest problem is with King Charles. Is true lack of awareness and ineptitude and a little bit of narcissism on top of it for AC Milan to continue to ignore. I don't know the obvious and play. Charles in his actual position. He scored 21 goals last season as a striker not as a midfielder. He has played in midfield on occasion but to see the best from Charles you need to put him up top. Olivier giroud is one of the most underrated strikers in the history of football. He has done an absolutely fabulous job with AC Milan since arriving. However, he does not need to be starting every game. He can make a contribution within the team. Without that. I'm not suggesting benching him because inherently he hasn't done anything wrong. However, you were sliding out of the champions league. You've wasted 40 million on a player that you're playing out of position. That's not fair to the player. It's not fair to the club and it is undermining AC Milan's entire season. King Charles is not been given a chance to succeed. You're playing a time bomb against a clock that is about to erupt. You may finish in 6th! If King Charles gets a chance to play up front, he will score goals. I saw him in Belgium. I saw him in the champions league. He is a goal scorer he has that ability but in order to show what he can do he needs game time. First of all and secondly he needs to be playing striker. The longer they wait and play him out of position, the worst the circumstances are going to get. He is capable of getting 15 goals in a season as a striker AC Milan or wasting him and peoly can't put his ego aside and abide by that. King Charles up top will save their season but AC Milan won't do it because they haven't been. The panic button is already been pushed and the only way to save that and get them back in the Champions League and start playing. The football that were accustomed to see from them is playing King Charles and striker. It's not a hard solution to figure out yet. AC Milan continue to ignore the obvious. King Charles deserves a chance to show what he can do and he seem alone is holding him back. AC Milan do not want to be sitting here in three four years time. Seeing King Charles scoring on the big stage with another team. They need to make the right decision here and play him as a striker because they don't want to have that moment where they think to themselves. What if. He can save the season If AC Milan play him up front. If they don't then kiss Champions League football. Goodbye.