Old Lady of Juventus on Her Knees: The Players Need to Stand Up!

After a dismal four game run, during which Juventus has been eliminated from the Europa League and conceded 11 goals, two things have remained constant: Alberto Zaccheroni continues to ignore obvious solutions to simple problems, and the player are woefully under-performing.

Many people, fans, observers, and the media have been quick to lay the blame for this team's struggles on bad management. Jean-Claude Blanc, the Chairman, receives regular calls to leave, despite overseeing what has been a financial master piece of management since the 2006 relegation. His one error is another target of fan ire, the Director of Football Alessio Secco.

By leaving him in a role he continually proves to be inept to hold, Blanc must be held accountable. However the Chairman has overseen the rebirth of the club off the field, and deserves far more credit than criticism.

Secco is a different story. He took his current post following the disgrace of Luciano Moggi, and the former club Press Secretary has a list of errors so lengthy that his refusal to resign is a crime against the club. Blanc seems to have seen his error, first bringing back Roberto Bettega and now talking of employing a "football man" as general manager. Not only would this strip Secco of all power, but would also allow Blanc to concentrate on the business side of the organisation.

Zaccheroni had a good start to his spell in temporary charge. He came in at a time the Bianconeri were decimated by injury, and somehow he fashioned the remaining players into a hard to beat outfit, remaining unbeaten for a number of games. As the squad regained fitness, however, the depth of the squad seems to show the reason why the coach had been out of work for almost four years.

His team selection has seen such bizaare decisions like Marchisio on the wing, Zebina in central defence, and Chimenti continuing in goal despite the player telling the coach he was badly injured. Worse than this has been his use of substitutions. In his early games this was never an option, as there was no depth, but now every game sees worse changes than the last.

Seeing Del Piero, Trezeguet, Camoranesi, and Giovinco sit together on the bench in Naples as the team chased an equaliser highlighted the poor choices made by the coach. Looking at the game, seeing Poulsen injured, the simple solution was to move Marchisio inside, and throw on the only genuine wide player on the bench, Sebastian Giovinco.

Zaccheroni opted instead for Candreva. Then, Camoranesi needed taking off before he was sent off, moving Candreva to the right and putting Giovinco on again seemed to be the right option. The coach ignored this again, putting Diego into an unfamiliar role.

Not happy with two bad moves, Zac went for the hat-trick, removing the teams best attacking option, Del Piero, and going to a three man defence. This moved Zebina to an advanced role, when the player offers nothing to the attack at anytime. At least it stopped him continuing to extend his lead in the battle with Grygera and Cannavaro, known as "The Great Juventus Penalty Give-Away!"

Having all these issues is bad enough, but the Napoli game also served to highlight another, more serious issue within this squad. There is a serious number of men not giving their best, not even close to performing at their optimum, and while this malaise is at least partially understandable given everything else, it has to end.

Before continuing, I would exclude the following players from this, as they do at least give the impression of doing their best: Del Piero, Buffon, Manninger, Chiellini, Momo Sissoko, Claudio Marchisio, and Vincenzo Iaquinta. There is also a case for excusing De Ceglie, Legrottaglie, and Caceres, who have spent much of the season on the sidelines, and Sebastian Giovinco who perhaps should be reported as a missing person. If these players were fit and available at the same time, perhaps the season would have followed a very different path.

Going a goal up used to be the end of Juventus games. Shutting out the opposition and killing the game was the hallmark of a club that was the poster child of "typical Italian pragmatism". The qualities needed for that kind of performance are the DNA of Juventus, the "Stile Juve" that is, or at least was, revered and reviled in equal measure by all of Italy.

Now a goal for Juventus seems to inspire the opposition. As soon as an equaliser comes, you can see there will be more, and the players surrender. The players, excluding those named above, include World Cup winners, Brazil Internationals, and regular Champions League performers who should be able to contribute on the field whatever the management and coaching issues.

Cannavaro, Zebina, Grygera, Grosso, Camoranesi, Melo, Poulsen, Diego, Trezeguet, Amauri. The number of international caps, honours, and accolades possesed by these 10 players is staggering, yet they have played as though they are making their debut, and give the impression that they met for the first time in the dressing room before the match. There is no cohesion, no interplay, no teamwork.

With most coming into the last year of their contracts, and the World Cup just 11 weeks away, you would expect them to be playing above themselves, not putting in desperately poor performances week after week. Sure now of all times is the time to show your value?

All these players need to improve dramatically in the remaining games, if not for the club then for themselves. On current form none will receive offers to move elsewhere, none deserve to go to the World Cup with their respective countries National Teams. It is time to stand up and be counted for the men charged with representing the Old Lady.