AndyinLiverpool Posted April 29, 2018 Share Posted April 29, 2018 1 minute ago, ViewsFromTheMiddle said: Did you see how fixed that Juve game was? Keeper moved out the way on their last two goals. Juventus game fixed? Whatever next? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StaffsRam Posted April 29, 2018 Share Posted April 29, 2018 1 minute ago, AndyinLiverpool said: Juventus game fixed? Whatever next? That Leeds team are a bit dirty as well aren't they....? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ViewsFromTheMiddle Posted April 29, 2018 Share Posted April 29, 2018 4 minutes ago, AndyinLiverpool said: Juventus game fixed? Whatever next? I'm not sure it was really but that keeper did look disinterested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jourdan Posted May 3, 2018 Author Share Posted May 3, 2018 What a surprise that McLovin is basking in his 'Napoli = bottlers' narrative. The Fiorentina result was disastrous - there's no escaping that - but this wasn't a bottle job. The decision to show Koulibaly a red card was pivotal. Napoli lost their best defender and Sarri, naively one might argue, substituted Jorginho in the reshuffle. This was all inside the first 10 minutes. Playing with 10 men for 80 minutes away from home without your two best players is going to be an uphill task in most cases. But add to that, the pressure of it being a must-win game and it clearly overwhelmed Napoli. They never looked the same. While you could argue that Juventus showed the nerve and the spirit of champions that Napoli lacked, it is also worth pointing out that to overcome Inter the previous night, Juve profited from two questionable refereeing decisions - the Vecino sending off and Pjanic not getting a second yellow - which always left Inter up against it despite their brave showing. Such was the outrage from these decisions and the subsequent video footage of a smug Allegri gloating with the fourth official after the match, it sparked suggestions of another Calciopoli. Perhaps it does Juve a disservice, perhaps not. The result obviously represented a huge psychological shift in Juve's favour, and now you would say that after coming back from the dead with back-to-back wins before the trip to Florence, Napoli's chances of usurping Juve seem slim. But honestly I think that this is something positive. It takes the pressure off. They can just get back to playing their natural game and not playing the occasion. 18,000 people turning up at the local airport to greet the players after the win v Juventus spoke volumes. Just rubbing shoulders with Juventus means they are performing way above expectations as it is. They are not expected to be genuine title contenders. They are not expected to compete in Europe. They are still developing as a club and as a team and haven't learnt how to deal with the pressure of such situations. Expecting them to prosper in this situation shows a clear lack of understanding of where they are in the football landscape. It's not as though this is a team of accomplished, battle tested individuals. It's a team where the sum is quite obviously greater than the parts and has been moulded wonderfully by the coaching of Sarri - who I reiterate is still green himself at the very top level. Of course, they have to continue fighting for each win and see where it takes them. It's Juve's title to lose now, but if we have learnt anything from recent months, it's still all to play for and personally I expect it to go down to the last day. My friends and I will be at San Paolo again on Sunday - hoping for another entertaining afternoon and a positive result for the boys in blue! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuespachRam Posted May 3, 2018 Share Posted May 3, 2018 The sendings off were all totally justified...the only questionable decision was Pjanic not getting a red (I think maybe he should have) after those results Juve won’t lose the league now, they have 2 easy home games left too and Roma away its over... its like in England, Germany, France, Spain and Scotland....the most predictable season ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jourdan Posted May 23, 2018 Author Share Posted May 23, 2018 We are in store for quite an interesting off-season here in Italy. The big news is that Sarri looks set to leave Napoli, while Ancelotti is incoming. What a massive statement of intent by Napoli and a genuine coup if it is finalised. Ancelotti is a serial winner - league titles in four different countries, 3 Champions League wins, and 16 major trophies overall in a glittering career - and someone it is hoped will elevate Napoli to the peak of the mountain. It will be a difficult job for Ancelotti. Many of Napoli's most influential players - Jorginho, Koulibaly, Hamsik, Merten to name four - have been linked with big summer moves and it looks like it's going to be a summer of big changes. Can he be the man to stop the exodus? Can he be the man to lure top talents to the San Paolo? Can he be the man that finally stops the Juve juggernaut? Ancelotti is a real gentleman of the game and an absolute master of his craft - if anyone could be the glue that binds the club together and stops Sarri's work from falling apart, it is him. Interesting times in the land of calcio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bris Vegas Posted May 23, 2018 Share Posted May 23, 2018 Does Ancelotti have anywhere else to go? He obviously still sees himself as one of the world's best, I doubt he would drop lower than the Champions League and at 58 he probably isn't in the mood for sitting out for another couple of years. Nobody in France or Germany are realistic options after Bayern or PSG. England is a no-no, Klopp, Guardiola, Pochettino and Mourinho have that top four nailed up. Chelsea, I doubt they'd go back in for him, and Arsenal just got Emery. In Spain Real Madrid won't go back in for him. Atleti is a no-no due to rivalry, and Simeone. Same goes for Barcelona, plus his philopsphy wouldn't suit them. Nobody else is established enough for him there. Maybe Valencia in another year. And as for Italy. Well Juve have Allegri, Inter is a no-no due to the Milan rivalry. Would he go back to AC Milan? They're not on his level anymore. So Napoli seems the only option in Europe worth considering. Unless he fancies someone like Zenit. But why would he? He's got such a cool CV with league titles in four of Europe's top five leagues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cannable Posted May 23, 2018 Share Posted May 23, 2018 11 minutes ago, Jourdan said: We are in store for quite an interesting off-season here in Italy. The big news is that Sarri looks set to leave Napoli, while Ancelotti is incoming. What a massive statement of intent by Napoli and a genuine coup if it is finalised. Ancelotti is a serial winner - league titles in four different countries, 3 Champions League wins, and 16 major trophies overall in a glittering career - and someone it is hoped will elevate Napoli to the peak of the mountain. It will be a difficult job for Ancelotti. Many of Napoli's most influential players - Jorginho, Koulibaly, Hamsik, Merten to name four - have been linked with big summer moves and it looks like it's going to be a summer of big changes. Can he be the man to stop the exodus? Can he be the man to lure top talents to the San Paolo? Can he be the man that finally stops the Juve juggernaut? Ancelotti is a real gentleman of the game and an absolute master of his craft - if anyone could be the glue that binds the club together and stops Sarri's work from falling apart, it is him. Interesting times in the land of calcio. Think he’s overrated myself. Knows how to manage big squads, big players and can get them up for big games but not much more than that. Four league titles in twenty odd years, one of which at PSG and another at Bayern who are both head and shoulders above. Two of Europe’s biggest title shocks (Montpellier and Atlético) happened whilst he was managing, what should have been, superior sides. Looked like screwing up Bayern’s monopolisation before he was sacked after which they improve dramatically. He has a knack for cup competitions though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jourdan Posted May 23, 2018 Author Share Posted May 23, 2018 59 minutes ago, Bris Vegas said: Does Ancelotti have anywhere else to go? He obviously still sees himself as one of the world's best, I doubt he would drop lower than the Champions League and at 58 he probably isn't in the mood for sitting out for another couple of years. Nobody in France or Germany are realistic options after Bayern or PSG. England is a no-no, Klopp, Guardiola, Pochettino and Mourinho have that top four nailed up. Chelsea, I doubt they'd go back in for him, and Arsenal just got Emery. In Spain Real Madrid won't go back in for him. Atleti is a no-no due to rivalry, and Simeone. Same goes for Barcelona, plus his philopsphy wouldn't suit them. Nobody else is established enough for him there. Maybe Valencia in another year. And as for Italy. Well Juve have Allegri, Inter is a no-no due to the Milan rivalry. Would he go back to AC Milan? They're not on his level anymore. So Napoli seems the only option in Europe worth considering. Unless he fancies someone like Zenit. But why would he? He's got such a cool CV with league titles in four of Europe's top five leagues. Zenit were linked with Sarri but according to reports here, he turned them down. I think it's a wise move. From a lifestyle standpoint, there are many pluses - St. Petersburg is a fantastic city, Russian culture is so rich, and he would make a lot of money as Zenit head coach. But from a career standpoint, honours with Zenit would not enhance his CV so greatly because the standard of Russian football is so poor. Seemingly, Sarri has his heart set on Chelsea and the move has been in the works for months apparently, which is why de Laurentiis has made no secret of his pursuit of Ancelotti. Just because most of the top jobs in Europe are taken doesn't make this any less of a coup for Napoli. Ancelotti is still one of the world's best and up there as one of the modern-day greats alongside Ferguson, Wenger, Mourinho and Guardiola. 46 minutes ago, cannable said: Think he’s overrated myself. Knows how to manage big squads, big players and can get them up for big games but not much more than that. Four league titles in twenty odd years, one of which at PSG and another at Bayern who are both head and shoulders above. Two of Europe’s biggest title shocks (Montpellier and Atlético) happened whilst he was managing, what should have been, superior sides. Looked like screwing up Bayern’s monopolisation before he was sacked after which they improve dramatically. He has a knack for cup competitions though. Overrated? Four league titles in four different countries with four very different footballing cultures, three Champions League wins and countless other honours - that takes some doing! How many managers would you put ahead of him? Ancelotti has been around forever. He started his managerial career in 1995 at the age of 36! But that shouldn't be used as a stick to beat him with. The fact he is over 20 years into his managerial career and still winning honours and still commanding top jobs shows a remarkable level of longevity, consistency and hunger. He has a timeless, almost ageless quality. I think this is a real coup for Napoli. It's almost a guarantee that their playing style will suffer, but to challenge for honours and to break the monopoly of Juve, they need a big manager who can instill the mentality to handle the big moments. Sarri has done an amazing job at Napoli and proven himself to be a top coach, but this was his first major job and for all of his excellent work, Napoli have nothing to show for it in the trophy cabinet, which is exactly why I think Chelsea are taking a massive risk if they appoint Sarri. A much bigger risk than Arsenal's appointment of Emery, for example. It is clear that the biggest factor behind Napoli's move for Ancelotti - he has a winning track record and in coaching terms, he is an all-time great. Napoli are the people's champions and their style of football under Sarri has been fantastic to watch, but it's clear that the owner and the Neapolitan people crave more than entertainment. They are proud of Sarri and his achievements, but breaking Juve's stranglehold is almost becoming the impossible job, so of course it seems logical you are going to call upon the man who has won it all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cannable Posted May 23, 2018 Share Posted May 23, 2018 @Jourdan I just see him as the Sam Allardyce of hyper clubs. He’ll go in, sort stuff out, win something and then it’ll all go wrong. He won’t leave a legacy, he won’t revolutionise you, He wont set you up for the mid term he’ll just win something. I believe Zidane will probably be the same as well, a serial winner because he knows how big players and squads tick. I don’t believe either are either are quite in the top echelon of manager. Taking Napoli up a level and Zidane rebuilding Real Madrid whilst continuing to win things will put them up there for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Day Posted May 23, 2018 Share Posted May 23, 2018 17 hours ago, Bris Vegas said: So Napoli seems the only option in Europe worth considering. For once Bris, you were right ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cannable Posted May 23, 2018 Share Posted May 23, 2018 Interesting times ahead! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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