Mention the 2009-2010 season to Juventus’ 170 million fans and they will shake their head in disgust.  Italy’s most successful and beloved soccer team was a shell of itself, missing out on a European tournament spot due to poor play and aging players.  It is not a coincidence that the Italian national team also failed to live up to expectations in the World Cup, as Juve players made up a large contingent of the team.  Overall, it was a season to forget in Stadio Olimpico and the club wasted no time in cleaning house, replacing individuals from the team president down.  The new Juventus still has many familiar names, but has strengthened its weaknesses to make a run at the top four.

Management: Jean-Claude Blanc, the brainchild behind the new Juventus stadium, was forced out in May 2010 and replaced with Andrea Agnelli, the fourth member of his family to run Juventus.  Similar to Blanc, he has a business background and is tasked with maintaining the profitability of the club.  No doubt part of his financial plan includes UEFA tournament money.

His first task upon being hired was to grab Luigi Del Neri from Sampdoria as a permanent replacement for Ciro Ferrara.  Del Neri guided Sampdoria to a top four finish and was in demand this offseason.  His 4-4-2 style will be a good fit for Juventus, and look for the team to focus a bit more on defense this season.  Del Neri could, however, actually play more of a 4-2-2-2 if he extends the wings and moves them forward in the attack.  Juventus in their matches this month have also played a 4-3-3 at times.  He’s seen success at Atalanta before guiding Sampdoria to the Champions League, and he was the best person available for the job.

The Transfer Market: Juventus was active in the transfer market, as to be expected, sending out older and more expensive players and bringing in both quality starters and key backups.  Maybe the biggest name to come to Juventus was Pepe, acquired on loan from Udinese with an option to buy.  Del Neri knows Pepe from his time in Palermo, and has added him as an attack option on the right side.  The club also beefed up its defense, which is discussed in depth below.

The continuing story of this offseason is the departures from the club, or a house cleaning if you prefer.  Italian national and rapidly aging defender Fabio Cannavaro has left for the UAE soccer league and a hefty contract.  Christian Poulsen was transferred to Liverpool for about €5.5 million to free up some salary and space after a disappointing stint with the club.  The biggest loss long-term, however, may be the loss of Sebastian Giovinco to Parma.  The young playmaker had been tabbed by fans as the next Juve star, but he grew tired of waiting to break into the starting XI.

Key Players: Starting in the back of the 4-4-2, vice-captain and all-world keeper Gigi Buffon begins the season on the injured list, leaving AC Milan acquisition Marco Storari as the starter.  Storari will never cause people to forget Buffon, but he is experienced and talented enough to hold down the position until Buffon is healthy.

Coming into the new season, Del Neri knew he needed to revamp the defense after Juventus allowed 55 goals last season.  He acquired rising star Leonardo Bonucci from Bari and Marco Motta from Roma to partner with stalwarts Giorgio Chiellini and Fabio Grosso, or if Grosso leaves during this transfer window, Paolo De Ceglie.  The two new additions will strengthen the backline and makes defense a team strength.  Look for Bonucci to become the next Fabio Grosso in his time at Juventus.

If Del Neri continues his traditional formation, the midfield will see two holding and two attacking wingers.  As mentioned, Pepe will man the right wing and replace Mauro Camoranesi, who regardless of his transfer status should be replaced by a younger player.  Claudio Marchisio, one of the players who actually looked good in last season’s debacle, could start on the other wing, with Mohammed Sissoko in the middle.  UPDATE – Juventus added another potential starter to the midfield with CSKA Moscow winger Milos Krasic.

Up front, Del Neri against Shamrock moved Pepe and attacking midfielder Davide Lanzafame (Parma) to the forward position with Amauri.  While this could be an attacking option, I can see a rotation (assuming a 4-4-2) of Amauri, Trezeguet, and Del Piero as a potent attack.

This is, of course, assuming Diego is sent to a Bundesliga club, where he has been rumored to be going (or not going).  If Diego stays, the forward position has the potential to be one of the deepest in Serie A.

Outlook: This preview could change if Juventus makes any more changes on the transfer market, which is possible.  But as their club stands, Juventus is definitely a favorite to finish in the top four.  Even without a healthy Buffon to begin the season, the defense is improved from last season and will be a strength.  The attack will be more “exciting” than last season with a good variety of scorers that Del Neri can turn to for goals.  Under new management and with Del Neri’s vision revitalizing the club, there is no reason this club will not move higher in the standings.  Whether they can challenge for a scudetto will depend on if they can improve on their record against the top clubs.

There has been widespread criticism of the Bianconeri board and its directors yet there are some obvious aspects which have been overlooked by the reporters and fans alike. The Juve management has actually erred in allowing Pavel Nedved to retire, in hiring Cirro Ferrara to lead the team and in their choice of players brought in to Turin.

The board seems to have acknowledged making some of the mistakes and this is precisely why they rushed to bring back Roberto Bettega. The shrewd director has plenty of experience which equals if not surpasses the whole management team’s experience as a package put together! Unfortunately the presence of Alessio Secco and Jean-Claude Blanc in Vinovo does not bode well for the Bianconeri fans. The two have been nothing short of a disaster since joining the club in their respective roles. Secco deserves much of the criticism for his role in bringing in some unqualified players or over paying for others. On the other hand, Blanc seems to lack the charisma and does not have the knowledge required to head a club of Juve’s stature. Blanc was in charge of Roland Garros (French Open) as well as the Paris Master Series which are tennis tournaments prior to joining the Bianconeri. He has not previous experience in football.

Moving the focus onto some of the players recruited by Juventus, it is quite clear many if not most of them are below the customary Juve standards. Even the hard working and continuously running Mohamed Sissoko was bought from Liverpool at a relatively high asking price as the fee paid was €11 million. The Anfield outfit wanted to offload the midfielder and were quite happy to do so for such a sum. No doubt Sissoko has worked hard in Turin but considering his plethora of injuries and his inability to pass the ball, the amount paid was a bit too much. Sissoko was not a bad signing when compared to the disastrous purchase of Portuguese flop Tiago and Danish midfielder Christian Poulsen. Those two midfielders came at a hefty price with Poulsen costing €9.75 million.

In attack the current management signed Brazilian Amauri who after a bright start to his career with the club has become sort of a liability and cannot seem to buy a goal at this time. The club also signed two Brazilians Diego and Felipe Melo with each player costing the club in excess of €24 million (Melo cost around €20.5 million plus Marco Marchionni). While Diego clearly has the talent to succeed, he has suffered due to high expectations and the lack of proper players around him who are suited to his game. Diego’s strong and impressive start to the season did not help because it placed added pressure on his shoulders. On the other hand, Melo has been misused by Coach Ferrara but has also performed inconsistently and is not an upgrade when compared to Sissoko. Thus, the Juve management wasted close to €25 million to get a player who is in fact not better than Sissoko and what makes the situation even worse is the fact both players do not seem to be compatible on the pitch due to their inability to pass the ball.

The latest market disasters were the recall of Yago Falque and the return of Michele Paolucci (never represented the Juve first-team before his recent return to the club despite being on the club’s book from 2004 to 2006). Clearly the previous management in Turin did not believe in Paolucci or else he would not have been loaned to Ascoli. As for Yago he is still quite young to be able to help the club in a period of crisis. To add insult to injury, the club chose to get Antonio Candreva on loan for the remainder of the season. The young midfielder appears to be a quality player with a bright future but considering his limited experience, is he the appropriate type of player to help a club of Juve’s status emerge from such a deep crisis?

Without delving into details, the management made grave mistakes by hiring then firing Claudio Ranieri and then eventually announcing Ciro Ferrara as his permanent replacement. Both were the wrong choice for various reasons. The Bianconeri fans are wondering what is in store for the club and will there be more disasters before qualified individuals are brought in to steady the ship and bring back the glory days to Turin?

AP Photo/Daniela Santoni

The best way to sum up the action this past weekend is more of the same.  The top 4 remain the top 4 (with one switch) and those looking in danger of relegation still look in danger of relegation.  However, a few major lessons were learned this week on (and off) the pitch.

Racism is Sadly Alive in Serie A

With reportsthat Juventus midfielder Mohamed Sissoko was the target of racist chants this past weekend and the Italian player’s union is already calling for a possible match stoppagethis weekend in the Juventus/Inter match, racism is unfortunately very much a part of Italian soccer right now.  Of course the sport is still marred by last season’s Balotelli controversy in Turin.  But the problem is a respect issue – while black players are a target of abuse, all players are subject to offensive taunts (such as the famous Napoli-Vesuvius taunts).  Maybe Serie A needs its own EPL Respect Campaign for fans?

i Giallorossi are Making Their Move

A 2-1 comeback victory over Atalanta ran Roma’s unbeaten streak to five matches and moves them up to ninth in the standings.  They now sit only 3 points behind fourth-place Sampdoria and are active in the transfer-speculation market: ESPNhas them negotiating with Spurs striker Roman Pavlyuchenko over a January transfer and the Luca Toni rumors persist (although his agent has denied them).  While a scudetto this season is unattainable, a top four finish and Champions League berth is not.

Who is Fired First: Mourinho, Ferrara, or Ballardini

One man’s team is sitting firmly atop the table with a 1-0 victory over Fiorentina this weekend, but could be eliminated from the Champions League group stage, which is a problem when a major goal was competing for a Champions League title.  The second manager’s team could advance in the Champions League, but after a 2-0 loss to Cagliari this weekend, has seen their chance of finishing first in Serie A greatly diminished despite great talent.  The third reportedly has two matches to turn his club around, and his replacement has already been selected.  The managerial intrigue of Serie A is one of its endearing qualities (unless you are a manager).

Stay in Front of Your TV Next Weekend

This past weekend’s Juventus and Sampdoria losses sets up a great weekend for soccer: #3 Juventus v. #1 Inter, #2 Milan v. #4 Sampdoria, and #6 Genoa at #5 Parma.  The big winners this weekend (if they also win) are the clubs sitting at positions #7-11 in the table, who have a chance to move up in the standings depending on how the marque matches shape up.

Last Chance for Siena, Catania to Survive

There is still time for both Siena and Catania to avoid relegation this season, but that time is increasingly short.  Siena’s 2-1 loss to Bari and Catania’s 2-0 loss to Milan have left the clubs with 6 and 9 points, respectively.  They face each other at Stadio Artemio Franchi this Sunday.  Both are odds-on favorites to be relegated, especially Siena who is on its third manager this season, but the victor will receive three points and a small boost that could eventually propel them out of them bottom three.  Think of it as the inverse Inter/Juve match.

Robert is a Serie A fan in the United States who is a contributor to this site.