Despite an unbeaten run this season, Juve head coach Igor Tudor is under severe pressure with the knives out unless there are drastic changes.
Former Juventus striker Alessandro Del Piero stated as a pundit on Sky Sport Italia: “Juve are struggling in attack … those [strikers] who have started have almost always performed poorly. Up front Tudor still doesn’t have clear ideas.”
Five draws on the bounce, the latest being the scoreless stalemate against AC Milan, was the first time since Fabio Capello’s dismal run in of the Bianconeri in 2006.
The winning mentality is part and parcel of Juve’s DNA, which one-time Juventus defender Tudor knows well was having been sacked as assistant manager to Andrea Pirlo at the Turin titans.
They are an elite Italian club who are expected to annually be in with a shot of winning the Scudetto. However, Tudor like former boss Thiago Motta is suddenly rotating his starting line-up and seems more content to not lose matches.
Yet Tudor is worse than Motta as he has resorted to some bizarre and aimless tactics with his substitutions, leaving the Croatian 47-year-old flirting with danger in terms of his tenure. Furthermore, there are many squad members that Tudor demanded were placed on the summer transfer list.
Morale and self-esteem are low among the entire squad, as witnessed by glum-looking faces on the bench at the start of recent Juventus matches.
It is obvious from the showing this term that the Bianconeri are lightweight in defense and midfielder with the players that Tudor has at his disposal.
Bolstering Juventus during the winter transfer window is easier said than done, because if they continue to stutter along with not be an attractive proposition to top-notch players.
On top of these problems, extended contract negotiations have stalled with Juve’s two brightest stars. Serbia star striker Dusan Vlahovic and Turkish winger Kenan Yildiz are aware of how valuable they are to the misfiring Bianconeri, with the duo offered an escape route.
There is serious interest from both the Premier League and overseas in the pair, which would be a severe blow for Juve to lose both players.
Vlahovic has a plethora of admirers
Vlahovic is in the final year of his contract, but has been relegated to a bit-part role this term. The 25-year-old has netted four goals this season, all after arriving off the bench, to outshine fellow forwards Jonathan David and Lois Openda.
Goal poacher David marked his Serie A debut with a strike against Parma, but has not managed to find the back of the net since despite starting the past two league games. Openda has yet to break his duck in a Juve jersey.
Adjusting to the defensive of the Italian top tier is partly to blame for the failure of David and Openda, although Tudor’s relentless substitutions have confused the team and especially his attackers.
Vlahovic seemed happy a couple of weeks ago to extend his contract or move in the summer. He has recently generated interest from La Liga giants Atletico Madrid and Barcelona, Premier League big spenders Chelsea as well as German powerhouse Bayern Munich.
There could be a bidding war for Vlahovic, who becomes a free agent in July but can sign a pre-contract deal in February, which if sold would save Juventus paying out a hefty loyalty bonus as well as cash rather than lose him for nothing next summer.
Yildiz has yet to command a high salary that reflects his value at Juventus, with a contract extension stalling according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Ambitious Yildiz chases trophies
The Italian newspaper disclosed that negotiations for a contract extension between Yildiz and Juventus are not proceeding, because there is a significant distance between his agent’s demands and the offer tabled.
Like team-mate Vlahovic, Yildiz is on the wanted list of Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Chelsea.
Manchester United remain keen on the 20-year-old, while Arsenal sent scouts to rule their eye over the Turkish talent for the heavyweight match against AC Milan.
It turned out to be an unmemorable contest for Yildiz, Vlahovic and the rest of the Juventus squad. The latest game was sadly a reflection of how cracks are beginning to show in the Bianconeri’s season.
Tudor’s inflexible tactical formations at Juve have never set up to tackle their opponents, and his record of sticking to a 3-4-2-1 formation is far from impressive at other clubs.
Vlahovic and Yildiz are industrious and hungry players whose goal is to win trophies, which seems highly improbable under Tudor.
So either the Juve hierarchy give their head coach the boot before January, or face the prospect of losing two talents who can only border on world-class in such an ordinary team as Juventus.