Although Luciano Spalletti may not have been the dream appointment for many Juventus fans, especially after his ill-fated spell in charge of Italy and the fact that he sports a Napoli tattoo, he is arguably a safer pair of hands than former bosses Thiago Motta and Igor Tudor.
Both Motta and one-time Juve defender Tudor appeared happier to not lose matches rather than win games. They each cited injuries as part of their excuses for not succeeding, yet all leading clubs suffer key players being sidelined as it the nature of the beast.
Spalletti offers a fresh tactical approach to Juventus, as he is renowned for setting up his sides to triumph over each opponent.
Motta was keen on possession-based play, and rarely tweaked his formations. Tudor was completely one-dimensional tactically, sticking to pressing soccer but relying on three defenders and a loan striker for a formation that kept on failing in the Italian top tier.
With Spalletti surprisingly not rocking the boat during his initial three games at the helm, which saw him field a backline of three, the performances and results were disappointing. He kicked off with a slender 2-1 success at Cremonese, which was a contest of the proverbial game of two halves.
Tame stalemates in the Champions League against Sporting Lisbon and in the Derby della Mole highlighted the fact that the system was underwhelming, and that scoring goals is a major problem.
Jonathan David and Lois Openda were given minutes under Spalletti, with the two summer signings yet to adapt to life with the Turin titans. Canada goal poacher David, who arrived in July as a free agent, has at least scored one Serie A strike this term. Openda lacks confidence and his usual pace, with the Belgium international yet to find the net in a Juve jersey.
The current Juventus squad carry the burden of the club's majestic history, and appear to the most lightweight set of Bianconeri players overall this century. There are some talented individuals, but the constant changing of head coach and bringing in players who turn out to be flops has hindered Juve's chances of being Scudetto contenders.
Although Juventus have stuttered this term, they do lie sixth in Serie A and just five points behind leaders Inter Milan. Some seemingly easy matches over the next month offers Spalletti's side the opportunity to elevate themselves up both the Champions League and Serie A tables.
Spalletti needs to chalk up wins
The expectations of Juventus fans is to win matches, something that Spalletti is capable of. The two-week international break has provided the Bianconeri boss with a chance to tweak tactics and get Juve playing with the sort of confidence and swagger associated with the Italian heavyweights.
Spalletti has one major headache over the fitness of star striker Dusan Vlahovic, who has the knack for scoring Juventus goals. Without their prolific attacker, Spalletti's options are limited. He could bring Weston McKennie into a more prominent role, employ Turkish talent Kenan Yildiz as a false no9 or give Openda another whirl.
Regardless of the scenario, Spalletti should have two or three forwards when the Bianconeri travel to basement side Fiorentina on Saturday afternoon.
Yet Juventus face the prospect of new manager bounce from their opponents, when Paolo Vanoli tries to steer Fiorentina towards their inaugural Serie A success when he makes his bow at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.
Kean could haunt Juventus
The biggest danger for Juventus will be their former marksman Moise Kean. The 25-year-old has been in top form since he left the Bianconeri. Although he missed Italy’s last two World Cup qualifiers because of a knock, the striker is fit enough to tackle Juve.
Kean will no doubt want to show the fallen Italian giants that they made a mistake letting him leave in July 2024.
Spalletti is probably going to revert a back four for the first time with Juventus, with Andrea Cambiaso switching to the right-hand side rather than the left. Overlapping runs from defenders and midfielders could be commonplace for the rest of the season, with added support upfront to start grabbing goals.
New era for Yildiz and Vlahovic
What made Napoli so formidable under Spalletti was his eye-catching 4-3-3 formations, with the team built around a whizzy winger and a traditional center forward. Yildiz and Vlahovic fit that mould, although others could be honed should the pair decide to depart during the winter transfer window.
Spalletti's stint at Italy was cut short when he reverted to a loan target man, so he should have learned his lesson. The lack of motivation under Tudor will soon be eradicated once Juve start winning.
Although Spalletti is a tactical genius at times, he needs to revamp the attack as a matter of urgency, because without goals the side will remain toothless.
Spalletti differs from Motta and Tudor
He is different to Motta and Tudor. Spalletti will not demand big names to be brought in as a quick-fix solution, the 66-year-old can craft young talent and instruct his troops to play as a unit with cohesion and purpose.
After the trip to Fiorentina, Juve visit Bodo/Glint in Norway on Tuesday in a bid to net their first Champions League triumph this season.
Juventus end the month by hosting Cagliari, by which time fans will have no doubt have determined whether the club hierarchy's decision to bring in Spalletti was a hit or miss.