Chelsea star Marcos Alonso earns Premier League respect

 

By David Lee Wheatley (@davewh1980)

 

Marcos Alonso was dismissed by some observers as a journeyman incapable of improving big-spending Chelsea, but he has spectacularly confounded his critics this season.

Alonso’s stunning showings for the Blues since a reported £23 million move back to the Premier League may have come as a surprise to many, but not to followers of previous clubs Bolton Wanderers, Sunderland and Fiorentina.

The exorbitant fee involved – within this vulgar period of outlandish sums being thrown around for even the most average of footballers – was viewed as a feat of wild opportunism on the part of La Viola.

However, those appraisals were surely concluded without looking deeper at the impact made by the player during time spent with his former employers.

Alonso made his way through the ranks at star-studded Real Madrid to post a solitary first-team appearance as a late substitute at Racing Santander in April 2010.

He was allowed to leave the Bernabeu that summer despite undoubted promise and subsequently embarked upon a journey to north-west England – not along the usual route to one of the big guns based within that region, but on the less-trodden path to Bolton.

Burden of expectation as he tried to emulate his footballing father and granddad perhaps put undue pressure on the young man’s shoulders, especially as both relatives in question featured on the highest stage domestically and were capped internationally.

His recovery from that setback was a slow-burner, as he played a bit-part throughout two Premier League campaigns which eventually led to relegation. He later found form at Championship level, where the Trotters missed out on a play-off spot by a whisker and Alonso claimed a worthy Player of the Year accolade.

Wanderers offered a new contract, but he opted for an intriguing switch to Serie A with Fiorentina instead. Again, scant progress was made, as he struggled to hold down a regular slot in the team aside from the odd European run-out. As a result, he returned to England quicker than expected by way of a short-term loan with Premier League side Sunderland a few months later.

Alonso’s influence on the top-flight strugglers was instant, with his boundless energy and marauding runs along the left flank improving Gus Poyet’s side both defensively and in attack.

His displays were a revelation, as the Black Cats reached Wembley for a cherished League Cup final appearance and came back from the dead to stave off the dreaded drop.

He swiftly became a fans’ favourite, and it was evident that both the club’s adoring support and then-boss Poyet wanted to complete a permanent deal for the likeable Spaniard.

Drawn-out talks took place between Sunderland and their Italian counterparts, who were said to be holding out for £5 million, but an agreement could not be reached. The rest, as they say, is history.

Alonso returned to Italy unsure of his future, but revelled in a similar advanced position to the one he currently occupies for Chelsea, as La Viola reached the Europa League and Coppa Italia semi-finals in his first term back in purple.

After two barnstorming years, the Gigliati were reluctant to sell, hence the transfer-fee inflation rate. But, the Madrid-born star represented the exact prototype required to click seamlessly into Antonio Conte’s tactical framework and they simply had to snare his services, regardless of cost.    

Now a key factor in an expansive 3-4-3 formation, which has helped the west Londoners to the top of the league, Alonso looks every inch the top-class player that those who saw him at close quarters in the past believed he could become.

Four goals, two assists and 18 chances created from 20 outings thus far offer a clear indication of his attacking prowess, whilst he has made an average of 1.7 interceptions and 3.4 clearances per game when undertaking defensive duties.

Those who scoffed at Chelsea’s pursuit of a man who has since become a starting line-up fixture have fallen strangely silent, now that everyone has finally woken up to the assured 26-year-old’s true quality.

Entering into the prime of his career, an international cap to proudly place alongside his dad and grandfather’s cherished honours shouldn’t be too far away.

 



Inter dispense with Roberto Mancini but doubts remain

 

By David Lee Wheatley -- @davewh1980

Roberto Mancini was on a hiding to nothing when he re-joined Inter and will no doubt regret having set foot on the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza turf a second time.

Mancini inherited a squad in transition and desperately seeking a clear identity when he returned to Milan in November 2014.

The former Manchester City boss succeeded greatly during his first stint in charge of the Nerazzurri and felt the time was right to make a comeback at a club where he’d previously claimed six trophies in four years.

A raft of big-name coaches including Rafa Benitez, Claudio Ranieri and Walter Mazzarri had been unable to halt a sudden slide which began with Jose Mourinho’s 2010 departure.

His prior 62 per cent winning record at Inter offered Mancini realistic hope of putting a stop to that demise, but instead of settling down the turmoil surrounding the club, he only seemed to inflame deep-rooted problems.

He initially encountered a squad boasting little star quality and heavily reliant upon Argentine striker Mauro Icardi to grab vital goals.

In Serie A action alone, no player aside from Icardi hit double figures in strikes or assists throughout the 2014-15 campaign.

January signings Xherdan Shaqiri and Lukas Podolski also struggled to settle and they subsequently stuttered to a lowly eighth-place league finish.

Furthermore, the ex-Galatasaray supremo butted heads with Shaqiri and experienced defender Nemanja Vidic to name just two established first-team members who fell foul of Mancini's renowned hot temper.

Mancio was therefore faced with a massive rebuilding job last summer, which eventually incorporated attacking quartet Adem Ljajic, Eder, Ivan Perisic and Stevan Jovetic alongside numerous other recruits.

However, the goals failed to flow and Inter were widely branded a defensive outfit due to a series of boring 1-0 victories.

That didn’t matter so much when the Beneamata topped Serie A at the halfway point of last term, but it became a huge issue when inconsistencies crept in to their game after the winter break.

Losses to the likes of Sassuolo, Torino and Genoa had fans fuming and the media looking for someone to blame – Mancini bore the brunt of such criticism.

Inter ended up in a disappointing fourth position after an opening round of fixtures which allowed the Nerazzurri to flirt with the idea of a triumphant return to the top table of Italian football.

The defensive outlook of his team, multiple poor signings and regular bust-ups with at least several players made the 51-year-old coach hugely vulnerable.

That level of uncertainty over his status increased significantly with the recent majority-stake takeover by Chinese investors Suning Group.

Rumours swirled of his imminent sacking this past weekend, with a mutual agreement being sought in order to bring an end to a painful period for both club and coach alike.

Dutchman Frank De Boer reportedly waits in the wings to become the latest tactician to try his hand at restoring Inter to their fleetingly held throne as European champions six years ago.

But he too will find a beleaguered club in need of a serious reboot, which by consequence will cause further unrest until such time as the new owners reach a stage when they are suitably satisfied with both their coach and playing staff.

As for Mancini, he will be held up as a prime example in support of the widely-held belief that ‘you should never go back’ to a former club.

Juventus can scale European heights with Higuain capture

By David Lee Wheatley -- @davewh1980

Gonzalo Higuain could hold the key to Juventus’ hopes of lifting the UEFA Champions League trophy having completed his controversial switch from Napoli.

Perennial Serie A champions Juventus have been seeking a prolific striker since Carlos Tevez returned to boyhood heroes Boca Juniors in 2015.

Tevez struck 29 goals in all competitions during his Bianconeri swansong and replacement Paulo Dybala got close to that figure last year on 23.

However, the relatively inexperienced South American Dybala came up scoreless in nine of his final 14 league appearances last term.

Now, in the shape of another yet another Argentine international Gonzalo Higuain, they have an emphatic centre forward who broke records left, right and centre in Naples, and will continue in that same vein at J-Stadium.

In contrast to ex-Palermo starlet Dybala, the French-born 28-year-old did not run out of steam, as he plundered a remarkable 36 Serie A goals in 35 outings throughout the 2015-16 season.

In doing so, Higuain also set a new record for most goals in a 20-team Serie A campaign. He converted 25 per cent of his opportunities, whilst hitting the back of the net every 83 minutes on average – another league-best figure.

On that convincing evidence, some could legitimately argue that Higuain is an upgrade on both of his aforementioned compatriots.

There are no doubts surrounding Dybala’s abilities, but he is not the finished article and a hotly-debated £75.3 million has secured an alternative who represents the full package.

Notwithstanding the imminent departure of midfield powerhouse Paul Pogba, the Juventus side will almost certainly continue to deliver the amount of goalscoring chances which saw Higuain fire 385 league shots within his three-year reign as Napoli’s predator-in-chief – 60 more efforts on goal than any other Serie A player managed in that same timespan.

Miralem Pjanic, the assist-king of AS Roma, has also joined up with Juventus this summer and he is likely to provide consistent openings for his new team-mate in order to nullify any decrease in creativity caused by Pogba's move elsewhere.

It’s a potentially exciting link-up that may also benefit young comrade Dybala, should he be afforded a role in tandem with his more experienced fellow striker.

Juventus have been crowned Italian champions five seasons in succession, while claiming Coppa Italia glory in their last two campaigns to boot.

Though not taking domestic honours for granted, foremost in Massimiliano Allegri’s thinking this term is European success, with his second serious crack at the Champions League trophy beckoning.

His charges reached the 2015 final against Barcelona in Berlin, but alas they came up short at the most difficult hurdle after a thrilling ride. They were subsequently unlucky when losing narrowly to Bayern Munich over two legs at the round of 16 stage last season, but that outcome simply wasn’t good enough for a club of Juve’s standing.

The Bianconeri wished to build on their previous impressive showing, but they couldn’t replicate it without certain key ingredients.

With Higuain ensconced alongside the glittering array of superstar squad members that the Turin giants currently boast, it could well turn out to be a very different story this time around.

Continental heavyweights such as Real Madrid and Barcelona possess fantastic sets of players to call upon, but coach Allegri can rightly point to the likes of Higuain and Pjanic as top-class footballers who can more than match those most imposing of foes.

It’s bad news for the remainder of Serie A that Juventus are seemingly gaining strength year-on-year and widening the gulf between themselves and their supposed rivals in the process, but Italian football could benefit on the European stage if the Bianconeri can live up to their transfer window promise.  

Today's Latest News 18th Sept: Italian Football

By David Lee Wheatley  @davewh1980  @fluent_football

Juve one step away from Pochettino

Argentine starlet Tomas Pochettino is set to join Juventus in the next transfer window, with an agreement said to be in place and an official announcement set to arrive shortly.

Pochettino, who is yet to make a single first-team appearance for Boca Juniors, was spotted in a youth tournament that took place in June and Juve have kept him under close observation since.

The hope at Juventus was that it’d be possible to continue monitoring his development further before plunging in to buy, but they must act now to ward off rival interest from Verona.

The Italian champions jumped in first before Verona could move on a deal and now it appears only the signatures are missing on the official documents before the signing in pronounced.

A midfielder likened to current Bianconeri star Arturo Vidal because of his grit and technical characteristics, Pochettino is a youngster with a bright future ahead of him.

Efforts are already underway to secure an EU passport for the Boca youth player.

Injury woes for Roma

Juan Manuel Iturbe and Davide Astori both suffered injuries during Roma’s resounding Champions League victory over CSKA Moscow last night.

Argentine Iturbe opened the scoring that eventually led to a 5-1 routing of the Russians, but has incurred a problem with his right quadricep that will require assessment over the coming days.

Additionally, central defender Astori is also headed for the treatment table thanks to a twisted right knee.

The news represents a major headache for Coach Rudi Garcia, who is already without the services of another defender Leandro Castan due to a painful ear infection.

Garcia will need to wait patiently for more clarity from the medical team before he can know for sure how long he’ll be without the pair.

De Jong: ‘We need our fans’

Nigel De Jong has spoken of the challenge facing his side at the San Siro when they meet champions Juventus on Saturday night.

Milan go into the match on the back of an astounding 5-4 away victory at Parma last weekend, which has given them renewed hope of achieving much more than last season’s dismal showing.

“They are the favourites for the title. For us it is important to confront the strongest team,” remarked De Jong.

“We arrive at this game with great confidence. We must believe we can beat them, but to do that, we must focus from the first to the last minute, not to mention that we have in front of us those who have won the last three championships.

“There will be a full stadium and a great atmosphere. For this, we need our fans so much.”

There’s also the small matter of Juve Coach Massimiliano Allegri’s return to his old club to add extra spice to the contest.

Of Juventus, De Jong picked out one particular threat: “My friend Carlitos Tevez. He is a formidable striker.”

Ronaldinho suffers debut nightmare

Former Milan forward Ronaldinho missed a penalty on his debut for Mexican side Queretaro amid great fanfare surrounding his first appearance.

One goal down in the Cup tie with Tigres at home with an hour of the match gone, a foul on the left-hand side of the box resulted in a penalty award for the hosts.

Excitement in the crowd was at fever pitch while the Brazilian legend stood waiting to take the kick.

He ran up with purpose, but ballooned the ball high over the bar to leave his new team still trailing 0-1.

The 34-year-old has certainly seen better days, even if his fitness level is not yet up to the standard required of him and it was indeed an awful penalty attempt.

The scoreline remained the same until the end to send Queretaro crashing out of the competition.

Menez: ‘We want to win’

French forward Jeremy Menez has been talking about his aspirations ahead of the huge Milan-Juve clash this weekend.

Menez, a scorer of three goals in two games including a sublime back-heel at Parma, wants to help Milan recover the Italian title.

Speaking of the challenges ahead, Menez said: “Milan-Juve is a great game where everybody expects.

“We hope to experience a moment like at Parma. It would be nice win again 5-4!

“Juventus? It’s a great team with great defenders.

“It’s up to us find a way to score goals, because three wins out of three would be great.”

Menez then set his sights on his own personal objectives that he would like to achieve.

“I want to score more than ten goals (this season) in Italy,” he stated.

“There is (also) the European Championships in France and it would be nice to play in front of our fans.”

Vidal should make Juve bench

Arturo Vidal is set to make a return to the Juventus squad for Saturday’s crunch meeting with Milan following injury.

Massimilano Allegri stated his belief today that the Chilean box-to-box midfielder should be available to him, if only from the substitutes’ bench in the beginning.

Vidal missed Juve’s 2-0 victory over Udinese and also their win by the same scoreline in the Champions League against Malmo due to a persistent knee injury.

Allegri will hope Vidal doesn’t suffer a recurrence of the problem, which has hampered him throughout pre-season and into the new campaign.

It’s likely that Pereyra, Marchisio and Pogba will start in the middle of the park at the San Siro, with Vidal an option later on in proceedings.

Meanwhile, talisman Andrea Pirlo will continue his rehabilitation from a hamstring injury without featuring on Saturday.

Dani Alves to say his goodbyes

Barcelona right wing-back Dani Alves is reportedly very close to leaving Camp Nou for pastures new in the summer.

The Brazilian international star’s contract with Barca runs out next summer and is unlikely to be renewed, with Head Coach Luis Enrique looking to take the team in another direction.

Alves doesn’t fall into the future plans of the new man in charge and therefore is likely to move on at the expiration of his current deal.

Speaking to Marca, Alves announced: “My contract expires in 2015 and it was a mistake to extend it for another year.”

That pronouncement will alert both Manchester City and long-time suitors Juventus to the possibility of a switch at the end of the campaign.

Of course, talks can official begin from January should a player be out of contract that summer, so expect a rush of offers to begin flooding in for Alves throughout the winter period.

Llorente: ‘We complement each other’

Fernando Llorente believes he and Carlos Tevez are the perfect partnership on and off the pitch for Juventus.

The 29-year-old Spaniard feels they have reached an understanding which means that Juve now have one of the best strike partnerships in Italy.

“Tevez? For our gameplay, we complement each other to the fullest,” said Llorente of his pairing with the Argentine star.

“We both speak Spanish and this helps a lot.

“He doesn’t yet speak Italian very well, and therefore it is an advantage to play with me.”

Both will be looking to continue their good form together when facing Milan on Saturday, on the back of Tevez’s two-goal show in the Champions League against Swedish side Malmo.

Today's Latest News: Italian Football

By David Lee Wheatley @davewh1980  @fluent_football

UEFA offer Inter safety assurances

Inter’s clash with Dnipro in Ukraine on Thursday is set to go-ahead without any problems after UEFA offered broad assurances over safety in the war-torn country.

Though the security alert will remain high surrounding the fixture, UEFA has confirmed that the situation in the capital Kiev is back to normal following tensions over the past few months in Ukraine.

The European governing body understands the risk areas to be elsewhere and so feel happy for the Europa League tie to take place as scheduled on Thursday at the Olympic Stadium in the Ukrainian capital, the risk having been minimised by their decision to move the game from Dnipro to Kiev’s national venue.

Inter will travel from Malpensa this morning before training at the stadium in preparation for their opening group F game tomorrow evening.

Club officials will also take part in a safety briefing with the relevant parties this afternoon to discuss the situation in greater detail.

Totti eyes Giggs’ European record

Roma’s legendary captain Francesco Totti is aiming to surpass the record for the oldest goalscorer in Champions League history when taking on CSKA Moscow this evening.

Manchester United’s recently retired wing wizard Ryan Giggs currently holds the title of eldest goal-getter in the competition, a standard which stands at 37 years and 289 days.

That strike came in United’s clash with Benfica on 14 September 2011 and he’s held on to the accolade ever since.

However, should Totti score tonight or at anytime throughout the tournament into the future, he would claim the credit from his illustrious peer, as he is now aged 37 years and 355 days.

It’s an added incentive for the Roma leader and talisman in what represents his club’s first attempt at Champions League participation since 2011.

Balotelli grabs first Liverpool goal

Azzurri star Mario Balotelli got off the mark last night when in Champions League action for new club Liverpool following a summer move from Milan.

Balotelli has briefly shown flashes of his potential in the opening rounds of the Premier League, but was on hand to put the Merseysiders into the lead eight minutes from time against stubborn Bulgarian newcomers Ludogorets.

It was a fine finish from the ex-Inter and Manchester City man, with a scrappy battle for the ball on the edge of the area resulting in Balotelli emerging in possession and putting it away neatly with the outside of his right foot.

The visitors shocked the whole of Anfield when hauling themselves level just into injury time, but were shattered by a late, late winner by captain Steven Gerrard from the penalty spot to hand ‘Super Mario’ and his teammates a winning return to the elite European competition.

Getting back on the goal trail will provide a little nudge in the direction of new Italy coach Antonio Conte after the former Juve boss left the 24-year-old out of his squad for the recent clashes with Holland and Norway.

Malmo star Konate accuses Lichtsteiner

Malmo left-back Pa Konate has accused Juventus defender Stephan Lichtsteiner of hitting him deliberately in the private parts during the second-half of last night’s Champions League game.

The tie was locked at 0-0 at the time and Swiss international Lichtsteiner is under suspicion for his alleged actions.

“The images speak for themselves,” said Konate.

“I was on the ground and he hit me with force.

“I tried to ask him what he was doing, but he just stared without saying anything.

“I didn’t think to react, but maybe I should do that.”

Stills of the incident shared widely on social media after the event certainly seem to back-up the claim by the 20-year-old Swede.

It remains to be seen if any retrospective action can be taken against Lichtsteiner if at all possible.

Juve’s right-back had a splendid game otherwise, looking especially dangerous when going forward.

Michu set for bench role against Sparta

Napoli’s on loan forward Michu is expected to feature from the bench tomorrow in the Europa League fixture at San Paolo.

The Spanish striker moved from Premier League outfit Swansea City during the summer, but has struggled to impose himself in Naples early on.

His fitness is not at the optimum level required as yet and he will have to settle for a watching brief against Czech side Sparta Prague.

Michu will hope for the call from Benitez during the game in an effort to convince for the Azzurri after an injury-plagued campaign with Swansea last time around.

An ex-Rayo Vallecano player, Michu enjoyed a wonderful first season with the Swans when hitting 18 league goals in 35 appearances. However, he only managed 17 Premier League games throughout 2013/14, scoring on just two occasions.

Despite doubts over Higuain’s ability to make the game, it is likely to be Zapata and De Guzman ahead of Michu in the pecking order, as Rafa Benitez looks set to make major changes from the side which lost disappointingly to Chievo at the weekend.

Seedorf case could reach court

Milan and their former head coach Clarence Seedorf are heading for a potential court case over compensation for the Dutchman’s contract, which runs until 2016.

Talks between both parties have failed to resolve the dispute and a lawsuit beckons if the two are unable to come closer to an agreement soon. Since June 9 when talks began, there have been very few steps forward and now the conversation appears to have reached stalemate.

Seedorf was sacked at the end of last season from his first coaching role and replaced at the helm by Milan youth coach and ex-teammate Filippo Inzaghi.

The Rossoneri legend answered the call of his beloved Milan by accepting the coaching position and giving up his playing career with Brazilians Botafogo at the same time. However, less than six months later it had turned sour and Seedorf was given his marching orders.

On one hand there is Milan, who initially agreed to pay a salary of around €2.5m per year gross, adding up to €5m left outstanding on his deal. On the other there is Seedorf, who had the door closed on him abruptly at the San Siro and won’t give up a single penny.

Even the Italian Labour Minister Tiziano Treu has become involved in the process and he paints a gloomy picture: “We hope for an amicable solution that satisfies both parties, but the last meeting did not go very well and as things stand there is a high risk it will end up in court.”

Mancini denies Lokomotiv contact

Roberto Mancini has moved to deny circulating rumours of his supposed contact with Russian outfit Lokomotiv Moscow over their head coach position.

The Italian left Galatasaray after the end of last season, stating that the club’s ambitions had been different when he initially took over. That statement was seen as a swipe at Gala’s transfer policy, which he felt inhibited his ability to take the Turkish side on to new heights.

Many links have surfaced throughout the last few months, including to the Italian national team and Napoli most recently with Rafa Benitez’s future appearing uncertain.

More speculation suggesting he was interested in becoming coach at Lokomotiv came about in the last few days and Mancini quickly moved to deny such talk.

“I wanted to refute rumours about alleged contacts with Lokomotiv Moscow, a club that I respect very much," he said.

“These are unfounded rumours. I have never been contacted and I have no intermediary in Russia who deals with my interests.

“Since 2009 I’ve been represented by lawyer Silvia Forini.

“Beware anyone who uses my name to get free publicity.”

Mancini will undoubtedly be a sought-after figure for any club looking to hire when considering his impressive record with Inter and Manchester City in particular.

Sirigu opens door to Balotelli

Azzurri goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu has been speaking on the possibility of a return to the national team ranks for Mario Balotelli following his recent omission form the squad.

Fresh from signing a new deal last week with French champions Paris Saint-Germain, the former Palermo stopper had some advice for his comrade when also recalling Italy’s World Cup failure.

“Mario seeks fame,” he explained.

“He’s supposed to be a symbol. If he’d scored against Costa Rica then he would be a hero.

“There was no quarrel in the dressing room.

“Mario is exuberant. He should concentrate on doing well on the field and meet the new (Conte’s) requirements.”

Sirigu was second-choice keeper in Brazil behind Gianluigi Buffon, but featured in the Azzurri’s only victory of the tournament against England in the opening match when his experienced colleague was ruled out through injury.

Lucescu: Watch out for Dnipro

Former Inter coach Mircea Lucescu says his former club would do well not to take victory for granted when meeting Dnipro tomorrow evening.

The team will travel to Kiev today for their Europa League clash, which was moved to the Ukrainian capital in response to safety concerns.

Lucescu, now head coach of Shakhtar Donetsk based within a city embroiled in such turmoil currently, thinks Dnipro will provide a stern test of the Italians’ mettle.

“Dnipro have players capable of hurting opponents, attacking very well on the flanks,” he said.

“It’s a tough team with character, pressing, always giving everything and well organised."

Having been in charge of the Ukrainian side since 2004, the 69-year-old veteran knows the Nerazzurri's opponents inside-out and feels Inter should be very careful in their approach to the upcoming Europa League clash.

His words certainly hand a stark warning to Inter: don’t make the mistake of underestimating Dnipro.

Could Milan move reignite Torres' stalling career?

By David Lee Wheatley (Twitter: @davewh1980)

Fernando Torres said he knew the writing was on the wall the very minute that Diego Costa pitched up at Stamford Bridge from Atletico Madrid in a multi-million pound deal. Despite initial denials to the contrary from Blues boss Jose Mourinho, the Spaniard was on his way out of the door.

The £50million man has suffered one setback after another at Chelsea since his astonishing move from Liverpool in 2011, with his personal form contrasting sharply with that of his time at Anfield.

Torres’ fall from grace has been both spectacular and well-documented, with many an observer proclaiming the end of the Spaniards’ career at the top-level for at least the last couple of seasons. A knee operation while still on Merseyside in January 2010 was widely pinpointed as the moment everything went wrong for the once-prolific forward.

In spite of all the criticism, the Madrid-born striker managed to collect a significant amount of silverware during his stay in west London, playing a major part as Chelsea claimed the UEFA Champions’ League crown in 2012. However, he has been subjected to the usual ‘what a waste of money’ chants right across the country, while also looking a yard off the pace on many occasions. Additionally, his inexplicable loss of goal-scoring prowess has seen him spiral downwards from being classed as one of the deadliest strikers on the planet to becoming a ridiculed figure in some quarters due to several glaring misses in front of goal.

A new dawn is upon him with a two-year loan switch to Serie A and Milan having been completed shortly before the summer transfer window closed. The Rossoneri have been in the market for a new no. 9 since Mario Balotelli jumped ship to join Torres’ former club Liverpool in August and they earmarked El Nino as the perfect person to replace Super Mario at the San Siro. They appear determined to help rekindle the Spain international’s appetite for the game following his hugely frustrating descent from greatness over the last few years.

Whether Torres can return to his sparkling form of pre-2010 at the age of 30 is highly debatable and, quite frankly, unlikely. It seems his best days are firmly behind him and certainly there has been very little evidence to suggest otherwise within the previous four years or so.

Italian football remains notoriously difficult for attacking players to score an abundance of goals due to the defensive nature of the game in the Calcio-mad country. It isn’t quite as hard as perhaps it was in the 80s for example, when it was unusual to see anybody hitting 20-plus strikes in the top-flight, but it’s still hard going for forwards.

Last season’s top-scorer was Ciro Immobile, then of Torino, with 22 league strikes. A total anywhere close to that from Torres in a Milan shirt would represent a very fine campaign for the one-time World Cup winner, especially when considering his meagre contribution of five goals for Chelsea in the Premier League during 2013/14.

It’s been a rough ride since that 2010 surgery took place, which seemingly robbed Torres of his pace and a fair dose of confidence, just when he should have been enjoying the absolute prime of his footballing life. A new beginning at the San Siro will undoubtedly do the player good, with the opportunity to start afresh in a new league, in front of excited fans desperate to witness the return of the real Fernando Torres.  

However, if this latest adventure in northern Italy doesn’t work out well for Torres, then we can surely kiss goodbye to the old Fernando forever.  

Follow me on Twitter @davewh1980

Balotelli and Liverpool the perfect match?

By David Lee Wheatley

Clown Prince Mario Balotelli is set to return to these shores following an 18-month stint back in his homeland with Milan despite categorically stating he ‘hated’ this country’s weather, food and culture when he left Manchester City under a cloud after a troubled three years at the Etihad.

However, Liverpool have agreed a £16m fee with the Rossoneri and Mario himself has already completed both parts of his medical at the Melwood training complex ahead of an expected confirmation of the switch tomorrow.

It’s not quite clear whether he is returning because he misses the standard of competition on offer in the Premier League, or if the reported £120,000 per week wage has turned his head. Whatever the reasons behind his unexpected arrival at Anfield, it represents the last real chance for the Italian striker to finally cement his position as one of the world’s best.

The long list of problems during his last stay in the north-west are well documented and, in his eyes, ancient history. He’ll hope to join the Reds with a clean slate and an opportunity to show his true worth under the intense spotlight that awaits him. Whether that is realistic is another question altogether.

Media and rival fans alike will be waiting patiently for Balotelli to blow up at one point or another; if and when he does, they will pounce on him with a vengeance. He must display a new-found maturity in keeping a level head in the face of such pressure, so that he may be as useful as possible to Liverpool in their quest for success both domestically and in Europe.

Brendan Rodgers has decided to take an apparent gamble by pursuing the transfer of the fiery former Inter man, but he is the right manager to tame the 24-year-old. He appears from the outside to look after his players, backing them to the hilt in public and avoiding confrontation with them whenever possible.

That ‘arm around the shoulder’ approach will no doubt placate Balotelli should he lose focus at any point and will, hopefully for Liverpool’s sake, keep any clashes behind closed doors. The last thing any club needs is for a training ground bust-up - of which Mario has been involved in several - to be splashed all over the back pages of newspapers as occurred between Roberto Mancini and he during their tumultuous working relationship.

Balotelli possesses a huge amount of talent and certainly knows where the goal is, as evidenced by 26 league goals in Serie A over the short time he spent back at the San Siro. Now, it is up to him to channel all energies into performing to the height of his ability on the field without all of the crazy shenanigans that he got up to in Manchester.

Above all, he must realise it’s about time that he grew up and that he must start to act in a professional manner; after all, he’s being paid handsomely to do so.

Should he get a regular gig  for Rodgers’ side once the transfer is completed, then he is likely to benefit greatly from the attack-minded way in which the Merseysiders set about their business. With Sterling one side and Sturridge the other, the Azzurri star will have all of the ammunition he requires to fire Liverpool to glory.

Without doubt, what we can say for sure is that it’ll be interesting!

Twitter: @davewh1980

Testing times ahead for Juventus

By David Lee Wheatley

Antonio Conte left the position of head coach at Juventus earlier this month despite having led the Old Lady to three consecutive Serie A title victories in convincing fashion.

Conte, one of the most highly decorated figures in Italian football, stepped down stating that he believed it was becoming increasingly difficult for him to be successful in charge of Juventus with a view to the future. Many observers took that as a dig towards the Juventus board in relation to their perceived lack of ambition regarding attempts to return the club back to the top of European football, a perch they last sat upon in 1996 when winning the Champions’ League trophy on penalties against Ajax. Furthermore, the rumours surrounding star midfielder Arturo Vidal’s future in Turin had people in some quarters speculating that Juve’s apparent willingness to do a deal at the right price was actually behind Conte’s decision.

Immediately following the former Azzurri international’s announcement in the middle of July, he was installed as one of the favourites to take on the vacant national team role. Meanwhile, recent news eminating from France suggests that big-spending Paris Saint-Germain have set their sights on recruiting Conte in place of Laurent Blanc at the Parc des Princes.

Of pressing concern back at the defending Serie A champions is trying to seek out a way of holding off the various vultures circling hungrily with their eyes firmly fixed on the prized Scudetto that Juventus have kept an extremely tight stranglehold on throughout the past three campaigns. Not only that, but how can they convince major players to stay on amid the upheaval at the club while mounting any kind of serious challenge on the European front?

The man entrusted with finding solutions to those conundrums is ex-Cagliari and Milan man Massimiliano Allegri, fresh from his mid-season sacking at the San Siro due to the Rossoneri’s atrocious form last season. He has experience of winning the league title in his debut campaign with Milan of 2010-11, which of course represents the last time anybody except Juve took home the plaudits. But he is a controversial choice due to former allegiances and also thanks to the embarrassing showing that he oversaw last term. Allegri has to win over the fans, deliver more silverware to the trophy cabinet and assist Juventus in their quest to make an impression on continental competition.

Rivals such as Napoli, Roma and even Inter will be confident of usurping the Bianconeri at the Serie A summit without the inspirational 44-year-old Antonio Conte at the helm and Allegri has a massive task on his hands to remain in charge of the team long-term. He must ensure Juve stay at the pinnacle domestically, while giving them realistic hope of progressing well in the Champions’ League. Meanwhile, talks will continue with Vidal once he returns from holiday in order to appease the Chilean and keep him performing in the middle of the park alongside talisman Andrea Pirlo, who has committed himself to his beloved black-and-whites for another two years.

Other sought-after stars Paul Pogba, Fernando Llorente, Carlos Tevez and Mauricio Isla will all want reassurance of the club’s determination to progress and improve; they won’t want to stick around if there is even the slightest hint of a backward step in the offing. Isla is already being heavily linked with a transfer to the English Premier League, while 29-year-old Llorente felt compelled to deny rumours of a move earlier this month. If Vidal or any of those other big names previously mentioned choose to jump ship this summer, then new boss Allegri and his board will find it incredibly hard to hold the remainder of their squad together.

If there was ever a time for the likes of Napoli and Roma to claim top spot in Italy, it is now.

Twitter: @davewh1980