Really good highlights here. Libby absolutely smashing it a few times on that left flank. Almost got a goal, too. With Atalanta winning yesterday, Roma had nothing to play for, and I'm really happy Empoli won and survived. Libby now officially entering the last year of his Empoli contract. Will he get a new deal, be sold, or neither? In the meantime he's earned a few proseccos...
Hopefully this means he's available for both the Nations Cup & Olympics now. If Empoli had got relegated would have been some uncertainty about his club future. He only started 18 of Empoli's 38 Serie A games so physically he should be pretty fresh. Mentally likely a little drained right now!
It was an incredibly tight relegation battle. Any of 4 teams could have finished 18th on the final day and been the final relegated team.
Cannavaro's Udinese won 1-0 at Frosinone in the simultaneous KO. A real relegation 6 pointer. Ex Aston Villa lad Keinan Davis with the 76th min winner for Udinese.
If that game had finished a draw, by my maths Empoli would still have gone down despite beating Roma. The cards fell Empoli's way
Hopefully this means he's available for both the Nations Cup & Olympics now. If Empoli had got relegated would have been some uncertainty about his club future. He only started 18 of Empoli's 38 Serie A games so physically he should be pretty fresh. Mentally likely a little drained right now!
It was an incredibly tight relegation battle. Any of 4 teams could have finished 18th on the final day and been the final relegated team.
Cannavaro's Udinese won 1-0 at Frosinone in the simultaneous KO. A real relegation 6 pointer. Ex Aston Villa lad Keinan Davis with the 76th min winner for Udinese.
If that game had finished a draw, by my maths Empoli would still have gone down despite beating Roma. The cards fell Empoli's way
If the game was a draw, Udinese would have gone down on 35 points :)
Interestingly, in the event that 17th/18th are equal on points, all other tiebreakers are forgotten and teams play essentially a relegation playoff match (the host is decided by whoever had the better head-to-head record between the two).
That would be incredibly tasty action if so! Happened in 22/23 when 18th-placed Hellas Verona stayed up at the expense of Spezia, who finished above them in 17th, after a 3-1 playoff win
Outside chance of getting a call from Big Ange at Tottenham?
Certainly can attack the way Tottenham like!
Pep’s stepping down soon, wait for Des to take over City and go there I reckon
Have to say I’d prefer him at Tottenham without the complication of some sanction hanging over the club… plus I’ve never really warmed to the City football group. Prefer a neutral or a warm colour- white’s okay. Yellow is great! (That said I think he can do better than Wolves or Watford…)
Watched the highlights. They showed about 6/7 Empoli attacking moments. 3 of them were trademark Libby getting into the box, breezing past defenders, getting to the byline even. Guna try to watch more of the game as a whole, but surely he must have some clubs tracking him the way he plays. He’s only going to get better.
Watched the highlights. They showed about 6/7 Empoli attacking moments. 3 of them were trademark Libby getting into the box, breezing past defenders, getting to the byline even. Guna try to watch more of the game as a whole, but surely he must have some clubs tracking him the way he plays. He’s only going to get better.
Sounds like he had a really good game last night. But it was actually his first Serie A start in almost 3 months (3rd March) and he hasn't been injured. In all of that time Empoli have been battling to avoid the drop. https://us.soccerway.com/players/liberato-cacace/467149/
Almost a throw of the dice nothing to lose selection last night by their coach? I think the guy being picked ahead of him was considered better on D?? I remember reading some stuff by Niche Cache that Empoli goals scored was much better with Cacace playing, than not playing this season - even if he has only 1 assist (think that is right) in his entire time in the Serie A.
So yeah why that 3 month non selection from here seems a bit bewildering, Libby must still have some workons with his game, in the eyes of Empoli's coaching staff??
Watched 30 minutes so far and Libby has been given the whole left wing to motor up and down. A lot of space ahead. A very different set up to where he was having to dovetail inside with a winger ahead.
It looks like the coach is playing 3 at the back with wing backs providing width and two up front.
It might also be a specific plan for Roma as they’ve been pressing high and caught Roma out trying to play out a couple of times.
Man it really is a different tone. The Italian co-commentator or at least the commentator without RP talking about how the Roma keeper against an isolated lone striker- ‘It’s such a lovely way to save the ball.’
Maybe others have been watching with Pezella starting and observed the tactics? The other point to make with Libby not starting is that he’s been getting usually at least 20 minutes or more off the bench- perhaps a strategy to run him at tired legs? Who knows. But he’s been in his coaches plans for every game, even if it hasn’t been from a starting position.
But yeh it would be interesting to hear the reasoning or as you say any work ons. But perhaps he is just a thorough bred stallion when sometimes a draft horse is needed.
I guess it comes down to how the manager wants to play next season and what troops he has at his disposal. The commentators also alluded to the difference in funds available between Empoli and Roma!
