None of this has helped Juventus fans as we have been forced to watch one of the worst teams in our illustrious history limp towards a sad conclusion after being humiliated twice in Europe & witnessing some utterly embarrassing displays domestically.
The early season promise has been replaced by a realisation that the squad is deeply flawed, that Ciro Ferrara was both fired too soon & the wrong appointment in the first place.
"Sixth Is This Way"
Now only two games remain. La Vecchia Signora currently lies seventh, a point behind Napoli & a place in the playoff round of the Europa League. Finishing sixth is vital as it avoids the qualifying rounds, enabling the squad to return as one & prepare for the season together.
Ending the season behind the Vesuviani would mean the players not involved in this summers World Cup would need to win a two-legged tie in July before they are fully fit & a whole month prior to the Serie A season getting underway.
Napoli face relegation favourites Atalanta followed by an impressive Sampdoria, who are aiming to secure Champions League football. With games against old foes Parma & Milan, Juventus have an even tougher end to the season, but perhaps that is a good thing.
Parma's season is already over, while Milan can seal third this weekend, meaning the last game will be a dead-rubber for them too. The two games present this far from vintage Bianconeri side with a last chance to make believers of us.
If they can put in two performances at this end of the season to match the early promise seen in the Roma & Lazio games way back in September, then we can head for the summer knowing that it will never be this bad again.
Juventus have disappointed heavily in 2009/10 and owe the fans greatly. These two games can go someway to erasing that debt.
This explains the importance of finishing sixth to me!
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