After The Old Lady was handed a 3–0 drubbing by a capital Lazio side on Sunday night, Juve mister Luciano Spalletti, who was suspended from the touchline for this game, seemed out of ideas, though not out of words.
Speaking to DAZN, as quoted here by Corriere dello Sport, he delivered a scatching criticism of not just his own application, but his players as well.
“Without rhythm, ideas and running. Without availability. Fragile in their reactions to lost duels. I didn’t like many attitudes.
” It was definitely a Juventus inferior to Lazio, who didn’t have the ball and ideas on where to take the match. It’s also difficult to explain ourselves, because we haven’t done anything since Thursday’s match. We returned at 4:30 in the morning and, in agreement with our performance professionals, we decided to have the boys rested. I tried to change, six players from the start, but we were slow of legs and heads. In football, opponents are seen, the ball is seen. If you arrive late then there are no tactics, no game systems. If you don’t put a little pace, a little heart into situations, a little stuff you find while rummaging through…
“The important thing is to show a reaction, not to give in to events. It’s a question of character. We do not play our future on good fortune, but on our will. We are forced to learn this thing and know how to recognize it. Some young people today struggle, others at the first shoulder drop to the ground. It’s always part of what a person’s character is.
“How you talk to the team or the working methodology: something needs to be changed. I was surprised by the performance, I have to think about it carefully. The way I talk to the team has always been the same: I want sharing, dialogue, a good relationship with the players. I’ve always done this. I’ll have to go and self-analyze the relationship with the team, which is beautiful and sincere. They realize, on their own, that what we have done today is absolutely not right.”
The players have a mixed reaction to their managers’ words. Keeper Guglielmo Vicario sounded right behind Spalletti.
“Responsibility must be shared by everyone. Today, we delivered a below-par performance. This is completely unacceptable for Juventus … we must follow the coach in his footballing ideas and mindset.”
Centre-back Gleison Bremer, however, was apprehensive of his teammates.
“The coach gives us directions but then we take to the field. On the pitch we play with 11 plus 5, but I can’t pick everyone up. Then there it’s a question of character. I get to a certain point, then there are those who hear the whistles and hide and are afraid. We have many new and young players, if you compare this Juve to the one from years ago it is different. We have to live with it.I’m not pointing fingers, but everyone has their own character. There are those who come out when things go wrong, and those who hide and are afraid.”
A house divided cannot stand. Juve’s sluggish start to the season is showing cracks on the surface that may very well go deep.
Spalletti is looking for ways to change things. But if results don’t pick up soon, he will no longer have a stage on which he could try demonstrate growth.
Juve next face Rennes in the Europa League and then Lecce and Genoa, who are in the bottom half of the table, and a Napoli side looking for momentum themselves. This is as good a chance the 67-year-old could ask for to kickstart his season. If he doesn’t manage to do that, then the management may look at next month’s international break as the window to make drastic changes.
Anshuman Joshi | GIFN
