The Old Lady Speaks: A Juventus Podcast

The final week of February brought us more Champions League knockout rounds frustration — although not a loss! — and the continuation of Dusan Vlahovic’s early success in a Juventus jersey. On this week’s episode of The Old Lady Speaks, we discuss: Takeaways from the week that was — including Max Allegri’s search for a consistent starting lineup (again), Juventus might be seeing some grinta in the squad returning and this team is still kinda-sorta still in the Scudetto race after all of the issues that have gone on this season. A look at the current Champions League situation after last week’s 1-1 draw with Villarreal. Further confirmation that injuries are dumb. Further confirmation that Dusan Vlahovic is a cyborg. Thoughts on Juventus’ win over Empoli, one where Vlahovic was really, really good. Twitter questions — including ones about why Juve’s injuries keep happening and what a future formation could like and why that’s difficult to think about with so many uncertanties going into this summer. You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During a weekend in which Juve’s closest competition for fourth place ended up dropping points yet again, Juventus rolled out a complete dud against Torino in the second Derby della Mole of the 2021-22 season. On this week’s episode of The Old Lady Speaks, we discuss: Takeaways from the week that was — including how Juventus, new signings and all, continues to be the frustrating mess; how Dusan Vlahovic has been completely man-marked out of Juve’s last two games; and if Max Allegri truly knows what his best starting lineup is now that we’re at the end of February. More thoughts on the Derby della Mole draw against Torino. More thoughts on how Max Allegri is handling this team right now. Breaking news: injuries are dumb. Thoughts on Juventus’ Champions League Round of 16 tie with Villarreal on Tuesday night. A single Twitter question about what, if anything, Juventus could do to get Max Allegri to open up his tactics just a little bit going forward. You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Juventus dominated proceedings early on Sunday against Atalanta, but had to get a stoppage-time goal from Danilo to ensure they left Bergamo with a point to ensure they remained in fourth place in Serie A. On this week’s episode of The Old Lady Speaks, we discuss: Takeaways from the week — which, as you might guess, center around what all went down on Sunday night against Atalanta in Bergamo. More detailed thoughts on Juve’s draw with Atalanta, with an emphasis on just how Max Allegri handled things in a very winnable game and important matchup against the closest contender for fourth place. Matthijs de Ligt is playing out of his mind right now. (In a good way!) Danilo has become one of Juventus’ most important players after arriving to little fanfare. Twitter questions, including Juventus’ Champions League chances and the crazy amount of substitutions that Max Allegri used during the closing minutes of Sunday’s game against Atalanta. You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Juventus rolled out its two big January signings in the return from the international break, and the two newest arrivals didn’t disappoint in a 2-0 win over Hellas Verona on Sunday night. On this week’s episode of The Old Lady Speaks, we discuss: Takeaways from Juventus’ 2-0 win over Hellas Verona — including the positioning of one Paulo Dybala, the impact that the new guys are already having on the team and the impact the new guys also had on the people watching at Allianz Stadium. Thoughts on Dusan Vlahovic’s Juventus debut. Thoughts on Denis Zakaria’s Juventus debut. Just how much those two guys helped change Juve for the better on Sunday night. Did Max Allegri still go back on his old habits and start to get a little conservative after Juventus went ahead 1-0? Twitter questions — including if the formation that Max Allegri used against Hellas Verona should be the way forward, what Juventus’ ceiling might be with the Vlahovic and Zakaria signings and if the role Alvaro Morata played on Sunday is his best for the future, You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the better part of the first month of 2022, it didn’t look like Juventus wasn’t going to do much of anything on the transfer market. And then, like a levy breaking, things got absolutely crazy and Juve now have two major additions before January ends. On this week’s episode of The Old Lady Speaks, we discuss: The takeaways from the week, which as you might expect center around the sudden flood of transfer activity for Juventus after three weeks of nothing in January. Breaking down the Dusan Vlahovic signing, a club — and Serie A — record amount of money spent for a player during the January transfer window. Breaking down the Denis Zakaria signing and just how much he will improve Juventus’ midfield both in the immediate and long-term future. Plus, you know, Zakaria arrives for a transfer fee that is much lower than he could have been sold for over the summer or a year ago. Juventus has a new No. 7 and an interesting hashtag to come along with it. Breaking down the two major names leaving Juventus this month, who just so happen to be going to the same team in Tottenham — Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski. Twitter questions, including where Max Allegri could go now that he has a big-time goal scorer again and an improved midfield, just how much Vlahovic should we expect in his first few games with Juventus, the sudden shift to more of a work-in-silence type of transfer strategy and how we want things to look like when Juve do return to the field. You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Visiting the fabled stadium in Milan for the second time in two weeks, Juventus’ attack never got into gear despite the fact that there was a chance to get into the top four. On this week’s episode of the Old Lady Speaks, we discuss: Takeaways from the week that was, including Juventus’ misfiring attack, the rediscovering of form for some former outcasts and if a certain Dusan Vlahovic would have actually helped against AC Milan based on how the team played. A much, much deeper dive into the scoreless draw against Milan from Sunday night, where Juve’s inconsistent attack barely created much of anything against a second-string defense. No, seriously. Juve’s attack was not good at all against Milan. Some talk about the story reported by Tuttosport earlier in the week that stated Juventus’ front office is going to try and convince the club’s six soon-to-be free agents to take paycuts of 15% each. The most notable free agent to be, Paulo Dybala, is in the midst of a long-standing negotiation with Juventus that has him seeking out the highest salary at the club. Twitter questions about: Federico Chiesa’s recovery from major knee surgery, Daniele Rugani suddenly being thrust into action and just how much confidence this season has given us for Max Allegri and the future. You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Juventus lost a chance to win its first trophy of the 2021-22 season, but the last image of the week that was will be the man wearing the captain’s armband against Udinese not celebrating his goal and why things have gone bad. On this week’s episode of The Old Lady Speaks, we discuss: Takeaways from the week that was, including Chuks admitting that he needs to get better at thinking about how players actually play during the course of a game and, you know, the whole Dybala happenings from over the weekend. The Paulo Dybala contract extension mess — how we got here, what the heck is going on now and can there really be some sort of solution after everything has (or hasn’t) happened over the course of the last couple of months since it looked like he was getting ready to sign his new deal and be done with this once and for all. A quick look back at the Supercoppa loss to Inter Milan midweek. (Don’t worry, we didn’t talk too, too much about Alex Sandro because things are already frustrating enough.) Twitter questions regarding the best lineup going forward this season knowing who’s injured and if there are any young Italian central defenders who Juventus could sign to potentially usher in the next era of things alongside Matthijs de Ligt. (No, not Daniele Rugani.) You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As much as the first game of 2022 was frustrating, the second was absolutely thrilling, with Juventus coming back from 3-1 down to record a wild 4-3 win over Jose Mourinho and Roma. On this week’s episode of The Old Lady Speaks Podcast, we discuss: Takeaways from the week — which, sorry to Thursday’s 1-1 draw against Napoli, are focused on the insanity that was Sunday night’s win over Roma. More thoughts on the win over Roma. In an absolutely wild game where so many players contributed to Juventus comeback, a Twitter question asks: Who is the Man of the Match? The knee injury to Federico Chiesa. (Please note that we recorded this episode on Sunday night, with the Chiesa diagnosis not officially known just yet, only reports of what it could be the most advanced information that we knew of at the time.) Where Max Allegri might go tactically because of the injury to Chiesa, something that takes away one of his best offensive weapons just as he’s coming back into the fold. Twitter questions, including if a midfield of Manuel Locatelli and Arthur can work on a regular basis, what Juve’s project might be for the immediate future and if now is the time to bid farewell to one of the squad’s longest-tenured players in Alex Sandro. You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are just a few short days from the holiday break being over and done with, and Juventus’ first game in January 2022 is one that could set the tone for the rest of the month. On this week’s episode of The Old Lady Speaks Podcast, we discuss: Juventus’ 2022 opener against Napoli and just how big of a match it truly is. What the return of Federico Chiesa and Paulo Dybala could mean for Juventus when it faces Napoli on Thursday night. The Alvaro Morata to Barcelona rumors and what they mean for the immediate future. Dear God, more rumors with the same handful of players who might replace Morata if he were to leave during the January transfer window. Twitter questions, including who we might prefer to replace Morata of the usual suspects being linked with Juventus and a few New Years resolutions as we start 2022. You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

They weren’t all wins, they most definitely weren’t all pretty and there were some pretty rocky moments, but we take a look back on what has transpired over the last four months. On this week’s episode of The Old Lady Speaks, we discuss: Some quick takeaways from last week’s 2-0 win over Cagliari as Juventus was able to go into the holiday break on a relatively positive note. We hand out some awards for the first half of the season, starting with Juve’s MVP. Then we go to Juventus’ LVP for the first half of the 2021-22 season. Then we go to the best moment of Juventus’ season. We wrap up our first-half award session with the biggest surprise of the 2021-22 season. The return of Twitter questions, including a very attack-minded group of topics about Moise Kean and his position out wide, who Juve could go for if they don’t sign Dusan Vlahovic and, wait for it, a question about The Wings of Fede. You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Despite a foggy, foggy night in Emilia Romagna, Juventus was able to come away with a 2-0 win over Bologna. But unfortunately, as things tend to be with this club right now, what happened on the field is only part of the discussion surrounding Juventus at the moment. On this week’s episode of The Old Lady Speaks Podcast, we discuss: Our takeaways from the week, including a potential new role for Moise Kean, just how dumb injuries truly are and more than just a quick shoutout to Juventus Women. Further thoughts that, yes, injuries are dumb. Thoughts on the win over Bologna in which the fog was quite unreal. The sudden cloud hanging over the future of Matthijs de Ligt at Juventus in the wake of what the Dutchman’s agent, Mino Raiola had to say about things on Sunday. Some closing thoughts on Juventus Women making the Women’s Champions League quarterfinals, a massive step in the progress for both the club in general and what first-year manager Joe Montemurro is trying to accomplish during his time in Turin. You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coming off a surprise in the Champions League in which Juve finished atop its group, the squad’s trip to Venice was far from anything you would describe as “good” or “enjoyable.” This week on The Old Lady Speaks Podcast, we discuss: Takeaways from the week that was — including a mention of traffic talk in Mexico. Juve dropping points from a winning position once again, this time in Venice against a club in Venezia that is trying to avoid going into the relegation zone. Max Allegri got conservative again and Juventus paid for it. The Champions League Round of 16 draw. (The second one that didn’t have to be redone after the first one was clearly botched by those running the show.) Twitter questions, including ones about Paulo Dybala’s contract extension and just how much of the blame does Max Allegri deserve for Juve’s struggles this season. You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Max Allegri made his first big tactical move of the 2021-22 season following a couple of big-time losses last week, and the initial results have been fairly encouraging. On this week’s episode of The Old Lady Speaks, we discuss: Takeaways from the week — most notably a mention or two of the switch to the 4-2-3-1. Delving deeper into Max Allegri’s switch into the 4-2-3-1 and what it means for Juventus’ attack both this past week and potentially going forward. How the switch to the 4-2-3-1 impacts Paulo Dybala. Holy crap that Juan Cuadrado goal against Genoa. Luca Pellegrini is actually playing pretty well since getting an uptick in minutes. Twitter questions, including a couple of Max Allegri’s job performance so far this season and if our idea of Andrea Pirlo has changed at all after watching the Amazon Prime doc. You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Both of the field and on it, Juventus didn’t have one bit of good news come its way. Unless you’re talking about the Amazon documentary being released, of course. On this week’s episode of The Old Lady Speaks, we discuss: The current state of affairs at Juventus — which aren’t doing so great! That Chelsea loss. That Atalanta loss. The new investigation into transfer dealings Juventus (and other Serie A clubs) where 42 of the club’s swap deals between 2018 and 2021 are being looked into by Italian officials. What could come out of the investigation into the swap deals and just how worrying it is to see Juventus involved in something like this. (Please note that with sooooo much going on, we decided to push the Twitter questions segment back to next week’s episode. We just simply ran out of time, folks.) You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was a happy return to the field for Juventus following the latest international break. That isn’t necessarily something we’ve seen a lot of so far this season, so we will cherish the chance to be about in the first game back after a two-week “break” whenever possible. On this week’s episode of The Old Lady Speaks, we discuss: Our big takeaways from the weekend that was, featuring Max Allegri’s decision making, Dejan Kulusevski’s roller coaster ride and Luca Pellegrini’s strong start against Lazio. The Allegri vs. Sarri battle that thankfully went Juve’s way. Looking ahead to Tuesday night’s showdown with Chelsea in London, a game in which Juventus can clinch the top spot in its Champions League group with a positive result. Twitter questions! And a lot of them, including ones about Aaron Ramsey’s health, potentially picking Moise Kean over Alvaro Morata and if Juve have a chance to do anything in the Champions League knockout rounds. You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re starting a new week and it is a week in which Juventus returns to the field when they face an old friend in Maurizio Sarri and Lazio. On this week’s episode of The Old Lady Speaks, we discuss: Looking ahead to Lazio and the first match against Maurizio Sarri since he was fired at the end of the 2019-20 season. Juventus’ midfield vs. Lazio’s midfield. Could the end be near for Aaron Ramsey at Juventus? Twitter questions, featuring questions about Dejan Kulusevski’s future at Juventus, rumors about Axel Witsel coming to Juventus and Weston McKennie’s recent run of form. (And, as a result, some #DosACero discussion feating our own resident Mexico resident.) You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Juventus closed a busy run of fixtures with a couple of wins over Zenit St. Petersburg and Fiorentina in Turin, but in two very different kinds of fashions. On this week’s episode of The Old Lady Speaks Podcast, we discuss: Tales of fatherhood, starring Sam Lopresti. Tales of Formula 1 visiting Mexico, starring Sergio Romero. Tales of Juventus continuing to be, well ... Juventus. Thoughts on the final two games before the November international break — which just so happened to be two very different kinds of team performances. Can we please have a 4-2-3-1 or at least Adrien Rabiot off the left wing, please, Max? Where this team is at come the beginning of November. Twitter questions, including our first discussions of the winter transfer window. You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You want to hear us talk about how bad Juve was over the last few games, you’ve come to the right place. On this week’s episode of The Old Lady Speaks Podcast, we discuss: The week that was for Juventus, one that saw the squad earn zero out of a possible six points and look not-so-great doing it. Is it time for Max Allegri to ditch the 4-4-2? Juventus has way too many “OK” players on the roster. Twitter questions, including topics regarding the realistic expectations for the rest of the season, is there any kind of hope for the winter transfer window, is another banter era on the horizon for Juventus and if it’s time to let Kaio Jorge loose in the starting lineup. You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Juventus made its first trip of the season to the San Siro and came away with a point despite not playing at its best, 1a result that extended the current unbeaten run under Max Allegri to nine games. On this week’s episode of The Old Lady Speaks, we discuss: Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Inter and what to take out of it. The good, the bad, the VAR — everything. Let’s face it, there wasn’t much to be said about the win over Zenit. It was a game played, it wasn’t good and we treated it as such despite the fact that Juve actually won. Sometimes Max Allegri’s lineup choices make perfect sense. Other times, they confuse you. Either way, we just have to live with it. A two-month job performance review for a certain Max Allegri, whose team is now on the brink of cracking the top four after a very tough start to the season. Twitter questions! Including ones about Paulo Dybala’s return to the field, Juve’s Champions League chances and a debate over what’s for breakfast. You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Juventus marked its return to the field after the October international break with another Allegri special, beating Roma 1-0 to continue their winning ways against Jose Mourinho’s squad at Allianz Stadium. On this week’s episode of The Old Lady Speaks, we discuss: The win over Roma and what stood out during a third straight 1-0 victory in all competitions. (Hint: Playing well defensively is nice!) Are Juventus starting to get it as Max Allegri becomes more and more comfortable with the squad that he’s working with? A short tangent on library books courtesy of Chuks. Looking ahead to Wednesday’s Champions League group stage game against Zenit St. Petersburg in Russia, which could go a long way in helping Juve qualify for the knockout rounds. Your Twitter questions! Including topics regarding The Wings of Fede, Max’s tactics, Kaio Jorge and a potential Dusan Vlahovic signing next summer. You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s the back half of the October international break, which means Juventus is close to returning to the field once again. And it just so happens an old “friend” is coming back to Turin for the first time in a few years. On this week’s episode of The Old Lady Speaks, we discuss: Sunday’s matchup with Roma and just how we’re all feeling about it. An outsider’s look at the early days of Jose Mourinho at Roma and just how things are going for him during his first couple of months back in Serie A. Juventus’ schedule the next month or two is, a lot like the end of September — big fixture after big fixture in both Serie A and the Champions League. Just how much does Adrien Rabiot’s COVID-19 absence potentially change things up for Max Allegri’s tactical choices the next couple of games. Twitter questions about J Medical, the new owners at Newcastle potentially helping Juventus out and could that same ownership group be looking at Serie A next. You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Juventus entered its matchup with Chelsea as the underdog. They not only one, but they turned in a classic Max Allegri performance and went into the international break with plenty of momentum. On this week’s episode of The Old Lady Speaks, we discuss: Looking back on Juve’s 1-0 win over reigning European champions Chelsea, allowing Max Allegri’s squad to take over the top spot in their Champions League group. Wait, Juventus’ defense did WHAT against Chelsea? Are we feeling a little bit better about this team knowing what they’ve done in the last couple of games? Thoughts on Juventus’ win over Torino in the Derby della Mole. A week after talking about Matthijs de Ligt, we talk about Matthijs de Ligt again — but in a much better kind of way. Twitter questions, including some stuff on the aforementioned Matthijs de Ligt, Paulo Dybala, Moise Kean, Federico Bernardeschi, Adrien Rabiot and Weston McKennie. You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Juventus is finally in the win column in Serie A this season, with a pair of 3-2 wins over Spezia and Sampdoria within the last week. But, as always, things aren't as wonderful as they may seem. On this week’s episode of The Old Lady Speaks Podcast, we discuss: Juventus has won two straight Serie A games! Those two wins, however, have come under the circumstances in which Juve has continued to struggle defensively against teams that aren’t exactly world-class quality opponents. Juve’s defense ... yikes. Where the hell does Juve go from here defensively? (Other than continuing to piss us off.) Juventus head into Wednesday night’s big Champions League game against Chelsea without Paulo Dybala and Alvaro Morata. (Note: This was recorded Sunday night, so we hadn’t officially heard how long the two strikers would be out for.) Thoughts on the matchup against Chelsea, which was going to be tough even if Dybala and Morata were both healthy going into the game. Twitter questions! You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Juventus' tumble down the table continued this past weekend, with a third lead blown in four games resulting in Max Allegri's squad finishing the fourth matchday of the 2021-22 season in — wait for it — 18th place. On this week’s episode of The Old Lady Speaks Podcast, we discuss: BLOG NEWS! BLOG NEWS! Thoughts on Juventus’ 1-1 draw against AC Milan, the third game this season in which Juventus has thrown away a lead and dropped points because of it. How Juve’s first four games of the 2021-22 season have already put themselves in a massive hole when it comes the Serie A standings. Can Juventus stabilize this thing in short order to hopefully start to work its way up the table? Twitter questions! You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Juventus’ season-opening struggles continued against Napoli this past weekend, and it’s not like they’re doing a whole lot to inspire confidence that they’ll turn it around any time soon. On this week’s episode of The Old Lady Speaks, we discuss: Juventus played like crap again, this time against Napoli. The suddenly glaring problem Juventus has in goal with Wojciech Szczesny. How much of a leash should Szczesny have after another game-changing mistake? Does that return of the South Americans inspire any kind of confidence that things will be a little bit better come Tuesday night against Malmö in the Champions League group stage opener? Twitter questions, including a few about — you guessed it! — Wojciech Szczesny. You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s the first international break of the season, so that gives us a chance to get caught up on a few things now that the summer transfer window is officially a thing of the past. On this week’s episode of The Old Lady Speaks, we discuss: A bit of a delayed reaction to the Champions League group stage draw in which Juventus have been put in the same group as last season’s winners, Chelsea. In talking about Chelsea, Sergio decides to declare he’s ready to die on a new type of hill. “Black & White & Malmö All Over.” Max Allegri will likely head into this weekend’s trip to Naples without some of his top players after they will return the day before and traveled back from South America for World Cup qualifiers. The Weston McKennie situation, one that saw the American midfielder sent back to Turin early after he was suspended by United States men’s national team head coach Gregg Berhalter for breaking COVID-19 protocol. You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Max Allegri tried to do some experimenting against Empoli, but it ended up blowing up in his face and Juventus dropped points for a second straight game to begin Allegri 2.0. On this week’s episode of The Old Lady Speaks Podcast, we discuss: What the hell happened against Empoli over the weekend? Where Max Allegri got it wrong, and what can be done to try and right the ship coming out of the international break. Should a 4-2-3-1 be in Juventus’ future? Cristiano Ronaldo’s exit, and the manner of how he left Juventus. #ThankYouCristiano? Quick thoughts on Ronaldo’s tenure at Juventus. You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The drama Sunday started well before kickoff and lasted well after Juventus opened the 2021-22 season with a disappointing 2-2 draw against Udinese at the Friuli. On this week’s episode of The Old Lady Speaks Podcast, we discuss: Cristiano Ronaldo didn’t start against Udinese, and the reasons as to why he was on the bench come kickoff differ depending on who you believe (either Max Allegri or the Italian press). Thoughts on the 2-2 draw against Udinese to open the 2021-22 season. Where did Max Allegri go wrong — especially in the second half? — against Udinese? What the hell is up with Wojciech Szczesny? Twitter questions involving Juve’s new third kits, Weston McKennie transfer rumors, Aaron Ramsey’s performance vs. Udinese and just how interested we think Juventus was in signing Gianluigi Donnarumma earlier this summer. You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The start of the 2021-22 season is almost upon, and that means a deep dive into what’s good and bad about this edition of Juventus and the man who’s back to coach them. We broke this episode of The Old Lady Speaks into a couple of different parts. They are: Expectations/thoughts on the upcoming season. Just how much of an impact will having Max Allegri back as manager make this season. Who we are looking at to be a potential standout player this season. An under-the-radar or wild card pick for an important contributor this season. And, as teased last week, we wrapped things up with some Twitter questions. (PLEASE NOTE: This podcast episode was recorded Monday night, which proved to be a few hours before Juventus and Sassuolo finally agreed to a deal for Manuel Locatelli.) You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Juventus took a big step up in competition level in its third friendly of the preseason. It wasn’t all that great and there was plenty of freaking out, but was it really necessary? On this week’s episode of The Old Lady Speaks: Juventus lost 3-0 to Barcelona and we clearly lose our heads about it. Well, not really. We try and find some positives — or not dwell on the negatives — from Juve’s loss to Barcelona this past weekend. There are a lot of preseason trophies, but unfortunately Juventus won’t win them all this summer because of said loss to Barcelona. Looking ahead to the final friendly of the preseason this weekend against Atalanta. The Manuel Locatelli deal could be done this weekend. The looooooooong Paulo Dybala contract extension talks and drama could also reach the light at the end of the tunnel this weekend. You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Juventus have a new Brazilian talent coming to their ranks in a matter of days, and that means we get to figure out how to actually pronounce his name after learning how to spell it. On this week’s episode of The Old Lady Speaks, we discuss: Juventus’ suddenly happening signing of Brazilian starlet Kaio Jorge. We also try to figure out how to actually pronounce “Kaio Jorge.” The domino effect that is Juventus sending Merih Demiral to Atalanta and what it means for Juve’s attempt to sign Sassuolo’s Manuel Locatelli. Also, the domino effect that is Demiral leaving and the impact on Juve’s depth in the center of defense considering that Giorgio Chiellini is 37 years old with his lengthy injury history and Leonardo Bonucci is 35 years old. DANIELE RUGANI?!?!?! Max Allegri did some experimenting over the weekend against Monza and that meant Juventus’ new deep-lying midfielder was ... Aaron Ramsey?! Twitter questions! You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Juventus, albeit with very limited senior squad experience available, returned to the field this weekend with a familiar face barking orders from the sidelines again, as Max Allegri 2.0 debuted in Saturday’s friendly vs. Cesena. We take a look at Saturday's game as well as a few other things this week. On this week’s episode of The Old Lady Speaks, we discuss: General thoughts on Max Allegri’s first friendly since returning to manage Juventus, a 3-1 win over Cesena on Saturday. The potential departure of Merih Demiral, who out of all the Juve players rumored to be leaving right now looks like the most likely to actually leave. The ripple effect of a potential Demiral sale on Juventus’ central defense depth chart. Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival in Turin and that it looks he will be staying with Juventus for the 2021-22 season more than ever before. The return of Twitter questions after a couple of weeks hiatus. You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Juventus starts up training under Max Allegri, there’s plenty happening off the field involving players who are both currently in Turin or on holiday after the Euros. On this week’s episode of The Old Lady Speaks Podcast, we discuss: Max Allegri is back on the training ground and yelling at the limited number of senior squad players that Juventus currently has. The Cristiano Ronaldo situation as we await either an answer about his future at Juventus or for the Portuguese superstar to show up to training in a matter of days. The Paulo Dybala contract extension situation, which seems to be on the way toward a possible relaunch as his agent is expected in Turin somewhat soon. The Arthur injury news that will see the Brazilian midfielder miss the next three months after undergoing surgery over the weekend. You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are two days removed from Italy winning Euro 2020, and the party in Italy is still very much going on. We’ve seen videos coming from yesterday’s welcome home party, especially those that involve Giorgio Chiellini taking the microphone and singing along with all of his teammates. So, you can probably guess what this podcast episode is about. No, not Chiellini singing — although that probably would have been fun to break down and analyze based on how he sounded and how just absolutely nerdy he looks doing anything outside of defending and yanking down English attackers by their collars. (Not a red, by the way.) You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We talk a little Italy, we talk a little Juventus, we talk Juventus players who are Italian. It’s just that kind of podcast when you’ve got a major international tournament going on. On this week’s episode of The Old Lady Speaks, we discuss: Thoughts on Italy’s run to the Euro 2020 final. Italy’s midfield vs. what England could do against the Azzurri on Sunday Federico Cherubini and Maurizio Arrivabene are now officially in their new jobs. Just how much Cherubini’s task this summer hinges on Cristiano Ronaldo’s status at the club, one that the new Juventus chief football officer sounded rather confident in. Twitter questions! And, on our way out the door, Italy-England predictions. You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We talk a little Juventus, a lot of Euros and remain hopeful that this summer of tournament madness continues to deliver. A revelation about Sergio ... the Switzerland fan?! The Juventus-related happenings to date at Euro 2020. (Although, since we recorded Monday, there’s no info about how Dejan Kulusevski’s round of 16 went against Ukraine.) General thoughts on the Euros thus far. A brief discussion off of what Chuks wrote about earlier in the tournament regarding international football still very much mattering to the game. RIP to the away goals rule in UEFA club competitions, namely the Champions League. Twitter questions! You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We belated take a look back at the 2020-21 season now that the dust has settled when it comes to Juventus’ managerial situation. On this week’s episode of The Old Lady Speaks, we discuss: Who Juventus’ most valuable player was this past season. Who Juventus’ least valuable player was this past season. Who Juventus’ most disappointing player was this past season. Who Juventus’ most improved player was this past season. Twitter questions — with a heavy dose of Manuel Locatelli discussion. You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Max Allegri is back at Juventus, and this summer is shaping up to be one full of drama, transfer rumors and plenty of chaos along the way. Just look at the last week we’ve had as Exhibit A, folks. On this week’s episode of The Old Lady Speaks, we discuss: Thoughts on the week that was and the absolutely craziness that took place after reports that Allegri was coming back truly started to pick up steam. Max is making A LOT of money. The dynamic between Allegri and Juve’s somewhat new-look front office, with reports suggesting that a big sticking point for him to return was having more power in how the roster will look come the start of the 2021-22 season. The €31 million-after-taxes elephant in the room: How much of Juve’s summer transfer activity depends on Cristiano Ronaldo still being on the team. (Hint: A lot!) Twitter questions! You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Juventus, somehow, had everything go their way on the final day of the season, both winning and getting help to qualify for the Champions League next season. On this week’s episode of The Old Lady Speaks, we discuss: Some breaking news from the Chuks family right outta the gate! A quick summary of just what it was like during the Juventus-Bologna/Napoli-Hellas Verona/AC Milan-Atalanta viewing experience. Some thoughts on Juve’s Coppa Italia win over Atalanta. Just what might be next for Juventus as we head into a summer that is filled with storylines, holes that need to be filled and a roster that could see its biggest stars as well as its manager leave. Twitter questions! (And there are some good ones this week.) You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Juventus might have picked up a win over Inter Milan in the Derby d’Italia over the weekend, but they still remain on the outside looking in of the top four heading into the final game of the 2020-21 Serie A season. On this week’s episode of The Old Lady Speaks, we discuss: Juventus beat Inter — which is never not good. Oh, what a refereeing performance we saw on Saturday night. Why did it take this team this long to show some sense of urgency? Just how preventable it was when it comes to this team not being in a situation where they need serious help on top of a win in the final game of the season to grab a spot in the top four. A quick look ahead to the Coppa Italia final against Atalanta on Wednesday night. The return of Twitter questions! You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a season full of disastrous results, Juventus’ 3-0 loss to AC Milan at Allianz Stadium was maybe the worst of them all knowing the context of having their status in the top four directly tied to it. On this week’s episode of The Old Lady Speaks Podcast, we discuss: The 3-0 loss to Milan. Just who’s to blame for all of this mess. How much is this Andrea Pirlo’s fault? How much of this is on the players? How much of this is on the front office? Doom, gloom and nothing in between. Positivity? Maybe next week. You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Juventus’ performance in Udine was absolutely garbage, but thanks to a couple of late Cristiano Ronaldo goals they were able to salvage something out of one of their final away fixtures of the season. On this week’s episode of The Old Lady Speaks Podcast, we discuss: Thoughts on the Udinese win, a game in which Juventus was collectively bad for 80 minutes and then suddenly found themselves leaving the field with three crucial points. A whoooooooole lot of Twitter questions after a few weeks of not having them post-Super League creation and then very quick demise. Going a step further, those Twitter questions address: The potential impact of Barbara Bonansea signing with Mino Raiola. How much does Inter Milan winning the Scudetto this season adjust a Juve fan’s hate for them? Pick one: Manuel Locatelli or Rodrigo De Paul? Is there some sort of short-term kind of fix for the current midfield to finish the season? Could a return to Juventus for Max Allegri mean that Paulo Dybala is back in business? Champions Leaug e or Super League? You get to pick! Could Andrea Pirlo go back to being the Under-23 manager if he were to be relieved of his senior team duties like so many people think he will when the 2020-21 season ends? What’s the best midfield Juventus could realistically hope for next season? With four games (and a Coppa Italia final) remaining, what is your favorite moment from this season? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Juventus dropped points to Fiorentina again and one of Andrea Agnelli’s biggest projects yet, the European Super League, blew up in his face. So, as you can guess, it was a bad week. On this week’s episode of The Lady Speaks, we discuss the following: We get an outsider’s view of what the hell is wrong with Juventus from Tito. More venting about Juventus dropping points against teams they shouldn’t drop points against. The Serie A’s race to finish in the top four, which (somehow) is even tighter after the weekend’s games than it was at the beginning of Saturday’s schedule. The two-day rise and fall of the Super League and what a mess it has been for Andrea Agnelli and Juventus, who are still technically part of the Super League. You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The news of the creation of the European Super League made Juventus dropping more points in the race for a Champions League spot — whatever that may mean now — seem like a very minor blip on the radar. On this week’s episode of The Lady Speaks, we discuss the following: Yeah, you guessed it: Juventus and the European Super League. Andrea Agnelli’s role in the Super League. Some of the crazy finances of the Super League. Just how much the pandemic impacted the race to begin the Super League. Oh, right. Juventus played a game — and lost that game to Atalanta. You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The first-full week of April provided something we haven’t seen Juventus do a lot of lately — win back-to-back games in relatively good fashion. On this week’s episode of The Old Lady Speaks, we discuss: Hey, we’re in a good mood! Thoughts on Juventus’ week that was, with relatively enjoyable viewings during the course of wins over Napoli midweek and then Genoa this past Sunday. A player focus of sorts as we discuss just how awesome Federico Chiesa has been the last couple of months. Juventus has been pretty solid in their last two games. With tougher competition coming up the next few weeks, just how crucial is this upcoming stretch before May arrives? A very good discussion coming out of our lone Twitter question. You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Juventus’ returned from the international break and looked a lot like the team that went into the international break — which is bad and something nobody wanted to actually see take place. On this week’s episode of The Old Lady Speaks, we discuss: Juventus’ top 4 chances seem to be hanging on by a thread right now. Just how confident are we that this team, with the way it is playing of late, can actually ensure Champions League football next season? The pressure is on Andrea Pirlo to get results or else there won’t be any Champions League and he will likely be out of a job because of it. The team’s confidence levels ... yikes. This summer is going to be one of transition no matter who the manager is at Juventus, so that means the front office has to nail it or else the next few seasons might end up being just as tough as the current one. Twitter questions! You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There has been a lot of talk surrounding Paulo Dybala’s future at Juventus. With no games to talk about, we decided to add to that talk. On this week’s episode of The Old Lady Speaks, we discuss: ALL THE HOT AND SPICY DYBALA TAKES YOU ALL CAN HANDLE. Has this been a contract extension negotiation with Dybala and his representatives that has lasted as long as it feels? (Yes.) Just what it would mean for Juventus if Dybala leaves ... or stays. Do we actually think Dybala is going to stay with Juventus beyond this season. Twitter questions! (With a certain discussion of a certain young Italian midfielder who has been linked with Juventus quite a lot the last few weeks [and months] [and for essentially the last year or so if we’re being completely honest here] in the Italian press.) You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Things went from bad to worse for Juventus, who now have the “honor” of saying that they are on the wrong side of a game where Benevento got its first win in nearly three months this past weekend. On this week’s episode of The Old Lady Speaks, we discuss: The loss to Benevento because there’s no disappointing Champions League results to dominate the discussion this week. (Well, damn.) People are blaming Andrea Pirlo A LOT over the last few games. Is that really the right thing to do with such a problematic squad he has to work with from the get-go? A childhood story from Chuks because Sergio’s takes were that hot. As we asked last week on the podcast: What now? Twitter questions! You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been a week since Juventus was eliminated from the Champions League by Porto, and that’s probably a good thing since we were VERY ANGRY when it all first went down. On this week’s episode, you can probably guess what we’re going to talk about, but we’re going to go ahead and tell you anyways ... Juventus is a team that has left us disappointed. Juventus is a team that needs a lot of work. Juventus is a team that is paying one of the best players in the history of the game A LOT of money and it is very much possible that said money could be better allocated to other areas. An honest discussion about Cristiano Ronaldo and his future at Juventus. Chuks flexes his economics background — again. More discussion about Ronaldo and his future at Juventus. A question: What is there to look forward to for the rest of the 2020-21 season? More questions, but these via Twitter. You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Juventus’ first week of March was opposite that of the last week of February — and that means it was a victorious one as their ever-important No. 9 returned with a bang. On this week’s episode of The Old Lady Speaks, we discuss: After Juventus stumbled, they went and got themselves back up. Thoughts on Saturday night’s win over Lazio. Alvaro Morata is back and he’s already scoring goals again. Dejan Kulusevski’s struggles despite his obvious talent level. Just how, exactly, are we feeling heading into Tuesday night’s Champions League Round of 16 tie against Porto. Your Twitter questions! (With most of them being about Dejan Kulusevski.) Bonus story time featuring Chuks! You can follow us on Twitter @JuventusNation or on Facebook. Get all of our match coverage and much more at our website, blackwhitereadallover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices