After moving back ‘home’ to Turin in the summer, many saw this as a coup for the Italian giants but instead Pogba’s return has been nothing short of disastrous.
Whether due to injuries or disciplinary issues, it is reported that the board of the Old Lady are already considering terminating the Frenchman’s contract to get his hefty wage bill off the books.
Pogba made over 120 appearances in his first spell at Juventus, scoring upwards of 25 goals in what by many was seen as the best stint of his career.
However, the second time around Allegri has not taken so kindly to Pogba. After returning for his first appearance of the season in the 4-2 triumph over Turin rivals Torino after a long injury layoff, it is reported that Allegri kept him out of the squad vs Freiburg in the Europa League for attitude problems.
This was after the France international supposedly reported to midweek training late which frustrated not only his manager but also his fellow teammates.
In Pogba’s absence, the Old Lady have risen to a respectable seventh place. Had they not been docked 15 points earlier in the season, they would sit in a much more respectable third place. They have therefore not missed the box-to-box presence of Pogba.
Instead, Allegri has decided to blood a number of youngsters into the team including Fabio Miretti, Nicolo Fagioli and Enzo Barrenechea in the centre of the park alongside more experienced heads in Adrian Rabiot and Manuel Locatelli.
All five of these players are having successful seasons in their own manner, especially Rabiot who has already hit ten goals for the season in a box-to-box midfield role.
When Pogba signed for the Old Lady it was believed he would once again establish himself as a key part of the squad but he has actually become a target for fans due to his off-field antics and the rise of three homegrown talents in midfield.
It is hard to deny that Juventus could still need Pogba for the remainder of the season though as they aim to get into the Champions League spots and win a competitive Europa League.
With Allegri now favouring a midfield three this could allow the more attack-minded Pogba to thrive. The best football the 30-year-old has ever played came with the national team where N’Golo Kante could cover for his defensive frailties.
With two midfield partners, Pobga could get into the attacking third more and his sometimes poor positioning would not be exposed as much with Locatelli there for cover.
The Frenchman is an expert at progressing the ball up the field whether with passes or dribbling. This could give Juventus another aspect in their game as at the moment the majority of the progression comes from wing-backs Filip Kostic and Juan Cuadrado.
In the next couple of weeks, Juventus will have to play without Pogba again after
These frequent injury woes have led to Pogba’s market value decreasing from £55 million to £35 million from 2022 to 2023 which is a staggering loss.
With Pogba now in his thirties, it should be his priority to get on the pitch and prove his critics are wrong about him not living up to his undoubted potential.
If he does continue his injury woes and poor disciplinary record then Allegri may decide his once-trusted midfielder is no longer needed at the Allianz Stadium.
Italian football is currently going through a tough financial period, therefore Pogba’s reported weekly wage of £150,000 may just be too much for the Old Lady to handle. A move to the MLS is already being mooted around.
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]]>Italian football finds itself embroiled in scandal once more as record title holders Juventus have been handed a 15 point deduction after an investigation into their past transfer activity.
It has been alleged that the Turin side doctored their balance sheets in regards to transfers made by the club.
Juventus will appeal the decision and can take the case as far as the Court of Arbitration for Sport should it be required.
All of this has led to a raft of resignations from the club board with former player Pavel Nedved departing and controversial figure Andrea Agnelli also leaving his post. Agnelli was a major driving force behind the failed European Super League plans and has been critical of spending by Premier League clubs.
With the deduction in place. Massimiliano Allegri’s outfit have dropped from third in Serie A to tenth.
It has been argued that the timing of this may be better than had it been applied at the start of next season. Juventus have a chance to regroup now and although it would appear unlikely, have half a season to bridge a twelve point gap to the Champions League places.
It has been far from a vintage year for the former European champions having already departed this season’s competition and they looked well short of competing for the title having suffered a 5-1 defeat at leaders Napoli just last week.
Sunday’s clash with Atalanta will offer an immediate opportunity to cut the gap to a major rival to nine points which also marks the halfway point in the Italian season.
Tottenham could also find themselves affected by the news as sporting director Fabio Paratici has been banned for two and a half years due to his previous involvement at the ‘Old Lady’.
It remains to be seen if this ban will be applied worldwide but it throws further trouble Spurs’ way with rumours also swirling about the future of manager Antonio Conte whose contract expires in the summer.
It is not the first time Juventus have found themselves in bother with the authorities having been demoted to Serie B in 2006 due to their involvement in a match-fixing scandal.
As much as rival fans will probably revel in the travails of ‘I Bianconeri’, it is a blow to the reputation of Italian football once more and one that may affect things such as TV deal negotiations going forward.
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Why then have Italian teams struggled in Europe and what does the future hold for Italian teams on the continental stage?
Firstly we must look at the success in the 90s where Italian football finances were at their peak and this led to the league attracting some of the Worlds best talent with players such as Zinedine Zidane and Kaka plying their trade in Serie A. This attracted large worldwide audiences which only added to the riches of Italian football. The peak for the Italian game came in 2002-03 when AC Milan beat rivals Juventus in an all Italian Champions League final, cementing Italian football as the dominant force. We then learnt that these heights would be hard to reach again.
With the rise of the Premier League and its major television rights it would soon become clear that nobody except Real Madrid and Barcelona were going to be able to compete with the riches of the English game. With Juventus, Internationale, Roma and Lazio all having financial issues going into the 2022/23 season due to a variety of factors it was clear that success on the European stage would only act as a bonus for these debt ridden clubs.
With Premier League clubs seemingly allowed to spend however much they wish on incoming transfers the same cannot be said in Italy where clubs like Roma simply relied on free transfers and loan deals to compliment their squad. This leads to Serie A clubs becoming less competitive as they can’t spend these obscene amounts of money.
Another factor clear to see in this demise is that of actual footballing quality. It seems Italian teams have a lack of ideas when it comes to European competitions and struggle to overcome the quality and intensity from other teams. This may be due to the lax nature of Serie A where older players are given the go ahead over young players leading to a slower intensity. That is why national team boss Roberto Mancini is pleading with bosses to give young players the go ahead in League fixtures.
For example in the 2021/22 Champions League Juventus were simply undone by a resolute Unai Emery Villereal side and had no answers to the Spanish clubs defensive organisation. Scudetto winners of that season AC Milan were embarrassed in their group and finished bottom on four points with the club clearly lacking experience in this competition. Inter Milan were deservedly knocked out by Liverppol but did give a good account of themselves while Atalanta dropped into the Europa League. Therefore a poor showing by Serie A clubs.
Since 2010 though Italian teams have not been dealt a great hand in this competition. Max Allegri’s legendary Scudetto topping Juventus side made it to two Champions League finals from 2014-2017 but were unlucky to come up against the MSN inspired Barcelona and arguably the best Champions League side of all in Real Madrid. Juventus were also unlucky in 2020/21 when they were knocked out on away goals in extra time by Porto. Had Cristiano Ronaldo not ducked from a free kick they would have probably gone through, deservedly. However that season no Italian team even made it to the quarterfinals which a decade ago would have seemed unthinkable.
However in this season’s Champions League fans of the Italian game should have more hope than before. Although Juventus will not be in the knockouts, both Milan clubs and Napoli are into the latter rounds and will be hoping to give a good account of themselves. With Napoli in seemingly unbeatable form the hopes of Italian neutrals will be on them to bring back the coveted trophy for the first time since 2010 and who would bet against them after their thrashings of Liverpool and Ajax.
(Fourth photo)
The future of Italian teams in Europe depends on whether the likes of Simone Inzaghi, Luciano Spalletii and Simone Pioli can get their tactics right against top quality opposition. In years gone past this has not occurred but don’t bet against this plucky trio of teams who want to prove their worth to Europe.
Whether it’s due to poor finances, a lack of tactical ideas or simply being unlucky Italian teams have underperformed on the continent for the last decade. With the English game becoming more dominant by the day it will be fascinating to see whether Italian clubs will maintain this pattern or disrupt it and go on to reach the heights of the 1990s.
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]]>The Champions League gets back underway this week following the international break with several sides in desperate need of victories to spark their European campaign into life.
Group A
Napoli will travel to Amsterdam looking to maintain their perfect start against an Ajax side smarting from their late defeat against Liverpool. The Italians have arguably been the standout side in the competition so far and can take a giant leap towards qualification with a victory in the Dutch capital.
Elsewhere it will be a first ever meeting of Liverpool and Rangers at Anfield with both sides needing wins for different reasons. Liverpool will look to Europe to gain some form after stuttering in the league while Rangers are yet to get off the mark in their return to the top table.
Group B
Club Brugge have arguably been the biggest surprise package in the tournament so far and will look to claim another scalp when they host Atletico Madrid.
The Belgians have made a perfect start and another victory would open a big gap between themselves and third place in the group.
Porto will be aiming to get off the mark after two defeats in their first two games when they host Bayer Leverkusen. The Germans are struggling domestically but did defeat Atletico last time out so they’ll have some belief travelling to Portugal.
Group C
Bayern Munich have once more made an impressive start to a Champions League group stage and will get the action underway on Tuesday when they host Viktoria Plzen in the early kickoff.
The German champions defeated their two biggest group rivals in September and will be expecting to dispatch of their Czech visitors to maintain their lead in the group.
Inter Milan meanwhile will host Barcelona in what is the biggest game of the week.
Both sides came up short when facing Bayern and both defeated Plzen so they’ll view these two upcoming games as the key to deciding who will follow Julien Nagelsmann’s side into the last 16.
Group D
Sporting are another side who have impressed, taking six points in what looked the most open group on paper.
They travel to Marseille on Tuesday who desperately need a win if they are to stand any hope of reaching the next round. The French side have started well in the league but have struggled badly in Europe in recent years and will be desperate to give the home support something to cheer.
Tottenham will visit Eintracht Frankfurt in the other Group D clash looking to bounce back from their weekend defeat to bitter rivals Arsenal and take steps towards qualification. It will be far from easy against the Europa League winners who will also have their sights on the latter stages.
Group E
AC Milan head what has been a very tight and unpredictable Group E and will host Chelsea on Wednesday night with injuries to key players disrupting their preparation.
French pair Mike Maignan and Theo Hernandez will miss the clash against Graham Potter’s men who needs points themselves having stuttered in their opening two games.
Salzburg are unbeaten thus far but have also yet to win but a victory over Dinamo Zagreb at home would put them in good stead heading into the turn in the group. The Croatians will be aiming for another surprise victory having stunned Chelsea last month.
Group F
Holders Real Madrid have made a serene start to their title defence and host Shakhtar on Wednesday looking to maintain their 100% record.
The visitors have also made a good start to the group and look favourites to join their hosts in the next round.
Celtic will travel to Leipzig looking to build on their credible draw against Shakhtar last time out and will need to get something to keep their qualification hopes alive as will the bottom side from East Germany.
Group G
Erling Haaland has been in utterly sensational form this season with 17 goals so far and the visit of FC Copenhagen will offer the Norwegian another chance to add to his tally.
The Danes picked up a draw against Sevilla three weeks ago but will be up against a Manchester City side brimming with confidence after sticking six goals past their local rivals Manchester United.
Sevilla have made a terrible start in La Liga and need to get something at home to Borussia Dortmund to avoid being cut adrift in terms of qualification. Victory for the Germans will see them move five points clear of their hosts with just three games to play.
Group H
Benfica have been another surprise outfit this season, winning nine of ten games in all competitions and two 100% records will go head to head in this group when they host PSG.
The Lisbon side claimed a stunning victory away at Juventus last time out and even a point here at home to the French champions will boost their chances of repeating what they did last year when they knocked Barcelona out in the group stages.
Juventus will be looking to avoid the same fate as the Spaniards and nothing less than three points against Maccabi Haifa in Turin will do, with manager Max Allegri under all sorts of pressure.
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Still recovering from their poor start to the season, Juventus have made important acquisitions in the January transfer window to strengthen their chances in the league and Champions League.
Juventus currently sit in fifth place in the Serie A table, 11 points behind league leaders Inter Milan. In the Champions League, the Bianconeri were drawn against last season’s Europa League winners Villarreal in the Round of 16.
Dusan Vlahovic
Juventus have struggled with goalscoring this season in their league campaign. They have scored 34 goals, fewer than eight of the other nine teams in the top half of the table. Main striker Alvaro Morata has only scored five times in 22 games this season with EURO 2020 star Federico Chiesa struggling with injuries and has only scored twice in 14 league appearances. Paulo Dybala is the side’s top goalscorer in the league with the Argentine scoring seven goals.
The board responded by splashing £74 million on Fiorentina forward, Dusan Vlahovic. The Serbian, who has scored 17 league goals this season, the joint-most along with Ciro Immobile, is only 22-years-old. Last month, he equalled Cristiano Ronaldo’s record of 33 Serie A goals in a calendar year and could become the first striker to win the top goalscorer award playing for two different clubs in one season.
Both Morata and Moise Kean fail to come close to Vlahovic’s recent goalscoring record, partially due to lack of minutes compared to the youngster, but their shooting statistics are also inferior. Vlahovic averages more shots and shots on target per 90 as well as scoring five of his six penalties in the current campaign.
Juventus’ new number seven could make his debut against Verona but Massimiliano Allegri will hope that the Serbian’s goal-scoring abilities will help his side become more threatening in the Champions League, with the chances of winning the Serie A title looking slim.
Denis Zakaria
The other impressive signing made by the club was the £8 million deal for Denis Zakaria from Borussia Monchengladbach. The Swiss midfielder’s contract was set to expire in the summer which allowed Juventus to acquire him for a cheap price tag.
With Rodrigo Bentancur and Aaron Ramsey leaving in the window to join Tottenham Hotspur and Rangers respectively, it was pivotal that Allegri brought in a midfielder on Deadline Day. When comparing the defensive and passing capabilities of Zakaria to Weston McKennie and Manuel Locatelli, it is clear that it is a good addition to the squad.
Zakaria has better success when attempting tackles against players dribbling and also wins the ball back more often when pressing opponents compared to his new teammates. Only Locatelli (38) has blocked the ball more often than the Swiss midfielder (37) but the new signing has more interceptions than both midfield partners.
The 25-year-old’s passing ability is not only the best in the Juventus squad, but he is one of the best passers in Europe. He has completed 90% of his passes this season, putting him in the top 10% in comparison to players in Europe’s top five leagues.
The trophy hunt
The Old Lady are in the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia after a convincing 4-1 victory against Sampdoria earned them a tie against Sassuolo in the next round and it is seemingly their best opportunity for a trophy.
Juventus topped their Champions League group despite a 4-0 defeat against Chelsea, their only defeat in the group stages. They have been knocked out of the Round of 16 stages in their last two campaigns and have not reached the finals since the 2016/17 season. The form of the likes of Vlahovic, Zakaria and Dybala will be imperative when challenging the likes of Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Paris-Saint Germain.
The 36-time Serie A champions are currently unbeaten in their last nine league games as they continue to try and close the gap to Inter at the top. However, achieving a spot in the top four will be the main aim for Allegri at the moment as they are one point behind Atalanta having played one game more than their rivals.
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]]>Atlanta 68points – Remaining fixtures –Sassuolo (A) , Parma (A), Benevento (H), Genoa (A), Juventus (Coppa Italia Final), AC Milan (H) Form WDWWW
Gian Piero Gasperini’s men continue to delight and excite. The top scoring team in Serie A seized the initiative in the top four battle with a recent 1-0 victory over Juventus. Sassuolo will provide a tough challenge but after this Atalanta face three teams in the bottom half of the table. Parma are likely to be relegated by then, while Genoa should be safe and have nothing to play for. Win three of these four games and Champions League qualification for a third consecutive year ought to be secured. This would be a fantastic achievement for La Dea cementing them as a powerhouse in Italian football. Second place in Serie A and a Coppa Italia win would be the most successful season in Atalanta’s history. Prediction 2nd
Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta could secure their best ever season. (Credit: Atalanta.it)
Napoli 66points – Remaining fixtures – Cagliari (H), Spezia (A), Udinese (H), Fiorentina (A), Verona (H) Form WWDWL
Gennaro Gattusso is rumoured to be leaving at the end of the season but he has galvanised Napoli in recent weeks with a valuable point against table topping Inter followed up by a huge 5-2 win over top 6 rivals Lazio. Results elsewhere see Gli Azzurri now sit in the box seat for Champions League qualification. On paper they have the easiest run in. Cagliari and Spezia are fighting for their Serie A lives whilst Udinese, Fiorentina and Verona are stuck in mid-table mediocrity. Expect Napoli to pick up at least ten points from the remaining fifteen to return to Europe’s elite competition after missing out last season. Prediction 3rd
Gatusso’s future may be in doubt but Napoli look a good bet for the top four. (Credit SSCNapoli.it)
Juventus 66points – Remaining fixtures – Udinese (A), AC Milan (H), Sassuolo (A), Inter (H), Atalanta (Coppa Italia Final), Bologna (A) Form DWLWW
Finishing outside the top four would be a disaster for Juve, whose gamble hiring Andrea Pirlo has not paid off. For all his titles, elegance and plaudits as a player, Pirlo is clearly still learning what it means to be a manager at the top level. This is worrying for I Bianconeri considering their current position and remaining fixtures. A massive game against AC Milan awaits on May 9th, which could essentially be a winner takes all clash for fourth place. Juventus then have a tough trip to eighth place Sassuolo followed by Inter at home. Having likely been crowned champions by then, Antonio Conte’s side and their fans would love nothing more than to deliver a killer blow to their bitter rivals’ Champions League hopes. The next six games will be the truest test of Pirlo’s fledgling managerial credentials. Winning the Coppa Italia is unlikely to save him, with the rumours of Massimiliano Allegri returning to the Juve bench refusing to go away. Prediction 5th
Juve’s top four hopes and Andrea Pirlo’s job are at risk. (Credit: Juventus.com)
AC Milan 66points – Remaining fixtures – Benevento (H), Juventus (A), Torino D (A), Cagliari (H), Atalanta (A) Form LLWWD
Milan topped the table in January, however maintaining the breakneck pace of their 27-game unbeaten following Serie A’s resumption in June was always going to be a tough ask for the young Rossoneri. Long term injuries to experienced heads Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Alessio Romagnoli haven’t helped, and Stefano Pioli’s side come into this crucial stretch in bad form. Milan will be looking to beat lowly Benevento comfortably next before a huge game against Juventus. Crucially, Ibrahimovic should be back by then. Win this and Pioli’s side will be in a strong position and will be hoping to secure a top four finish before a tough trip to Atalanta on the final day. Prediction 4th
Stefano Pioli’s young AC Milan side hope for positive end to the season. Credit: acmilan.com
Lazio 61points – Remaining fixtures – Genoa (H), Fiorentina (A), Parma (H), Roma (A), Torino (A), Sassuolo (A) Form WLWWW
Simone Inzaghi’s side have an outside change of gate-crashing the top four with last week’s convincing 3-0 win over AC Milan keeping their hopes alive. A five-point gap and an inferior goal difference to their rivals is a tough handicap to overcome, however all of Lazio’s remaining games are against sides below them in the table and they do have a game in hand. Le Acquile are in great form, winning four out of their past five games with deadly striker Ciro Immobile back in form. The teams above them will drop points, with Milan facing both Juventus and Atalanta in the remaining games. However, Lazio will likely need five wins out of six to secure a back-to-back top four finishes. Prediction 6th
Can Simone Inzaghi and Lazio force their way into the top four? (Credit SSLazio.it)
Don’t forget……. Roma
Roma are all but eliminated from qualifying for the Champions League via Serie A. But are Italy’s sole remaining representative in this season’s European Club competitions. Should they overcome Man Utd in the Europa League semi-finals, they will face Arsenal or Villareal in Gdansk on May 26th for a chance to qualify for the Champions League.
]]>In a twist of beautiful irony, the day after the proposed European Super League collapsed, two of its Italian ‘founding members’ faced opposition with a footballing history and purpose the proposed structure would’ve quite happily rendered obsolete.
Spezia Calcio are playing in the Italian top division for the first time in their 114-year history. So surprising was promotion from Serie B last July for Gli Aquilotti – the Little Eagles, they had to borrow a ‘home stadium’ for the first two months of this season whilst their intimate ground on the Ligurian coast was renovated to Serie A standard.
On Wednesday, Spezia drew 1-1 at home with Inter Milan. They are currently 15th, five points clear of the relegation zone. Staying in Serie A would be a monumental achievement and with five games to go Spezia are in a strong position to achieve this.
In 2006, US Sassuolo were competing in Serie C. A decade later they qualified for the Europa League group stage after finishing sixth in Serie A. I Neroverdi – the Green and Blacks were promoted to the highest division for the first time in their history in 2013, have not been relegated since and have established themselves as a Serie A side.
Current Sassuolo coach Roberto De Zerbi has been widely lauded for developing young Italian talent and his high pressing tactics. In his pre-match press conference prior to Wednesday night’s fixtures he was so outraged at his upcoming opposition’s dalliances with the Super League that he said he’d rather not play the game at all.
Sassuolo did play. And they won. Coming from behind to beat AC Milan 2-1 at the San Siro. A consecutive eighth place finish in Serie A beckons for De Zerbi’s side who on the pitch at least have become the model for so called smaller Italian sides to follow.
The ‘founding members’ at least got one win on Wednesday. Juventus beat Parma 3-1. This has not been a season to remember for Juve, who are in danger of finishing outside the top four in Serie A. Alongside only Real Madrid and Barcelona, Juventus are still yet to officially withdraw from the ESL project, at least they’ll have this tri-way round robin to fall back on if they don’t qualify for the Champions League.
But Juventus aren’t the real story here, nor Inter, nor Milan. Earlier in the week De-Zerbi put it best, saying:
“It’s like the son of a labourer can’t dream of becoming a surgeon, a lawyer or a doctor. It’s as if they had told me as a kid in the schoolyard, that ball’s mine. I’m taking it.”
The real story on Wednesday night was Spezia, De-Zerbi and Sassuolo taking that ball back in the only place and way that matters; on the pitch with sporting merit.
Proving that despite what the ‘founding members’ thought, that when the first whistle blows we are all equal and that anything can happen in the 90 minutes that follows which is after all the true essence of football.
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At 11:30 pm on Sunday the 18th of April, the mill of rumours finally had some concrete proof that the beautiful game
as we know it was about to change.
Throughout all of Sunday, a new Super League was announced. After almost 13 years of predictions, promises and proposals, the scheme looked to finally be on the way to the game. An idea which reshapes every level of professional football, from the ‘Big Six’ to your local club in the lower tiers of English football, the game is about to change.
The idea has been spearheaded by Real Madrid president and now president of the Super League, Florentino Perez, who stated in the later hours of Sunday night that:
“We will help football at every level and take it to its rightful place in the world. Football is the only global sport and our responsibility as big clubs is to respond to their desires.”
Taking a look through social media, not a single fan of the game wants this movement to follow through. The majority doesn’t desire a Super League, watching Leicester face Atletico Madrid after being on the verge of Championship football two seasons ago is why the Champions League is such a good model, it’s based on performance and not merit.
If this is the first that you are hearing of the new Super League, the proposition on paper is quite simple, a new midweek competition would showcase the richest and biggest clubs facing off against each other, in a 20-team format. This would then for those sides, replace the Champions League, whilst remaining in their current domestic leagues.
The league would be locked to the elite clubs though, with the 15 founding members all guaranteed a spot in the tournament each year for being a founder of the league with a further five teams joining through qualification. However, no information has been revealed about how teams can qualify.
We know the 12 clubs currently agreeing to the proposal as AC Milan, Arsenal FC, Atlético de Madrid, Chelsea FC, FC Barcelona, FC Internazionale Milan, Juventus FC, Liverpool FC, Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid CF and Tottenham Hotspur.
A further three clubs are set to join the league as founders, reports swirled that the German elites, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund and also PSG had rejected invites as well as Porto and RB Leipzig.
UEFA, FIFA and national football federations and authorities have further rejected this idea. It is believed that clubs will be banned from European competitions in the future if plans do not succeed, titles will be stripped, clubs banned from their domestic leagues but arguably the most devastating if the plans go through, players who participate in the new league will be banned from competing in international competitions such as the European Football Championship and the World Cup.
With UEFA president Aleksande Ceferin threatening that:
“The players that will play in the closed league will be banned from playing in the World Cup and Euros. They will not be allowed play for their national teams.”
It very well could mean that the English national squad runs the risk of losing the majority of their capped players who potentially will be taken to the Super League, therefore, completely changing the national squad.
Ben Dixon looks at the potential England line-up we could see for an international competition, should these changes be implemented.
Line-up
The most recent England squad for the European qualifiers consisted of 26 players, 15 of which play for clubs in the new Super League, not including Jesse Lingard of Manchester United. Lingard is currently on loan at West Ham United, therefore, he wouldn’t be eligible next season onwards for international competitions if he didn’t move away from Old Trafford.
Jude Bellingham of Borussia Dortmund also currently doesn’t count, whose team potentially could join the league but is looking extremely unlikely to take up the offer.
For many years it’s been claimed that the England set up has always had this bias towards these ‘Big Six’ clubs and with the proposals and threats that players of these clubs won’t play internationally again, there is potential that there could be an England team without the bias.
In part one of this series, the attention is on the defensive aspects of the squad.
Goalkeeper
Nick Pope – Burnley FC
For the past four years, Nick Pope has consistently been pivotal to Burnley and has often been linked with moves away from Turf Moor, this season no different with the ‘keeper being linked to Chelsea and Spurs.
Pope has been exceptional for Burnley and was rewarded with a call-up to the national squad in the most recent set of qualifiers alongside Dean Henderson and Sam Johnstone.
Statistically brilliant, the 29-year-old has kept nine clean sheets this season in a team threatened with relegation. It is nothing short of incredible, with Pope’s continual efforts arguably the reason why Burnley haven’t been in the relegation zone for the majority of the season.
Pope first received a call up to the national side in March 2018 and was named in Gareth Southgate’s 2018 World Cup squad. Burnley’s number one made his Three Lions debut in June prior to that tournament as a substitute against Costa Rica in a friendly but would have to wait until November 2019 for his first competitive appearance.
A 4-0 victory over Kosovo in the final game of the Euro 2020 qualifiers saw Pope impress but would struggle to get the number one shirt from Jordan Pickford in competitive games until recently due to Pickford’s drop in form.
Pope was favoured by Southgate in the recent international qualifiers to be his starting ‘keeper and showed why he deserves the spot ahead of the Euro’s this summer. In the three games, he kept two clean sheets conceding one against Poland in the final game.
Key Domestic stats:
Saves per game: 3.7 (75%)
League team of the week appearances: three
Clean sheets: 9
Right-back
Matty Cash – Aston Villa
The Villa full-back has stepped up to the level required for the Premier League and has consistently performed. The Villa backline has been one of the best defences in the league and the best excluding the ‘Big Six’ keeping 14 clean sheets and Matty Cash has been involved in 10 of those.
The decision for Cash to be in the squad is also because of his role going forward and the system that both Villa and England play requires progressive full-backs with Cash averaging 37.29 passes per game aiding his team forward.
Defensively the former Nottingham Forest star also excels, the full-back hasn’t made a single error leading to goals in the 2096 minutes of football he’s played this season.
Since his £15 million move in the summer, he’s only gone from strength to strength and has proved his ability to perform at this level. His performances have led to Villa entering contract discussions with the 23-year-old as they look to tie Cash down.
Cash hasn’t yet had an opportunity to play for England despite shouts suggesting he should have been in the squad recently but with the three called up right-backs (Walker – Manchester City, Trippier – Atletico Madrid and James – Chelsea) all playing for clubs in the Super League, Cash rightly should be in line for a call-up.
Key Domestic Stats:
Clean sheets: 10
Tackles per game: 2.6
Errors leading to shots/goals: None
Right centre-back
James Tarkowski – Burnley FC
Tarkowski is the second Burnley player in this line-up and it’s completely deserved, like Pope, Tarkowski has been pivotal to Burnley’s fight to stay up this season and his partnership with Ben Mee has been brilliant for a number of years now.
His brilliance was summarised by West Ham United’s persistence to sign the centre-half last summer with the East London club submitting bids of up to £30 million. However, none reached Burnley’s valuation of their 28-year-old centre half which was closer to the £50 million mark, a fee which also put Leicester City off.
Tarkowski is a player that potentially may have not been in the line-up if he chose a different national team route given his eligibility to play for Poland through his grandfather. However, he never took the opportunity and should surely be in line for a call-up to the English national team.
Tarkowski has never really been given much of a chance in an England shirt and has often been overlooked by those players of the ‘Big Six.’ Tarkowski has featured for England already in a friendly against Italy in 2018. Furthermore, he also was named as a standby player for Southgate’s Euro 2018 squad but had to withdraw proving that Southgate sees him as an option.
This season Tarkowski has proved his reliability by playing 30 of Burnley’s 32 games, only missing the two opening games through injury. Since then he has not missed a minute, keeping nine clean sheets in this time.
Key Domestic Stats:
Clean sheets: Nine
Clearances per game: 4.3
Duels won per game: 7.3 (69%)
Left centre-back
Tyrone Mings – Aston Villa
Mings is a player who is familiar with the set-up and recently received another call up for the World Cup qualifiers. He most recently featured for the national side against San Marino where Mings got 45 minutes of game time in a match England would win 5-0.
There were shouts that the spot deserved to go to his Villa teammate, Ezri Konsa but, Mings’ ability to play on the left side of the defence and him being left-footed means that this spot is his for the taking.
Under Southgate we have seen Maguire and Stones favoured, both able to play passes short and long fitting the playing style that he wants his England squad to play. Whilst Stones and Maguire are both stronger on their right, Mings as the starting centre back offers a larger versatility if England switch between a 4-2-3-1 and a 3-5-2 which have been the go-to formations due to him being left footed.
Mings has also been one of the favoured centre-halves under Southgate and this just furthers the reasoning why he is likely to get a spot in the squad, without or without the ‘Big Six’.
Key Domestic Stats:
Clean sheets: 13
Clearances per game: 4.8
Accurate passes per game: 35.7 (77%)
Left-back
Aaron Cresswell – West Ham United
There are a plethora of left-backs that could take this position with the void being left by Ben Chilwell and Luke Shaw, but the one who has impressed most is Aaron Cresswell.
Cresswell has been nothing short of incredible this season and his resurgence as a player has seemingly come out of nowhere with credit due to the 31-year-old for that.
The former Ipswich man is a player that for many seasons has been overlooked at West Ham but this season he has shown why he is still one of the best English left-backs.
Defensively Cresswell is a sound option, with no errors leading to goals in the 31 games he has played, 10 clean sheets, 2.1 clearances per game and committing only 0.4 fouls per game displaying the discipline and quality a defender at this level requires.
However, it is going forward where Cresswell has excelled this season, the full-back averages 1.5 key passes per game, an astounding stat for a full back, in addition to this, he has created 10 big chances creating a total of seven assists.
Key Domestic Stats:
Assists: Seven
Clean sheets: 10
League team of the week appearances: Four
Backup options
Although the four above may start, there are also players that deserve a mention due to the excellent form they have been in this season.
Goalkeeper
Sam Johnstone – West Bromwich Albion
Johnstone has been a player that has shocked many in the Premier League this season, keeping six clean sheets and being a standout player in a Baggies side that has looked like relegation favourites since the first day of the campaign.
At times, Johnstone has won points for the club due to him making 124 saves this season, the most of any goalkeeper in the Premier League, but he has also conceded 57 in his 30 appearances an average of 1.9 goals conceded per game.
Furthermore, the West Brom number one has a total of 876 passes averaging about 29.2 passes per game and for an England side that progresses from the back, this is a vital statistic for any England ‘keeper.
Key Domestic Stats:
Saves: 124
Passes per match: 29.2
Clean sheets: 6
Right-back
Luke Ayling – Leeds United
After the club’s promotion to the Premier League, there were potential doubts of whether Luke Ayling would be at the standard required for the league, however, the full-back has put any doubts behind him and has played a key role in Leeds’ season.
With the third most amount of tackles behind Pierre-Emile Højbjerg and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Ayling is the highest tackler outside the ‘Big Six’ clubs, averaging 2.7 tackles per game, and with eight clean sheets, he’s a valuable asset to Marcelo Bielsa’s side.
Furthermore, the former Yeovil defender fits the mould of a full-back that suits the England system, with superb stamina through the murderball training at Leeds but also with the ability to play in the centre of defence makes him a prime candidate to be in the European Championship squad.
Key Domestic Stats:
Touches per game: 89.5
Tackles per game: 2.7
Clean sheets: 8
Centre-back
Conor Coady – Wolverhampton Wanderers
Conor Coady is already an England international and is deservedly so, with the Wolves captain enjoying another good campaign and featuring in all but one of Wolves’ games.
Coady is a player that Southgate has worked with on the international stage before and he fits the mould of Southgate’s system to a tee. A vocal, ball-playing defender that has the ability to play out from the back and is versatile enough to play in either centre-half position or as a holding midfielder, Coady is a must for Southgate’s squad.
Key Domestic Stats:
Accurate passes per game: 42.6 (88%)
Clean sheets: 10
Accurate passes in own half per game: 33.5 (94%)
Centre-back
Ezri Konsa – Aston Villa
Konsa’s brilliant season has prompted many to already want his name included in the squad, regardless of any sanctions imposed on others. Compared to Eric Dier, who has had a poor season for Spurs, Konsa has delivered consistently for Villa and an England debut should follow.
Konsa has averaged a 7.0 rating in the Premier League this season in the 28 games he has played and is often one of Villa’s standout performers. The 23-year-old averages 0.5 fouls per game showing the defenders discipline at such a young age meanwhile his ability to play right-back will favour Southgate’s need for versatility.
Key Domestic Stats:
Fouls per game: 0.5
Clean sheets: 11
Errors lead to goals/shots: 0
Left-back
Matt Targett – Aston Villa
Matt Targett is another player that has excelled for Villa this season and they fully deserve the credit they are getting, defensively they are excellent and look a different side to last season at the back something that Dean Smith made sure to focus on.
Targett has been involved in every clean sheet that the side has kept this season and has the second most tackles, after Luke Ayling, by non ‘Big Six’ players in the league. With a 48% tackle success rate he has proved his brilliance in the Aston Villa defence and would look set to get a call-up to the England side if the Super League participants were excluded.
With James Justin out with cruciate ligament damage, the case Matt Targett’s inclusion only stregthens and the full-back could soon make his England bow if his performances continue.
Key Domestic Stats:
Clean sheets: 14
Tackles: 66
Clearances per game: 2.17
Summary
A defence largely dominated by players in claret and blue, the defence features only two consistently called upon English internationals, the domination of the so-called ‘Big Six’ clear to see. The roots of the defence originate in the EFL with the majority of the defence playing in the Championship or lower at some points in their careers just showing the progression system in this country.
Despite the lack of internationals, if the threats are followed through, England would still be able to field a strong defensive line-up at the Euros.
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Credit: Inter.it
Juventus defeat for a second time this season in the Serie A. Antonio Conte’s Inter side secure a 2-0 victory over the Old Lady with goals from Arturo Vidal and Nicolo Barella claiming an important three points.
Spring of 2014, veteran midfielder Andrea Pirlo is celebrating Juventus’ 116th league title, under experienced boss Antonio Conte.
Fast forward six and a half years, the student faces the teacher as Pirlo becomes the Old Lady’s manager and Conte is in charge of the blue half of Milan. They faced on the touchline as Inter defeated Juventus by 2-0.
Nicolo Barella shone for the Nerazzurri, author of the cross that helped Vidal open the scoring and the goal that sealed the night early on in the second half.
Fireworks were heard and seen around the stadium, as the players walked in the Giuseppe Meazza, setting the stage for a dramatic and very much tactical 175th Derby d’Italia.
It had all the prospects of an interesting contest, two of Serie A’s finest goal scorers; Cristiano Ronaldo with 15 goals and Romelu Lukaku with 12 goals.
It seemed though, that the visitors had the momentum as they were looking for a fourth consecutive win and a fight for title hopes, meanwhile Inter have only had one win in 2021.
Moreover, it was the best attack in Italy with 43 goals and one of the best in Europe just under PSG with 44 and Bayern Munich with 48; facing the league’s best defence, conceding only 16 goals.
Vidal cut the ribbon by a striking header from close range as Inter found the net from yet another header. Achraf Hakimi proved important indirectly this time, the Moroccan’s experience on the left side with German side Borussia Dortmund increased his versatility.
Cutting inside with pace and creating space for Barella, thanks to Hakimi’s movement, the midfielder had the freedom to put a comfortable and precise cross towards Vidal’s head.
Inter’s number two is everything but a shy defender, scoring six and creating three, proving crucial to Antonio Conte’s side.
His contribution represents almost a quarter of the Black and Blue’s league goals, he was seen on several occasions close to the forward line, almost as if a right-winger, illustrating an exceptional instance of the perfect modern wing-back.
Hakimi’ Season Heatmap (SofaScore)
Conte’s pressing system has been of massive help to the scoreline and season results quite frankly. Three central defenders with ball carrying skills and composure, supported by two wingbacks, making it five defenders on the defensive and on certain occasions a midfielder shielding them.
A resilient midfield with a high work ethic, switching positions with understanding to help when and where needed.
In spite of the different qualities that each of them celebrates, they share the box to box criteria, giving them fewer restrictions and more numbers in the box at the right time, similarly to Vidal’s goal where there was a situation of 4v3 in their favour.
Brozovic’s Season Heatmap (SofaScore)
Barella’s Season Heatmap (SofaScore)
Vidal’s Season Heatmap (SofaScore)
The midfield line is never afraid to move across, up and down the pitch to create more passing opportunities for their teammates.
Finally, a nonstop running pair of strikers horizontally and vertically to cut any passing lanes, reinforced by one or two man-marking central players.
As a result, even if out of position, there’s no need to worry as chances are the ball will be forced towards the touchline, backwards or long increasing the chances of recovery, frustration and desperation for the opponent.
With the lack of options in the away build-up, Ronaldo, the league’s most clinical player, has to drop deep and fit in the role of the playmaker. Meaning that a chunk of threat in the Inter box has been cancelled.
Now this plan might have another outcome where the Portuguese can manage to break the host’s lines, though that was an event that was not witnessed much. By the end of the first half the 34-year-old had 48 touches and only two shots, with one on target, both came in the first half.
Instead, one of the Juventus midfielders would rush into the box to make up for Ronaldo’s absence. Nevertheless, their effectiveness is almost non-existent, to add to it, they leave their space for La Beneamata to counter through.
Another scenario is the following, Juventus playing a high block and pushing players forward in hopes of breaking through, a high-risk manoeuvre with an old and pace lacking defensive line with the absence of Matthijs de Ligt.
That one backfired and Barella was there to give the perfect instance, in the 52nd minute, one pass was enough from Alessandro Bastoni across the whole pitch to the 23-year-old, who outpaced the veterans to double Inter’s lead.
Once again, for all of this to happen, Inter must give up possession. That means making the most out of what could be a few opportunities. Hence why four out of their last ten league goals have come from crosses or corners.
To exemplify that, a simple look at the end of the game statistics can be enough. Despite having the smaller part of possession (48%) the hosts managed 17 shots, five of which were on target while the Bianconeri had nine, with four directed at the goal.
A few moments following the second goal Pirlo introduced Dejan Kulusevski and Federico Bernardeschi to add some energy and skill to get back in the game, however, it was too late for the young coach as the winners were happy to tighten the lines, surround and fill the box and ultimately secure the three valuable points.
The Catenaccio perfector outworked the new boss with an exceptional masterclass to keep his side close to the top and retaining their rivals at a safe distance.
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Because let’s face it, what made El Clásico so watchable was the Ronaldo/Messi showdown. It was the thrill of pitting against each other two of the best players in the world and see who would come on top.
And yet, football is a team sport, where letting one man run the show could jeopardize your chances of winning. Both Barcelona and Juventus paid the price for relying too much on strategies like Give the ball to the GOAT, and their last Champions League results are a testament to that.
You might be tempted to say that Ferencváros will be happy to receive Juventus and Barcelona in Budapest, but here is an interesting trivia: they won the 1964–65 edition of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, against none other than Juventus, right in Turin.
They’re back in the groups for the first time since 1995-96, and while it may be crazy to put them over Dynamo Kyiv, I am going to do it. No guts, no glory.
Dynamo Kyiv have been in a rut for the last four years or so, and while Mircea Lucescu was appointed as manager in hopes of bringing them the same glory and Brazilian-style football he did to Shakhtar Donetsk (who are now screaming “Treason!”), for some reason, I don’t see them making too much of an impact in this group. Maybe it’s just because I’m too enamored with the Hungarian underdogs. Maybe I’m delusional.
As for Juventus and Barcelona, I can’t wait to see youngsters like Kulusevski and Ansu Fati shine, because better than seeing two GOATS approaching the end of their careers is seeing the next players who show they are worthy of taking on the mantle.
Too close to call who is going to finish first and who second (unless we’re in for a shocker!). Heart says Juventus, brain says Barcelona.
Predicted placements: 1) Barcelona 2) Juventus 3) Ferencváros 4) Dynamo Kyiv
Photo: Premier League
Group H is this year’s “Group of Death,” as PSG, Manchester United, and RB Leipzig have eliminated each other in these last two seasons.
Manchester United overturned in 2019 a 0-2 loss on home soil against PSG, to seal it in Paris with a dramatic penalty goal within the last minutes of the game, while this year, RB Leipzig had no answer to PSG’s offensive.
Still, for a team with a short football history (RB Leipzig was founded in 2009), their road to the semis was nothing short of impressive, getting through Tottenham and Atlético Madrid.
İstanbul Başakşehir is the dark horse of the group, winning the Turkish Süper Lig for the very first time, while also making the Champions League groups for the very first time.
With PSG, United, and RB Leipzig battling it out in a three-way, the general consensus is that İstanbul Başakşehir will be the team everybody will win points against.
But as we’ve seen in 2019 with Slavia Praha, they might go down, but not without a fight. And let’s not forget that last year, İstanbul Başakşehir finished first in a Europa League group also featuring AS Roma and Mönchengladbach, while also eliminating Sporting CP.
Predicted placements: 1) RB Leipzig 2) PSG 3) Manchester United 4) İstanbul Başakşehir
Article and pictures courtesy of Alexandra Fechete
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