Set your mind back to last Saturday night, and re-live the elation of defeating the champions and blowing the title-race wide open. Now fast forward ten days and consider how very wrong things have gone since the full time whistle was blown in Turin that night. A 4-1 thumping at home to Bayern Munich, elimination from the Champions League ensued. An equally embarrassing 3-1 defeat away at Bari on Saturday, back to square one in the Scudetto race. It would seem the Bianconeri are in the festive spirit and are handing out gifts quicker than Santa on his annual round.

This isn’t an attack on Coach Ciro. His failings are matched by those of his side. From being quite simply brilliant in performances against the giants of Rome, Sampdoria and most recently Inter, it is performances like those against Bayern, Bari and Cagliari that show this Juventus side is vulnerable. Granted we lie only 6 points behind Inter, talk of a crisis is very premature. However, the question must be asked, just how long has Ferrara got until these types of showings become unacceptable?

The fact that causes most anxiety, is the ability of this squad. In the absence of ‘the Rock’ Giorgio Chiellini, Juve have shipped 7 goals in the last 2 games. Is Nicola Legrotagglie good enough to step into the breach? I think not. The same question can be asked of Tiago, Christian Poulsen, Cristian Molinaro, Amauri...the list goes on. Couple this with the newly crowned ‘Bidone d’Oro, otherwise known as the ‘Golden Bin’ representing the worst signing of the season, Felipe Melo has flattered to deceive since his big money move from Florence.

Then we come to his Brazilian compatriot. The man who’s arrival heralded the end of Juventus’ years of hurt and was to finally bring back glory. Diego. What do we make of him? After his breath-taking displays in the early part of his Bianconeri career, his performance levels have hit an all-time low, culminating in the penalty miss on Saturday. Article after article I read, there are calls for time to be given to this side to gel. We are 16 rounds into the new season and now competing in the Europa League, at a club like Juventus, time isn’t in abundance. It is about time this side began to re-create the Juve of old, an impregnable and ruthless force in Italy and Europe, not a resemblance of a bunch of gregarious schoolboys being over-run by lesser opponents. We are Juventus Football Club, let us not forget that.