by Flavio Zane
Juventus’ last Serie A match against Napoli, the Bianconeri’s first league defeat, sums up rather well the team’s merits and flaws this season, the same ones made very evident in the last period. In fact, a sparkling first half, in which Juve countered blow after blow to the leader at home, even taking the lead, is contrasted with a drab second half, with the usual flaws, almost now unreflected, daughters of a retreat of the center of gravity at the first advantage.
It is no coincidence that in Serie A only Venezia has suffered more comebacks from advantageous situations, the result precisely of a mix that would include this painful characteristic, as well as a poor ability to finalize and, even before that, to produce clean scoring chances. All peculiarities that would lead to the feeling of having in front of us a still unfinished team, constantly searching for continuity and, even more, for an identity.
Thuram certezza, Mckennie il coltellino svizzero
Khephren Thuram, centrocampista della Juventus
If continuity is a factor that, to date, has been lacking in a Juventus side that was fifth in Serie A, 17th in the Champions League and eliminated in a comeback in the Italian Super Cup semifinals by AC Milan, one player who would depart from all such talk is Khephen Thuram. In this respect, even more likely than Pierre Kalulu or Francisco Conceicao (back from an injury that has put him on standby in recent games), the French midfielder appears to be the most successful purchase of the summer buying campaign and a mainstay of the team. Exactly Pierre Kalulu, although physiologically waning after his great impact in the team, also deserves an honorable mention: not by chance, the French center back turns out to be the most employed player in the season by Thiago Motta.
Weston Mckennie, centrocampista della Juventus
While he represents the HCL roller coaster well, when the team has touched the highest peaks often of the credit must be given to Kenan Yildiz. The player who, even at the level of presence, lacks consistency, however, is a delight in his various moments of inspiration. From him pass a high amount of hopes of hitting the now minimal goals of the season. Finally, plaudits also go to Weston Mckennie who, as in Allegri management, if not more, is perhaps touching the record for the number of roles touched in a single year. Joker, Swiss Army knife or stopgap, depending on one’s philosophical inflections, the American seems to be the solution to every ill, but that perhaps well underscores the feeling of a team that too often takes the field with too many players distorted from their roles.
Ora o mai più: Koopmeiners e Thiago Motta nel limbo bianconero
Teun Koopmeiners, centrocampista della Juventus
If there is no shortage of satisfaction at the individual level, there would be just as many perplexities about other players. In particular, if Khephren Thuram has taken Juventus, Teun Koopmeiners still has not. After two years of courtship, a stormy exit with Atalanta that made him great, and an offer from Juve that was among the biggest for a player in its history, have made expectations of him enormous. Hopes that, while not disillusioned, would at least be reduced six months after his arrival.
The Dutchman, who certainly does not lack extenuating circumstances, seemed avuncular in the last one against Napoli and, more generally, has so far struggled to find his size on the field. While the “faults” must be shared, it is certain that such a marginal impact has so far diminished the perception of his value. Between now and the end of the season, Koopmeiners is called upon to reverse his course, giving credit to those who defend him to the hilt, as his coach, in turn, called upon to shake things up.
Thiago Motta, allenatore della Juventus
In fact, it would be just today’s news launched by Equipe of a meeting of Juve emissaries with Xavi, the former Juventus coach. The talk, which certainly took place before the bitter defeat against Napoli, if confirmed would for the first time launch the first signs of team management impatience. Although, even statedly, an interlocutory season, of transition and construction, some of the aforementioned characteristics of the team, of a frequent lack of brilliance of play and offensive abulicity, would not sound as alarm bells therefore only to the most critical observers. With the injury emergency finally behind him, it is now or never time for Thiago Motta as well. This is to hold on to his project even after this year.
Douglas Luiz e Vlahovic flop: storia ai titoli di coda
Douglas Luiz, centrocampista della Juventus
In a depiction where Thuram is the dawn of a nascent Juventus and Koopmeiners is the blurry horizon of a hot August afternoon, the same one in which he was acquired by Atalanta, Douglas Luiz who, like the first two arrived in the last summer soccer market, would be well symbolized at least by the sunset. Not the only one in the Juventus squad, but probably accompanied by Dusan Vlahovic, albeit with a totally different path. The former, arrived from Aston Villa, the first grand purchase of the pharaonic Bianconeri summer buying campaign, has never really convinced, burning with extreme rapidity the chances at his disposal.
The other, the Serbian striker, is Cristiano Giuntoli’s legacy of another “crazy” January 2022 transfer session. This one, in addition to making Fiorentina 83.5 million euros richer, elevated the player as Serie A’s Scrooge. The latter, after a brief illusory semblance of a bomber for Juve, in the wake of the first extraordinary part of the season in the purple, has stumbled into long periods of tarnish, interspersed with others of prolificacy, never enough, however, to totally remove him from the cloak of incompleteness that has shrouded him throughout his experience in bianconero. This is in addition, precisely, to a contract that is likely to be unsustainable in every possible respect.
Dusan Vlahovic, attaccante della Juventus
Both Douglas Luiz and Vlahovic, barring sensational news, will not leave Juve these days. For both, the fate appears, if not sealed, at least addressed. The employment of Randal Kolo Muani against Napoli, an immediate starter within about twenty-four hours of his officiating, even more than his goal, is a signal. Preferring him, dry loan, to the Serbian striker is another. The preference of a light attack, without “pure” strikers, in previous games, adds to the first two.
All this, reinforced by an expiring contract that hangs like a sword of Damocles that, every day, is imperceptibly lowered. For both of them, the opportunities between now and the end of the season, will be fewer and fewer, at least from the first minute, although, given the team’s many commitments, they will be there. Their mission will not be impossible, but it certainly will not have the wind in their sails for them. Read also thoughts on a possible change in the Juventus bench <<<
The article Juve, January stock exchange: bianconeri in search of identity comes from JuveNews.eu.
