It’s time for La Vecchia Signora to start thinking about the future. This transition year was not exactly pleasant. Hungry fans wanted success fast and will be disappointed with the way it turned out. J’accuse believes that the real, competitive Juve is still nowhere to be found. Juve had a team that could hold together for almost three-quarters of the way (well, at least till Easter). Tinkerman was not a bad idea for a coach building on the long term but recently his ideas seemed a bit out of focus and he must be shouldering a bit of the blame for the way the sturdy machine began to lose parts.
The players too – a mixture of old and new – had lost the early sting and stimulus of revenge after the unhappy year condemned unjustly in the doldrums of Serie B football. Second in the first year back in Serie A was no mean feat. Second, third or (God forbid) fourth this season is still not a nightmare when you are a fan of the long term variety.
Thing is I am a fan of the kind who likes to see his team win beautifully, with beautiful football and not through grinding of teeth and wearing down of the opponent with some barrier erected somewhere at the half-way line. I want to see creativity, I want to see the ball passed around, hopefully some mesmerising moves and that finishing shot that makes you go “Ooooh”. If my team wins after an ugly game then for me it is no victory.
Since the departure of Zidane we have waited and waited for a new creative brain to feed the various Del Piero’s, Trezeguets and Amauris. Camoranesi tried to deputise in his own way but once a winger always a winger. Nedved brought charisma and we have “discovered” the Zanettis and Marchisios along the way. While we continue to dream of Giovinco we begin to notice that it is time to invest in some fantasy of the kind that has already been proven.
Which is why Juve fans the world over should be crossing their fingers that the news is true. They should be hoping that Blanc did get the signature of the Bremen officials and of the player’s dad. They should be lighting up candles in the cathedrals of sport hoping that Diego Ribas Da Cunha- the magnificent twenty-four year old Paulista has already packed his bags for Turin.
And while we are at it… here’s to hoping (and this is a heresy insofar as J’accuse is concerned) that the rumours regarding Argentine fantasy striker Ezequiel Lavezzi are also true. I’ve had Diego, Lavezzi, Del Piero and Amauri (with Giovinco on the sidelines) in my FIFA team for months now. Somehow the Gods of Fantasy football seem to be conspiring to make this dream come true.
Let’s keep our fingers crossed!
