Dear Signore Zola, Sorry I Think You're Wrong

Former Italy legend, Gianfranco Zola has made some statements to the Italian media about Carlos Tevez and how he would be a great addition to Juventus and could be the difference maker. Well, with all do respect, I disagree. First off, yes, Tevez was a great player, scored some wonderful goals, was a major factor in Man City's success last season and, in the right environment, could get back to those ways. However, the factors behind his problems in Manchester could to easily carry over somewhere else.I think his attitude will only bring about unwanted turmoil and Juventus do not need those sorts of distractions in the locker room. I've been hearing about Tevez being unhappy and that part of the reason is that he misses his family, who have refused to move to Europe, so why on Earth would a move to Torino make any difference. I don't see his family moving to Italy. Even if he was living in Milan on the same street as Cambiasso, Zanetti, and Milito, I just don't see this factor changing. Secondly, if that is a factor for his disrespectful behavior, than that is even more reason to avoid him. As a professional, which Tevez is supposed to be (a well paid one at that), it is your job to separate your work from your personal life. If he can't do that in Manchester what makes Torino any difference. Any player that behaves like a child and is unable to do the job you are paid to do shouldn't be looked at by a club that wishes to compete for championships. If i'm an employer of any business, I'm not going to hire someone who wasn't able to do the job he was paid to do at another company, that's just bad business. Conte's system seems to be working well and the players we currently have fit nicely into that system, no need to bring in a potential troublemaker. Between Vucinic, Quaglia, Matri, and Del Piero our attacking core is doing just fine. We already have an overpriced useless striker in the form of Amauri. Mancini should just hand Tevez a one way ticket to Buenos Aires and send him packing because it looks like his time in Europe is over. Come January, Juve should be looking to bolster it's defense. For everyone who still believes Tevez is a good signing, get over it. There is no reason to spend money on a player that could potentially be a giant distraction.

Clash of EPL Titans: Chelsea-Man U and Villa-Boas not too confident

This weekend is the much anticipated, mouthwatering clash between league leaders Manchester United and last year's runners-up Chelsea FC. United have started this year in ridiculous fashion, scoring a total of 18 goals in four games while only allowing 3. Wayne Rooney has hit the back of the net 8 times and is on pace for a 60+ goal season (clearly not going to happen, but thats what he's averaging). Chelsea have also had a good start to their campaign, winning three games while only drawing their first game to Stoke (a team that shouldn't be taken lightly). Andre Villas-Boas has performed well as a manager but why is he hedging his bets before the match and discussing what if he loses?
In an interview today, the Chelsea boss discussed how he shouldn't be judged just off the result of this game saying, "Any manager who is judged after five games of a season, there's not something wrong with the manager but something wrong with the people who run clubs." As a fan of any football club, I would not want my coach to discuss how his reputation will be effected after the game. Looking at his statements, I see this as Villas-Boas giving himself a cushion to fall back on if Chelsea do indeed lose. I would rather see these sorts of comments come after the game. If they do indeed lose, I have no problem with a coach admitting that they were defeated by a better team (which at the moment Man U are) and then discuss it being a long season and that he shouldn't be judged is acceptable. I do actually agree with the man. No, Andre, you shouldn't be judged for losing a game this early in the season but you will be judged for discussing a potential loss before the game even happens. I wouldn't want Brendan Rodgers (manager of Swansea City, for everyone who isn't a diehard Swansea fan) talking about losse, let alone Andre Villas-Boas. 

Week 1: New Signings Shine in debut

It finally happened. The Serie A season kicked off and Juventus opened their account with a solid 4-1 win. The first match was held on Friday between Lazio and Milan in what started out as a potential match of the year before fizzling down to an ordinary 2-2 tie. The first half saw a barrage of goals scored in a quick period with new Lazio signings Klose and Cisse finding the back of the net before Cassano and Ibrahimovic would quickly answer. However exciting the first half was, the second half turned out to be much calmer with the game ending 2 goals a piece. Saturday saw Napoli travel to Cesena and the Neopolitans capitalized on a man advantage. This was all a little appetizer leading up to Juventus' match on Sunday. Unlike last season, the first game lived up to the hype. For a packed crowd, the home side made work of Parma scoring 4 goals and barely missing a handful more. There were a lot of great things to take away from this game. Many of the new signings looked great. Pirlo made the biggest impression being a midfield general, dictating the game, making amazing passes. Lichtsteiner and Vidal both scored on their debut while Marchisio had a great game and a great goal. Even with all that going on, the best thing to take away from this match is that they allowed a goal. Too many times in the past, Juve have gotten too comfortable and then lost games they shouldn't. One of the biggest challenges this year will be to keep the team grounded when they go on a roll. The worst thing that could happen is taking teams to easy and taking the foot of the gas. Mistakes like De Ceglie's will only make Conte work the team harder and keep them focused on perfection. I absolutely love Conte's take after the game. One of the first things Conte expressed about the game was the necessary to not commit stupid fouls and get cards. I love his no-nonsense style of coaching and his attitude towards each fixture. It is good to grab some early points when neither Inter or Milan win, and it must be stressed to the players that every game is just as important as the last. It is too early to tell but this will probably be a very exciting year for Serie A. Unlike the EPL and La Liga, there are going to be a handful of teams slugging it out.
As competitive as this year will be in Serie A, this weeks results don't bode well for European glory. It is possible that the cancelled week 1 may have an effect, but Milan, Napoli, and Inter did not impress me enough to believe they can advance deep into the Champions League. Everyone is talking about Napoli's group and how hard it is. I still like Napoli and think they play a great brand of football but the 3-1 win against 10 man Cesena didn't show me enough to believe they can go out and beat Man City (who are dismantling teams right now). Neither Milan or Inter won this week and I thought the Milan defense looked a little ragged and too easily beaten down the wings. If Lazio can do that to them, how will Barcelona fair. Inter have a fairly easy group so if they can afford a slow start. This was only week one, so it is expected that their are still a lot of things every club needs to do. Either way it was a great weekend of matches and I expect many more great games to come in the future.