Simone Pepe back from the dead…
A certain Simone Pepe played his first 90 minutes in many moons, when turning out for our Primavera yesterday in their irritating 1-0 defeat to Sampdoria. With all the talk of our lack of wingers…it seems positive to see Simone deployed out wide (in a 3-5-2) and come through unscathed. Expect a detailed update on the youth sector before the new year. A half term report of sorts.
As for the game tonight…I would very much like to see Asamoah play through the middle. Whilst he came to us as a marauding, dynamic central midfield player, he has outdone every other player in our squad who can play at LWB, time and time again. To say he is not a winger is fair enough, but he most certainly is a left wing back and has been there for two seasons now, and doing fine. Are we wasting his talents by placing him out wide and asking him to cut in and put good balls into the box??? Probably yes, but the needs of the team come before the needs of the player and sometimes, in this situation, when for one reason or another we simply have not been able to procure a classy, natural LWB, we have to play players out of their natural roles. It is especially sensible given the brilliant emergence of Pogba and phenomenal maturing of Vidal. The two non-regista roles in CM are well and truly taken. Not today though…so let us wait and see what Conte decides.
Against the likes of Sassuolo, minus Berardi, I am content to see De Ceglie given a game out wide left. Should be good for a cross or three which Llorente can put away. Also, its a chance to alert potential suitors to De Ceglie’s small slithers of talent, for surely, in the winter mercato or at latest in the summer, he will be moved on (finally).
Peluso would be a more sturdy option, immensely so in defence. His crossing isn’t that much weaker than De Ceglie’s hooked, lofted balls into the box, and he is a far harder man to knock off the ball or walk through. Still, seems better to try get De Ceglie in the shop window.
If Conte goes berserk, which I highly doubt, and changes our formation…4-4-2 could be interesting.
Buffon
Lichsteiner Barzagli Bonucci Chiellini
Isla Vidal Pogba Asamoah
Tevez Llorente
if 4-3-3
Buffon
Lich Barza Bonucci Chiellini
Vidal Pogba Asamoah
Giovinco/Quags Llorente Tevez
Forza Pepe. Forza Juve!
Recent Comments