Juventus - Bribes, Scandal and Match-fixing - The afterthought and the new era

[sherm]

I know that a lot of people have probably written stories about Juventus, and their adventures with them, but as I have never tried the Italian league I thought I would give it a go. I know that Juventus have a 17 point deficit, but I do expect a few easy victories in Serie B. I have English leagues up to Championship and Italian Serie A and Serie B loaded, using original game without patch

-----------------------

Everyone knows about the match-fixing scandal in Italian football that recently occurred. Juventus, Fiorentina, Lazio and Milan all punished severely, although Juventus were punished more than anybody. They were demoted down to Serie B with a 30 point deduction (although this was later reduced to 17) but it was still a difficult proposition for the Old Lady of Italian Football to return to Serie A straightaway. The core of the team had gone, Cannavaro, Vieira, Thuram, all moved onto different clubs. Admittedly players like Buffon, Nedved, Trezeguet and Del Piero had remained, and would be far too good for Italy's second division. The question lingered though, how long would they be there? The entire board had resigned, and now with a new Chairman, new Directors and whole new boardroom the club had a massive revamp. The financial situation wasn't brilliant, the club heavily in debt and losing money constantly, and it was vital that the new manager, whoever that may be, would get the team back into Serie A. It was more than likely that the club wouldn't be able to afford to get a high-profile or well known manager, but they would still need somebody with the capabilities to take them back to the top.

Nicholas Simpson was a 37 year old Englishman, a former professional footballer and football coach. He had played until the age of 28, when a snapped knee ligament ended his career prematurely. Having played 234 games in his career, for Aston Villa and Crystal Palace, he was experienced in the way football should be played. He gained his UEFA coaching badges by age 32, and got himself a coaching role at then Serie B club Modena. He was there for two seasons, before the Modena manager moved to Ascoli, taking Nick with him. Nick had aspirations of managing one day, and he was always confident in his ability to do it successfully, but he had never dreamed he would be in the position he was in currently. He had applied for the Juventus job when he heard about the new board and in truth, he hadn't expected to even be considered for the job. I mean why would Juventus, 29 Serie A titles, 2 European cups, several Coppa Italia trophies, a recognised giant of Italian football, employ an inexperienced English manager who had only previously had coaching jobs at relatively small clubs. Well he was sat here now, in the Interview suite of the Olimpico, being interviewed for the job of Juventus manager. He knew they were struggling in terms of finances but he hadn't had any idea it was this bad. Nick wasn't going to complain, this was the chance of a lifetime, a chance to manage one of the biggest clubs in history. He wasn't going to pass this opportunity up, not a chance.

A couple of hours later it was official. Nicholas Simpson was the new Juventus manager. There was shock from all parties, including the players, the press and the public, but Nick received a full backing from the Juventus board. He was confident that he could be the man to take Juventus back to the top, which was where they belonged. With the current squad they were more than capable of making up the -17 point deficit, and maybe, just maybe pushing for promotion automatically. The board had, at least, taken the -17 into account and hadn't forced the issue of promotion, although had strongly hinted that they did want the promotion at the end of the season. Nick didn't begrudge that, he felt it was a real possibilty. He had money to spend if need be, and he didn't need to spend all of it. His main priorities were a central defender, a goalkeeper to back up Buffon and a left winger to rotate with the ageing Pavel Nedved. His first training session with the players was on Monday morning, which was where he could put his formation and tactics into effect. The press conference to officially announce his appointment was the next day, and Nick was intent on making a lasting impression on the press, and give them his ambitions for the Juventus side he had inherited.

[sherm]

I know that a lot of people have probably written stories about Juventus, and their adventures with them, but as I have never tried the Italian league I thought I would give it a go. I know that Juventus have a 17 point deficit, but I do expect a few easy victories in Serie B. I have English leagues up to Championship and Italian Serie A and Serie B loaded, using original game without patch

-----------------------

Everyone knows about the match-fixing scandal in Italian football that recently occurred. Juventus, Fiorentina, Lazio and Milan all punished severely, although Juventus were punished more than anybody. They were demoted down to Serie B with a 30 point deduction (although this was later reduced to 17) but it was still a difficult proposition for the Old Lady of Italian Football to return to Serie A straightaway. The core of the team had gone, Cannavaro, Vieira, Thuram, all moved onto different clubs. Admittedly players like Buffon, Nedved, Trezeguet and Del Piero had remained, and would be far too good for Italy's second division. The question lingered though, how long would they be there? The entire board had resigned, and now with a new Chairman, new Directors and whole new boardroom the club had a massive revamp. The financial situation wasn't brilliant, the club heavily in debt and losing money constantly, and it was vital that the new manager, whoever that may be, would get the team back into Serie A. It was more than likely that the club wouldn't be able to afford to get a high-profile or well known manager, but they would still need somebody with the capabilities to take them back to the top.

Nicholas Simpson was a 37 year old Englishman, a former professional footballer and football coach. He had played until the age of 28, when a snapped knee ligament ended his career prematurely. Having played 234 games in his career, for Aston Villa and Crystal Palace, he was experienced in the way football should be played. He gained his UEFA coaching badges by age 32, and got himself a coaching role at then Serie B club Modena. He was there for two seasons, before the Modena manager moved to Ascoli, taking Nick with him. Nick had aspirations of managing one day, and he was always confident in his ability to do it successfully, but he had never dreamed he would be in the position he was in currently. He had applied for the Juventus job when he heard about the new board and in truth, he hadn't expected to even be considered for the job. I mean why would Juventus, 29 Serie A titles, 2 European cups, several Coppa Italia trophies, a recognised giant of Italian football, employ an inexperienced English manager who had only previously had coaching jobs at relatively small clubs. Well he was sat here now, in the Interview suite of the Olimpico, being interviewed for the job of Juventus manager. He knew they were struggling in terms of finances but he hadn't had any idea it was this bad. Nick wasn't going to complain, this was the chance of a lifetime, a chance to manage one of the biggest clubs in history. He wasn't going to pass this opportunity up, not a chance.

A couple of hours later it was official. Nicholas Simpson was the new Juventus manager. There was shock from all parties, including the players, the press and the public, but Nick received a full backing from the Juventus board. He was confident that he could be the man to take Juventus back to the top, which was where they belonged. With the current squad they were more than capable of making up the -17 point deficit, and maybe, just maybe pushing for promotion automatically. The board had, at least, taken the -17 into account and hadn't forced the issue of promotion, although had strongly hinted that they did want the promotion at the end of the season. Nick didn't begrudge that, he felt it was a real possibilty. He had money to spend if need be, and he didn't need to spend all of it. His main priorities were a central defender, a goalkeeper to back up Buffon and a left winger to rotate with the ageing Pavel Nedved. His first training session with the players was on Monday morning, which was where he could put his formation and tactics into effect. The press conference to officially announce his appointment was the next day, and Nick was intent on making a lasting impression on the press, and give them his ambitions for the Juventus side he had inherited.

[sherm]

The coaching staff, although not terrible, was a little light on numbers, so Nick was determined to add a few more coaches to the backroom team. He scanned the unemployed list and found 3 coaches who came at a fair price, and no compensation was required to snap them up. He duly made offers for all three of them, and they were quick to accept. Giorgio Pelizzaro was an Italian coach that specialised in goalkeepers, although had excellent all-round ability. His previous employers included Lazio and Parma, and Nick had no worries about him stepping into the coaching staff with ease. The other two coaches were also Italian, Angelo Antenucci and Mauro Scardigli. Scardigli was excellent at working with youth players, so he was offered the role of Youth coach, while Antenucci (who had previously plied his trade at Roma and Milan) was offered a regular coaching role. Nick was happy that his coaches were in place, and now all he had to do was to scour the transfer market for potential signings to bolster his promotion chasing squad. With £8.5million to spend he felt that he had more than enough to attract a few quality players to the team, although he knew that until they were back in the upper echelons of Serie A then they wouldn't be able to attract any real World Class prospects.

During the course of the week Nick had found himself extremely busy, and had only managed to find two players who he felt were good enough to provide back-up in the positions he wanted. A young Brazilian 'keeper called Marcelo Grohe, who was currently playing for Gremio, and Debrecen's Hungarian winger Peter Halmosi. Offers had been made for both players, and although Gremio were being stubborn, holding out for an extortionate sum, a deal of £1.9million was finally struck, with Debrecen happily accepting £170k for Halmosi. Also, two of the scouts had been sent out to try and find some players who would fit the perspective that Nick was looking for in his club, and in his attempt to build Juve back into the top-flight club that they should be.

Nick had also been at the helm for two friendly matches, his first two matches in charge of the team. He had used these games to get a good look at some of the reserve and youth team players, trying to see if any of these players were ready to step up and take a spot in the Serie B squad. It was a pre-arranged tour of Spain, which would see the side travel to 4 different destinations, starting at Curro Reyes and finishing up at Primera Liga side Recreativo Huelva. For the Curro Reyes game Nick went with his strongest available team, as he felt that these players needed to gel together and learn how each other played. It was a game that his side controlled with ease for the 90 minutes, creating 16 chances to the Spanish minnows' 3, although they were only able to find the back of the net on one occasion, Alessandro Del Piero curling home from the edge of the box on 24 minutes. Nick had been a little concerned with his side's inability to finish their chances, although he had hoped he could put it down to pre-season and lack of match fitness. The next game was 3 days later, away at Second division Real Oviedo, who Nick felt would provide a much sterner test than Curro Reyes. He was right, as the Spaniards' came out and stormed into a lead after 6 minutes. It didn't take long for Juve to get back into it, Jonathan Zebina heading home from a Mateo Paro cross 3 minutes later. David Trezeguet put his side in the lead on 18 minutes, breaking through the defence and easily slotting home past the Oviedo keeper, and it was Trezeguet who added a third 6 minutes before half time, ramming the loose ball home from a Del Piero free-kick. Oviedo did score a second on 76 minutes through an Igor Tudor own goal but there was never any danger that Nick's side wouldn't make it 2 wins from 2

[sherm]

It hadn't taken Peter Halmosi long to agree terms with Nick, saying it would be an honour to play for a club as big as Juventus, and he would do his best to take the club back into Serie A. Brazilian Marcelo Grohe agreed terms 3 days later, and this was a signing that really got the fans watering at the mouth, and praising Nick's foresight for bringing such a talented youngster to the club. On the same day of one Brazilian agreeing terms, another Brazilian was in town to discuss terms with the club. Dagoberto, who was currently plying his trade at Atletico Parananense, was a former Brazilian Under 21 international who had real talent and would fit into the team in midfield or upfront, although Nick had intention of using him as a back-up. He was valued at around £4million by his club but there had been a £1.4million minimum fee release clause installed in his contract, which was an amount that was quite happily matched by Nick, who would be delighted to gain Dagoberto's services.

Dagoberto had agreed terms that very same day, and Nick was delighted to announce the new signings to the press. He felt that these 3 players, in particular Marcel Grohe, would be excellent additions for the squad who could carry the club for years to come. Nick's main priority was at least one, if not two central defenders, as he felt he needed more strength in depth in this particular area. He had specifically instructed his chief scout to go and look for central defenders who were young, talented and well within his price range. In terms of transfers, he had also agreed two transfers out of the club. Veteran defender Nicola Legrottaglie had offers from several Serie A clubs, and after a few days of negotiations he agreed a move to Lecce for £500k. Striker Marcelo Zalayeta had also agreed a move, this time to French club Rennes, a move which bagged Nick £625k for the transfer kitty. It was more a case of trying to get some of the higher paid players who were not going to play off the bill, therefore freeing up room for players to be brought in to the club.

The Spanish tour drew to a conclusion for Nick and his side, with games against Cartegena and Recreativo. The Cartegena match was a walk in the park, and allowed Nick to field a completely different eleven in the second half for the final 20 minutes. He had seen enough in the first three games to confirm his starting XI, which was the team he started with in this friendly, but he also added his three new signings to the squad, and all three made an appearance at some point. Nedved opened the scoring after 45 seconds, reacting first to a parried shot from the goalkeeper. The Czech international could have had 2 more before a second was scored, this time the other winger, Mauro Camoranesi popping up at the back post to send his side two up at the break. Nedved added a third (and his second) on 68 minutes before he was substituted and replaced by new signing Peter Halmosi, who along with the other two signings Grohe and Dagoberto, had an impressive showing. The final game of the tour was a lot more testing and really made the team work hard for the victory. It took 39 minutes to break the deadlock, Alessandro Del Piero breaking the offside trap before firing past the keeper. Just before half time though Recreativo equalised, a defensive mistake from Jean-Alain Boumsong allowing Raul Tamudo to nip in and send the home side in level. Juventus sealed the game in the second half, with goals from Del Piero and Dagoberto eventually sending the Spanish side to defeat, but it wasn't easy, and Nick was pleased his side came through a tough game as well as they did.

[sherm]

Nick was delighted that he managed to find his centre back, and he knew that he was good enough to go straight into the team as first choice. That man was 20 year old French defender Younes Kaboul, who currently played for Auxerre. This was a French team in a perilous financial position, and Nick's £4million offer was quickly accepted by the management team. He invited Kaboul for dinner, and talked contract terms with him over the meal. It was easy enough to agree a deal, and Kaboul was more than happy to sign on the dotted line. He was a big powerful lad, standing well over 6 feet tall, and at only 20 he had plenty of time to develop into a world-class centre back. He would play a fair share of games this season and would be the backbone, the spine of the team, and Nick was delighted to have captured the young man's signature. Kaboul went straight into the squad for the Hannover friendly, taking his place on the bench, although he wouldn't have to wait long to get on, Igor Tudor limping off after 23 minutes. It was a dull game against the German's, who seemed intent on nullifying the Juventus attack from the word go, and at every opportunity they put ten men behind the ball. It looked as if the game was heading for a 0-0 stalemate but in the 83rd minute young midfielder Sebastian Giovinco fired home a 25 yard drive to win the game for his side and keep up their 100% pre-season record.

Transfers In

Peter Halmosi from Debrecen £170k

Marcelo Grohe from Gremio £1.9mil

Dagoberto from Atletico Parananense £1.4mil

Younes Kaboul from Auxerre £4mil

Staff In

Giorgio Pelizzaro Free Transfer

Angelo Antenucci Free Transfer

Mauro Scardigli Free Transfer

Juventus' final pre-season game was at the San Siro, against Milan's reserves, although that was a word that could be used lightly. It was a team that would walk into half of the Serie A squads without thinking twice, so it was a game that Nick wanted his team to stamp their authority upon and show the world that they were ready to be back in the big time. His side took the game by the scruff of the neck, and took a third minute lead through Raffaele Palladino's free-kick. They could, and probably should, have had 3 or 4 more that half, but it wasn't until the 67th minute that the next goal came, although it came for Milan, Serginho jinking through and firing home past Marcelo Grohe. 1-1 was how it finished, despite both sides hitting a post before the end and Trezeguet having a deft little chip cleared off the line. Nick was still a happy man though. An undefeated pre-season, and a solid foundation on which to build the league and cup season upon. Nick was confident his side would do the business when they needed to

[sherm]

The pre-season for Nick and his team had gone well, undefeated in all 6 games, winning 5 and drawing one, and conceding just 4 goals. He was happy with his new signings, although he felt that maybe some more strength in depth was needed, whether it be before the transfer window closes or in the January transfer window. The strike force he had available, with Trezeguet and Del Piero first choice and then Bojinov and Palladino behind them was good enough for most Serie A clubs so he didn't have any problem with the goal scoring, and really he didn't have any problem with any position in the squad, the only concern he had was age. A lot of the first team members were over 30, and Nick knew he needed to bring in some quality young players who could fit straight into the first team squad, or maybe even the starting XI. This was his priority, and he was working on getting some in for the start of the next season.

Pre-Season Round-Up

(Juventus scorers listed only)

Curro Reyes 0-1 Juventus Del Piero (24)

Real Oviedo 2-3 Juventus Zebina (9) Trezeguet (18,39)

Cartagena 0-3 Juventus Nedved (1,68) Camoranesi (35)

Recreativo 1-3 Juventus Del Piero (39,56) Dagoberto (66)

Hannover 0-1 Juventus Giovinco (83)

Milan Reserves 1-1 Juventus Palladino (3)

The draw for the qualifying rounds of the Coppa Italia had been made, with Nick's Juventus side drawn against the minnows of Martina. In reality it should be an easy game, and an easy path into the next round, but anything can happen in the cup, as we all know. The scouts were still around the continent, seeing if there were any players available for transfer that were good enough for Juventus, and to wear the black and white striped shirt of this once great Italian club. For the cup match Nick decided to go with his strongest possible side, as he wanted to set the tone for the season. Matteo Paro picked up a slight knock in training before the match, so this meant that Giuliano Giannichedda stepped into his place in the centre of midfield while Paro took his place on the bench. As soon as the game kicked off, Juventus controlled the game, and it didn't take long for the first goal to come, David Trezeguet heading home from a Nedved cross on 14 minutes. Provider turned scored 6 minutes later, Nedved firing home from 25 yards to double his side's lead. They went in at half time 2-0 in front, but in the second half they really turned the style on, scoring 4 goals to wrap up a comprehensive victory. Bojinov scored the 3rd 2 minutes after half time, which all but wrapped up the win for his team. The substitute Matteo Paro scored the 4th goal, while Del Piero put the icing on the cake with two goals in 5 minutes in the 78th and 83rd minutes, to secure a comprehensive and easy 6-0 rout.

[sherm]

The second qualifying round saw an away trip to Mantova, a Serie B side who Nick and his side would be seeing a bit more of this season. It was still a game that his team should win easily, and because of this factor Nick decided to make a few changes to the team, bringing in Valeri Bojinov, who started up-front in place of Trezeguet, Peter Halmosi starting in place of Pavel Nedved and Igor Tudor taking Younes Kaboul's place in the centre of defence. It was another simple game, and although not a rout such as the previous one against Martina, a 2-0 win was more than good enough for Nick. Goals from Mauro Camoranesi, rifling home a free-kick from the edge of the area, and Igor Tudor, converting a penalty that was won by Del Piero in the 31st minute. After the second goal there was no need for Juve to get out of second gear, and the game was completed into an easy 2-0 win, with Nick and his side just one game away from the Coppa Italia competition. A good run in this cup competition would provide some much needed revenue for the team, as the insecure financial situation was really troubling, especially for a club of this size. The money would be handy, and with a stadium holding less than 30,000 the gate receipts were not really providing enough revenue for the side, and with a move back to the new stadium delayed until 2008 the money would not be coming in regularly enough.

The third and final round of the qualifying round had provided Nick with his toughest test yet in his management career, albeit his relatively short one, with a home game against Lecce to earn their place in the 1st round of the Coppa Italia. It wasn't a game that Nick could afford to lose, so he played his strongest possible team in the match. For the third successive game, Juventus made a super start and scored another early goal, Del Piero winning and converting a 12th minute penalty. It was Del Piero who doubled the lead 14 minutes later, rounding the Lecce keeper after intercepting the defender's cross field ball. The 3rd goal of the game came after 33 minutes, Cristiano Zanetti slotting home after Nedved's ball across the box, and that 3rd goal wrapped up the tie. There was a 4th added, Del Piero completing his hat-trick in the 36th minute. Once again, Nick's side were able to take their foot off the gas, and after completing the job professionally and keeping a third clean sheet on the run, they had advanced into the Coppa Italia 1st round, and this was a competition Nick wanted his side to do well in, and advance as far as possible.

August 2006 Summary

Coppa Italia 1st Qualifying Round Martina 0-6 Juventus Trezeguet (14) Nedved (20) Bojinov (47) Paro (75) Del Piero (78,83)

Coppa Italia 2nd Qualifying Round Mantova 0-2 Juventus Camoranesi (24) Tudor (pen 31)

Coppa Italia 3rd Qualifying Round Juventus 4-0 Lecce Del Piero (pen 12, 26,36) Zanetti (33)

[laziofan_horia]

Good start mate. I'm keeping a close eye on this story.

[sherm]

laziofan_horia - Thanks mate, glad you like the start. Hopefully I'll be able to keep you interested for a while yet

--------------------

After a very promising start to the season, with 3 games, twelve goals and no goals conceded, Nick was confident his side could push on and make a significant mark on the league. The first task was obviously to make a major inroad into the 17 points that had been deducted for last seasons 'MoggiGate', and if his side got 6 wins early on, preferably in the first 6 games, then that would be mission accomplished. If somebody had said to Juventus two seasons ago that they would be hosting Albinoleffe, Mantova and Arezzo in their first three home games then they would have been laughed off, but that was the reality that faced Nick and his side. He was confident however that his side would do what was necessary to win these games which, quite frankly, should be simple for them to gain three points from. The first game, which was at the Olimpico, saw Albinoleffe make the trip to face Nick's side. Del Piero, who had been on scintillating goal scoring form so far this season, had picked up a thigh strain in training so that meant Valeri Bojinov stepped into his place in the team. Younes Kaboul took his place at the centre of defence with Jean-Alain Boumsong, while Matteo Paro and Cristiano Zanetti took the central midfield positions. It wasn't a difficult game by any stretch of the imagination, and Juve controlled it with ease. David Trezeguet opened the scoring after 11 minutes, picking up the ball from Camoranesi's pass and slotting it under the on-rushing keeper. Trezeguet himself could have had three, maybe four more in that second half, but no more goals were to come until the second half, in the 54th minute to be exact, Valeri Bojinov volleying home from the edge of the 6 yard box after the ball came loose from the corner. Bojinov hit the post twice after that, while substitute Raffaele Palladino forced a good save late on from the Albinoleffe keeper. Nick was happy with the overall performance, even if his side could have scored a lot more than the two goals that they did.

Triestina were the hosts four days later, and it was another game that Nick expected his side to win with ease, especially considering that they were considered relegation favourites. Triestina seemed intent on causing the first upset of the season and putting the first dent on Juventus' promotion hopes, and after 7 minutes they took the lead, breaking Juventus' defence and slotting underneath Buffon. It wasn't long before Juventus showed their quality, Valeri Bojinov netting his second goal in as many games to draw his side level. 20 minutes later Trezeguet put Juve in front, rising highest to head home Nedved's corner. Once again though, Nick's side seemed incapable of finishing their created chances, after creating at least another 5 or 6 good chances in the rest of the game. It was Triestina who scored the next goal, in the 83rd minute, to deny Juventus all three points and claim a point that, in reality, they didn't deserve at all. In normal circumstances, 4 points from three games would be acceptable, but in their current situation they needed every win they could muster in the early part of the season, particularly against the smaller teams in the league.

Mantova were the next visitors to the Olimpico, and this was a team that Nick and his Juve side had already met (and beaten) once this season, so there was the benefit that they knew how the visitors were going to come out and approach the game. To counter this, he swapped Cristiano Zanetti for Giuliano Giannichedda, just to shore up the midfield a little bit more, although he kept the rest of the team the same as usual. Trezeguet and Bojinov seemed to be performing well together, which would give Nick a selection headache. although it is a selection headache most managers would love to have most days, three strikers who were in form. Mantova never really put any resistance up to the Juventus attacking force, in a similar fashion to the cup match. It was Younes Kaboul who opened the scoring for Juventus, rising above his marker to head the ball home in the 13th minute, his first goal for the club. On the half hour the lead was doubled, Pavel Nedved curling home a free-kick from just about 30 yards. It stayed 2-0 through till half-time and it wasn't until the 62nd minute that another goal was scored, Dagoberto scoring his first goal for the club, and all but securing the three points for his side. Mantova did pull one back in the 79th minute, a defensive error from substitute Igor Tudor allowing the Mantova striker to nip in and dink the ball over Buffon, but it made no difference to the result, as Juventus walked away with all three points.

[sherm]

Genoa were next up, and Nick knew that this would be a difficult test, especially away from home. Genoa were considered genuine promotion contenders, and had won two of their first three games, sitting pretty in second place. They had a few good players, and Nick felt that they would be there or thereabouts come the end of the season, so he had no doubts of the credentials of their team. He fielded an unchanged team for the match, with Bojinov keeping his place in the side despite the return to full fitness of Del Piero. Bojinov it was who had the best chances of the first half, twice being clean through on goal and hitting the left hand post on one occasion and putting wide of the right hand post on the second attempt. Trezeguet had a couple of chances, although they were more half chances than real ones, turning in the box and firing straight into the keepers arms on both occasions. The teams went in level at half time, with Juventus having controlled the majority of the play, although the breakthrough hadn't come. In the second half, it was pretty much the same, although Genoa proved to be a greater attacking force than in the first 45 minutes, creating three very good chances, all of which were foiled by Buffon. The best chance of the match came for Juventus though, and it came in the 78th minute, substitute Del Piero striking the ball from 25 yards and forcing a world class save from the Genoa 'keeper, who tipped the ball wide of the post. Neither side managed to find the breakthrough, and the game petered out into a dull goalless draw.

After the draw with Genoa Nick knew his side needed all three points at home against Arezzo, and he drummed this message home to his side, who duly delivered the goods, romping home, although the one goal win may suggest otherwise, but it was a simple and easy victory for Juve. Raffaelle Palladino opened the scoring on 14 minutes, making his first start of the season in place of the injured Nedved, and he cut inside from the left hand side before rifling his shot home into the bottom right hand corner. Bojinov added a second just before half time, running clear through and slotting the ball home from Giannichedda's pass. Bojinov had two other chances, and Trezeguet had two more chances in the second half, although he was nullified for the majority of the match. Palladino had a great chance for a second, volleying from the edge of the box and forcing the 'keeper to pull off a top-class save. Arezzo did pull a goal back, scoring in the 88th minute, this was due to a lapse in the Juventus defence, but it made no difference to the result, as Juventus picked up their third straight home win to bring them ever closer to closing that 17 point deficit.

September 2006 Summary

(Serie B unless stated, Juventus scorers only listed)

Juventus 2-0 Albinoleffe Trezeguet (11) Bojinov (54)

Triestina 2-2 Juventus Bojinov (16) Trezeguet (36)

Juventus 3-1 Mantova Kaboul (13) Nedved (20) Dagoberto (62)

Genoa 0-0 Juventus

Juventus 2-1 Arezzo Palladino (14) Bojinov (41)

League Position : 22nd

[sherm]

September had gone well, although Nick would have preferred 5 wins, but 3 wins and 2 draws is not to be sniffed at. His team seemed to be gelling well, although there was still the fact that they weren't putting enough of their created chances away, which could come back to haunt them later in the season, but for now he was happy. He was still on the look-out for players that would improve the squad, particularly if they were to gain promotion this season. The opening game of the month started with a visit to Cesena, another game that could prove tricky, but one that Nick thoroughly expect his side to gain the full quota of points from. They started this game as well as they had all through the season, which had seemed to be a feature of Nick's side, scoring early goals and taking advantage of them. This game was no different, Peter Halmosi scoring his first goal for the club after 3 minutes, rising above everybody to power the ball home from Camoranesi's cross. They had more chances in that opening half, but it wasn't until stoppage time that the second goal came, the in-form Valeri Bojinov sweetly finishing from a nicely worked move, picking up Giannichedda's ball and finishing it off. The team were able to drop down a gear or two in the second half, and although no more goals came Nick's side strolled to a comfortable 2-0 win.

Vicenza were the next visitors to the Olimpico, and once again it proved to be a simple and easy victory for the team. The returning Alessandro Del Piero, who was making his first start since picking up a groin strain. It was the returning Del Piero who opened the scoring just after the half hour mark, curling the ball home from a 20 yard free-kick that was won by Nedved. By the time he scored his and the team's second goal right on half time he could have had two more than that, but on half time Del Piero played a beautiful one-two with Trezeguet before firing the ball home into the roof of the net. Nick was delighted with his team's performance, and told his side not to drop their levels down. This was exactly what happened, and 3 minutes after the restart Vicenza got back into the game, a cross coming in from the right hand side and the attacker beat everybody to the ball at the near post. It was only 4 minutes later that Juve got back their two goal lead, Mauro Camoranesi jinking through three defenders before placing his shot beyond the keeper, all but sealing the points for his side. There were no more goals in the game, as both sides were unable to find the breakthrough, and Nick's team picked up another valuable three points. They had another home game three days later, Treviso the opposition this time, and it should have been a game where Nick's team gained there first three points to go into positive figures for the season, but for several reasons they only came away with one point. Treviso's keeper had probably had the best game of his life, almost seeming to have superglue on his gloves, everything Nick's side tried was foiled by the defence or the keeper. The post came to the rescue of Treviso twice, and somehow they came away with a point and a clean sheet, certainly one that the keeper deserved his man of the match award for, and Nick had to accept that it was just one of those games.

[sherm]

Nick knew his players needed to bounce back from the Treviso draw, and the next game, away at 20th place Crotone, gave them a perfect opportunity to do that. Trezeguet picked up a slight knock the day before the game, so Bojinov took his place in the starting line-up. The Bojinov-Del Piero combination hadn't played together before, and they seemed to be unable to click where they were running to, and couldn't pick up each other's motions and movements. Due to this, it was the first time this season that Juventus hadn't scored a first half goal, Crotone managing to do what Treviso did and nullify the Juve attacking force. Nick's team talk seemed to work wonders for his side, as they came out looking more relaxed and more focused. Chance after chance was created, and it wasn't until the 72nd minute that the opening goal came, Bojinov picking up the loose ball and ramming it home past the stranded Crotone keeper. Bojinov, who had really picked up his game after half-time and shown why he was so highly coveted had managed to add a second goal in the 84th minute, being released by Del Piero and rounding the keeper before finishing the move and guaranteeing another three points for his team.

A trip to Spezia was next on the agenda for Nick's side, and as he expected it was a cruise, with his side controlling the game with ease and composure, but again only managing to convert two of their many chances. Del Piero was back to his very best in this match, scoring a wonderful goal just after the half hour mark, beating 4 defenders and chipping the ball beautifully over the oncoming Spezia 'keeper. Bojinov, who had started the season in spectacular fashion, had two guilt edged opportunities to double the lead before half time, missing both one-on-one chances, which had been unlike him this season. The second goal did come eventually, and it was the main man Del Piero again, converting the penalty which Camoranesi had won when he jinked into the box and was taken down by the defender. Nick's side could have had two or three more before the final whistle, Bojinov and Del Piero the guilty parties, but a 2-0 win was more than good enough for Nick and his side to take themselves off the bottom of the table for the first time this season.

October 2006 Summary

(Serie B unless stated, Juventus scorers listed only)

Cesena 0-2 Juventus Halmosi (3) Bojinov (45)

Juventus 3-1 Vicenza Del Piero (31,45) Camoranesi (52)

Juventus 0-0 Treviso

Crotone 0-2 Juventus Bojinov (72,84)

Spezia 0-2 Juventus Del Piero (31,pen 66)

League Position : 20th

[sherm]

Another good month for Nick and his side saw them move into positive points, taking themselves off the bottom of the table to be precise. This was achieved with relative ease, no defeats, seven wins and three draws, and now Nick was able to focus his team fully on the task in hand, the task of gaining promotion back to Serie A. Nick was delighted to see that Alessandro Del Piero's opening goal against Spezia was voted goal of the month, which was an added bonus to such a good month. November was a busy month, a total of 7 games, including the first two legs of the Coppa Italia First Round, in which Juventus had drawn Serie A side Chievo, by no means an easy game but certainly a winnable one. Before that though, they had two league games to be concerned about, both games against promotion contenders, Napoli and Piacenza. Napoli were sitting pretty at the top of the table, having lost just one of their first 7 games, and this was thanks mainly in part to Christian Bucchi's goals, 9 of them in 7 league games. Nick knew that this would be the most testing challenge of his management career so far, an away trip to Naples to face the league leaders in a game that Nick would quite happily have taken a point from. As it turned out, it was not only his team's best performance of the season but it was their most comfortable, a 3-0 win that Nick was delighted with. Napoli didn't even create any chances all game, having no shots on target, and when Juve went forward they didn't look like they could resist the attacking prowess of Nick's side. Trezeguet scored the first two goals, on the 33rd and 45th minutes, both goals due to superb, free-flowing moves, and when it cam down to the one-on-ones Trezeguet was lethal, burying both chances deep in the net. The third goal came ten minutes from the end, substitute Marco Marchionni tapping the ball home from 4 yards out to guarantee his side a terrific three points.

Piacenza were the visitors to the Olimpico for the next league game, and they were sitting in 5th, having had indifferent form throughout the season to date. It was to be another simple victory for Nick and his side, who ran the game, dominating the midfield with tough tackles and accurate passing, Giuliano Giannichedda and Matteo Paro both putting in world class performances. It was Paro who set up the opener after 13 minutes, feeding the slide rule pass through to Trezeguet who rounded the 'keeper and put his team into the lead. Trezeguet's strike partner Del Piero was the man who doubled Juve's lead, recieving the ball after a one-two with Trezeguet and firing home from the edge of the area, and it was a goal that was to secure yet another win and another three points for Juventus. They could, and probably should have scored more but once the points are secure the goals are not as important, its points that count at this moment in time, and Nick knew his side needed points. Nick was also pleased that his side had managed to keep five clean sheets in a row, as clean sheets, and not conceding goals was a key factor in securing points. The Coppa Italia provided a welcome break from the league games for a period, and allowed Nick to rest a few of his major players, and blood a few youngsters. Chievo were one of the top Serie A sides, so Nick knew it would not be easy by any stretch of the imagination, but he wanted the younger players to grab the cup match by the scruff of the neck and earn their places in the team. It turned out that it was an easier game than Nick had imagined, his side running out 3-0 winners and putting one foot in the next round. Del Piero gave Juventus the lead on 8 minutes, before Giannichedda doubled that lead almost half an hour later. Del Piero would add a third 7 minutes from the end to secure the win for his side, and Nick was pleased with another win and a 6th successive clean sheet.

[sherm]

Ten days later, Nick and his side visited Pescara, who were sitting level on points with Juventus in 16th place, and a win would see Nick's side leapfrog them. It was yet another game that Juve dominated, but it was a game that they could not find the breakthrough in, and somehow only came away with one point instead of the full quota of three. It was another early goal that gave them the lead, Del Piero curling a free kick-home from 20 yards out. Del Piero should have added two more, and Matteo Paro, Pavel Nedved and Giuliano Giannichedda all wasted good chances to put the game beyond doubt, and they paid for those misses dearly when Pescara equalised in the 76th minute, the striker running forward and slotting the ball underneath Buffon to give his side the most undeserved point that they will get all season. Frustration had begun to creep in, Nick was bemused as to why his side seemed unable to capitalise on the many chances they created in games, having not scored more than 3 goals in a league game, and he really needed to get his scouts looking for a top-class striker, or maybe even one for the future. Rimini visited the Olimpico three days later, with Nick looking for his side to return to winning ways after the slip-up against Pescara. This was exactly what happened, a comfortable 2-0 win seeing off the hard working opponents. The opening goal came from an unlikely source, right back Jonathan Zebina breaking forward and finishing the 5 man move with a lovely placed shot past the keeper's outstretched right hand. There were no more goals in the first half, although yet again Nick's side had chances, but it wasn't until just after the hour mark that the lead was doubled, Valeri Bojinov slamming the ball home from Nedved's cross to put the game beyond doubt, and return Juventus back to winning ways.

The end of the month was approaching, and Nick knew that a win in the league game against Brescia would lift them up to mid-table, and leave them creeping ever closer to the top, and the promotion places. Brescia was going to be a tough place to go, it always has been, and Nick fielded his strongest possible side, with Trezeguet and Del Piero starting up-front. Trezeguet didn't last long, being taken off and replaced by Bojinov after 24 minutes, by which time his team were already in-front thanks to Del Piero's 6th minute strike, after he had beaten three men and slotted past the keeper. Bojinov added some pace to the attck, and it was his pace that set up Del Piero's and the team's second on 33 minutes, his pace doing the work before he fed the ball through for Del Piero to hit across the keeper and double his side's lead. The next goal was to come from Brescia, who pulled one back on 54 minutes through a Boumsong own goal, which in all fairness, he was trying to clear, so it wasn't his fault, but it didn't matter as Del Piero added his side's third and completed his hat-trick in the process, completing the win for his side and giving them another undefeated month in the league. Nick had taken the opportunity to give a few of the senior pro's a rest for the second leg of the Coppa Italia, in which they were 3-0 in front from the first leg, and with a team of inexperienced and second eleven players Juve secured a 1-0 win, and a 4-0 aggregate win, Del Piero, the on-form player of the moment, and the only senior player in the starting line-up, was the man who scored the winner, rounding the keeper on 23 minutes and slotting the ball home to send his side into the next round.

November 2006 Summary

(Serie B unless stated, Juventus scorers only listed)

Napoli 0-3 Juventus Trezeguet (33,45) Marchionni (80)

Juventus 2-0 Piacenza Trezeguet (13) Del Piero (32)

Pescara 1-1 Juventus Del Piero (6)

Juventus 2-0 Rimini Zebina (19) Bojinov (61)

Brescia 1-3 Juventus Del Piero (6,33,69)

Coppa Italia 1st Round, 1st Leg

Chievo 0-3 Juventus Del Piero (8,83) Giannichedda (37)

Coppa Italia 1st Round, 2nd Leg

Juventus 1-0 Chievo Del Piero (23)

League Position : 10th

[sherm]

After a busy November Nick had guided his side into a comfortable 10th place in the league, 14 points off the league leaders Napoli. The Christmas and New Year period was going to be crucial, as it is in any country, and Nick knew that his side needed a good month and for results to go their way, the teams at the top dropping points etc. With only 4 games this month it was going to be vital to pick up as many points as possible, if not a full quota of 12 points from 12. Nick had also managed to add £3.6 million to the transfer funds, Fabrizio Miccoli agreeing a move to Spanish side Mallorca, which would go through at the end of his current loan deal on July 1st. Nick had enough money to spend in the January transfer window to add a few reinforcements to the squad to bolster their promotion push. The first game they had to contend with was the visit of Verona to the Olimpico, a game which Nick expected to receive a tough test in. Verona had some good attacking players and his defence would need to be at their best. His side started well, which had been a common feature of their season, but a flurry of 3 goals in 7 minutes was what put the game out of reach for Juventus. Del Piero gave them the lead on 12 minutes, and Palladino, starting in place of Nedved on the left wing, doubled the lead three minutes later. Trezeguet scored the third after 19 minutes, heading highest to power in Palladino's cross, and that third goal left Verona shell shocked, they didn't know what had hit them. Credit where credit is due though, they rallied back and pulled one back just after half time, on 48 minutes, and they could have scored a second just after that. Instead it was Dagoberto, Trezeguet's half-time replacement, who fired in a 4th goal to seal an emphatic win and give his side all three points, and a great start to the month.

Nick and his side travelled to Bologna for their next game, another game in which he expected a difficult test. This time however, it was exactly as he had imagined, with Bologna coming out all guns blazing, stunning Nick's side by taking the lead after 34 seconds. They carried this start into the opening half an hour, and taking a leaf out of Juventus' book they created several good chances, not managing to take any of them. Bologna did pay for this however, as Dagoberto equalised for his side on 35 minutes, curling the ball home after cutting inside the defender. Nick's side took control of the game after this, and it was right on half time that they took the lead, Dagoberto turning provider for Alessandro Del Piero to run onto his pass and lash the ball past the on-rushing Bologna 'keeper. Neither side could find a breakthrough in the second half, and despite Bologna's pushing and pressing, Juventus held on to their lead and claimed another three points, three points that pushed them further up the table to 8th place.

Another former Serie A side, Lecce, were the next visitors to the Olimpico, and they seemed determined to hand Juventus their first defeat in all competitions this season. They started the game better than the home side, who were surprisingly sluggish and slow out of the traps. It took 34 minutes before Juve had a shot, Del Piero striking the foot of the post, but by that time they were a goal behind, former Juventus defender Nicola Legrottaglie rising highest to head home from a corner after 14 minutes. Juventus seemed to wake up after that, and they managed to create some good chances towards the end of the first half. Nick gave his side a rollicking in the dressing room, telling them that he felt a win was no more than acceptable, and his side duly responded, dominating the second period, although they didn't find the back of the Lecce net till the 80th minute, through an Alessandro Del Piero penalty, which was won by substitute Valeri Bojinov after a mazy run into the box. 1-1 was how the match stayed, which in the circumstances was not a bad result for Nick's side, although they needed every win they could get to push their way to the top of the Serie B table. The final game of the month, and the final match before the 3 week winter rest period was a trip to face Modena, one of Nick's former clubs where he was a coach, in fact it was his first coaching job. He received a warm welcome from the Modena crowd, although he wasn't sure how much of a good reception he would get if he took all three points back with his Juventus side. It wasn't an exciting game, and it was probably the worst performance they had given under Nick's management, but the key factor to the match was that they got the result, a scrappy and hard-working 1-0 victory, thanks to Alessandro Del Piero's 40th minute strike, curling it past the keeper and in off the post. There wasn't much more action in the remainder of the game, and Nick's side continued their ascent up the table, with a three week break to relax and recharge their batteries.

December 2006 Summary

(Serie B unless stated, Juventus scorers listed only)

Juventus 4-1 Verona Del Piero (12) Palladino (15) Trezeguet (19) Dagoberto (58)

Bologna 1-2 Juventus Dagoberto (35) Del Piero (45)

Juventus 1-1 Lecce Del Piero (pen 80)

Modena 0-1 Juventus Del Piero (40)

League Position : 8th

[sherm]

Nick had three weeks to find transfer options to strengthen the squad, which was looking a bit thin on the ground at the moment, and options were needed to add to the promotion push. The league table was looking better than it was when Nick took over, and he was confident that his team could push on further and advance into the promotion places, and maybe even come out of the season as champions, which would be a fantastic achievement after being 17 points down on the rest of the division. Nick had been given some scout reports on players that his backroom staff felt would be good enough to step into the squad and provide useful back-up for the season, and there was two players in particular that caught Nick's eye. They were two 17 year olds, who Nick believed would be two hot prospects, but they would need a fair amount of money to be prised away from their clubs. Gabriel Obertan, a young French winger from Bordeaux and Daniel Sturridge, a young English striker from Man City, who were both excellent prospects for the future. Enquiries were made to both of their clubs, and offers were duly made for the hot prospects. Offers were made for two other players aswell, a £1.9 million offer for Borussia Dortmund defender Florian Kringe and a £500k offer for Lyn midfielder Kevin Larsen, both of whom were able back-ups for the club. Nick had also sent his chief scout to scour the loan list for any able back-ups to bolster the relatively small squad he had at his disposal.

Serie B Standings December 2006

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

PL W D L GD PTS

1. Napoli 19 11 5 3 +12 38

2. Genoa 19 10 6 3 +8 36

3. Lecce 19 10 4 5 +9 34

4. Frosinone 19 9 5 5 +1 32

5. Bologna 19 9 5 5 -1 32

6. Brescia 19 9 4 6 +6 31

7. Mantova 19 8 7 4 +3 31

8. Juventus 19 14 5 0 +27 30

</pre>

With the transfer window rapidly approaching, Nick was trying his hardest to get the deals he had in negotiation done in time so that the new members of the squad could join up straightaway with the team and join in with training immediately. Having looked at the fixture list for January it was clear that the extra bodies coming in the January window would be useful, with Nick's side playing a total of 8 games in the month, including 4 Coppa Italia games, which Nick had the intention on fielding weaker sides in. The Quarter-Final had drawn them against Palermo, the current 5th place side in Serie A, so that would be a tough encounter, but Nick's main priority for the month was picking up as many points a possible in the 4 league games they would be playing, and a successful month could see them move into 3rd place, if all results go their way when they have to. Nick was growing ever more confident that his side could pick up wins in the vast majority of their games, which would see them getting closer and closer to the reality of promotion.

[sherm]

Coming up to the first game of 2007, Nick was a happy man. All of his new signings had found their feet at the club, with the youngster Obertan and Sturridge looking really impressive, while the back-up players were getting to know the squad and gel with their new team-mates. There was a lot of transfer talk in the papers about top European clubs wanting certain Juventus players such as Zebina, Trezeguet, Buffon and a few others, but until Nick had an offer in black and white in front of him then he wasn't going to pay any attention to the rumours. Nick was happy with the new signings he had made, and he felt they were all able back-ups and could play in the first team easily if they were required to. Florian Kringe was a versatile defender from Dortmund, and he could play on either side or in the holding midfield role. Nick would use him mainly as cover for the full-backs but he could easily step into midfield if need be. Gabi was a central midfielder signed on loan from Atletico, and at 19 he was still very raw, although the talent he did possess was in abundance. Being rated very highly at Atletico is no bad thing, as some of the young players to come through their ranks is amazing, and Nick felt Gabi could be one for the future. He would provide excellent cover for the central midfield, aswell as providing a more attacking option. Young Norwegian Kevin Larsen joined for £500k, and he is another one tipped for a bright future. Although currently behind Nedved and Halmosi in the pecking it shouldn't be long before he steps up and takes his stand for a regular spot in the side. The other two newcomers were the two 17 year olds, French winger Gabriel Obertan and explosive English striker Daniel Sturridge. These were two exceptional prospects, who were widely tipped to have a bright future in the game, and Nick felt he was the man to guide them through their careers. He was happy with his squad now, and he felt he had enough strength in depth to cover the worst injury crisis.

January Transfer Window Round-Up

Transfers In

Florian Kringe from Dortmund £1.9mil

Kevin Larsen from Lyn £500k

Gabriel Obertan from Bordeaux £3.2mil

Daniel Sturridge from Manchester City £5mil

Gabi from Atletico Loan

The opening game of 2007 saw Bari make the trip down to the Olimpico, another tough looking game for Nick's side. It did turn out to be tough, but in a way, it was the best performance that Juventus had given this season. They were resolute in defence, blocking, tackling and generally getting in the way of every Bari move, and although attacking wise they had given better showings of themselves previously throughout the season it didn't matter, because David Trezeguet's 20th minute strike did the job, and earned Nick and his side a valuable three points to start the year off with. The four teams above Juventus all failed to pick up maximum points, and this lapse saw Nick's side move up into 4th place, crawling ever closer to the promotion spots. The man who scored the winner against Bari, David Trezeguet, had been the subject of constant transfer talk throughout the transfer window. Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Manchester United were the teams that were supposedly interested in securing his services. Until Nick had received a bid and spoken to the player then he was not going to comment on the rumours to the press. It was later that day that Manchester United made an offer, tabling a bid of £10.5 million pounds. Due to the financial situation, and the way the board were urging him to do so, Nick felt it would be best for all parties concerned if the offer was accepted. It was, and it took Trezeguet less than 48 hours to complete his move north to England. He would be missed, as he was a valuable asset, but Nick was a hundred percent positive that Valeri Bojinov could step up to the plate and take Trezeguet's place in the team.

[BobBev]

Nice one sherm. I was thinking of giving Juve a go myself so I'll be really interested to see how you get on.

[sherm]

BobBev - I'd never tried the Italian League, so I thought I would ease myself into the game with Juve. It's a lot of fun, one of the more enjoyable games I've played in a while. I would strongly recommend it. Thanks for the support anyway, hopefully I'll be able to beep you interested

-----------------------

The Coppa Italia Quarter Final was the next outing that Nick's side had, with a trip to Serie A side Palermo. Nick knew he would have tough test, but he felt his players would come up trumps and provide a good performance, and a decent result to carry into the second leg. Palermo had other ideas however, and took he game to Juve. After dominating the midfield from the word go, and controlling the game with short sharp passing, they managed to find the breakthrough in the final 5 minutes of the first half, Makinwa breaking through and using his pace to beat the defence and lift the ball over the on-coming Buffon. Although Nick's side tried and tried, they just couldn't break down the stubborn, workman like defence of Palermo, who had only conceded 4 goals at home all season coming into the match. They were not to concede a fifth, as they hold on for a 1-0 win to take back to the Olimpico in a week's time, and to hand Nick his first taste of defeat as a manager. In between cup games though, Nick and his side travelled to Frosinone, who had been the division's surprise package. Having expected to be somewhere near the bottom of the table, and battling relegation, Frosinone had surprised everybody and were sitting pretty in 4th place, just 3 points behind the leaders. They had lost just one game at home all season, and that was to league leaders Napoli, so Nick knew that a point would be a good result for his side, and three points would be a terrific win for them. Alessandro Del Piero had picked up a knock in training, so Raffaele Palladino took his place up front alongside Valeri Bojinov, while Dagoberto started in the central midfield role alongside Giuliano Giannichedda, giving a balance of defence and attack. The game itself was rather dire, with just two chances on goal being created before the macth sprung into life right on half time. With the Juve back-line having pushed right up, and the Frosinone attack ready to pounce, Younes Kaboul intercepted a loose pass and carried the ball to within shooting range at 30 yards out. When he saw there wasn't really much on he pulled his right boot back and hit a screamer into the top right hand corner, which left his team-mates, his boss and the fans speechless. That was the moment in which the game turned, and from there Juve pushed on, grabbing a second and decisive goal right on full time, Valeri Bojinov turning and firing past the keeper.

The second leg of the Palermo game, at the Olimpico, was a game which Nick was looking forward to, as he felt his side could progress on into the Semi-Finals. This notion was all but scuppered after just 3 minutes of the match, Makinwa setting up Corini to give Palermo a 1-0 lead on the night and send them 2 goals clear on aggregate. This woke Nick's team up from a slumber, and they burst into life in the tie. Valeri Bojinov scoring 3 minutes later to bring his side back into the game. Dagoberto, starting in midfield in place of Giannichedda, was the man who levelled the tie up, playing a one-two with Bojinov before rifling home a thunderous drive from the edge of the area. At half time, Nick encouraged his players to keep it going, and really secure the tie in this match, and they did just that, with two more goals in the second half from Dagoberto in the 46th minute and Bojinov right on full time, both scoring their second goals of the game and sealing an emphatic victory for Juventus, to secure their place in the Semi-Finals. Three days later, after the emotion and delight of the Palermo game, Nick took his side down to Albinoleffe, looking to do the double over them. At the halfway stage of the season, Juve were sitting in 4th place in the table, on 36 points, just 4 behind leaders Napoli. It was a good looking table, especially considering the fact that Juve had started on -17 points, and Nick was extremely confident that his boys could go on to gain an automatic promotion push, maybe even win the Serie B title. Albinoleffe hadn't put up much of a fight on the opening day of the season, and it was virtually the same here. Nick's side never had to get out of second gear, cruising to a 2-1 victory thanks to goals from Matteo Paro and Dagoberto, his third in two games. Albinoleffe did score near the end, but it wasn't enough to stop Juve cruising to another three points and moving 3rd in the table.

[sherm]

The Serie A leaders, and defending Champions Inter Milan were the next team on the agenda, and a trip to the San Siro beckoned, in what was being tipped to be an intriguing Semi-Final tie in the Coppa Italia. Nick told his side that even though they were the best team in Italy right now, they weren't invincible, and he gave his boys every chance of beating them. It just needed a good, solid start so that they could push on from that and try and gain a lead significant enough for the second leg. Inter had other ideas, and they came out like a house on fire, taking the lead on 7 minuets, Adriano rifling home his 25th goal of the season. Five minutes later, Juve were level, a Dagoberto cross punched to the edge of the area and Valeri Bojinov pouncing on the rebound to draw his team level, and give them a vital away goal. Adriano scored his, and his teams second on 34 minutes, after picking up Maicon's pass and hitting the ball across Buffon into the far corner. He completed his hat-trick 4 minutes later, this time rising highest to head home a corner, and Inter almost had the job done. They didn't quite, because on 43 minutes, Dagoberto was left alone to score an easy chance and bring the defecit to one goal, aswell as giving Juve their second away goal. 3-2 was how it stayed, and it was a result, and a performance, that Nick and his team could be extremely proud of.

Triestina were the next visitors to the Olimpico for Juve's final league match of the month. A win could see them climb above Genoa into 2nd place, which is just where they wanted to be. They started well in the game too, the in-form striker Dagoberto forcing the keeper to make a couple of good saves, before Bojinov struck the bar late on in that half. It was all square and goalless at half time, and despite Juve's best efforts, that was how it stayed at full-time, the Triestina 'keeper having earned a man of the match award for his efforts in that second half, which included denying Ginnichedda, Bojinov, Dagoberto and substitute Palladino in the last minute of the match. The draw saw them stay 3rd, just 4 points behind the league leaders, and with the best goal difference in the league promotion was beginning to look like a real possibility for Nick's side. The final game of the month, which saw Inter visit the Olimpico for the 2nd leg of the Semi Final, was a bit of a dull affair, with only 5 shots on target throughout the game. Three of these found the back of the net though, and Inter were the team who ventured into the Coppa Italia final. The game was not without controversy though, Younes Kaboul being sent off in the 9th minute for allegedly using an elbow, when replays seemed to suggest it was an accident. After this, Juve were always going to struggle, and Inter took advantage of their numbers advantage, Crespo turning the ball home for a 4-2 aggregate lead. Matteo Paro did pull one back in the 65th minute however, and his side were pressing and pressing after this, but they just could not find the equaliser, instead being caught on the counter and Goran Slavkovski guaranteeing Inter a place in the final. It was a brave effort, and Nick was proud of his side.

January 2007 Summary

Serie B unless stated, Juventus scorers listed only)

Juventus 1-0 Bari Trezeguet (20)

Frosinone 0-2 Juventus Kaboul (45) Bojinov (90)

Albinoleffe 1-2 Juventus Paro (29) Dagoberto (84)

Juventus 0-0 Triestina

Coppa Italia Q.F 1st Leg

Palermo 1-0 Juventus

Coppa Italia Q.F 2nd Leg

Juventus 4-1 Palermo Bojinov (6,90) Dagoberto (33,46)

Coppa Italia S.F 1st Leg

Inter Milan 3-2 Juventus Bojinov (12) Dagoberto (43)

Coppa Italia S.F 2nd Leg

Juventus 1-2 Inter Milan Paro (65) : Kaboul sent off (9)

League Position : 3rd

[sherm]

Coming into February, all was going well for Nick and his Juventus side. They were unbeaten in 23 league games, and having disposed of the 17 point penalty with ease, they quickly moved up the table, now finding themselves in third place. The team was starting to gel, although they were still not putting enough chances away, and just occasionally they seemed to lack the finishing touch in front of goal, with only Del Piero and Bojinov (along with the departed Trezeguet) reaching double figures for the season. Nick was delighted with the impact that his £4 million pound centre back Younes Kaboul had had on the side, using his power and his terrific aerial ability to control defensive areas, and chipping in with a couple of important goals. His 30 yard strike against Frosinone had earned him 2nd place in the goal of the month award, only stopped from getting first place by a wonderful bicycle kick from Arezzo striker Rey Volpato (who was on loan from Juventus). The first game of the month saw an away trip to Mantova, and it was a game in which Dagoberto and Bojinov continued their surprisingly fruitful partnership, each grabbing a goal as Nick's side maintained their unbeaten run. Both goals came in the first half, Bojinov opening the scoring on 6 minutes after taking Dagoberto's pass, and Dagoberto receiving a through ball from Matteo Paro before slotting home underneath the keeper. There was a blow for Nick, left winger Peter Halmosi coming off with what appeared to be a thigh injury, so that meant Kevin Larsen would have to step up and take his place.

A home game was up next, with the visit of promotion rivals Genoa. They had been on good form of late, having not lost in their previous 7 matches, but if Nick hadn't have known this before the match there was no way he would have been able to tell, Genoa were awful, second to every ball, sluggish in the pass and slow to the tackle, and they paid for their poor start dearly, Juve racing into a two goal lead, with goals from Kevin Larsen and Raffaele Palladino, which left them 2 up after 22 minutes. Larsen gave his side the lead on 4 minutes, cutting in from the left and hitting a hard, low shot across the Genoa 'keeper Guardelben. It was Guardalben's error that allowed a second, he spilled Bojinov's original shot and Palladino followed up to ram home his third goal of the season. They should have scored more, and gone in at half time with a 3 or 4 goal lead, but a 2 goal lead was what they managed. Genoa came out and played much better in the second half, getting their reward when Figueroa picked up the loose ball, turned and fired into the bottom corner on 68 minutes to give his team hope. Juventus should have wrapped it up from there, Camoranesi, Palladino and Paro all missing guilt-edged chances to seal the three points. It was a controversial goal that secured Genoa a point, as the goal scorer Figueroa was standing at least 5 yards offside, but the linesman never put his flag up, and he went on to guarantee his side a point with his 87th minute equaliser. Nick was absolutely furious with the Genoa equaliser, and he made no bones in complaining to the Italian F.A about it. They obviously felt that Nick had a point, as they were quiet on the matter and chose not to give Nick a warning. It was things like that decision that left Nick and other managers tearing their hair out. How difficult was it to raise the flag for offside? It could be two dropped points that would come back to haunt Nick, if his side missed out on promotion by a point for example, or something like that, and he just couldn't understand why officials got major decisions wrong. He couldn't afford to dwell on the decision, and neither could his team, they needed to pick up maximum points from their remaining two games in the month. He had also sent his scouts to have a look around different continents to see if any players would fit the bill for next season, in terms of strengthening the squad for the Serie A campaign, especially now promotion was becoming a real possibility.

[sherm]

Games against Arezzo and Cesena closed out February, with both sides mid-table and looking like their seasons may be petering out. Juventus visited Arezzo first and once again it was a game that they controlled with ease and composure, working hard and securing a comfortable 2-0 win, with the goals coming from Valeri Bojinov and the returning Alessandro Del Piero. It was Del Piero who set up the opener for his strike partner, getting the ball from Giannichedda and whipping a cross in for Bojinov to head home. The Bulgarian striker had been in lethal form this season, and took his tally to 15 goals for the campaign, and he had really flourished, particularly since Trezeguet's departure, where he made one of the striker's roles his own. Del Piero scored the second on 66 minutes, stealing the ball from the toes of a defender and breaking through to power it home past the keeper. Both Bojinov and Del Piero could have had more goals, and Paro and Giannichedda both missed good chances, but a 2-0 win was more than good enough for Nick, and his side leapfrogged Genoa into 2nd and just a point behind the leaders Napoli. Cesena were the visitors to the Olimpico for the final game of the month, and they were desperately in need of points to move away from the relegation zone they were in danger of being sucked into. Nick was determined that his side would get another positive result, and that is exactly what they did, an easy 3-0 victory keeping their unbeaten record in tact and level on points with Napoli, therefore top of the table on goal difference. Del Piero started the game with a bang, putting Juve in front after just 21 seconds, the quickest goal of the season so far. He doubled the lead with a penalty 2 minutes before half-time, a penalty which he had won, his hanging cross being handled in the area by a Cesena defender. Mauro Camoranesi added a third 6 minutes after the interval to wrap up the points and send the Old Lady top for the first time this season. Things were looking bright for Nick, and his team were doing the business, getting results and playing attractive football.

February 2007 Summary

Serie B unless stated, Juventus scorers listed only)

Mantova 0-2 Juventus Bojinov (6) Dagoberto (30)

Juventus 2-2 Genoa Larsen (4) Palladino (22)

Arezzo 0-2 Juventus Bojinov (26) Del Piero (66)

Juventus 3-0 Cesena Del Piero (1, pen 43) Camoranesi (51)

League Position : 1st

[sherm]

March started with a trip to Vicenza, and it was a game that came very close to giving Nick and his Juventus side their first taste of defeat in Serie B. Vicenza, buoyed by their manager and the support of their fans, took the game to Juventus, and created several good opportunities. hitting a post, having a header cleared off the line and forcing Buffon to make three good saves. Juventus had their fair share of chances too, Del Piero and Bojinov missing two each, and Matteo Paro curled a shot just over. A goal did come eventually, and it came in the second minute of stoppage time, Valeri Bojinov picking up the ball from Camoranesi's through ball and firing it into the bottom corner to guarantee his side three points that they probably didn't deserve. Nick wasn't going to complain, three points is three points at the end of the day, but he knew his team would need to play better than that at this at this stage of the season. Their next game was probably the most important of the season so far, 1st vs. 2nd, Juventsu vs. Napoli, and a game that could go a long way to determining the Serie B Champion's. The game, at the Olimpico, had come at a good time, with the Juve defence playing well and having conceded just two goals in their last five games, Nick was confident they could pick up all three points. Juventus started the better of the two sides, creating several good chances in the first half, but being unable to finish the chances, the Napoli defence holding firm and resisting the force of the Juve attack. The second half was more of the same, Juventus pushing forward and creating chance after chance, but the Napoli defence held firm, holding out for a 0-0 draw, and nullifying the Juventus attack.

A trip to Treviso was next on the agenda, and Nick expected his side to return to winning ways in this game against the 14th placed side. Del Piero wasn't fully fit so Nick didn't risk him, instead playing Palladino in his place. Treviso started out with 10 men behind the ball, obviously playing for a point, so Nick decided to play the diamond formation, trying to make a different formation, therefore creating more chances. Treviso, playing a 5-3-2 formation, and for the second game in succession, they were unable to find the back of the opposition net. Bojinov missed three good chances, and Paro and Giannichedda both had good chances, but it didn't matter what they tried, Nick's side were left frustrated, with a second goalless draw in successive games. Nick was unable to put his finger on why his side were finding it so difficult to find the back of the net in the last three games. This was the case in the next game against Crotone, although they did manage to get back to winning ways, Valeri Bojinov's 31st minute strike giving his team all three points, but they could have still had 4 or 5 more. Still, Nick wasn't going to complain, because his side had three points, returning to the winning ways and moving two points clear at the top of the table.

[mark wilson27]

Great story, Im doing the same story so lets hope I do as well as you in the league

[sherm]

mark wilson27 - Thanks for the support, and good luck with your own Juventus story, I think you will find it as enjoyable as any game you'll have played on FM

-------------------

The final game of the month saw Nick and his side visit Piacenza, a side who many had expected to be challenging up at the top of the table but who were languishing in 11th place after a topsy-turvy season. Nick wanted his side to add another nail in the coffin and take all three points from the match. The 14th minute provided the opening goal, Dagoberto latching onto Giannichedda's through ball and firing the ball underneath the on-rushing Piacenza 'keeper. Dagoberto had the best chance of the half, on 38 minutes, hitting the post after beating three men. The second half saw much of the same, Juve dominating the match and having the best chances, although the only goal came on 55 minutes, Del Piero curling a left footed shot past the 'keeper to score his teams second goal and secure all three points, to keep his team at the top the league and bring them ever so closer to the dream of promotion.

The day before the Piacenza game, the board had approached Nick and offered him an extension to his contract, albeit only a one year rolling extension due to the perilous financial situation of the club, but Nick accepted straightaway, signing the contract within seconds of reading it, and committing his signature to the club for another year. The board, the fans and the players were delighted that such a talented young manager was committed to the club and that he would be plying his trade with the Old Lady of Turin.

March 2007 Summary

(Serie B unless stated, Juventus scorers listed only)

Vicenza 0-1 Juventus Bojinov (90)

Juventus 0-0 Napoli

Treviso 0-0 Juventus

Juventus 1-0 Crotone Bojinov (31)

Piacenza 0-2 Juventus Dagoberto (14) Del Piero (55)

League Position : 1st

[sherm]

With just 10 games left in the season every point would count, so Nick knew his side needed to win every game possible to secure promotion as early as they could. Spezia were the first visitors of the month to Olimpico, and Nick wanted his defence to carry on their terrific recent record, having not conceded in their last 7 games. With no left winger's available for the game, Nick had to draft in young Paolo De Ceglie for the match, but he had confidence in his ability. It took 11 minutes for the scoring to be opened, Del Piero beating his man to the ball before volleying home at the far post to put his side in front. 4 minutes later it was 2-0, debutant Paolo De Ceglie driving into the area before firing home across the 'keeper. Chances came and went throughout the game, Del Piero and Bojinov missing two chances a piece, before the game was finally settled on 66 minutes, Raffaele Palladino securing the points for his side with a 15 yard strike into the bottom corner. Palladino could have added another on 85 minutes, forcing the keeper to make a good save but 3-0 was more than good enough for Nick, to wrap up three points and keep them in 1st place in the table.

Another home game was next, against bottom side Bologna, who had had an awful season, which had seen them lose two managers and several thousand fans. Nick still didn't expect an easy game though, and he expected Bologna to come at his side, knowing full well that they needed the points as much, if not more than his own side. This is exactly what happened, Bologna and Juve both coming at each other, creating chances and both 'keeper's being forced to make good saves. The best chance of the match fell to midfielder Matteo Paro, breaking the offside trap of the Bologna defence and hitting the ball across the 'keeper, only for it to creep inches past the post and deny Paro and Juventus the first goal. Just as Nick was resigning himself to a goalless draw, his team proved that they had tricks up their sleeves, as a scramble in the box saw the ball come loose for Raffaele Palladino, who turned and slammed home in the 87th minute to give his team the three points, which in hindsight they probably just about deserved. With Napoli losing at home to Genoa, Nick's side moved 5 points clear at the top of the table, and there was breathing space between the third placed Albinoleffe too.

[sherm]

A visit to Rimini was the next game for Nick and his side to contend with, and he knew that a win would keep up their promotion hopes and bring them ever closer. They were not the best team in the league, but they were also not the worst team, and Nick knew that away from home it is always difficult to gain wins, when the home team have their fans behind them and will attack and go for the win. De Ceglie came in at left back as Chiellini picked up a slight strain, and Bojinov and Palladino kept their places up-front. Paro was a dominant force in central midfield, and he was the key to Juventus' creativity, Giannichedda had the best chance of the first 45 minutes, playing a lovely one-two with Paro before firing a shot that forced the Rimini 'keeper to fingertip the ball round the post. It wasn't a game for the neutral, but Rimini clearly wanted a point from the match. No matter what Juve tried, they could not break down the stubborn Rimini defence, and the home side came away with a point that they richly deserved, and as good a point that they will ever have earned.

Pescara were the visitors to Olimpico for the final game of the month, and Nick wanted his side to hammer home their advantage at the top of the table and show the rest of Italy that they meant business, and were determined to show Serie A teams that they wouldn't be a walkover next season. Two minutes into the match, Dagoberto did this, firing home from the edge of the area to give his side the lead. Pescara didn't offer much resistance to Juve, and the second goal came on 39 minutes, Kevin Larsen volleying home from 7 yards to double his side's lead. Pescara did pull a goal back after 78 minutes, but it didn't mean anything to the result and Juve kept their lead at their top of the table, keeping their promotion push on course and Nick was delighted to keep the board happy.

April 2007 Summary

(Serie B unless stated, Juventus scorers listed only)

Juventus 3-0 Spezia Del Piero (11) De Ceglie (15) Palladino (66)

Juventus 1-0 Bologna Palladino (87)

Rimini 0-0 Juventus

Juventus 2-1 Pescara Dagoberto (2) Larsen (39)

League Position : 1st

[sherm]

An away trip to Verona started May off, and it was a game that Nick expected to be tough. Verona were a decent side, with several good players and if they won this game then Nick would be delighted with three points. He fielded his strongest possible eleven, with Del Piero and Bojinov starting upfront, and Kevin Larsen taking his place on the left wing. It was Larsen who opened the scoring on 27 minutes, with his second goal in as many games, picking up the loose ball and slotting home past the hapless Verona keeper. The lead was doubled 6 minutes into the 2nd half, Dagoberto continuing his recent good form and heading home from Del Piero's cross to put his side two ahead. Verona did pull a goal back late on in the match, Kevin Larsen's back pass falling too short and the striker nipping in to round Buffon and score for his team, but the game finished 2-1. The win meant that all Nick's side needed to do was win any one of their next 5 games to secure promotion back to Serie A, and what better place to do than at home in front of your own fans, which is where their next game was, and where they intended to secure the promotion clinching win.

Brescia were the visitors for the all important game, and from the start they seemed inclined to stop Nick and his side from getting the promotion. They even had the audacity to take the lead after 8 minutes, the Brescia midfielder lofting a ball over the top for the striker to head into the net past Buffon. Juve did get back into the match though, Valeri Bojinov scoring right before half time to even things up. Nick's side came out all guns blazing in the second half, and they got their reward on 67 minutes, Bojinov scoring the teams second and doubling his tally for the match in the process. He should have completed his hat-trick 10 minutes later, curling the ball past the 'keeper but clipping the post rather than hitting the back of the net. Missing that chance cost his side too, as Brescia broke on the counter attack after 84 minutes to snatch a late and completely undeserved equaliser and foil the promotion hopes, for this game at least. Nick knew they needed to get it secured as quickly as possible, so he planned ahead for the trip to Lecce in the hope his side could secure promotion to the top flight in that game.

[sherm]

The trip to Lecce turned out to be the game that all the fans and everybody on the backroom staff had wanted, the win that secured promotion back to Serie A at the first time of asking. By no means did the game come easy, Lecce constantly asking questions of the Juve defence and at one point, dominating for a period where they could have had 3 or 4 goals, but Nick's side held firm and strong and did their job, securing promotion to Serie A. It was Juve who opened the scoring, Del Piero curling home from a tight angle after robbing Leggrotaglie of the ball. In the first half they could have extended the lead to 2 or 3-0, but as it was they didn't manage to score again, and Lecce punished them, equalising in the 67th minute, right in the middle of a period where they could have sealed the win and handed Juve their first league defeat. As it was, they didn't, and Nick's side displayed their quality and their fighting spirit, Dagoberto snatching the winner on 78 minutes, beating his man in the air and heading home past the keeper. Lecce hit a post late on, but Juve held on for their most important win of the season.

The champagne couldn't flow too much, as they still had a league title to secure, but Nick allowed himself a few celebratory drinks. Two more wins and they would be crowned Champions, a tremendous feat, especially having had the 17 point deficit. Modena were the visitors to the Olimpico, and they didn't manage to spoil the Juve party, succumbing to goals from Del Piero and Camoranesi, both scoring free-kicks and bringing Juve one win away from the league title. Del Piero converted his free kick on 22 minutes, winning in on the edge of the area and curling it home, while Camoranesi's was a cross that missed everyone and found its way into the bottom corner of the Modena goal, sealing a 2-0 win and crowning a glorious month of football

May 2007 Summary

(Serie B unless stated, Juventus scorers listed only)

Verona 1-2 Juventus Larsen (27) Dagoberto (51)

Juventus 2-2 Brescia Bojinov (45,67)

Lecce 1-2 Juventus Del Piero (28) Dagoberto (78)

Juventus 2-0 Modena Del Piero (22) Camoranesi (90)

League Position : 1st (Promoted)

[sherm]

With just two games left in the season, Nick's side needed one more win to guarantee the Serie B title. The penultimate game of the season was at Olimpico, Frosinone the visitors. They had started the season well and at one point had been well in the playoff hunt but they had slowly faded away and were sitting in a comfortable mid-table position. Nick knew promotion was wrapped up, so he had taken the opportunity to start a few of his reserve team and under 20's in the match, as he was confident that they would do the job. It proved to be a good decision on Nick's part, as it was one of his under 20's that secured the win. Daniel Sturridge scoring his teams two goals, his first ever senior goals. The first one, on 13 minutes, was a typical strikers goal, he utilised his pace to beat the last Frosinone defender and slot the ball home underneath the keeper. The second goal was different, a 5 man team move before the final ball from Gabriel Obertan across the box to Sturridge to head the ball home and give his side a two goal advantage. There were other chances for Juve, and Frosinone were unable to cope with the Juve attack. They didn't find a third goal though, but it didn't matter. The two goal win was good enough for Nick and his side to secure the Serie B title. The final game of the season saw Nick and his Juventus side travel to Bari, with their 41 game undefeated run, and looking to extend it to 42, and an unbeaten league season. At half time, they were 1-0 in front, a 43rd minute own goal from Mora giving Juventus the lead. 6 minutes after half time, Dagoberto made it 2-0, racing clear and lifting the ball over the oncoming 'keeper. The game was settled on 77 minutes, Giuliano Giannichedda hitting a 25 yard shot into the roof of the net to seal the 3 goal win and guarantee themselves an unbeaten season.

June 2007 Summary

(Serie B unless stated, Juventus scorers listed only)

Juventus 2-0 Frosinone Sturridge (13,42)

Bari 0-3 Juventus Mora O.G (43) Dagoberto (49) Giannichedda (77)

League Position : 1st (Promoted as Champions)

Serie B Final Standings 2007

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

PL W D L GD PTS

1. C Juventus 42 31 11 0 +56 87

2. P Napoli 42 22 10 10 +20 76

-------------------------------------------

3. PL Albinoleffe 42 21 11 10 +26 74

4. PL Genoa 42 21 11 10 +19 74

5. PL Lecce 42 21 8 13 +14 71

6. PL Bari 42 17 15 10 +10 66

</pre>

[sherm]

After such a terrific season in Serie B Nick was determined to keep this run going into Serie A, and he had his sights set on particular players to strengthen the squad for Serie A, Nick knew he needed a big squad. The only problem for him, and for the players, was the problem of expectations for next season. With the quality of players in his squad, and the quality of players he was hoping to attract, then he felt that a European spot was not beyond his team. He did know however, that with the financial situation as it is, the board would be satisfied with a mid-table place, merely staying in the division would be good enough for them. He was ambitious, as were his team, and he felt that a top 6 finish and a European place was not above his team. He also knew that this would bring in great financial implications, as would a good Coppa Italia run.

The Italian F.A had sent a fax through to Nick with a list of the awards for the season, and it was pleasing to see that 5 of his title winning team had made it into the team of the year. Gianluigi Buffon, Younes Kaboul, Giorgio Chiellini, Mauro Camoranesi and Alessandro Del Piero had all made the starting line up in the team of the year. Nick had also earned the manager of the year award, a feat which he deserved after an unbeaten league campaign, and he was delighted that the team's form had been recognised in the F.A awards. He now had to build for the next season and try to sign some players that would push them onto the next step in Serie A, and maybe even push for that European place that Nick felt they were capable of getting into.

[sherm]

Juventus Squad Statistics 2006/07

(All games included in all competitions)

Gianluigi Buffon, Gk 48 apps, 30 cln, 7.50 avg.

Marcelo Grohe, GK 2 apps, 1 cln, 7.00

Felice Piccolo, DRC 4(4) apps, 0 gls, 7.00

Jonathan Zebina, DRC,WBR 39(2) apps, 1 gls, 7.20

Jean-Alain Boumsong, DC 43(2) apps, 0 gls, 7.13

Younes Kaboul, DC,DM 43 apps, 2 gls, 7.21

Igor Tudor, DC,DM 17(16) apps, 1 gls, 7.04

Giorgio Chiellini, D/WBL 48(2) apps, 0 gls, 7.20

Peter Halmosi, D/AML 20(10) apps, 1 gls, 7.23

Kevin Larsen, D/AML 7 apps, 3 gls, 7.14

Florian Kringe, WBRL,DM 8(7) apps, 0 gls, 6.87

Paolo De Ceglie, WB/AML 2(1) apps, 1 gls, 6.67

Giuliano Giannichedda, DM 16(9) apps, 2 gls, 7.00

Matteo Paro, DM 36(3) apps, 3 gls, 7.23

Cristiano Zanetti, DM 21(3) apps, 1 gls, 7.08

Gabi, MC 16(3) apps, 0 gls, 7.21

Mauro Camoranesi, AMR 32 apps, 4 gls, 7.47

Marco Marchionni, AMR 17(7) apps, 1 gls, 7.04

Pavel Nedved, AMRLC 22(2) apps, 2 gls, 7.42

Gabriel Obertan, AMR 4(1) apps, 0 gls, 7.00

Alessandro Del Piero, AMLC,FC 35(2) apps, 28 gls, 7.57

Rafaelle Palladino, AML,ST 13(10) apps, 5 gls, 7.00

Dagoberto, AM/FC 19(15) apps, 13 gls, 7.06

Valeri Bojinov, ST 22(18) apps, 18 gls, 7.08

Daniel Sturridge, ST 4 apps, 2 gls, 7.00

The Juventus midfield in particular had been extremely influential in gaining promotion to Serie A, all contributing with goals, assists and good performances. Obviously the goals from Del Piero, Bojinov and Dagoberto had been crucial, and the vital contributions from the two full backs Zebina and Chiellini and the two centre backs Kabould and Boumsong. These players would be the mainstay of the team that would play in Serie A, and they would be the main players that would guide Nick's side into a position that befitted their status and the quality of the players they had in the squad.

[sherm]

Nick had sent his scouts out looking for players that would be good enough to add depth to the squad for the up-coming Serie A season. There wasn't a main area to strengthen really, he just wanted to add depth to every area of the squad. Nick had made offers for two players that he had been tracking since he joined Juventus in 2006, and these offers had been accepted. One of them was for 18 year old central defender Sidnei, who was currently playing for Internacional in Brazil, and he had a minimum fee release clause of £550k, which Nick was more than happy to offer for a player who was one for the future, a centre back that would be at the forefront of his Juventus plans for a long time to come. He had also made a £170k offer for Central's 18 year old attacking midfielder Emiliano Vecchio, another young player who had a massive future in the game, and one who would be a major player in the Juventus squad in years to come. His scouts had been sent to browse the free transfer list and loan list for players that would fit the profile of the squad players Nick was on the lookout for. Nick had been given a few options by his scouts, and one that particularly interested him was Didier Digard, who was at Ascoli but had found himself out of the first team squad, and Nick felt that Digard would provide excellent cover for his centre backs in the squad. He had also seen a former Juventus player, Christian Vieri, available on the free transfer market, and he would provide an able back-up to the strikers that were going to be the first choice. With Juventus listed as a former club of his, Nick didn't feel it would be difficult to entice Vieri to the Olimpico, and a contract was duly offered to the former Italian international.

Several more offers had been made for players, with Kennedy Bakircioglu, Tijani Bel Aid and Emra Tahirovic, all accepting contracts as back-up players at the club. The loan list was being scoured carefully, and there were several good players that Nick anted to add to his squad. He had been impressed with Gabi, who he had on loan from January to the end of the season, and had been impressive in his 19 appearances for the club, and Nick had no hesitation in approaching Atletico about taking him on loan for the season. There were two other players from Atletico that Nick felt would add good depth to the squad, Mario Suarez and Roberto Batres, both could play in midfield but Batres could play up-front if he needed to, and Nick duly made season long loan offers for both players. He had also approached Ascoli about the possibility of taking Didier Digard on loan, which they had not had a problem with allowing Juve to do, and Dogard quickly agreed to the move. Nick had noticed that a lot of co-ownership deals were due for revival, but the only one he was really interested in was striker Valeri Bojinov's, and he was competing for his services with Fiorentina. An offer of £4,5 million pounds was enough to secure his services permanently, as Fiorentina offered £2 million, and Juventus' form player from the back of last season was a permanent Juventus player.

[sherm]

With not long to go before the start of the new season, Nick was happy with his squad and his new additions, and with friendly games in place, he was more than happy that his side were ready for the new campaign. After assesing the squad, and pencilling in his starting eleven, he felt that two players returning from loans out of the club could do a job for the side. Andrea Gasbarroni and Ruben Olivera were both extremely good players, and could both play anywhere across the midfield, so Nick didn't have a problem drafting them into the first team squad this season. The transfers were all completed, Nick was happy with his signings and felt that they would provide cover (and even first team duties) for the team in both Serie A and the Coppa Italia.

Transfers In

Sidnei from Internacional £550k

Emiliano Vecchio from Central £170k

Emra Tahirovic from Halmstad £250k

Loans In

Mario Suarez from Atletico Loan

Gabi from Atletico Loan

Roberto Batres from Atletico Loan

Didier Digard from Ascoli Loan

Free Transfers In

Christian Vieri Free Transfer

Kennedy Bakircioglu Free Transfer

Tijani Bel Aid Free Transfer

[sherm]

Nick had only arranged 4 friendlies for his side, and he wasn't at all bothered about the results, or the performance, he just wanted his side to gain match fitness and to get themselves ready for the start of the season. A home game against Lyon was first, and they put a good side out, as did Nick, and it turned out to be a good game for the fans to watch. Dagoberto opened the scoring in the first 43 seconds, beating the Lyon defence to the ball and rounding the 'keeper before slotting home. Both sides managed to create chances, and they wanted to win the game for their fans, but Dagoberto secured a good pre-season win for his side with a goal straight after half time, hitting the ball from the edge of the area into the bottom corner after just 23 seconds of the half. He could, and probably should have had his hat-trick soon after, hitting the post with a header from a Camoranesi corner, but it didn't matter, and Nick was pleased his side had put a good showing up for the 16,000 fans in the Olimpico. The second friendly was against FC Bornhelm, an away game that didn't attract the fans, as it wasn't a glamorous game, but it was another good run-out for his team. A simple three goal win was started after nine minutes, Del Piero curling home a free-kick from 25 yards. It was three minutes later that the lead was doubled, Matteo Paro hitting a low shot from the corner of the area across the Bornhelm keeper. They created many more chances, and could have been in double figures by the time Guiseppe Sculli netted a third in the 90th minute. The younger players who had played had given a good account of themselves, and many of them would start in the next friendly too.

A visit to Randers F.C was next on the agenda, and it was a game that saw 6 of the younger players start. They put up another good account of themselves, and it was Sculli who set up Camoranesi for the opening goal, feeding a slide-rule pass through for the Italian to ram the ball home. Sculli had two good chances himself, while Daniel Sturridge hit a post just before half time. The second goal came 13 minutes from full time, new signing Christian Vieri scoring a trademark header, beating his marker in the air and powering the ball home. There were no more goals in the match, but Nick could not fault the performance of his side so far. Their fitness was really coming on and he felt his side would be more than ready for the start of the new season. Milan Reserves provided opposition for the final friendly match, and just like last year, the match ended in a 1-1 draw, Raffaele Palladino scoring his team's goal just before half-time, while Marco Borriello scored for Milan Reserves on 76 minutes. It wasn't a great game, not that anybody expected it to be, but Nick and his side had earned good experience and had been in an unbeaten pre-season campaign, and were going into the new season in a run of form.

Pre-Season Round Up

(Juventus scorers listed only)

Juventus 2-0 Lyon Dagoberto (1,46)

FC Bornhelm 0-3 Juventus Del Piero (9) Paro (12) Sculli (90)

Randers FC 0-2 Juventus Camoranesi (15) Vieri (77)

Milan Reserves 1-1 Juventus Palladino (43)

[sherm]

The draw for the first qualifying round of the Coppa Italia had drawn Nick's side against minnows Sassari Torres, a game which Juventus' under 20's should win, but Nick was taking no gambles, and played a strong side in the game. Vieri started the match up-front along with Valeri Bojinov, while Igor Tudor started in the centre of defence with Didier Digard due to the suspension of Younes Kaboul after his sending off against Inter Milan in last year's competition. Sassari Torres almost looked in awe of their more illustrious opponents, and it didn't take long for Nick's side to take the lead, Christian Vieri converting Mauro Camoranesi's cross. It was Ruben Olivera who made the second goal, his left wing cross finding the head of Igor Tudor who doubled the lead on 20 minutes. It was only 7 more minutes till the match was sealed, Christian Vieri scoring his second goal and his teams third, breaking through the Torres defence and finishing calmly into the bottom corner. Camoranesi made it 4 on the half hour, curling a shot home from just inside the box. Just after half time, 46 seconds into his substitute appearance, Del Piero scored his side's 5th goal, and Bojinov put the icing on the cake after 61 minutes, flashing a shot across the 'keeper into the far corner. There were no more goals, but the 6 goal win was reminiscent of their opening game under Nick last season, also a 6-0 win, against Martina.

Juventus' 1st round win saw them meet fellow Serie A side Siena in the next round, a game which was a lot more difficult than the opener. Siena, although they had survived relegation by just a point last season, were still a good side, but yet again Nick and his team got off to a great start, Valeri Bojinov putting them in front after 8 minutes. Bojinov doubled the lead right on half time, capitalising on a mistake by Daniel Andersson and rounding the keeper to slot into the empty net. Siena did pull one back after 87 minutes but it wasn't enough, and Juventus were one more game away from the Coppa Italia, which could provide some much needed revenue. An away game against Napoli was the third round draw that Juventus earned, and this game was not about great team performances, or lovely passing moves, but it was all about one man. Valeri Bojinov scored all four of the Juve goals, and Napoli looked unable to cope with him. He used his pace and power to destroy the hapless Napoli defence, scoring goals in the 18th, 36th, 78th and 86th minutes to guarantee his side a place in the Coppa Italia. The first two goals were poachers efforts, finishing from a parried shot and heading home from 6 yards. For the third goal Bojinov beat the defence and slotted underneath the on-rushing Iezzo. His 4th goal was free-kick from the edge of the area, curling it into the bottom corner to seal a top notch performance from him and his side.

August 2007 Summary

(Juventus scorers listed only)

Coppa Italia 1st Qualifying Round

Sassari Torres 0-6 Juventus Vieri (7,27) Tudor (20) Camoranesi (30) Del Piero (46) Bojinov (61)

Coppa Italia 2nd Qualifying Round

Juventus 2-1 Siena Bojinov (8,45)

Coppa Italia 3rd Qualifying Round

Napoli 0-4 Juventus Bojinov (18,36,78,86)

[Panpardus]

Nice work, it will be interesting to see how you go in the big league, looking forward to seeing it develop

[sherm]

Panpardus - Well I still think my squad is good enough for Serie A but we will have to see where I end up after the season. Thanks for the support : thup :

------------------------

A home game against Roma opened up Nick's first ever Serie A campaign, and although it was a chance for them to get off to a winning start, Nick knew that it would be a difficult game, Roma were a recognised Serie A side, and they were one of the most successful in history. Nick had his strongest team available to him, and he decided to field his best side. Del Piero picked up a slight strain in his groin the day before the game, meaning Christian Vieri stepped in to start the Roma game. Vieri it was that gave his team a lead, heading home a Mauro Camoranesi cross after 35 minutes. Both sides had chances before that Vieri goal, and they both had a couple of good chances before half time. Just after half time Roma equalised, Francesco Totti racing through the Juve defence and slotting underneath Buffon. The turning point came on 58 minutes, Philippe Mexes sent off for his second bookable offence. It was 7 minutes after this, on 65 minutes, that Nick's side regained the lead, Jonathan Zebina striking a shot across the goal and into the far corner. Bojinov sealed the game 2 minutes later, racing through and latching onto Younes Kaboul's clearance before firing the ball low into the bottom corner. A 3-1 win gave Nick and his side an excellent start to their return to Serie A.

Livorno were up next, also a home game, and one that Nick didn't think would be as tough a test as the Roma game. He was right, and after 18 minutes Del Piero set them on the way, curling a ball through the defence and into the top corner of the net. However, whatever they tried after this, they could not find the back of the net again. Del Piero, Bojinov, Dagoberto, Gabi and Zebina all missed good chances, the best ones falling to Bojinov and Gabi. The chances kept coming, and the Livorno 'keeper kept beating the shots away, and the defence held firm. They got their rewards in the 4th minute of injury time, Cristiano Lucarelli hitting a shot from a tight angle and beating Buffon to earn his team a point.

[Amaroq]

Now we get to the good stuff! Congrats on the opening-day win...

[sherm]

Amaroq - Thanks for the support, and it certainly was a good win against Roma. Hopefully I'll pick a few more up along the way

------------------------

A trip to Sampdoria would provide another difficult test, and Nick was disappointed with the loss of Bojinov in training before the game, meaning that Del Piero and Dagoberto started up-front. Sampdoria had some excellent players, and one of the best midfields in the league. It wasn't their midfield that put them in the league though, it was their new striker from Manchester United, French international Louis Saha putting Sampdoria in the lead from a Gianluigi Buffon mistake, his kick not going far enough and Saha returning the ball back over his head and putting his side in the lead. Juventus did get back into the match, equalising on the 27th minute, Younes Kaboul firing the ball home from the edge of the area after it came loose from a corner. Sampdoria seemed to get a new lease of life after this, and took the lead straight back on 36 minutes, Emiliano Bonazzoli beating the Juve defence and slotting the ball home underneath Buffon. Both sides had more chances after this, and they could have gone in at half time 5 a piece. As it was, they went in 2-2, Ruben Olivera, who had caused all sorts of problems for Sampdoria, picked up the ball and ran 25 yards, before curling the ball home from 30 yards, a genuine contender for the goal of the season. Juve started the better of the sides in the second half, starting well and they could have scored two or three in the first 5 minutes of the half. As it was, it was Sampdoria that scored the third goal, a corner swing across and Saha rising to head home his second goal, and his teams third. Neither side managed to find the back of the net after this, and Sampdoria managed to hang on to claim an impressive 3-2 win and keep up their 100% record.

The second away trip and final game of the month saw a visit to Fiorentina, Valeri Bojinov's old club. Bojinov regained his place for this match, and he seemed to be really up for the match, intent on showing them why they should have kept him. Fiorentina started the better side, creating a couple of good chances, the bets falling to Luca Toni, but throughout the half they could not find the breakthrough. The breakthrough came to Nick's side, and it was inevitably Bojinov that scored, receiving the ball from Giuliano Giannichedda and slotting the ball underneath the keeper, sending his team in ahead at the interval. Juve came out searching for a second, and with their attacking prowess and constant pressing, they were open to a Fiorentina attack. This is exactly what happened, Fiorentina breaking on the counter and Luca Toni finishing the move on 78 minutes, to guarantee his side a point which they deserved in all fairness. It had been a slightly disappointing month, even with the Roma win, and Nick knew his side needed to make the most of their home games to have a good season

September 2007 Summary

(Serie A unless stated, Juventus scorers listed only)

Juventus 3-1 Roma Vieri (35) Zebina (65) Bojinov (67)

Juventus 1-1 Livorno Del Piero (18)

Sampdoria 3-2 Juventus Kaboul (27) Olivera (43)

Fiorentina 1-1 Juventus Bojinov (45)

League Position : 8th

[sherm]

After such a disappointing month, with only 1 win from 4 games, Nick knew his side need to perform much better. The first game of the month was the toughest test in Nick's rather short managerial career to date, a trip to the San Siro to face last season's runners up Inter Milan. The game would be difficult enough with 11 men, but the referee seemed intent on causing Juve all sorts of problems from the opening whistle. The 4th minute saw the decision that probably cost Juve any sort of result that was positive, Gianluigi Buffon sent off for bringing down Zlatan Ibrahimovic. It was decision that, although Nick felt it was a little harsh, he could understand the reason why it was given. Ibrahimovic converted the penalty to give Juve a serious mountain to climb. Inter doubled their lead after 34 minutes, Adriano racing onto a clearance from Materazzi and sliding the ball underneath substitute keeper Marcelo Grohe. Nick didn't really know what to say to his side, he knew it was unlikely that they would get anything from the game. There was worse to come in the second half, as Inter were to double their advantage, Ibrahimovic grabbing his second goal on 67 minutes before Materazzi headed home a corner on 78 minutes to grab his teams 4th, and give Nick and his Juve side a hammering, and something that did not feel good to Nick, and probably his players felt the same. Two minutes after the 4th goal, Jonathan Zebina was sent off for a second bookable offence to reduce Juve to 9 men.

A home game against Parma was a perfect opportunity for the team to get back on track with a win and a good performance, which is exactly what they did. Del Piero gave them a lead after 7 minutes, heading home Bojinov's parried shot. Bojinov himself scored on the half hour, converting Del Piero's cross easily to double the lead. It was only a minute after the second that Bojinov scored the third, racing clear through the Parma defence that was like a sieve, just leaking goals. Gabi, the loan signing from Atletico, was the man who scored the 4th, on the hour, a lovely curling effort into the far corner to seal Juve's second victory of the season. They weren't finished there though, Bojinov completing his hat-trick with his teams 5th goal, a volley from the edge of the area to guarantee their biggest league win under Nick's guidance.

[sherm]

Ascoli and Siena were the final two games of the month, and two very winnable games. After the demolition of Parma Nick was expectant, and told his team as such before the Ascoli game. Ascoli had different ideas, and even took a shock lead after 28 minutes. After this though, Juve were much the better side, and should have had a few goals before they did equalise. Giannichedda was the man who equalised, almost gaining a nosebleed by being so high up the pitch, but he made the most of it and beat the keeper before sliding home the ball. Giannichedda nearly had a second, and he probably should have had a second, beating his man and heading against the post. Bojinov had two good chances, putting one wide and one over, and Del Piero hitting the bar with a free-kick. Neither side managed to score a second, and 1 all was how it stayed, a disappointing draw in the circumstances, especially considering the Parma game previously.

Juventus had already met Siena once this season, a hard working 2-1 victory in the qualifying rounds of the Coppa Italia, and Nick expected a similarly hard game this time around. Del Piero started on the bench, and Christian Vieri took his place. Vieri should have scored early on, putting the ball straight into the 'keeper's hands. Matteo Paro had a good chance too, putting the ball just wide from a Bojinov through ball. Bojinov himself missing a hat-trick of chances in that first half, which had been unlike him in this campaign. He did open the scoring however on 53 minutes, reacting first to the rebound from substitute Palladino's shot. Just as it looked like a win was on the cards, Siena came from nowhere to equalise on 88 minutes, earning themselves a point that they didn't deserve by any means. Juventus still could have won it at the end, Palladino missing a great chance to get all three points, but it wasn't to be, and Juve stayed in mid-table.

October 2007 Summary

(Serie A unless stated, Juventus scorers only listed)

Inter Milan 4-0 Juventus Buffon s/o (4) Zebina s/o (80)

Juventus 5-0 Parma Del Piero (7) Bojinov (30,31,73) Gabi (60)

Ascoli 1-1 Juventus Giannichedda (54)

Juventus 1-1 Siena Bojinov (53)

League Position : 12th

[sherm]

Juventus were sitting comfortably in mid-table, but Nick knew that his side were capable of a lot more and a lot higher than that. With only three games this month, anything other than 3 wins would be disappointed. Nick drummed this message home to his team, and they provided a perfect start with a 3-0 hammering of Messina. Del Piero regained his place in the side, and he duly showed why with a 28th minute strike to put his side in the lead. He could have had several more goals before half time, but as he was going for another he picked up a slight knock, which led to Palladino replacing him at half time. Palladino set up the second goal, firing the ball low across the box for Bojinov to slot home on 49 minutes. Bojinov scored again on the hour mark, racing through and past the defence and firing across the 'keeper to secure all three points and give his side a well deserved win. The only low point of the match was the injury picked up by Ruben Olivera, who had been on superb form ever since returning from his loan spell, but it was still a good victory for his side. They had a very tough game next, a trip to Palermo, who were a tough, hard working side and they had given Juve a very difficult time in the Coppa Italia last season, and Nick wanted a good performance from the team. They did give this, and they took an 8th minute lead through Valeri Bojinov's strike. After the goal, the Palermo defence tried to keep Bojinov quiet, and although he didn't find the net again, he was causing trouble all the time. He had a couple of good chances, and should have scored at least one of them, but he didn't. He wasn't the only one, Del Piero, Paro, Gabi all missing chances to double the sides lead. As it was, the Palermo attack could not find the net either, despite good chances for Makinwa in particular, and Juventus held on for a well deserved ed 1-0 win.

Empoli were sitting bottom of the league, having not won a game yet, and Nick wanted his side to secure a third win out of three in the month. Empoli were a better side than their league position suggested, but Nick sent his strongest available side out. They were attacking down the flanks, their favourite form and the one encouraged by Nick, and it reaped rewards after 24 minutes, a Mauro Camoranesi cross turned into his own net by Marco Andreolli. The lead was extended twelve minutes later, Igor Tudor rising highest to head home Camoranesi's corner. As had been the case several times in the season, Juve could have had 4,5 maybe 6 more, but they didn't manage to find the Empoli net again. Empoli played with more heart and more spirit in the second half, and even got back into the match thanks to a free kick from newly signed midfielder Cristiano Zanetti, himself a former Juventus player. The game petered out after that, although Empoli could have snatched a draw at the end, Zanetti breaking forward and firing the ball just over the bar, but Juve held on for a perfect month, 3 wins from 3 and 9 points out of 9. Nick had been delighted with his side and let them know it.

November 2007 Summary

(Serie A unless stated, Juventus scorers listed only)

Messina 0-3 Juventus Del Piero (26) Bojinov (49,60)

Palermo 0-1 Juventus Bojinov (8)

Empoli 1-2 Juventus Andreolli O.G (24) Tudor (36)

League Position : 6th

[Nailer123]

i just wanan say that this is a good read and has encouraged me to try out juventus myself

[laziofan_horia]

Congrats, mate, on a good promotion. Now let's see Serie A. But i know you will finish in the top four and gain a CL spot.

[sherm]

Nailer123 - Thanks for the support, and I'm pretty sure you will enjoy a game with Juventus. I have anyway

Laziofan_horia - A top 4 spot is certainly reachable, but the key will be winning home games against lower placed sides Thanks for the support though

-----------------------

After a perfect month Nick wanted his side to build on that and pick up as many points as they were able to. There were several difficult games to come, namely away at Lazio and A.C Milan, and a home game against Torino, who had earned a Champions league spot the previous season. They started with a visit from Genoa, who had been promoted through the play-off places, and were reliant on the goals of Luciano Figueroa to win games. Juventus got off to a good start though, Camoranesi winning a penalty in the 6th minute which was duly converted by Valeri Bojinov. Figueroa equalised for his side though, bringing them level on 34 minutes with a nicely taken goal. It wasn't long after this though that Juve regained the lead, Camoranesi playing a one-two with Del Piero and firing home into the bottom corner. They went in at half time 2-1 in front, and Nick wanted his side to build on this. They had several good chances, Olivera, Del Piero and Bojinov the main culprits, and they were made to rue those missed chances when Figueroa equalised for a second time after 78 minutes. The game, and the goals were not finished there, as Bojinov won a penalty after 84 minutes, a penalty which was converted by Del Piero to give his side the three points. It was three points that moved Juve into the top 4, and if they were there come the end of the season Nick would be very happy.

*The second leg of the Coppa Italia saw Palermo visit Olimpico, and with Juve holding a 1-0 lead from the first leg, they just had to play their normal game and score a goal that would seal their progress. As it was, Juve couldn't find the net throughout the 90 minutes, despite having several good chances, and it was Palermo that drew level, Makinwa firing home from 6 yards to send the tie into extra time. It was in the first 6 minutes of extra time that the game was sealed, an Alessandro Del Piero brace settling the tie and sending Juve through to the Quarter-Finals of the competition

* A mistake on my part, the Palermo game in the previous month was not a league game, it was the Coppa Italia. I missed the fact yesterday when I was posting. Apologies on my part

[sherm]

A trip to Lazio was next, with them having underachieved so far this season, sitting in 8th place, although their form had picked up recently. They started like a house on fire, and took a 9th minute lead through Goran Pandev, who broke through and fired across Buffon and into the bottom corner. Pandev was injured 10 minutes later, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Nick's team, as he was the most potent attacking threat while he was on the pitch. They did get back into the match in the 34th minute, Valeri Bojinov picking up the loose ball and ramming it home past the stranded 'keeper. It was all square going into the interval, but it wasn't long after the half time break that Juve took the lead, Bojinov scoring his second of the game aswell as his teams, Kaboul's clearance dropping at Bojinov's feet and he did the rest, slotting home underneath the goalkeeper. Lazio seemed downhearted after that, and a third wasn't long in coming, 6 minutes later, Del Piero curling a left-footed free-kick home form 20 yards to give his side a two goal lead and secure the three points for them. Both teams had chances to score more goals before full time, but neither team could find the back of the net and 3-1 was how it stayed. It was two good wins so far in the league this month, and another team who had been promoted with Juve were the next opponents, Napoli the visitors to Olimpico. They had been doing well so far this season, sitting in a comfortable 12th place, and they had obviously come for a point in this game. Juve could not break down the stubborn resistance of the Napoli defence, and Napoli were not providing the threat up-front that they were capable of, although they didn't seem to be prepared to commit forward. After half-time, Nick's side were a lot more ruthless, coming out and really going for it, and they got what they deserved after an hour, Valeri Bojinov racing onto the clearance out of defence and chipping the ball over the oncoming Iezzo. There were no more goals in the match, and a 1-0 win was more than good enough for Nick, and it took his side temporarily to 2nd place in the table, although other teams had to play the next day.

Torino were the next visitors to Olimpico, and they had been the surprise package of the last season, finishing 3rd and securing a Champions League spot. They were sitting in 4th this season, and had been a good outfit so far. They were resolute in defence and strong going forward, although much like Juventus, sometimes struggled to find the back of the net. Del Piero picked up a slight knock in training, which meant Palladino came in to the team. Palladino did his job, giving Juve the lead after 12 minutes, volleying home from Ruben Olivera's cross. Palladino also had two other good chances that half, and he should have put the game to bed. Bojinov, Matteo Paro and Gabi had chances to settle the match too. As it was, Torino were the team who scored next, a lapse in the Juve defence allowing them to nip in behind the last man and slot the ball underneath Gianluigi Buffon. Juve still could have won the tie after that, missing two good chances in the final 5 minutes, and having to settle for a 1-1 draw. An away trip to the San Siro was up next, and last time Nick and his side visited the San Siro they were beaten 4-0. That was against Inter, and this time they were meeting Champions Milan. It was a game in which Nick had to admit they were totally outclassed in, Milan dominating from whistle to whistle, and showing Nick just how far his team would have to come to be at Milan's quality. Fernando Torres opened the scoring on 34 minutes, hitting the ball from 25 yards right into the top corner of Buffon's net. It was Pirlo that scored the second 4 minutes after half-time, curling home a free-kick from 25 yards to double his side's lead. Torres wrapped up the game after 76 minutes, beating the Juve defence after Pirlo's through ball and sliding the ball home under Buffon. Nick knew his side had been totally outclassed, and he didn't have a go at his team, just told them that they should be aiming for that standard.

December 2007 Summary

(Serie A unless stated, Juventus scorers listed only)

Juventus 3-2 Genoa Bojinov (pen. 6) Camoranesi (42) Del Piero (pen. 84)

Lazio 1-3 Juventus Bojinov (34,48) Del Piero (54)

Juventus 1-0 Napoli Bojinov (60)

Juventus 1-1 Torino Palladino (12)

A.C Milan 3-0 Juventus

Coppa Italia 1st Round 2nd Leg

Juventus 2-1 Palermo Del Piero (92,96)

League Position : 4th

[sherm]

Despite the Milan result, December had been a good month, with 4 wins in their 6 games, and Nick wanted his side to build on that. There were 5 league games in January, and if Nick and his side could pick up at least 10 points then it would keep them on track for a European spot. Palermo, who Juve had already met twice this season, in the two legs of the Coppa Italia, and Nick felt his side could pick up three points to start the month off in style. The game at the Olimpico proved to be one for the die-hard fan, and although it wasn't the greatest match of the season, Nick didn't mind, as his side came away with a 2-0 win. The goals came from Bojinov, who ran through the defence and rounded the keeper on 12 minutes, and Gabi, who curled in a shot from the edge of the area 5 minutes from half time. In the game, they could have had more chances, Bojinov and Palladino the worst culprits. missing two guilt edged chances each. Palermo didn't really cause Juve much trouble, having two chances in the entire game, and Nick was delighted that his side were able to pick up a very good three points and move themselves up to third place. The Coppa Italia Quarter-Final was next up, Sampdoria the visitors to Olimpico, and once again Juve started the better of the two sides, creating the best chances of the first half, Vieri and Palladino missing the best of them, although Saha and Bazzani missed two good chances for Sampdoria. Bazzani made up for that, putting his side in the lead 7 minutes after half-time by beating the offside trap and slotting underneath Marcelo Grohe to send his team into a lead. Neither side could find the net after this, and Sampdoria took the 1-0 lead into the second leg of the tie, leaving Juve with a serious mountain to climb. An away trip to Udinese was next up, and it was another dire and hard fought game. Both sides cancelled each other out, and a goal was not forth coming until the 72nd minute, Andrea Gasbarroni scoring a total fluke, a cross from the left wing beating everybody and dropping over the keeper's head into the far corner, giving his side a 1-0 lead that wasn't really deserving, as both sides had been cancelling each other out, neither one playing their usual free-flowing football. No more goals came in the match, and Juventus held on for a 1-0 win which kept them in the top three of the table, and really started to make the league sit-up and take notice of the Old Lady.

[sherm]

The second leg of the Sampdoria game was another game that Juve started well in, but once again, Sampdoria seemed to hold that voodoo sign over them. Sampdoria had sealed their progress through by half time, holding a 2-0 lead on the night and that resulted in a 3-0 aggregate lead. Bazzani and Bonnazoli the goalscorers, scoring in the 6th and 34th minutes respectively. Bazzani had curled a free-kick in from the edge of the box, and it was his corner on 34 minutes that found Bonazzoli's head and secured a 2-0 lead at half-time. Juventus did get straight back into the match after half time, Vieri heading home the left wing cross from Kevin Larsen to give his side a glimmer of hope. They didn't ever get more than this hope though, as Sampdoria took hold of the game by the scruff of the neck and stopped Juve getting any free-flowing attacks going, and they didn't find the back of the net again, meaning that Sampdoria advanced into the Semi-Finals and Juve had to concentrate on the Serie A campaign. The next game in that campaign saw Chievo visit Olimpico, and Chievo had not had a great season, sitting mid-table in the league, after having an indifferent start to the season. They did take the lead though, after 23 minutes, the striker racing through and slotting underneath Buffon. Juventus took the game in their hands after this, and it wasn't too long before they equalised, Gabi heading home from a Del Piero corner and bringing his team level on 37 minutes. They stayed level through till half time, although both sides had chances, with Juventus having the best of them, Bojinov missing three one-on-one opportunities before the interval. In the second half it was much of the same, Juve missing chance after chance, and then in the 74th minute the second goal finally came, Valeri Bojinov firing the ball home from the edge of the box to put his side in front. Despite the fact that Juve still missed chances in the remainder of the match it didn't matter, they held on for the win and took themselves to second in the table, due to the fact both Milan and Fiorentina had dropped points. Nick was delighted with his team, and he felt that they were really making the other sides sit up and take notice of them.

Two away trips finished the month off, against two of the bottom three sides, Atalanta and Livorno. The day before the Atalanta match, in training, Bojinov picked up an injury, falling awkwardly and breaking his ribs, meaning he would be out for up to 2 months. This was a blow for Nick, as Bojinov had been hugely in-form, scoring at better than a goal a game and having over 20 goals for the season. Dagoberto was good enough to step into his place, and Nick had no problem putting him in to the team. The Atalanta game was a game that Nick expected his side to win, and after 15 minutes they were already 2-0 ahead. Del Piero opened the scoring after 5 minutes, receiving Camoranesi's pass and shooting across the 'keeper into the far corner of the net. Bojinov's replacement Dagoberto scored the second, racing through the defence and slotting underneath the Atalanta 'keeper for a 2-0 lead after 12 minutes. During the match, Juve had numerous chances to score more goals, Dagoberto and Del Piero both missing chances, Gabi, Paro and Giannichedda all missing guilt edged chances. As it was, it didn't make any difference to the game, Juventus running out 2-0 winners to secure their 11th win of the season and maintain their 2nd place in the table. Nick wanted his side to make it 5 league wins out of 5 against Livorno, and they duly delivered, once again running out 2-0 winners, and the goals came from the same scorers as the Atalanta game, Dagoberto and Del Piero securing the win. Dagoberto's goal came in the 7th minute, rounding the keeper and sliding the ball home. It was in the 32nd minute that the game was settled, Del Piero curling a free-kick home from the edge of the box to secure the three points. They did have other chances but nobody else managed to find the back of the net, and Juventus won the match 2-0

January 2008 Summary

(Serie A unless stated, Juventus scorers listed only)

Juventus 2-0 Palermo Bojinov (12) Gabi (40)

Udinese 0-1 Juventus Gasbarroni (72)

Juventus 2-1 Chievo Gabi (37) Bojinov (74)

Atalanta 0-2 Juventus Del Piero (5) Dagoberto (12)

Livorno 0-2 Juventus Dagoberto (7) Del Piero (33)

Coppa Italia Quarter Final 1st Leg

Juventus 0-1 Sampdoria

Coppa Italia Quarter Final 2nd Leg

Sampdoria 2-1 Juventus Vieri (48)

League Position : 2nd

[sherm]

Serie A League Table, January 2008

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

PL W D L GD PTS

1. Inter Milan 19 15 2 2 +40 47

2. JUVENTUS 20 12 5 3 +15 41

3. Fiorentina 20 11 5 4 +18 38

4. A.C Milan 19 10 7 2 +18 37

5. Torino 19 9 7 3 +10 34

6. Lazio 20 9 5 6 +7 32

</pre>

The league table was looking good, and Nick was delighted that his side had really taken advantage of their home games, winning the ones they really should have done. Nick had also secured the transfer of two new signings, Jelle van Damme signed for £550k from Anderlecht and loan signing Gabi agreeing a permanent transfer from Atletico for £4.2 million pounds, a fee that Nick was more than happy to pay for a player of obvious quality, and somebody who could really create from the middle of the park. Nick's side had won all 5 of their league games in January, and he wanted them to continue that terrific form into February. Sampdoria, who were a side that had already met Juve three times, winning all three times, and Nick wanted his side to win the home game and maintain their second place status. Once again though, Sampdoria took the game to Juve, taking the lead after 23 minutes through Emiliano Bonazzoli, who beat the defence an rounded the keeper to put his side in front. Juve scored three times in the second half to put the game beyond doubt though, the goals coming from Ruben Olivera, Dagoberto and Igor Tudor. Olivera's goal was a super finish, as he received the ball from Del Piero and cut across the defender before hitting it hard and low into the goal. It was only a minute later that Juve took the lead, Olivera turning provider this time and slotting the ball through for Dagoberto to race onto and fire home past the 'keeper. Tudor sealed the points on 69 minutes, rising above everybody to head home from Camoranesi's corner. It was a good three points and a 6th league win in succession, and coupled with Inter's defeat it took Juve to within three points of the leaders.

An away trip to Roma beckoned next for Nick and his side, and having beaten them on the opening day of the season Nick felt his side could triumph again. It would be a different proposition away from home though, particularly with Roma's excellent recent record, but the team started superbly well, taking the lead after just 37 seconds, Del Piero receiving Dagoberto's pass and slamming the ball into the top corner from just inside the area. Roma were soon back on level terms, Totti's original shot parried by Buffon and Taddei putting the rebound in to level things up after 12 minutes. It was Roma who took the initiative after this, and they got their deserved second goal on 34 minutes, the man who had a hand in the first one, Totti, turning goalscorer this time and ramming the ball home for 6 yards. Right on half-time however the match turned on its head again, Del Piero scoring his and his side's second of the game to send them in all square at the break. The goals were not finished though, and although it was only one more that came in a rather disappointing second half, and it was the home side that got the goal, Taddei and Totti combing before Kaboul turned Taddei's cross into his own net, a bad way to lose a game. Even more frustrating was the fact that with Inter's second defeat on the trot, they could have gone level on points with the leaders, instead dropping to third place on goal difference.