Torino-Cagliari

By: Jeremy | October 17th, 2008

I dont know about everyone else, but I am still recovering from the International break and the Sardinian Derby that Allegri decided to schedule in order to use his players in a new way that may actually result in some goals in later matches against real teams. Thats right, for those of you who missed it, we beat Nuorese, a fringe professional team from Sardinia who from what I can gather went from C2 to non professional for this year. That 7-1 whipping reminded me of the joy I get coaching a bunch of 6 year olds and dribbling around them like Maradona while they chase me for 15 minutes hoping to get a touch.

While Allegris boys play friendlies against local clubs, hopefully he is getting the mindset of the players to be right for this important game. For as bad as Cagliari has played, they have two weeks to get back in the relgation mix against two teams who sit four points above them. While there is still some joy left from the Milan tie, any fan knows that if you cant score you cant win and Cagliari cant seem to score. Who do you play with hopes for scoring? Larrivey, the show horse, Acquafresca the frustrated talent, or Matri, the epitome of mediocrity. Coach has no real solution so I think he continues to throw the Larrivey Acquafresca combo out there hoping for a breakthrough. Watching the Milan game made me just want to puke. If you can dominate a team, any team, and run them around the picth, but you cant finish your clear chances, why play the game? You play your best and get no goals says when you play average, you will lose. The team has slowly fallen into this mindset.

Maybe that breakthrough comes this weekend as we travel to Torino to take on a team that has looked like crap since an opening day victory and whose defense has given up six goals in their past two home games. With a swiss cheese defense and potentially the absence of Rosina, Torinos best player, with a not fully healed ankle injury, maybe a result is possible.

This game is about Torinos bad defense versus Cagliaris anemic offense. If Torino plays like it has recently, we might score, but will that be enough to win. The Milan game showed we can create chances, but have no real finishers so Torinos defense will seem better then it really is.

The Cagliari defense is much improved and showed some good play against Milan. But on the road after a long layoff, sets them up to fall behind quick. I know this seems like an ideal game for Cagliari to turn things around offensively and get their first win of the season, but until guys can finish, I dont see it. This is going to be a tight boring game with Torino finishing one chance and taking the three points.

Like it or not, Allegri is on the chopping block. Its only a matter of time.

Prediction

Torino 1-0 Cagliari