The most surprising thing about the crisis Juventus is involved in is that it is almost no longer surprising. Venezia’s draw in Turin, number 10 in the championship and fourth in a row, seemed almost inevitable as the minutes passed. The Bianconeri’s match was flat, with no peaks except in the final played on nerves, without fluidity of maneuver and also without balance because the opponent – before the Stadium only 2 points taken away – did not steal anything and simply capitalized on what was built.
It’s a subtle disease that Thiago Motta is fighting against. Who is a doctor and also responsible for everything, having built the team with Giuntoli and having written its tactical and emotional score. It’s not working and time is running out to change the tune given that the top of the table is traveling at a brisk cruising speed and the distance from the Champions League zone is becoming significant. Talking about the scudetto today is not serious, just as it is not serious to categorize everything as a growth path. Last summer’s investments and those that Elkann promised for January and the future required something else, at least in the possibility of staying there and fighting as happened last year until the month of February.
What doesn’t work in Juventus? Since there is no continuity even after a few days, one would respond that almost nothing works. The same thing happened against Venezia as after Leipzig (1-1 against Cagliari) and San Siro (2-2 against Parma). The beneficial effect of the success against Manchester City was nullified in an instant and the hurricane of boos that accompanied the players to the changing rooms highlights how patience is at its limit. The suspicion is that up to now part of the credit granted to Giuntoli and Thiago Motta was born from the militant anti-cheerfulness that has intoxicated the last two years and which is now no longer enough to cover disappointment and fear.
Injuries explain something but not everything. It would be more honest to say that Motti’s turning point was poorly reported, sold as something it couldn’t be and accompanied by very high expectations that have now been betrayed. Using a paradox, Juventus’ first round is an excellent first round from… Bologna. Except that in Turin everything is different, there is no time to walk, you have to run and, above all, understand that winning, losing or drawing is not the same thing. It is probable that the danger could have been perceived before and perhaps even signaled with some criticism, without fear of rehabilitating the past which is so disliked by those who do not want to understand what has happened around the Continassa in the last 24 months.
As in any disease, the fundamental thing is to quickly arrive at the correct diagnosis and then proceed to the prognosis. In the case of this Juventus team, the feeling is that part of the project was thought out badly in the summer. Which makes Motta only co-responsible for what is happening. The market is paying too little attention to the efforts and the carte blanche given to those who thought of it and created it: there are players who were never included, others who are duplicates and some who are missing, starting with deputy Vlahovic. In January it will be possible to correct something but not everything. You have to put the pieces back together starting from what you have and in the time allowed. Which is always less.
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