Juventus: 5 things we learned from the 2020/21 season
3. The midfield problem remains
The club sought to solve its midfield problem last summer as Weston McKennie arrived from Schalke while a swap deal with Barcelona saw Arthur Melo exchanged for the declining Miralem Pjanic.
The latter was a bizarre move but one that Juve probably got – and will get – the better of. Injuries plagued Arthur’s debut campaign in Turin but the Brazilian nonetheless manifested fleeting signs of what he can offer the Bianconeri going forward.
Elsewhere, McKennie’s flexible function meant it was often a Rodrigo Bentancur and Adrien Rabiot midfield pivot which, despite excelling in the final week of the season, proved a sub-par and unbalanced partnership for the most part.
While Bentancur’s an exceptional athlete with ever-evolving defensive instincts, he mightily struggled as Juve’s metronome. The Uruguayan doesn’t boast the requisite technical security to perform the role and was constantly exposed against high-pressing sides. A return to a box-to-box function may be welcomed, but the key is to reduce his burden in possession. Essentially, he performed the role meant for Arthur.
Bentancur’s future is far from guaranteed.
Rabiot, meanwhile, may well be one of the most frustrating players I’ve ever come across. The Frenchman’s knack of oscillating between Claudio Marchisio to Christian Poulsen is uncanny.
Remember that iconic Gennaro Gattuso press conference quote – “Sometimes maybe good, sometimes maybe…” you know the rest – well, that’s Rabiot, only more extreme.
His role was fairly versatile within the pivot: often looking to get ahead of the ball, occupy and penetrate the left half-space and combine down that flank. His advanced positioning proved effective on occasions but risked leaving Juve short in defensive transition. Overall, I found when his role was simplified, meaning he’d stay behind the ball more, aid circulation and boast greater defensive responsibility, he looked a little more at ease.
His talent’s undeniable, but what’s the point if it’s only going to be unleashed once a month.
However, Juve’s biggest problem last season was creativity – or lack thereof. They were exposed in this regard. As I noted, there came a point where their reliance on Cuadrado was worrying and they struggled mightily in Dybala’s absence.
Ramsey continued to frustrate and while McKennie shone as a space-interpreter capable of causing problems inside the box, the American lacks the vision, subtleness and intricacy of a bona fide creator.
Their creative woes proved key in their demise between March and May as Dybala’s significance to this side was persistently laid bare, as was their need for further reinforcements in this regard this summer.