It is the one fixture many Juventus fans look for before any other, particularly with Torino struggling in Serie B, the so called Derby of Italy between Inter and Juventus. The term, like most in Italian football, was coined by the great Gianni Brera to note the two teams never relegated from Serie A. Since the Calciopoli scandal of 2006 it has grown into perhaps the most intense inter-city rivalry in the peninsula - although most Tuscan’s would disagree.

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When looking back at last seasons shambolic collapse one of the more obvious problems was the club was filled with too many defenders who were a combination of too old, not good enough, over-paid or hugely complacent. The search for a player to slot in alongside Giorgio Chiellini carried heavy responsibility, as so often the ‘Blocco-Juve’ is carried into the National team.

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Former Juve captain and winner of more Scudetti than any other Juventino, Beppe Furino has more idea than most about what it takes to win. He is what he had to say when he spoke to Radio Sport on Tuesday evening;

On strategy: “I’m not convinced that spending a lot on certain players to buy our way back can work. In the past we have always had coaches and management who could make excellent choices in the market, without spending a lot of money but rather seek out younger players who went on to be very useful for Juventus.”

On the past: “I hope that Marotta and Paratici know how to create a team for the likes of Juventus. The problem is that first you need to understand the players to be confirmed and those to be sold. It is clear that if you purchase without selling is likely to create problems.”

On midfield: “In the middle of the pitch the team is already pretty settled with the arrival of Pirlo, who is a great player. The problem is on the wings, both in midfield and at the back.”

On Meelosh: “Krasic is a player I find a little strange because it has qualities such as current speed, ball control and physicality but lacks more basic skills. His talents are those of movement and beating his opponent and I think Conte will use him a lot and ask much of him. I hope he can develop a strong personality. He is an interesting player that can definitely be a regular in the starting eleven.”

On Chiellini: “He is a good player, a pillar in the Juve defence, however no one is indispensable.”

After a morale-boosting win in Thursday night’s Coppa Italia tie with Catania, Juve came into this game suffering from yet more injuries but had at least shown they were back on track following the two heavy defeats in the previous week. Luca Toni’s knee injury ruled out the new signing for around four weeks which, added to Vincenzo Iaquinta’s continued absence and the omission of Amauri, left the Bianconeri with no option but to pair Niccolò Giannetti with Alessandro Del Piero in attack.

The Captain, as he has on so many occasions lead by example, stroking a perfectly taken free kick into the net and giving his team a half time lead. An equaliser followed the break before Alberto Aquilani slammed in a great strike to restore the lead and eventually secure the points. A tough game and a hard-fought victory, with Bari’s performance belying their league position in a continuation of a trend Aaron Giambattista has previously noted on the Juventus Offside.

Cinque Chiavi

1. Gigi Buffon was selected ahead of Marco Storari as his comeback from surgery continues. ‘Superman’ is a guarantee, but the attitude of the man he has supplanted is not. Most definitely a story to monitor closely.
2. Speaking of attitude, despite the on-going dispute between Sissoko and club management, Momo was first class today, and deserves credit for that.
3. Jorge Martinez made a return of his own here and also made a valuable contribution. His addition to the squad could be vital during the remainder of the season.
4. Leo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini looked back on form today after a number of worrying showings, another step in the development of their partnership.
   
5. Aiding those two was an impressive performance from Armand Traoré who was only withdrawn as Gigi Delneri chased a winner. Always a threat going forward his defensive work is also much improved.
   

Le Pagelle: Buffon 6, Sørensen 5.5, Bonucci 7, Chiellini 7, Traoré 6.5, Krasic 5.5, Aquilani 6.5, Momo 6, Pepe 6.5, Giannetti 6, Del Piero 7 Subs: Martinez 6, Motta 6, Grygera sv

Here, in the slot where you would normally expect to find a ‘Talking Tactics’ piece, il Tifosi has decided that the screen shots and heat maps can go the way of midfield protection, man-marking the oppositions only striker and putting yourself on the line for a cause. (Yes, that was a bit of a rant about the Napoli game sorry, we’re still struggling to figure out the HTML codes for the sarcasm font)

Now instead of looking at how the Bianconeri lined up on Sunday or how they managed to make such a complete mess of two games back-to-back, lets scratch the surface a little and see what is actually going on at Juventus. With Momo Sissoko the latest player to act unprofessionally in the press - complaining about being a commodity and wanting to leave - are things as bad as they seemed at the final whistle on Sunday?

The short answer to that question would be no, but that would make for a pretty dull post, so I’ll try explain why and hope at the end to have put hope back into some of those sad Juventini hearts. Anyone who listened to the “It Ain’t Over…” Winter Break special could see the optimism that the six guests all had, and that does not evaporate after two games, what is needed is a calm look at the club and see the positives that are so clearly evident.

Looking at the squad it simply is not as poor as people have been intimating this week, and with the addition of three or four key players the chances of success are huge. In goal, as everyone knows, Juve are deeper than perhaps any club in Europe. Gigi Buffon is scheduled to play in Thursday’s Coppa Italia tie with Catania, Marco Storari has been fantastic all season and Alex Manninger is also solid. The Austrian gives Beppe Marotta options on the market too given that he would be a starter at most other clubs.

In defence I was highly critical of the marking from Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini both during and after Sunday’s game, but hindsight is a wonderful thing and so is the ability to change your mind. Yes, they both should have done a better job but there are clearly mitigating circumstances. First of all it was Bonucci’s first game back after the break and the same is also true of Armand Traoré and Zdenek Grygera.Three changes in a four-man back line is asking for trouble and the Czech in particular was clearly in poor form. He and Frederik Sørensen have done well this season but a starting right back is needed, On the other side Paolo De Ceglie will return and is a more than capable starter, with Traoré an adequate reserve.

Moving on to midfield and the latest Felipe Melo outburst clearly damaged the team both during the Parma game when he saw red and his absence on Sunday in Naples. While his actions are inexcusable he has been given a clean slate by coach Delneri, this is the first time he has erred under the new management and he has been hit with the maximum fine the club can impose. His play prior to then has been exemplary and his partnership with Alberto Aquilani is fantastic. Claudio Marchisio proved on Sunday he is no mediano (a point we could all have guessed) and a reserve for the Brazilian is required as Sissoko is undoubtedly heading for a quick exit.

On the wings Marchisio has been simply superb in his new mezz’ala role and brings a perfect balance to the side, adding protection in the middle and allowing the fullback behind him to provide width. It also means Juve have a numerical advantage in the central area, which gives space for Aquilani’s creativity. Marchisio’s absence from the left in recent games has proven just how much this is the case and Delneri must quickly get him back there for the benefit of the whole team. Milos Krasic has been a revelation on the opposite flank, his running and crossing superb. The return of Jorge Martinez gives cover in this role while Simone Pepe is the indispensable utility man.

All of which brings us to the area of the team causing the most debate, the strikers. Clearly Quagliarella’s injury is a huge blow, but one the club must recover from quickly. Luca Toni is obviously not a replacement, but again he is another player that allows Marotta options, being an improvement and a much cheaper alternative to Amauri who’s time in Turin is surely almost over. All the talk of the ‘mistake’ of releasing David Trezeguet misses the point of the financial constraints that the club is under.

A top quality striker, able to play with Toni or Alessandro Del Piero is what is needed, but most importantly the player must be a proven goal scorer. Giampaolo Pazzini fits the bill perfectly and perhaps it is time Marotta called Riccardo Garrone and made peace - €25 million can heal a lot of wounds - especially when in Federico Macheda Sampdoria already have a replacement.

So a starting right back, one or two central midfielders and a bomber, with Amauri, Momo Sissoko, Alex Manninger and any number of fullbacks to make way or become part of a deal. With these few additions by Marotta, a restoration of the belief so evident before Christmas, a beautiful new stadium to look forward to and a competent intelligent management team in place it’s time the Old Lady got off her knees and got back to business. </rant>

Juventus came into their second game in three days in a fragile state following the complete collapse against Parma on Thursday, and there would be no shelter or solace to be found in an unforgiving Stadio San Paolo in Naples. Following a shocking opening goal where Edinson Cavani was allowed to run unmarked onto a free header, the side rallied well and looked to be rediscovering the grinta that had been so sorely lacking in the previous match.

Luca Toni, on a better-than-expected debut, scored what looked to be a valid equaliser only to see it ruled out by the referee for an alleged foul on ex-Juve goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis. From there Napoli dominated, carving open a demoralised Bianconeri defence time after time, gifting Cavani a second free header before the same player completed his hat-trick with a wonderful diving header.

Cinque Chiavi

1. Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci, even more than the fullbacks, should be embarrassed by their performances here. Yes Cavani played well, making some brilliant runs, but two international class central defenders should not lose a single striker with such alarming regularity
2. Having said that Zdenek Grygera was poor and while Armand Traoré was not much better, he is a definite improvement on Fabio Grosso and was unlucky to suffer another injury at half time leading to his substitution.
3. One of few bright spots in an otherwise shameful performance was the debut of Toni, who answered the sneers and criticism of his signing by making far more of an impact than Amauri has in a long long time. The Brazilian was once more a shell of a man alongside him
4. Milos Krasic was subdued, perhaps by the lack of support but also continues to not receive any doubtful calls going in his favour as THAT dive continues to haunt him
5. No matter how poorly Juve played, Cavani elevated his game to an immense level tonight, his intelligent and well-timed runs, superb finishing and all-round game only serving to highlight the deficiencies in the Juve attack.

Le Pagelle: Storari 6, Grygera 5, Bonucci 5, Chiellini 4.5, Traoré 5, Krasic 5.5, Marchisio 5.5, Aquilani 5.5, Pepe 5.5, Toni 6, Amauri 1 Subs: Grosso 5, Del Piero 6, Motta 5.5

As the transfer of Edin Džeko to Manchester City becomes ever more a reality, fans of Juventus are growing increasingly disillusioned with a piece of transfer business conducted by Beppe Marotta this summer. It is a widely held belief (one I share) that the sale of Diego to Wolfsburg secured an option on the flavour-of-the-month Bosnian hit-man. The Brazilian play-maker all but confirmed it during this interview on BeyondthePitch.net in October. While the club may well have been given the opportunity to match any offer made by the Premier League club it is likely to be beyond the means of the Bianconeri to do so at present, which begs the question: Why sell Diego so cheaply?

First there are a few things to consider, chief among which is the circumstances which led to the current situation. Wolfsburg have endured a nightmare start to life under Steve McClaren, sitting in thirteenth place in the sixteen team Bundesliga, with only four wins this season. This has led to Džeko growing restless and pushing for a transfer away, believing his skills and stature warrant a grander stage. The rules governing the transfer of players from countries outside the European Union to Serie A make a January move to Juventus impossible, leaving the Turin club seemingly helpless as Roberto Mancini’s side sign yet another of World football’s most promising talents.

So, if Juventus choose not to exercise the option, or if one never existed at all, where does that leave the sale of Diego for €15.5m, a fee many believe to be far too low. In cold cash terms clearly Juve lost €9m when subtracting that fee from the €24.5m purchase price, but like all things in football and finance, it is never that simple. (Take a deep breath at this point, it’s about to get technical)

The value on the clubs accounts at the time of sale would, as with any asset, be reduced by amortisation, which was €4.9m annually - €24.5m divided by 5 years of the contract. The player signed for Juve on May 26 2009 and was sold to Wolfsburg on August 27 2010 meaning he spent 15 months as at the club. Therefore the amortisation would have been €6.1m - €4.9m x 15/12 - giving him a value of €18.4m (€24.5m less €6.1m). This means that the loss on sale in the accounts would ‘only’ have been €2.9m (€15.5m less €18.4m) - some distance from the initial impression the deal gives.

In addition the harsh economic climate led to a drop of almost 40% in transfer spending among the top five European leagues this summer, and with the impending implementation of UEFA’s Financial Fair Play regulations pending this trend is likely to continue. Had he remained at the club he would have earned a further €3.5m this season and, with the system employed by coach Gigi Delneri he would have always been the proverbial square peg in a round hole.

But rather than simply write this loss down as Beppe Marotta moving the player on before his value dropped even further, we must look at the space he left behind and how it has been filled. Many people thought he was a fantastic player, a real difference maker, but would he have had the impact on the side that Alberto Aquilani and Fabio Quagliarella have enjoyed in his absence? Neither player would have fit the system had the Brazilian trequartista remained in Turin, his lack of defensive ability would have demanded a much different tactical framework.

For proof we only need look to Sampdoria where Delneri used a similar player in terms of ability and stature  - Antonio Cassano - in behind a lone striker throughout last season. Behind those two attacking players was a very functional four man midfield, with two mediani type central midfielders and two wingers. While this may have worked it is hard to argue it would be more effective than the team in it’s current guise, sitting just five points off the summit of Serie A and having scored more goals than any other side in the league.

Edin Džeko may never arrive, but that does not make selling Diego a poor decision on any level. Yes the club lost money on the transfer, but not as much as you might first think and Marotta has moved wisely on the market. Blaming Diego for the disaster that was last season is clearly wrong as the team never suited him nor helped him to perform at his best, yet it now thrives without him having moved in an entirely different direction. The Direttore Generale secured replacements that have certainly impressed and formed part of a side that has allowed Juventus fans to believe in their club once again, and that is priceless.

Huge thanks must go to SwissRamble for helping me understand the numbers involved - a true gent. Grazie mille di cuore.

In another examination of the system being deployed by Juventus, today focuses on the two different shapes the team currently use when not in possession. With an impressive defensive record over the past eight games - conceding only four goals - it is strange to think this new-found solidity comes such a fluid & changing setup. Even more oddly is the discovery that the choice between the two is primarily dependent on who plays at right back.

Coach Delneri is often derided for being inflexible & rigidly sticking to his belief in a 4-4-2 system. This principled faith in a tactical framework many deem obsolete in today’s game has been criticised in some quarters, but watching any Juventus game this season proves this to be an invalid notion. The team may well begin matches in a nominal resemblance of the old favourite but rarely remain that way for too long.

Yellow highlights the back four, the arrow indicates Melo’s withdrawn role

The first system is used when Marco Motta or Simone Pepe plays at there, a more natural fullback, mirroring the use of Paolo De Ceglie, Fabio Grosso or Armand Traoré on the opposite flank. The midfield is now settled & sees one striker - usually Fabio Quagliarella - fill in on the left flank as Claudio Marchisio tucks into central midfield alongside Alberto Aquilani.

This is vital as Felipe Melo often drops deep, to a position between the two central defenders, making a five man back line when the fullbacks retreat. So the nominal 4-4-2 becomes a 5-4-1, giving more assurance to the weaker defenders by offering greater protection. Melo is playing with renewed confidence, believing in his own abilities, as his shoulder-to-shoulder challenge with Marco Rossi in the game against Genoa.

From there it is the energy of the team that becomes key as Melo, Marchisio & Quagliarella must move quickly to get back into their role in the attacking setup, as do the fullbacks, making for much movement & creating difficulty for opponents. This has resulted in a number of goals, notably Quagliarella’s late arrivals in the box or a complete failure to pick up Marchisio who has netted three himself already.

Recent games however have seen Juventus rely on eighteen year old Danish defender Frederik Sørensen at right back due to injuries & suspension. Ostensibly a central defender he would be ineffective if pushed too far wide, so Delneri has slightly altered the system. This was also the case earlier in the season when Zdenek Grygera came into the side. Masking a clear weakness in this manner is intelligent coaching & prevents the kind of poor performances from the team seen last year when Grygera or Jonathan Zebina were asked to provide width.

Instead of Melo becoming the third central defender Sørensen does, while Simone Pepe - starting as a right winger - drops back into a full back role, making the same 5-4-1 shape. The difference is slight, but worth noting, particularly in light of the events in Genoa this past weekend, namely Motta being particularly poor, while Sørensen followed up his impressive displays against Roma & Cesena with another intelligent performance.

Alternative shape with Sørensen (43) becoming the third central defender

There was so pronounced a change in quality that the Dane must surely start next weekend against Fiorentina, meaning the second system is the ideal one to use. However the other issue is the return to the line up of Milos Krasic. The winger destroyed Genoa, particularly in the first half, but can he cover back down the flank the way Pepe did to such great effect against Roma? Delneri seemed to be intimating the same question post-game yesterday when he said;

“Milos has great talent but he still needs to get used to Italian football, which means helping out the defence”

Given that the impressive Juan Manuel Vargas is slowly coming back to full fitness & Pepe’s return from his one game suspension another slight shift may be in order. Putting Pepe ahead of Sørensen on the right would help shackle the Peruvian, while moving Krasic to the left would certainly surprise the Viola. It is a tactic used already & discussed here on Il Tifosi & has made an impressive impact at the start of the season.

All these alterations are slight, but make a huge difference to the roles of certain players. It is credit to men such as Pepe & Marchisio that they are willing to sacrifice their own games for the team, & hugely impressive from Delneri to utilise them in a way to hide any weaknesses. What is certain is that this it is far from simplistic or basic, if indeed it is 4-4-2 at all.