Old Juve’s Juventus Player of the Month – January 2022

Apologies for the delay, folks. I was so caught up in mercato hysteria that crowning a Juventus Player of the Month for January 2022 completely escaped my mind.

It feels like an age since we last saw the Bianconeri in action. Thankfully, that void was filled by a rebuild-defining culmination to the transfer window. A new era is beckoning in Turin and the excitement is palpable among Juventini.

But, before we can wax lyrical over the next potentially prosperous period in the club’s modern history, let’s finally crown the final Player of the Month of what many Juventino will call the ‘banter era’.

Old Juve’s January 2022 Player of the Month

We enjoyed six games in January, meaning that three starts were enough to qualify for the award. So, without further ado, let’s see who came out on top on this occasion!

ps – Benta, I’m gonna miss you, buddy x

3. Daniele Rugani (Average rating – 7.08)

Admit it. You doubted him. I know you did. WE ALL DID!

Daniele Rugani’s emergence as a competent defender has perhaps been the shock of the season. The Italian rarely featured in the first half of the campaign but availability woes at centre-back to start the new year thrust Max Allegri’s fourth-choice option to the forefront.

Rugani started every game in January and he proved to be one of Juve’s most reliable and consistent performers of the month. The once unfavoured defender kick-started 2022 with a stellar showing against Napoli before ending January with a borderline masterclass at San Siro. In between those displays, he scored his first Juventus goal since 2019 with a header in the Coppa Italia against Sampdoria.

Overall, January 2022 might be the finest month of football Daniele Rugani has constructed since his precocious years.

2. Wojciech Szczesny (Average rating – 7.25)

It doesn’t seem so long ago when calls for Szczesny’s head were almost universal following a dismal, error-ridden start to the season. But, little by little and game-by-game, Juventus’ number one has rebuilt his reputation to the point where his stock has perhaps never been higher.

Now, I must admit, his impressive average rating of 7.25 for January is heavily inflated by the generous awarding of a perfect 10 in a game that he conceded three times. The penalty save to preserve all three points after Juve had completed a miraculous comeback in the capital got me a little excited, okay.

Otherwise, Szczesny was reliable throughout January with his minutes shared by Mattia Perin. He kept two clean sheets and conceded once in his other three appearances.

1. Manuel Locatelli (Average rating – 7.5)

There are few better sights in football than watching Manuel Locatelli in full cry. The grace he emanates with the ball makes Andrea Pirlo envious and switch of play from the right boot of the sultry Italian may well be the Eighth Wonder of the World.

The summer arrival has arguably been the club’s star performer this term despite often having to play a role he’s rarely performed in his career up to this point. While Locatelli has impressed as Juve’s regista, many feel that he has more to give in a more advanced function and we saw that manifest on two occasions in January.

In the comeback against Roma, it was Arthur Melo’s introduction that allowed Locatelli to play as a marauding #8 and his header after a rare box entry set the stage for the subsequent drama. Then, we got to see this majestic Arthur x Locatelli dynamic from the outset against Sampdoria. The former Sassuolo midfielder produced his best performance in a Juventus shirt in the 4-1 victory.

Now, following the arrival of Denis Zakaria, there’s hope that Locatelli will be permanently released from the shackles of the regista function.