A tumultuous week saw Juventus beat Inter only to succumb to a humiliating exit from the Champions League at the hands of Bayern Munich.
Juventus fans were left horrified by their team's midweek performance against Bayern Munich. What was particularly disappointing for the fans was that the loss came on the back of an impressive win against champions Inter Milan in the league.
Many believed that the win against Inter would serve as a turning point in Juve's thus far disappointing season. The Bianconeri have flattered to deceive on many occasions but on Tuesday night the team was mauled in front of its fans.
Not many predicted that the Bavarians would get the win they needed to qualify for the next stages. But Louis Van Gaal's team delivered such a comprehensive performance that many in Europe were forced to sit up and take notice.
The defeat meant that Juventus had thrown away their passage to the next round with two sucessive losses in the competition. More worryingly still, the team looked terribly short of ideas and it felt as if a defeatist attitude had crept in amongst the players.
Management Troubles
There have been constant talks amongst Juve fans about the need for the club to dump manager Ciro Ferrara. Pundits and spectators alike have suggested that he lacks the vital experience necessary to groom a top club.
But is it really a problem of the manager? Last year everyone jumped frantically and asked for Ranieri to be fired. He was sacked but has there been any change at the club since his departure.
Anyone following the Italian league will tell you that Juventus have never quite looked like the team that dominated in the pre-Calciopoli days. There have been some very shocking decisions made by the management especially with regards to the youth policy and the transfer market.
Regardless of the man in charge of the club, Juventus have almost stifled their youth products. Everyone apart from the manager seems to have noticed that Sebastian Giovinco is blessed with talent and deserves a starting place.
The same is true of Paolo De Ceglie and Claudio Marchisio and the latter has flourished in recent games after being given a chance. All signs yet have indicated that the current squad is way past its prime and needs some new blood.
The transfer policy has been worse as almost all the signings have failed to live up to expectations or were terribly thought out initially. Christian Poulsen, Tiago, Jorge Andrade, Sergio Almiron are players who in all honesty lack the calibre to ply their trade for a big club.
A Vicious Circle
These bad transfers have been partly responsible for the youth being kept on the sidelines. This year the arrivals of Diego, Felipe Melo and Grosso have had a direct impact on the chances available for Giovinco, De Ceglie and Co.
The three who arrived have not had a major impact on the squad and halfway into the season they are yet to capture the imagination of the fans. On the other hand, Giovinco and De Ceglie have seemed to deliver whenever called upon.
The front-line also suffers from problems of its own as Del Piero and Trezeguet have seen far too many winters. You may have a Ryan Giggs or a Javier Zanetti running the midfield despite, being well into their 30s, but you cannot have a senior attacker.
Amauri never had star quality written over him and Iaquinta needs support from a trequartista. Diego was bought in the summer to fill that very role but he has hardly ever been deployed in that position.
Looking at all these problem areas it comes as no surprise then to find Juventus in the position they find themselves in.
The Way Ahead
The Bianconeri now have the best time to recuperate themselves and prepare for a better second half of the season. They have two relatively easy games against Bari and Catania before the winter break.
If the team can win those fixtures it will give them a degree of confidence and self-belief which it seems to lack currently. It will also help the side prepare for the clash with Milan on the other side of the new year.
The squad should now be able to better focus their attention on the Scudetto as they have exited the Champions League. But with the likes of Liverpool, Valencia, Wolfsburg, Rubin Kazan vying for the Europa League a victory in competition will certainly help.
With the year fast coming to a close all Juve fans will hope that the coming year is a better one and that their squad realises its true potential.
Juventus fans were left horrified by their team's midweek performance against Bayern Munich. What was particularly disappointing for the fans was that the loss came on the back of an impressive win against champions Inter Milan in the league.
Many believed that the win against Inter would serve as a turning point in Juve's thus far disappointing season. The Bianconeri have flattered to deceive on many occasions but on Tuesday night the team was mauled in front of its fans.
Not many predicted that the Bavarians would get the win they needed to qualify for the next stages. But Louis Van Gaal's team delivered such a comprehensive performance that many in Europe were forced to sit up and take notice.
The defeat meant that Juventus had thrown away their passage to the next round with two sucessive losses in the competition. More worryingly still, the team looked terribly short of ideas and it felt as if a defeatist attitude had crept in amongst the players.
Management Troubles
There have been constant talks amongst Juve fans about the need for the club to dump manager Ciro Ferrara. Pundits and spectators alike have suggested that he lacks the vital experience necessary to groom a top club.
But is it really a problem of the manager? Last year everyone jumped frantically and asked for Ranieri to be fired. He was sacked but has there been any change at the club since his departure.
Anyone following the Italian league will tell you that Juventus have never quite looked like the team that dominated in the pre-Calciopoli days. There have been some very shocking decisions made by the management especially with regards to the youth policy and the transfer market.
Regardless of the man in charge of the club, Juventus have almost stifled their youth products. Everyone apart from the manager seems to have noticed that Sebastian Giovinco is blessed with talent and deserves a starting place.
The same is true of Paolo De Ceglie and Claudio Marchisio and the latter has flourished in recent games after being given a chance. All signs yet have indicated that the current squad is way past its prime and needs some new blood.
The transfer policy has been worse as almost all the signings have failed to live up to expectations or were terribly thought out initially. Christian Poulsen, Tiago, Jorge Andrade, Sergio Almiron are players who in all honesty lack the calibre to ply their trade for a big club.
A Vicious Circle
These bad transfers have been partly responsible for the youth being kept on the sidelines. This year the arrivals of Diego, Felipe Melo and Grosso have had a direct impact on the chances available for Giovinco, De Ceglie and Co.
The three who arrived have not had a major impact on the squad and halfway into the season they are yet to capture the imagination of the fans. On the other hand, Giovinco and De Ceglie have seemed to deliver whenever called upon.
The front-line also suffers from problems of its own as Del Piero and Trezeguet have seen far too many winters. You may have a Ryan Giggs or a Javier Zanetti running the midfield despite, being well into their 30s, but you cannot have a senior attacker.
Amauri never had star quality written over him and Iaquinta needs support from a trequartista. Diego was bought in the summer to fill that very role but he has hardly ever been deployed in that position.
Looking at all these problem areas it comes as no surprise then to find Juventus in the position they find themselves in.
The Way Ahead
The Bianconeri now have the best time to recuperate themselves and prepare for a better second half of the season. They have two relatively easy games against Bari and Catania before the winter break.
If the team can win those fixtures it will give them a degree of confidence and self-belief which it seems to lack currently. It will also help the side prepare for the clash with Milan on the other side of the new year.
The squad should now be able to better focus their attention on the Scudetto as they have exited the Champions League. But with the likes of Liverpool, Valencia, Wolfsburg, Rubin Kazan vying for the Europa League a victory in competition will certainly help.
With the year fast coming to a close all Juve fans will hope that the coming year is a better one and that their squad realises its true potential.
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