The break has become increasingly strange for Juventus, and January will be an ordeal off the pitch with all the ongoing investigations, lawsuits and legal issues. The pressure will increase, and the club and the coach will have to be able to shield the squad. They succeeded in November, but the situation was not so serious. It’s probably a positive that some of the things went wrong during the stop, as the general feeling of disorientation could have been a problem. Unfortunately, the storm will not calm down anytime soon.
We’ll see if the allegations stick, but there’s a chance the most relevant outcome of the whole drama will be the resignation of Andrea Agnelli, the board of directors and half of the management. It was an unceremonious end to a president who gained a lot during his tenure and also did a lot for the Bianconeri brand as a whole. It was surely prudent, as the team will have enough on its plate not to be dragged into court against the executives as well, which will take years.
His mandate can be divided into two unequal parts throughout. Some glorious first years when the machine was humming and taking the Champions League home was a realistic goal. Then things began to go awry when Giuseppe Marotta was ousted, the higher-ups becoming overly ambitious, if not reckless, leading to baffling technical decisions, disastrous finances and all the mess that sparked the ongoing investigations and his partial disappearance in the play field. Any Italian team would be content to qualify for the Champions League with such continuity, but La Vieja’s aspirations are higher.
Agnelli deserved a better end to the early wonders, but had in fact gone mad with the stubborn and mindless commitment to the Super League. Two new top brass have been installed, with more likely to come later in the season. Federico Cherubini, who may or may not survive the tribulation, is much more cautious than Fabio Paratici, but would have no problem having both a sports director and head of football. Having just one guy at the top can easily turn into a roller coaster. If it’s impossible to bring Marotta back, he should be a veteran of the same ilk.
It is disappointing that the long layoff did not bring substantial improvements on the injury front. Ángel Di María and Weston McKennie are the only returns compared to the last few Serie A games, Federico Chiesa had a bit of a setback and probably won’t be himself for a month or so, Juan Cuadrado is banged up, Leonardo Bonucci is injured again, and what’s more discouraging, Paul Pogba and Dusan Vlahovic are still out, and there’s no telling when they’ll be back.
Naturally, the club’s priority is for everyone to be fully healthy, and that takes time, but the winning streak that capped 2022 risks being fool’s gold. You can fix things only for a while before the wheels come off. If the shafts aren’t ready to go before long, the holes need to be assessed via the transfer market, but it looks like January will be mostly quiet.
You need at least one other full-back, preferably one who can play on either flank. When the team was on a roll in November, the role was played offensively enough that Chiesa was an option for him, but it’s best not to lean on him too much just yet. The return of Mattia De Sciglio brings an extra length, but he is a pure fullback, and his contribution is missing in the final third.
As Massimiliano Allegri hinted in some comments, he’s happy to constantly change the scheme depending on who’s available and fit, but the earlier positive run proved the virtues of sticking with one, as it consolidated and improved organically. The 3-5-2 should be the way to go, with a few more detours to the 4-4-2 than the 4-3-3 when there is a need to be more offensive. Matching Angel Di Maria and Chiesa together isn’t the easiest proposition, but they’re versatile enough to make it work. In any case, it’s hard to imagine them starting full-time anytime soon given their physical issues.
All injuries drastically reduce doubts, and the biggest will be who will occupy the right wings. Tommaso Barbieri would be the cleanest as he is a pure fullback, while Matias Soulé has done well in friendlies, but he is more attacking-minded. Weston McKennie would be the more experienced option, but it would be something new for him. Who knows, maybe he could end up like Kwadwo Asamoah a few years ago, and the bianconeri wouldn’t mind leaning on internal resources rather than having to buy a new full-back. The USMNT star could also start in midfield, as the latest reports indicate that Adrien Rabiot could come off the bench following a late World Cup return. Fabio Miretti could also form part of the XI, either in his natural position or in a supporting role instead of Moise Kean. Wojciech Szczesny is a late caller with a stiff neck.
probable lineup
3-5-1-1: Szczesny; Danilo, Bremer, Alex Sandro; Soulé, McKennie, Locatelli, Fagioli, Kostic; Miretti; milik.
Absences:
Vlahovic (sports hernia), Pogba (meniscus tear), Di Maria (ankle blow), Bonucci (thigh tendon problem), Cuadrado (knee pain), De Sciglio (thigh strain), Kaio Jorge (patellar tendon rupture).
Cremonese have yet to win this season, but surprisingly they are not in last place in the standings thanks to seven draws already, and obviously because other teams have fared worse than them. Nor have they looked moribund and dull. While their attitude and fighting spirit are on point, they have often paid the price for the obvious technical gap when fighting more equipped squads.
They inevitably overhauled the team after promotion, and their summer window arguably had more misses than hits. Their main flaw is that they have big problems getting the ball into the net. David Okereke and Cyriel Dessers, the crown jewels of his reinforcement campaign, have not been prolific enough. While the former is more of a mobile striker and not a goal poacher, they expected the latter to replicate Feyenoord’s numbers, but the completion of him leaves a lot to be desired.
They are likely to tackle the role in January, and a crafty centre-forward who can score cheap goals would be the biggest upgrade they can get. They create at an adequate rate, even though they don’t have many creative players. His above-average energy and pace can give attacks to the opposing defense all on their own.
They stuck with boss Massimiliano Alvini during the break despite the results, and that’s understandable as they play some decent football and have an ear for the dressing room. However, a coaching change will inevitably be a topic of conversation if they don’t start winning. They may need just one to go running. They took a big turn in signing him as he had no previous Serie A experience and caught up with him via an excessively long Maurizio Sarri-style journey through the lower leagues. His style is equally proactive, but he falls short of the peaks of his fellow Tuscan coach, especially with so few ball handlers at his disposal. It’s a make-or-break year for him, as he could be back in soccer purgatory forever if he gets the hatchet.
They have mainly used 3-4-1-2 and 4-2-3-1 in the first half of the season, but have mainly used 4-3-1-2 in pre-restart friendlies. Given their scoring issues, they could use all the offensive help they can get. Cristian Buonaiuto, who was listed as a Serie B player too early in his career, has proven to be essential as he is his best passer up front. Depending on how bold they want to be, he can play number 10 or second striker. They have been very committed to fielding Okereke and Dessers, but the tough matchup could prompt a more cautious approach. Charles Pickel, a tenacious boxer, has often played in the hole for tactical purposes with decent returns.
Their defense has been so-so regardless of the system and having two or three center backs probably won’t make much of a difference. Vlad Chiriches, still an ace despite his age, has missed most of the season with an ankle injury. […] Also, switching from Andrei Radu to Marco Carnesecchi between the sticks has been a huge improvement.
The extra player in midfield could help protect the backline better, although they will need to sign someone to avoid depth issues. A three-man line there helps Michele Castagnetti, a teacher who is more comfortable with two men doing the dirty work at his side. Pickel and Soualiho Meité are quite adept at it, and are decent when venturing forward.
The biggest downside to the tactical change would be that the fullback would have to tone down his aggressiveness. It would be a shame because Lorenzo Sernicola and Emanuele Valeri are two of their best players and versatile weapons, as they can cut deep and fill the box too, as well as provide width, scamper up and down the flank and deliver plenty of crosses. If they have fine-tuned the formation in recent weeks, they can still be relevant factors in the final third if the midfielders cover them diligently.
They are in a relative rhythm with three draws, against Udinese, Salernitana and Milan, and one defeat, against Empoli, in the last four games. The key will be to match their exuberance and vigour; if not, it could allow them to reduce the deficit that exists on paper. Luka Lochoshvili, Matteo Bianchetti and Jack Hendry are in contention for two places at the back, while Paolo Ghiglione is challenging Pickel in midfield, which would make the scheme look more like a 4-4-2. Also, the manager is reportedly considering Frank Tsadjout and Felix Afena-Gyan to field a full trident.
probable lineup
4-3-1-2: Carnesecchi; Sernicola, Bianchetti, Lochoshvili, Valeri; Pickel, Castagnetti, Meite; Good help; Okereke, Desserts.
Absences:
Chiriches, Radu.
