Question for Sherlock when you next read this - I've seen that Penaranda isn't getting a lot of game time at the moment. I know it's early days but are there any obvious reasons for this? Does he not fit the system or is he still settling in? Or is he just not good enough yet? Thanks in advance
I've noticed that Udinese have mostly (not sure how many times or anything, but mostly when I just take a glimpse on a Saturday) but it looks like Udinese have mostly been playing a 4-3-1-2 - basically not ideal for a winger at all. Bit disappointing really!
Maybe someone needs to have a word and remind them if we're sending our multi-million pound talents for development they better bloody well find a way to involve them. Even if it means changing formation. Or the players can go elsewhere.
Not entirely sure why we didn't just loan him to Granada this year. Gets him the Spanish passport and I imagine he'd have done well under Jemez.
His time will certainly come. The season is long and in his two appearances so far he has already shown glimpses of excellent quality. The "problem" (not a problem at all, really) is that this season we appear to have a lot of good quality choices in the attackers/advanced_midfielders zone: - Duván Zapata: 25YO, CF, on the second of a two-seasons loan from Napoli. Strong and tall, decent quality. working hard also to help in defence. Sort of Deeney-style. Even if he's a loanee he's undoubtedly the first choice as center forward in the starting 11. - Cyril Théréau: 33YO, SS/AM/CF. In starting 11 almost always at the beginning of season. This might not last long. He has quality but seems to give just 50% in the field and shows his qualities in 1 game every 5. Helped us a lot with his goals in the lust suffering seasons but now he has players with more quality and/or hunger ready behind him. - Rodrigo de Paul: 22YO, LW/AM/RW. THE best transfer this season. THE #10! Huge quality and seems to have always the capabilities to create something (assist, chance) from nothing. He must improve his finishing skills and must learn sometimes to pass instead of doing another dribbling. Must be always in starting 11 if fit. - Stipe Perica: 21YO, CF/RW/AM. Often used as sub for Zapata but lately also as AM on the right side. Less quality than others maybe, but always seems to give 200% on the pitch, runs a lot and has a good goal instinct. Usually first choice as sub. - Adalberto Peñaranda: 19YO, CF/LW/LM. Quality, skill, speed. Must learn to not be selfish and that football is played by a team of 11. As soon as the coach sees he's learnt that he'll certainly find much more playing time. - Lucas Evangelista: 21YO, AM/LW/RW. Back from loan at Panathinaikos where he did well. Good quality. Must still learn. - Panagiotis Kone: 29YO, AM/RW/CM. Good quality, lots of experience and versatility. - Ryder Matos: 23YO, SS/RW/LW. Decent quality but most of all very quick. Good sub in certain situations. - Ewandro: 20YO, RW/SS/LW. Very promising from what I hear. Still too light-weight for serie A. Good quality for the future. That's quite some competition. Nine players, all of decent quality and with different characteristics and strong/weak points, for three places (or 2) considering we usually play 3-5-2 or 4-3-2-1 or 4-3-1-2. Penaranda will always have to show he's giving 110% in training and on the pitch to earn playing time. Maybe at Granada he'd have played much more without having to fight for a place in starting 11. But I think as a player he'll learn much more here. Edit P.S.: anyway, with Théréau descending in pecking order, Penaranda is likely to play soon a lot more. I read on Udinese forum the coach is trying a lot, in training, the dePaul/Penaranda/Zapata combination.
I can't comment on the quality of the players but I am admiring the first names of many! Cyril,Panagiotis,Stipe,Ewandro,Ryder,let alone Aldeberta! Well done parents!:sign15:
Sassuolo-Udinese, just begun, is the first time for Penaranda in starting 11 and the first call in first team for Armenakas, on the bench.
Not sure if it's been mentioned anywhere but sounds like he's been sacked this morning so perhaps not!
https://twitter.com/GranadaCdeF/status/781081800256921600 Yup, gone. Very bizarre move, I know he hasn't had the best of starts but Jemez's sides normally don't, then improve as the season goes on. Odd.
So Granada's new owners are certified nutjobs then? They have 13 players on loan in their first team. I'm not sure what kind of start they hoped for.
Granada is a poisoned chalice. Glad in a way that Pozzo sold his majority stake in them, as I'm bored now of seeing them struggle season after season at the foot of the table.
Udinese-Lazio 0-3 was simply embarassing. No grit, no speed, no heart, no brain, simply clueless. I was going to write here that, given that apparently this season we might have far better quality in the players than in last seasons, the doubts about coach Iachini were rising. Apparently the Pozzo's thought the same and sacked him.
Good. Crap appointment in the first place. Time for Pozzo Sr to consider candidates outside the pool of Italians I think. Hopefully Peñaranda gets more game time under the new guy.
Swansea look pretty foolish. I thought that they looked pretty decent at the weekend, and clearly still had confidence in the manager. This is a decent shout IMO.
Guidolin was sacked too, today, but there was almost no chance (I've read he and the Pozzo's parted ways not in the best terms). The most likely candidate (given almost for certain and probably official within the afternoon) is Luigi Del Neri. 66YO, born and still living in Friuli, long experience (among other teams: Porto, Roma, Juventus). http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/luigi-delneri/profil/trainer/528
Udinese lost 2-1 at Juventus Stadium, yet almost all Udinese's fans are happy. Not for the result of course, but for the performance! Del Neri seems to have given more "playing style" in two weeks than Iachini did in 3 months. We scored first. Juventus reached equalizer with a wonderful FK by Dybala and led thanks to a pen (correct, it was naive defending by De Paul who is certainly NOT a defender). In the last 20 minutes we pressed a lot and came near the equalizer a couple of times, while Juventus was in 5-4-1 module defending the lead. Something almost amazing for someone who saw Udinese these last 3 years, without playing and always only waiting in defence and hoping for the counterattack. Overall, a draw would have been fully deserved. It was the exact opposite of WFC's "ugly win" this Sunday. Here Juventus had an "ugly win", yet we're more than happy for what we have seen. We hope to see the same spirit and playing skills in the next matches, which should be somewhat less difficult than playing away against the team which won the last 5 consecutive leagues and is already leading by 5 points in the race for its 6th!
A 3-1 win for Udinese tonight against lowly Palermo! Seko Fofana with a brace, and Udinese up to 12th in the table.
Things certainly going better with the new coach Delneri. After the unlucky good performance at Juventus Stadium we've beaten Pescara at home 3-1 (non particularly brilliant performance TBH) and won 3-1 again away at Palermo (with a good performance too). Most important, we finally see some decent playing instead of hoofball, and the coach finally USES the good young players that Iachini left rotting on bench, like Jankto of Fofana. Fofana for example yesterday scored a brace and was MOTM and looked like a real crack. We'll see with the next games before the international break (at home Vs Torino, away Vs Genoa) if things have really turned. We're currently in a confortable mid-table position, 5 points below the EL positions, 7 points above the relegation positions. Let's hope we can aim to something even better that this.
Del Neri changes formation a lot, often several times during the match too. Mostly it's 4 in defence for one between 4-3-2-1, 4-3-1-2, 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1. Penaranda was injured lately, but I think there's certainly a lot of future for him with this coach. He likes players capable of creating something and is not afraid of playing with a young team.
If both teams qualify it could be a problem but I assume the Pozzo's have already severed any direct links between the clubs ... Of course it would need to be tested because the journos will be in fits if it happens not to mention the club that misses out.