Hi Monica, Wondered if I could get your opinion on Balic and Jankto. Are they showing good potential? And Ali Adnan, he was dubbed the Iraqi Gareth Bale but doesn't seem to have played much. Also, Do udinese fans hate us now?
My name's not Monica but I can help. I haven't seen much of Balic so can't comment (although for Udinese to spend €4m he must have something they like!), but Jankto shows great potential, he's just had a superb season that's already got scouts from big clubs eyeing him up - the kids got class. Yes, most Udinese fans do hate us (who can't see the bigger picture), I believe there's regular banners stating such things like this : https://twitter.com/archiert1/status/820666388205408256?lang=en
Coach Delneri sacked. After the horrible beginning (2w/7l) he saved his bench momentarily with the two consecutive wins against Sassuolo and Atalanta. But the lost game at home against Cagliari was apparently the last drop for the Pozzo's. No play, no ideas, players put out of their optimal position. Thanks to Delneri for the easy safety last season, but I guess the Pozzo's and the fans want to see something better with the players we have. New coach is Massimo Oddo, 41yo. A "bet", as he has very little experience: a brilliant promotion from serie B with Pescara two years ago, then a sacking the following season (his first in serie A). Pescara finished last anyway ,with the misery of 18 points, so I guess he had no great material/players to work on.
nice little result tonight in the copa italia including a four-pack from Maxi Lopez Udinese 8 : 3 Perugia
Bologna-Udinese 1-2. Just amazing how Oddo (the new coach) has changed the team. He arrived when we were just two points above relegation zone. Now, after a 0-1 home defeat against Napoli, FIVE consecutive wins and table climbed to 7th, very near to Europe places. Lasagna scored 1 goal in each of the wins and is just the second player in Udinese's history to score in 5 consecutive games. The other one was Di Natale.
I love Lasagna...... Felice nuovo anno amico. Perhaps you can send some of that fortune this way......And perhaps Jankto although I doubt he'd want to come to a stinking sinking ship. Forze Udinese......
Will Oddo be heading to Vicarage Road in about the third week of January? Excellent, as ever, to hear from you, Sherlock.
They are doing quite well. Rebuilding the team with a number of very promising youngsters from goalkeeper to upfront. Pellegrini and Barella in midfield and Cutrone upfront although he has yet to feature for the national team. Pummelled Poland recently although the final scoreline was only 1-0. If we are looking to pilfer players then De Paul, Pussetto as wings (De Paul is far more than a winger though) and Barak in midfield. De Paul rightly earned his first Argentina cap and Pussetto who I recommended we sign is showing signs of settling well into the team from the bench.
https://www.ngolos.com/videos/2018-10-28-genoa-udinese A 2-2 draw. I watched to see how de Paul and young Cristian Romero of Genoa were getting on. The latter needs to learn a lot positionally and was eventually red carded after having scored a towering header. de Paul salvaged a draw for a sluggish Udinese with another wonder goal which no doubt pushes his transfer value further up. He would be very welcome at Vicarage Road.
Another season of struggle ahead for Udinese. If they lose de Paul, they'll be relegated. I'd definitely love him here though. Even if the Udinese fans riot.
Udinese proves that our success is a fluke. If the Pozzos were so clever, how come their first club are such perennial strugglers in a piss weak league?
Exactly right. Why doesn't the "greatest scouting network in the world" extend to udinese? I noticed this weekend they are still wheeling out behrami, to my considerable amusement.
There is a tremendous amount of interest in him including Internazionale who are looking to resurrect their Argentine legion. However he has signed a contract extension. As usual with the Pozzo policy. https://twitter.com/Udinese_1896/st...entine-international-rodrigo-de-paul-udinese/
I don't like to see Udinese struggling, as you know somewhere down the line it could well hurt us. Having said that, I think most players would prefer to play for an unfashionable Premier League team, as opposed to an unfashionable Italian team, given the choice.