Ever the optimist, I will respectfully disagree. There is only one team playing well and seemingly absent any flaws in Europe - Bayern (personally I think they can be got at by attacking them). Of the other UCL sides: Man City has glaring defensive weakness and will be missing their main man up top in Aguero. Worth noting whilst they have been smashing the poorest EPL sides, have struggled against even decently organized units. Real Madrid have been very ordinary all season. Post return, Ramos and his penalties have carried them (that and some absolutely horrid referee decisions). Statistically their defence looks good but watching a few of their games paints a different story. Barcelona are a shell of themselves. Defensively atrocious desperately needing Ter Stegen and Pique to provide superhuman performances. The midfield and attack for all their quality/star power has been terrible. They seem to be more reliant on Messi magic than any time in the past 15 years. Napoli realistically can still advance especially against a deeply flawed Barca team. Concern for them is a number of their key players have had poor seasons by their standards - Koulibaly Insigne Mertens Allan. Leipzig just lost their main goal threat - Timo Werner - but even that aside have not returned from the forced break at the same level their left. Atletico are a very dangerous side but are not the same defensively adept team they were. Essentially rebuilt over close season. Defence is still one of the better ones backstopped by a great goalkeeper in Oblak. For all their attacking pieces, every time I watch them play it is clear they have no scoring guarantees. PSG on paper should be a front runner. The knock on them would obviously be the lengthy break given premature season end - maybe they are well rested/healed, maybe they are rusty. Their Euro hoodoo also makes me think this team lacks meaningful leadership in big games. Atalanta have been absolutely irrestible going forward and are on tremendous form. However, I worry about their defence, they offer endless chances to the opposition. This is not to say JUVE are favourites by any stretch, but winning 4 one game ties is not beyond this team on talent alone. Having CR7 as the big match player could be key - we also have another 5 games to refine our structure in competitive matches. May be a pipe dream because I think we have been poor recently, but I see (aside from Bayern) our competitors as flawed as well. Wide open UCL and for that reason more than our play makes us meaningful contenders.
You're joking? When Marrotta first took charge, we were a midtable side. He helped build a team that would go on and dominate Serie A and get to two CL Finals. They brought in Pogba and Pirlo on frees. They paid next to nothing for Vidal. They brought in Tevez and made good managerial hires. You can always find a move or two that didn't work out with anyone but Marrotta did a brilliant job for us.
It hasnt even been a full year since Marotta left lol Lets not act like he knew how to sell or buy. He paid buyout clauses and signed free players with high salaries. He may be better than Paratici but not that much.
Pogba came in cuz of Raiola and the situation at ManUtd. Lets not act like Marotta went out and scouted him.
Paratici scouted him, that was his job not Marottas (though both collaborated on scouting anyways). Clubs don't go out and sign 19 yr olds on a whim, Pogba had been scouted for a year before the club signed him
The names being linked with the club inspire zero confidence. Milik, Dzeko, Lacazette, we aren't getting anywhere with those players
Ugh. Those names make me ill. And I don't care about the pandemic, CL fixtures, whatever. Maurizio Sarri should not be at Juve next season. Period.
I could not care less. Break the bank for Pep, take a chance on Gasperini or Carrera, hire some random unknown from Serie C2... Sarri should never have been hired in the first place. We settled: he should not continue with Juve. It's unfathomable, and an abject failure by our upper management, if he stays.
Berna & Costa were a complete waste of 80M....sell them by any means necessary and let Kulusevski take over next year.
He is getting cut, let’s see if we can bring him in for cheap... https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/f...alaga-willing-pay-cut-150-000-week-wages.html GK is not a huge position of need, but might be a solid player for years to come if he gets back in shape and stays healthy.
I doubt we can sell them for anything, if anything let them leave and cut our losses. Berna one goal in a year and half...such a bust, I had high hopes for him.
Kepa isn't coming here to be a backup. Szczesny has been one of our better players all season. He deserves to start. I'm ok with old-man Buffon on the bench for another season because of the positive influence he is.
Why the hell would anyone want Kepa here, he's been absolutely terrible for Chelsea. Not to mention he's not worth the salary or transfer fee he would demand. Szczesny is our starter and should remain our #1
Transfermarkt has DC at 26m, if we could get 20 for him, I would be siked! Berna is Italian, so we should be able to get a good amount for him still. I wouldn't be opposed to keeping him as our backup, but Kulu or if we could get Zaniolo to start on the right, I would be good to go.
WTF? Why are we signing Milik??? https://www.goal.com/en-us/news/live/transfer-news-and-rumours-live/rm2cij51fp961ht9jrpj013t4 There are so many more better options, this guy has been garbage to say the least and we want him here?