“We’ve totally modified the way in which we take into consideration soccer,” a buoyant Cristiano Giuntoli informed Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera at first of the season.
“We began from scratch. We’re discovering ourselves and we’re curious to see what we are able to obtain,” the Juventus sporting director added.
‘Make the Outdated Girl younger once more’ was the remit – and that is what Giuntoli did.
Massimiliano Allegri may need handled us to a weird striptease as Juventus lifted the Coppa Italia trophy final season, however his antiquated techniques have been proven the door and in got here Thiago Motta, the younger and upcoming coach who revived Bologna together with his fashionable imaginative and prescient of the sport.
Simply shy of 200m euros was splashed available on the market to usher in the likes of Atalanta’s Teun Koopmeiners and Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz. The midfield was injected with contemporary new expertise and children have been promoted and instantly thrown on to the pitch to dazzling impact, no less than within the early video games of the season.
All of it started so nicely. Juventus collected two consecutive league victories, successful 3-0 in each, defeated PSV and RB Leipzig within the Champions League, and most significantly that they had an identifiable type of play – one thing that hadn’t been witnessed underneath Allegri.
The workforce have been attacking in nature, aggressive as they gained possession excessive up the pitch and positional fluidity was the secret.
After which it began to crumble.
Fifteen matches in and Juventus discover themselves in sixth place in Serie A, nonetheless unbeaten within the league however incapable of a win.
They might boast the strongest defence however their attacking sport dangers being marketed as a remedy for insomnia. Drab, laborious and dreadfully predictable, the Bianconeri promised change however appear to be delivering a lot of the identical, with fewer optimistic outcomes.
At this stage of the season final 12 months, Allegri’s Juventus have been second within the desk with 9 factors extra. They might not have entertained however they have been no less than successful.
Seven attracts of their previous 9 video games underneath Motta and the followers have began to lose endurance, jeering and booing the squad within the second half of the match in opposition to Bologna final weekend. Juve have been down 2-0 earlier than staging a comeback to stage the rating. One other draw.
With out Allegri, critics are stumped as to who in charge for Juve’s present disaster – and sure, it’s a disaster.
Dusan Vlahovic, when obtainable, nonetheless cannot rating targets persistently. Koopmeiners, who helped push Atalanta to a trophy final season, appears to be like like a shadow of himself, enjoying ready that has seemingly robbed him of his superpowers and highlighted his limitations. And Douglas Luiz? There’s already speak of transport him again to England.
It is nonetheless early within the season to solid wild judgements. Nonetheless, Motta has made some curious selections which have attracted scrutiny.
For instance, his insistence on not enjoying Kenan Yildiz, the magical quantity 10, within the center behind the striker – a place the place he thrived within the early video games of the season. Shunted out extensive, the teenager has struggled to make a constant affect.
In the meantime, Vlahovic’s performances proceed to spark debate. When the Serbian striker failed to duplicate his type for Fiorentina at Juventus, it was troublesome to not blame Allegri’s defensive techniques for his obvious regression.
Exhibiting extra of the identical mediocrity this season and Vlahovic was quickly heard taking purpose at his new coach whereas out for worldwide obligation with Serbia.
“It’s a bit simpler for me when there’s one other striker, as a result of Mitrovic holds up the ball and engages in aerial duels, so I could make extra of my very own traits and qualities,” he mentioned.
“The coach additionally doesn’t require many defensive duties from me, in order that makes it simpler too. With my physicality, I can not actually run that a lot and am not as contemporary in my ending after I’ve been working so onerous.”
So the Serbian needs whole freedom at a membership that requires a workforce effort to start out successful once more?
Motta won’t be giving up on Vlahovic and Juve won’t hand over on Motta any time quickly. Each the administrators and the followers – even those who boo – have a number of religion of their new coach.
Towards Empoli, a 0-0 draw, the media famous that Motta’s substitutions practically value the workforce a defeat as they started to permit the opposition’s counter-attacks.
Towards Napoli, it was argued Juve can solely win in opposition to sides that go away gaps on the again.
When the Outdated Girl gained the following match in opposition to Genoa 3-0, Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport criticised the infinite tinkering, asking if Motta was throwing on the children to ‘shock’ when he ought be concentrating on establishing a beginning XI.
Towards Lecce – how might he introduce youth once they have been holding on to a 1-0 victory? That is the time for expertise, journalists argued.
It is troublesome to educate any workforce in Italy, particularly one which should win always.
It is a squad with an harm disaster so deep they solely had 4 outfield gamers obtainable on the bench within the Champions League match in opposition to Aston Villa.
Who will be anticipated to revolutionise a membership’s enjoying type, incorporate new arrivals and develop kids when he is too busy merely on the lookout for our bodies to area on the pitch?
Congested fixture lists have meant accidents are a typical downside among the many huge European golf equipment, and whereas the coach’s bodily preparation of the aspect should at all times be examined and re-examined, it is value nothing Juve have typically needed to cope with a mounting harm listing.
What must be mentioned is why Juventus had three strikers within the squad once they have been out of European competitors however believed Vlahovic and Arkadiusz Milik – who has been critically injured since June – have been sufficient for a workforce partaking in 4 competitions this season.
Giuntoli should reply for the choices. Promoting Moise Kean, who has already scored 13 targets for Fiorentina, with out changing him appears to have been a naive transfer that has value Juve on this early stage of the season. Allegri is claimed to have privately believed Kean to be higher than Vlahovic.
Much more curious is the choice to spend money on injury-prone Nico Gonzalez, who has solely managed 226 minutes to this point attributable to accidents.
The very best capacity is availability, and one would have thought Juventus had realised that once they selected to let go of each Paulo Dybala and Federico Chiesa who beforehand produced way more in Serie A.
Towards Manchester Metropolis, Juventus will face a workforce struggling an identical disaster with each coaches making an attempt to handle expectations. One other draw or loss for the Outdated Girl and it will likely be troublesome to not suspect Juve 2.0 are actually only a lot like Allegri’s originals.