“We have completely changed the way we think about football,” an excited Cristiano Giuntoli told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera at the start of the season.
“We started from scratch. We are discovering ourselves and we are curious about what we can do,” added Juventus’ sporting director.
“Make an old lady young again” was the mission – and that’s what Giuntoli did.
Massimiliano Allegri might have treated us to a bizarre strip when Juventus lifted the Coppa Italia trophy last season, but his antiquated tactics proved to be the gate and in came Thiago Motta, a young and up-and-coming coach who reinvigorated Bologna with his stylish vision of the game.
Just under €200m was put into the market to bring in players like Teun Koopmeiners from Atalanta and Douglas Luiz from Aston Villa. The midfield was loaded with new talent and youngsters were promoted and immediately thrown onto the pitch to dazzling effect, at least in the opening games of the season.
It all started so well. Juventus collected two consecutive league victories, winning both 3-0, beat PSV and RB Leipzig in the Champions League and, most importantly, had a recognizable style of play – something not seen under Allegri.
The team was attacking, aggressive in winning the ball high up the pitch and positional fluidity was the name of the game.
And then it all started to fall apart.
Fifteen games in and Juventus find themselves sixth in Serie A, still unbeaten in the league but unable to win.
They boast the strongest defence, but their attacking game risks being touted as a cure for insomnia. The drab, labored and terribly predictable Bianconeri promised change but seem to be delivering the same, with fewer positive results.
Last year at this stage of the season, Allegri’s Juventus were second in the table with nine points more. They may not have had fun, but at least they were winning.
Seven draws in the last nine games under Motta and the fans began to lose patience, jeers and booed the team in the second half of the game against Bologna last weekend. Juve were 2-0 down before coming back to equalise. Another draw.
Without Allegri, critics wonder who is to blame for Juve’s current crisis – and yes, it is a crisis.
Dušan Vlahovič, when he is available, still does not know how to score goals. Koopmeiners, who helped guide Atalanta to the trophy last season, looks like a shadow of himself, playing in a position that has seemingly robbed him of his superpowers and highlighted his limitations. And Douglas Luiz? There is already talk of sending it back to England.
It’s still early in the season to throw wild courts. However, Motta made some curious decisions that attracted attention.
For example, his insistence on not playing Kenan Yildiz, the magic number 10, in the center behind the striker – a position where he has thrived in the opening games of the season. Pressed out wide, the youngster struggled to make a consistent impact.
Meanwhile, Vlahovič’s performances continue to spark debate. When the Serbian forward failed to replicate his form for Fiorentina at Juventus, it was hard not to blame Allegri’s defensive tactics for his apparent concession.
He has displayed more of the same mediocrity this season and Vlahovic was soon heard taking aim at his new coach while on international duty with Serbia.
“It’s a bit easier for me when there’s another striker because Mitrovic holds the ball and gets involved in aerial battles, so I can use my own characteristics and qualities,” he said.
“Coach doesn’t ask me to do a lot of defensive duties either, so that makes it easier as well. With my physique, I can’t really run as much and I’m not as fresh in finishing after working so hard.”
So the Serb wants complete freedom at a club that needs a team effort to start winning again?
Motta will not give up on Vlahovic and Juve will not give up on Motta anytime soon. Managers and fans alike – even the booers – have a lot of faith in their new coach.
Against Empoli in a 0–0 draw, the media noted that Motta’s substitution almost cost the team defeat as they started the opposition’s counter-attacks.
Against Napoli, it was argued that Juve can only win against sides that leave gaps at the back.
When the Old Lady beat Genoa 3-0 in the following match, Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport criticized the endless tinkering and questioned whether Motta was throwing the kids at the kids to “surprise” when he should be concentrating on building a starting XI.
Against Lecce – how could he present the youngsters as they held on for a 1-0 win? This is the time for experience, the journalists claimed.
It is difficult to coach any team in Italy, especially one that must always win.
This is a team with such a deep injury crisis that they only had four outfield players on the bench for their Champions League game against Aston Villa.
Who can be expected to revolutionize the club’s style of play, bring in new players and develop youngsters when he is too busy finding bodies on the pitch?
Congested fixture lists have meant injuries are a common problem among Europe’s big clubs, and while a manager’s squad fitness must always be scrutinized and reassessed, it’s not worth it, Juve have often had to deal with a growing injury list.
It should be debated why Juventus had three strikers in their squad when they were out of European competition, but he believed Vlahovic and Arkadiusz Milik – who has been seriously injured since June – were enough for a team that will take part in four competitions this season.
Giuntoli must be held accountable for decisions. Selling Moise Keane, who has already scored 13 goals for Fiorentina, without replacing him seems to have been a naive move that has cost Juve at this early stage of the season. Allegri is said to have privately believed that Kean was better than Vlahovic.
Even more curious is the decision to invest in the injured Nic Gonzalez, who has managed only 226 minutes so far due to injuries.
The best ability is availability and one would think that Juventus realized this when they decided to let go of Paulo Dybala and Federico Chiesa, who previously produced much more in Serie A.
Against Manchester City, Juventus will face a team suffering from a similar crisis, with both managers struggling to manage expectations. Another draw or loss for the Old Lady and it will be hard not to suspect Juve 2.0 of looking very much like Allegri’s originals indeed.