A bright end to 2021 has Massimiliano Allegri’s Juventus in touching distance of Serie A’s top-four.
However, a historically bad start to the domestic season all but ended their Scudetto hopes by October and they currently sit 12 points off league leaders Inter Milan at the halfway mark. It’s a margin that’s surely insurmountable for Calcio’s recent tyrannical rulers.
Securing a Champions League spot in 2022 will be the primary goal for the Bianconeri as they attempt to fight on three fronts in the second half of the 2021/22 season.
It’s bound to be a frenetic few months for Juve, whose lofty standards have dropped considerably since Allegri first left the club. The manager’s return has disappointed thus far, although it’s clear that his current resources are almost incomparable to what he had at his disposal during their mid-2010s pomp. It’s a rebuilding process, and patience is necessary.
Nevertheless, Allegri would’ve learned plenty about his squad during the first half of 2021/22 and it’s about time we conjured up our own report.
Alas, here’s Old Juve’s assessment of every Juventus player’s performance so far this season – completed in old-school grading form.
Goalkeepers
Wojciech Szczesny – B – What a turnaround! After costing Juventus several points at the start of the season, Szczesny has once again emerged into one of Serie A’s finest goalkeepers. His penalty save from Jordan Veretout against AS Roma in October proved the turning point of his season so far.
Mattia Perin – C+ – Szczesny’s form has limited Perin’s opportunities between the sticks. The Italian shot stopper’s played just four games so far, with all his performances being okay; few saves but no errors.
Continues onto the next slide…