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In what has become a habit for Juventus, the Bianconeri dropped two points and settled for a draw with Catania. Juve could not defend a 2-0 lead over the visitors who have yet to register their first away win of the season. The Bianconeri squad is lacking in quality and this is evident when the legendary but aging Alessandro Del Piero is the main source of creativity for the team.
As discussed in previous pieces (Check: <a href="http:\/\/www.serieatalk.com/will-juventus-qualify-for-the-champions-league/3502">www.serieatalk.com/will-juventus-qualify-for-the-champions-league/3502</a>), the Bianconeri have seen slight improvement compared to last season but there are still some glaring problems:
– The Bianconeri are still weak at the full-back positions. Juve lack quality full-backs and have yet to replace Gianluca Zambrotta who departed following the Calciopoli scandal in 2006.
– Juve lack a creative player. Diego was sold and perhaps it was the proper decision but when Del Piero is not playing, the Bianconeri clearly lack a player who can create scoring opportunities. Alessandro Matri is decent but he is a finisher and not one who can easily create his own scoring opportunities. Fabio Quagliarella is perhaps the only player besides Del Piero who can create something on the attacking end yet he has been sidelined by long-term injury.
– The centre-back positions remain fragile, particularly when Giorgio Chiellini is out due to injury or suspension. Andrea Barzagli is a mere short-term replacement and can perhaps cover for a game or two but not for an extended period.
– The Bianconeri’s management must make the right decision during the summer by signing at least three quality players and bringing in another three decent players to cover various positions. There is a need for two full-backs, a centre-back, a winger and an attacking player who can create scoring chances.
– Luigi Delneri might be a good person but this is about coaching and he seems best fit to take charge of a provincial side. Delneri appears to be dealing with problems that might be too much for him to handle considering the ambitions of a prestigious club such as Juve. Below are some interesting stats about Delneri:
1) He lost 9 games while in charge of Sampdoria last season and has already lost 9 matches with Juventus in Serie A this season
2) With Roma he lost 16 games in just one season and his results with Palermo were not impressive
3) Delneri has never won more than 50% of matches he coached over a season. He achieved that once with Sampdoria.
4) Delneri is not great with substitutions. He has often been criticized for the changes he makes during a game. Against Catania he started with Marco Motta, a certain candidate to be replaced or to receive a red card in almost any game, and then replaced Motta. He also replaced Del Piero and Matri with Simone Pepe and the less mobile Luca Toni.
5) Delneri is not flexible when it comes to tactics. He does not seem to be a commanding figure and is not inspiring. Would established and experienced players or even rising stars want to play for a coach such as Delneri? It is doubtful Turin will be an attractive destination for quality players with Delneri in charge. Juve need a quality and well-established coach to take over.
Obviously this summer will be a busy one in Turin and the changes to be made could be drastic and will likely cover the coach as well as the squad. To blame everything on Delneri would be unfair and inaccurate. The squad at his disposal is lacking and has many glaring weaknesses but it is hard to see how Delneri can return Juve back to the top of Italian football when he seems to be limited in his tactics and substitutions. He also does not have the winning pedigree to garner the respect of big name signings.&nbsp;Feel free to contact @RamiSoufi on Twitter for further discussions.
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Juventus throw away 2-0 lead &amp; chance to fight for 4th - World Soccer Talk

Juventus throw away 2-0 lead & chance to fight for 4th

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Undoubtedly, the minute I post this, Ronaldo will give up on Real Madrid and move to Hamburg, so forgive me for being premature. Let’s take a look, as the season begins, at the seven best signing so far this summer in the Bundesliga.

<ol>

<li>
Christian Fuchs (SV Mattersburg to Bochum)
 
Austria entered the Euros as a laughing stock. By the time they gallantly exited after the defeat to Germany, there was a lot to be excited about. Perhaps that excitement will have to be tempered until 2012, when the class of last year’s U20 semi-finalists have taken over the team, but already Prodl, Harnik and Ozcan have gravitated towards our favorite league. Fuchs will be the first to make an impact. While Prodl should eventually wrestle the CB position from Naldo after the Brazilian finally causes Marcel Koller a heart attack, Fuchs will slot in immediately. And with a midfield in dire need of a talisman, he could well take that spot with his attacking flair down the left flank. Will he be enough to keep the relegation battlers up? Hard to tell, but he will be on this again next year, if they don’t stay up.
</li>

<li>
Mikael Forssell (Birmingham to Hannover)

Hannover’s biggest issue is a forward line that wouldn’t bother most AYSO travel teams. Forssell is a proven goalscorer who should add bite to their midfield bottle. Also he could pair well with Mike Hanke, who has not thrived as the only threat for the continually improving Reds. 
</li>
<li>
Tim Borowski (Werder Bremen to Bayern Munich)

What to you do when part of your double pivot gets too old? Well when you’re FC Bayern, you take on a free player from your closest league rival. By securing the free transfer of German international Borowski (28) from Werder, Bayern gave themselves an upgrade in age and lateral move in ability from the Brazilian Ze Roberto (34) to partner Van Bommel in front of Schweinsteiger, Sosa, Altintop and Ribery. 
</li>

<li>
Mario Eggimann (Karlsruhe to Hannover)

I loved Eggimann last year. Everyone was so high on Hajnal as the reason for Karlsruhe’s success, and he definitely played his part; however, KSC’s great early run and subsequent survival was based on their outstanding defense, including the vastly underrated Markus Millar in goal and LB Christian Eichner. Eggimann will bring composure and organization to a team that flirted with a European spot last year. He is definitely an improvement over the likes of an ancient Tarnat in front of the solid Robert Enke.

</li>
<li>
Orlando Engelaar (Twente to Schalke) and Jefferson Farfan (PSV to Schalke)

Suddenly Rutten seems poised to run a very tidy 4-2-3-1 with the ball winning Fabian Ernst coupled with the slick passing Engelaar in the double pivot, behind an attack of Ivan Rakatic, Farfan and Jermaine Jones. With Kevin Kuranyi’s ability to play the holding forward, much like a Luca Toni or Dimitar Berbatov, these two signings make Schalke a decent bet to end their long run of bad luck. Farfan’s ability to spell Kuranyi will be an added bonus and Jones ability to play back in the double pivot will allow the likes of Ze Roberto, PPA (Poor People’s Altintop) and Streit to slot in and provide depth through three competitions. This is now quite a versatile team.

</li>
<li>
Cristian Zaccardo and Andrea Barzagli (Palermo to Wolfsburg)

With the addition of former Italian RB Zaccardo and Italian CB Barzagli, Felix Magath is making one of the strongest defenses in the Bundesliga even stronger. Forget Barzagli’s howler against the Netherlands. This is one of Italy’s best center halves and he immediately becomes one of the best in the Bundesliga. It was quite a coup for Wolfsburg to land these two from Palermo, so there are few teams that have as much buzz coming into the season as Wolfsburg. If Marcelinho can make it through one more year, they could compete for a Champion’s League spot this year.

</li>
<li>
Renato Augusto (Flamenco to Bayer Leverkusen)

Bayer are right on the cusp. They have a collection of young talent that rivals any club with Adler, Barnetta, Castro, Kiessling, Vidal and Rolfes. But one of their biggest issues is the creeping age of talisman and playmaker Bernd Schneider. By picking up the next Brazilian wonder in Augusto, they look to be moving beyond Schneider and combining the creativity of this U20 international with the steady influence of Rolfes and the sharp wing play of Barnetta. If he is free from injury, he may well take the Werkself back to the Champion’s League. He will be fun to watch no matter how Leverkusen progress as a team.

</li>
</ol>

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and one to watch: Said Husejinovic (FK Sloboda Tuzla to Werder)

He isn’t going to make an impact at first, but I can’t believe how excited I am to see this wunderkind play. With Diego throwing his toys out with the pram, perhaps he will get time early to slot into the #10 role. By the end of the season we will be comparing the Bosnian to Ivan Rakatic.
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Did I miss anyone? Please comment on who you think deserves a mention on this list. Is it Hajnal to BVB? Is it Pitroipa to HSV? Let’s hear who I missed, because undoubtedly I will have missed some good ones.
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The Set: Best Transfers - World Soccer Talk

The Set: Best Transfers

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Juventus throw away 2-0 lead & chance to fight for 4th

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The Set: Best Transfers