Cagliari v Juventus 2-3
Seeing what Napoli did to Udinese today gives an idea to the kind of form Cagliari are currently experiencing. Sometimes these smaller teams, get a purple patch where all systems are Go, the team is giving more in total than the sum of it’s parts. In fact, it is vital for the lesser outfits, of which Cagliari is surely one, gets these purple patches of form if they are to survive and/or prosper in the top flight. Obviously, they are firing on all cylinders right now and would have won this game were it not for some woeful finishing and the class and magick of Santo Buffon.
Despite this Super Cagliari, we were very poor. Ranieri cannot be happy with the performances of most of the team. Other than Buffon, Andrade, Chiellini and Camo, the rest of the Juve players seemed to be lacking guile and spirit.
Criscito needs time to form a solid partnership with Andrade, but they could be rocks for us at the back. Chiellini continues to impress me more with every minute he is on the field and his never say die attitude reminds me of the endeavour and will to win of Vialli and Ravanelli. Every team needs a huge youngster, capable of making important challenges and fighting tooth and claw for every ball, in their ranks… The right back position must be sorted out soon and Zebina must be shot. He got caught out of position too many times and his reaction to being sent off was appalling.
Our midfield play, prior to the arrival of Camo, was painfully laboured and predictable. Almiron may well prove to be useful in the long run, but if he is to play alongside the workhorse Zanetti then the forwards and wingers will continue to be starved of decent service from the middle of the park. Maybe Ranieri wanted to give Tiago some time out there but with the vicious, tense nature of the game, he opted to keep Tough in midfield and stick with the dogs of war…Nedved was redundant for most of the game, not sure if he was just showing his age or was well marked by more spritely legs. Sali on the right side was useless, and let’s hope he can perform better as our right back, because Camo deserves that position on the wing. he showed today that by coming on half fit and having a hand in all three of our goals. He is growing on me as a footballer despite my anger at several of the comments he has made over the last few years. His delivery of the ball is the best we currently have available and I am sure Trezeguet will be hoping more than anyone that the Argie/Italian regains full fitness and his berth on the right flank as soon as possible.
Up front we were lacking energy and movement. Del Piero still has the skill, but he seemed to be several yards of the pace of every other player on the pitch today. Maybe he just needs time to regain match fitness??? Trezegol got his goal yes, but otherwise was a ghost. I can’t blame him for that, because as a target man constantly running through the middle he needs the ball put into the right areas and today that just didn’t happen, at least not until Camo turned up.
I didn’t understand Ranieri’s decision to haul off Criscito for Legro…The Camo swap for Sali was required and actually turned the game in our favour. Just a shame that Nocerino didn’t arrive on the scene earlier. I would like to see him start alongside Almiron…
Ultimately, however badly we played, we won the game and picked up 3 points away from home against a team who were ALL fired up and gunning for glory. Three games, three victories. can’t complain about that kinda start to the season, but neither can we get too carried away.
Man of the Match for me has to be Chiellini. he has technique, passion, and the volatility of a tiger shark.
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