The foolishness is finally over. Whatever the reasoning behind the strike, let's just be thankful both sides have come to a temporary agreement so the season can start. It seems every year something comes along to tarnish the image of Serie A. This time one of the main issues that has postponed festivities is a joke in my opinion. The players union insistence on managers not being able to discipline their players by forcing them to train alone away from the first team. Could this not been discussed earlier? Why was this put off to the last minute? I can think of dozens of questions, but who would give me an honest answer to any of them.
Let's move on to some positive news. A brand new season that looks to provide more competition than the last. The Milanese monopoly of the Scudetto will be put to the test. This year proves to be as wide open. Sit back and enjoy the bumpy ride.
I will start my predictions from the bottom of the table for added suspense. It is pretty obvious who will be relegated, you do not need to have psychic powers to make that assessment. The season is just a formality for these unlucky three.
20. Novara : It has been fifty-five long years since the Biancoazzuri have been in the Italian top flight, securing promotion in the play-off final against Padova. It was a miracle of epic proportion, the fairy tale will swiftly come to an end and reality will soon set in. Proving that Novara are in over their heads.
19. Siena : Another one of the promoted sides who will find life in Serie A extremely difficult. The roller coaster ride of relegation and promotions will continue for Bianconeri supporters. Not enough muscle to hang with the big boys in the top flight.
18. Atalanta : The recent Italian football scandal has hit the Orobici hard, with a six point deduction to start the season. The Serie B winners have enough quality to stay up had it not been for the penalty. Adding German Denis and Matteo Brighi in the off-season on loan prove they won't go down without a fight. It will be close but six points is hard to make up.
17. Lecce : They would have to be awful not to avoid the drop. Massimo Oddo will provide some quality into a relatively thin squad. Getting Rodney Strasser on loan from Milan and Julio Sergio from Roma was a step in the right direction, both will help improve their league worst sixty-six goals against last season.
16. Bologna : Not much can be expected this season, but survival will be achieved based purely on the shortcomings of the clubs below. The Rossoblu are filled with players on their last stops, most have a track record of underachieving and never reaching their full potential.
15. Cesena : A fantastic start gave them the confidence going forward to retain their top flight status. The style is unattractive but they would do enough when it counted to earn a result. Adrian Mutu was a surprising addition, if he can rediscover his form the Seahorses will improve.
14. Chievo : Every year you look at the Flying Donkeys and wonder how will they avoid relegation. Somehow Chievo manage to prove all their critics wrong. Grinding out results with an average squad, Domenico Di Carlo has transformed his side into a tight little unit. The club has started nine of the last ten years in Serie A and will make it four in a row.
13. Cagliari : Another year of mediocrity can be expected by the Isolani, expectations of a top ten finish would be accepted. Roberto Donadoni is gone as manager, replaced by Massimo Ficcadent. Results will be the same since funding is low, with no one of real worth coming in over the summer. It must be difficult to be a supporter of this club.
12. Catania : Vincenzo Montella has stepped into the hot seat and is hoping to challenge the club to do better. Their managerial track record has been poor, but they have been able to stay out of the relegation zone despite this fact. Inside the locker room you will find a rather compact squad, David Suazo being the experienced target man that will try to provide the goals needed to avoid a relegation battle.
11. Parma : Stumbling down the table last season, after their impressive eighth place finish the year following promotion, the club is hoping for improvements. A couple good loan deals should add some strength, Sergio Floccari being the biggest. He scored eight goals last year and I see him having a big year, maybe even doubling his scoring tally. They will be better but wont crack the top half of the table.
10. Palermo : Maurizio Zamperini was at it again this summer. Sacking manager Stefano Poli before a ball was kicked in the league, this was following the merry go-round of Serse Cosmi and Delio Rossi. Twenty managers have been in charge since Zamperini took over. Add the loss of their prized asset of Javier Pastore, the club decided to cash in and sold the Argentine over the summer. They have looked promising despite the lunacy of their owner, but this season the Rosanero will struggle without Pastore and end up mid-table.
9. Udinese : Every season, the little zebras somehow manage to defy the odds and punch above their weight class. This year the departure list included Alexis Sanchez, Gokhan Inler, Cristian Zapata and German Denis. It will be impossible to replicate last term, however you would be crazy to count them out. Francesco Guidolin developed a tough system that is hard to break down, with club captain Antonio Di Natale providing twenty-eight goals last season. He has been forever loyal to the city of Udine, but I can see him being sold in the summer. Udinese have proven capable of breeding new players, so a drop off this term will hurt but overall the future looks bright.
8. Genoa : Times have been tough in Genoa, the club has been drifting in the wrong direction, poor away form has resulted in the club finishing out of the European places. Their best finish was fifth two seasons ago. Sebastien Frey has been brought in to start in goal, being given a second chance to establish himself in Italy. Having that type of quality in net will propel the club forward, if injuries remain low they could finish higher than expected.
7. Fiorentina : The Viola will have a resurgence this year, Stevan Jovetic is fit and finally healthy and ready to lead the attack. He suffered a season ending cruciate ligament injury in pre-season training in 2011, after having a breakout season the year before. Jovetic is young with massive amounts of quality, and will regain his peak form. Artur Boruc is a wall between the posts and Alberto Gilardino will improve on the twelve goals scored last season. Unfortunately with good results, the vultures begin to hover over your best players. They will have trouble hanging on to Jovetic when the season is over.
6. Lazio : Expectations have been elevated in the Italian capital after finishing fifth in 2011. They've made it to the group stages of the Europa League and have brought in two strikers with decent quality. Miroslav Klose is a proven goal scorer at any level and should not have a problem finding the net in Italy. Partnering the German will be Djibril Cisse, the other acquisition up front that will also help the cause. Both should fill the void left by Mauro Zarate. Thankfully for the Biancocelesti the midfield will still be patrolled by their Argentine maestro Hernanes, he has proved to be a smart purchase for Lazio. Scoring eleven goals from midfield and providing five assists, a bidding war will be on the horizon come June.
5. Napoli : Naples is buzzing with optimism after their Cinderella campaign last year. Qualifying for the Champions League was a massive achievement that surprised everyone. Walter Mazzarri did a wonderful job as manager, and Edinson Cavani scored an amazing twenty-eight goals in total. Marek Hamsik had eleven while adding six assists and Ezequiel Lavezzi added six goals with twelve assists. The amount of production from three players was staggering. Gokhan Inler was an added bonus in central midfield and Goran Pandev will provide much needed experience offensively. The one negative that will see their league form suffer is the stress that comes from playing on two fronts. Smaller clubs always struggle domestically while playing in Europe. I believe the knockout stage is attainable, although they will pay the price by falling out of the top three in Serie A.
4. Juventus : The Old Lady have completely revamped their squad in a bid to become serious contenders for the Scudetto. It is amazing to see how far they have slid after Calciopoli, missing out on Europe was serious blow to a club of this stature. It could be a blessing in disguise, now being able to focus on the league completely and try to re-establish themselves among the Italian elite. Andrea Pirlo has arrived to shore up the middle, and Mirko Vucinic will add depth to the front line. I think Alessandro Matri will have a breakout season, providing nine goals in sixteen matches for the Bianconeri last season. His numbers will only increase. Watch out for Eljero Elia, brought in from Hamburg, the Dutchman is quick and exactly the type of player Juventus needed to provide much needed service down the wing. The Scudetto is a few years away but this will be the start of the journey.
3. Inter Milan : After five straight Scudetti, the Nerazzurri begin the season as the number two club in Milan. Something that Massimo Moratti has deemed unacceptable. The sale of Samuel Eto'o to Russia gave the wrong message to the clubs supporters, however that sale spearheaded the deadline day acquisition of Diego Forlan. The Uruguayan has a prolific scoring record that will only continue in Italy. Moratti continued to strengthen with a loan deal for Mauro Zarate, with the option to buy in June. Gian Piero Gasperini takes the reins and will be under massive amounts of scrutiny right from the start, his predecessors accomplishments will weigh heavily on his shoulders. The Coppa Italia will not be enough and a decline in league position will see another managerial change in the summer.
2. AC Milan : The Rossoneri did not make many signings this summer, but the players they did bring in all have quality that will help the squad. Alberto Aquilani coming in on loan was a major coup and a huge upgrade from the ageing Andrea Pirlo. A healthy Alexandre Pato will also take some pressure of Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Brazilian scored fourteen goals even though he was injured for most of the season, which surprisingly equalled Ibrahimovic's output last season despite playing in ten more matches. I expect Robinho to have a dip in form, ego has always got in the way of his potential, having to compete for places will get in the way of his consistency. The added competition at the top of the table will test Milan's resolve, defence of their title will be extremely difficult. It will go down to the wire but the Scudetto will not be dressed in red and black in 2012.
1. AS Roma : A revolution is forming in the capital. New owner Thomas DBenedetto has come in and made some noise by clearing the decks. Installing his own manager by releasing Vincenzo Montella and hiring Luis Enrique. He then made funds available to bring in almost a dozen new players, which will breath new life into an underachieving squad. Their has already been a struggle for power. Captain Francesco Totti has complained over playing time with Enrique, the new manager deciding to leave him on the bench for a Europa League qualifier. If the Giallorossi want a revival they must back Enrique and finally put an end to the Totti regime. Their is a long list of managers fired for clashing with the Roma legend.
If all the drama can be resolved I can see Roma claiming the title. Starting from the back, Maarten Stekelenberg is a major improvement in goal, followed with the additions of Simon Kjaer and Gabriel Heinze to improve the back line. In midfield, Miralem Pjanic and Fernando Gago bring a tremendous amount of creativeness that will provide service to a forward line rich with depth. Bojan Krkic was another superb buy, the youngster will finally get a chance to shine, I expect him to challenge for the scoring title. His arrival will help to take the focus off Marco Borriello and give him more chances on goal, the two could form a solid partnership. Too many positives to deny, they are my pick to win the title.
Leave your comments if you agree or disagree with my predictions.
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