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Juventus Crisis Unpacked: From Injuries To Goal Drought (Clip From Ep. 476)
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After yet another draw where Juventus failed to create many chances much less score, Nima Tavallaey and Carlo Garganese do a deep-dive on the Juve crisis, discussing, debating and analyzing all aspects of the injuries as well as the goal drought.
This is an extended clip from this week's free Monday episode of The Italian Football Podcast which is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google podcasts.
To listen to this & all other full episodes of The Italian Football Podcast (with no ads), go to Patreon.com/TIFP OR now also available on Spotify to become a Patron for only $2.99 USD per month (excluding VAT).
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Transcript
Introduction and Welcome
00:00:03
Speaker
Welcome to the Italian Football Podcast.
Is Juventus in Crisis?
00:00:05
Speaker
Let's move on to to to another team in Turin that's struggling right now and that is Juventus.
Injury Impact and Performance Struggles
00:00:14
Speaker
I think we can probably call it a crisis now. It's certainly a crisis when you add everything together, when you add the the absolutely outrageous situation with the injuries together with with the the the results, which aren't losses, but draws, um and the problems that Juventus are having with creating chances, even against the weakest of opposition, like Lecce, and I think we can call it a crisis. I think we can. I think we can call it a crisis. um It's not over-exaggerating to call it a crisis.
The Expected Goals (XG) Conundrum
00:00:47
Speaker
I'm sorry, but when your expected goals, including Turram's shocking open goal miss, which is the post,
00:00:56
Speaker
is 1.3 away against a lecture who have struggled a lot this season. I mean, I don't know what else to tell you. This this is not, the the I mean, let's have conceded 21 goals before they played Juva in 13 games. um Okay, they've had a managerial change. Gianpaolo's come in and he's actually doing pretty well. This was an important, you know, point and and decent performance for them.
00:01:25
Speaker
ah they They won their game against Venezia, but it's still, this is just simply not good and enough. it's not enough but I want to start before I get to what I said last week, that you can talk about injuries all you want, but this has been going on all season. Barring Cornwall game and Empoli game, or it's not Empoli, they drew that, nor goalless. But barring those opening games in the season, Juventus are completely impotent going forward.
00:01:54
Speaker
um And that's just a fact.
Scoring Challenges and Lucky Breaks
00:01:59
Speaker
Well, you've mentioned that the Taram, the XG overall in the game. If you move if you remove that Taram chance, which is a 0.88 XG, Juventus in the first half had an XG of 0.1.
00:02:13
Speaker
you remove it if you remove that Taram chance. The second half in total is a 0.25 XG. They had a lower XG than Lecce in this game, even including even including the Taram chance. and and yeah One goal in the last three games, and that goal was, let's be honest, it's a complete fluke from Cambiezo. He's taken a long shot.
00:02:40
Speaker
it's is it's not if it's not going to threaten the goalkeeper if it's even on that even if it's on target. and It takes a massive deflection of Gaspar and goes in. That's the only way that Juventus were probably going to score. and this guy I know they hit the post twice, but I've read out the the XG. but They're not creating enough. No one can tell me that they create enough. and and That's the problem. They're not they're not creating enough chances. they ah These things, like we said, the the the early season bounce enthusiasm, it wears
Defensive Strength vs Offensive Weakness
00:03:11
Speaker
off. Now we're 14 games into the Serie A and they have the most clean sheets. They have 10 clean sheets in Serie A. It's an outstanding record.
00:03:21
Speaker
And that's great. The defense is not the issue. The issue is they're barely creating anything going forward. And this is how it's been under Tiago Motta since he came to you. But regardless of the position in this game and and in general is it's the buildup was I mean, you guys just were very, very flat. um The possession so sterile, just too slow, not enough.
00:03:39
Speaker
vertical direct passes in this game and in general. Everything I'm going to say here is generally true as a whole, but ah you know i'll I'll talk just for this game, but too slow, too too many sideways passes, making it way too easy for Leche to set up the team ah into position and trying to score you know the perfect goal.
00:04:01
Speaker
You've got to be more direct sometimes. I mean, look how you then scored the goal. It was a shot from from outside the area that took a deflection and went in. Sometimes you've got to be direct. Sometimes just smash a ball across the box. Sometimes just whip a ball in first time. Sometimes put a ball in the channel. Put the defenders under pressure. Win it back. You know what I mean? Sometimes you've got to be a little bit ugly.
00:04:22
Speaker
um You know, yes, you've got to have an identity and I love the idea that you just have an identity now and they're trying to build something. i think That's great. And we have to give it time. But sometimes you've got to also bit have a little bit. you You can't just have one way of playing it to be this sterile. I thought that the team was really lacking pace and intensity. And that is also which will come to is also I think down to the fact that and Motta said this in the game team is is exhausted because they haven't been able to rotate. It's the same players playing. but He's got no players to rotate. Yeah, exactly. got i got me layers He's got players who sound like regen
Youth Team Troubles and Systemic Issues
00:05:01
Speaker
names. like it's I'm sorry, but I've been looking at the event. No, the guy that came on yesterday, his name was Punio, which means punch. yeah Listen, Diego Punio.
00:05:12
Speaker
um Alfonso Montero, Paolo Montero's son, Filippo Panuco, Augusto Ovuso, Christos Papadopoulos. It's number 43, 45, 46, 42, 44.
00:05:27
Speaker
They've taken over from Verona last season, wasn't it? Verona were Regen FC last season. and their play You went to Regen FC this season. like These names sound like when you're on season 23 on Football Manager and and and the computer just makes up names. um It's like when you play on Football Manager, you know like when sometimes like you play in Europe and you haven't you haven't downloaded the large database and you're using a small database to try and make the game run quicker and you go into Europe and you play against the team in Europe, even some of the bigger teams in Europe.
00:05:55
Speaker
and um they they haven't got all their real names. So they have like those grayed out regions yeah and they're not very good. And that is I think that's Juventus' bench. It probably explains why Juventus... You know what? You're talking about Juventus not scoring a goal. I was having a look at Juventus' next-gen team. And they're like I think they're like bottom or second from bottom in Celiaci. And when I checked like last week, I don't know how they got on at the weekend, they yeah they'd scored, I think, one goal in in seven games or one goal in eight games. So it's like, this isn't just the Juventus.
00:06:26
Speaker
like Like everything, like the injury situation, this isn't just the Juventus senior problem, this is the Juventus next year problem. So the idea that you can have Juventus players on the bench and think that they're going to do anything can score, or they can't even score in instead of your cheese, well, yeah, not not not going
Tactical Predictability and Missing Players
00:06:42
Speaker
to happen. But I mean, I do think that the lack of energy and intensity, that that's also down to the, I don't want to put that on motto, but it is a team that is very, very much laboring in more ways than one, very, very much struggling. and um and just too easy to set up against and defend. too It's just so easy to just set your team up to the defend against them and and they're not going to create. and I think that that is obviously, we've said it so many times, I think that is a ah weakness of Moza. I think what the difference between this team and the Bologna team is that um they had Riccardo Cada Fury, who is a press breaking, overloading machine from defense that comes into the midfield, creates that extra man.
00:07:26
Speaker
breaks the line, creates overloads, bombards even into the final third and he was so, so important for Bologna in the build up, in this kind of motto build up in that he would create that extra man um man and then it would just, you know,
00:07:40
Speaker
the dominoes would fall from there and they would create and score. Juventus don't have that. I mean Motta uses Cambiazzo to do that and I think Cambiazzo has had a great season although I want to come on to him in a second. um But you know it's one is Cambiazzo and and everything is coming through cambiuso it's like he's all the playmaking is through cambiuso and i think teams have come on to that they've caught on to that and it's becoming predictable it's all the it's like he's the playmaker of the team it's always cambiuso he comes in field and it's it's just become all too predictable really um and um yeah i think tactically teams are starting to find out how to stop
00:08:21
Speaker
how to stop
Coaching Decisions Under Scrutiny
00:08:22
Speaker
the Juventus. You double up on Conseil Sal, which Lecce were doing. You follow Cambiaso, because he's the deep, blind playmaker. um And everything else is sideways and and and slow and sterile, and it's it's become too too too predictable.
00:08:41
Speaker
um I didn't like Monte's changes either yesterday. I understand that he's got nothing on the bench. I was going to say, I can't criticise him for that. Well, he took off the others and can't say self for youth players. You know, in Bangula, okay, you did all right the start of the season, but Punjo. And Juventus, so Juventus finished the game with with Weijer.
00:09:01
Speaker
un bangula and punyo in the last 15 to 20 minutes. um yeah okay i get He doesn't have any options and he said they were exhausted and yes blasting you one is another injury. so yeah I guess I don't want to be too critical but he really did invite pressure from this lecture to him. I would have just kept them on.
00:09:18
Speaker
If you get an injury, you then you go to Johnson and you say, look, this is your fault. But, you know, I think he just invited that pressure from Lecce. And, you know, eventually they got the equalizer. um But, yeah, it's it's it's not good. I have to say, though, I'm so angry it can be us, say though.
00:09:35
Speaker
That is just unforgivable. What he did is unforgivable. You just cannot do that. you' You've got two minutes left of the game. And he did it twice. Before Lecce scored, he got the ball in the right back position. He tried to dribble his man. He half-slipped, lost it. The cross came in. Christovich did a great header. And Perrin pulled off a miracle save. I think it was offside.
00:10:00
Speaker
But you know that was the warning for Cambia, so you know you've got two minutes left, why the hell are you playing around with it trying to dribble your man in your own third? And what does he do? Like 30 seconds later, he gets the ball in the right back position. He goes on this mental run through the middle of the pitch, so not even out wide.
00:10:17
Speaker
he tries to dribble past three players he gets tackled let's say equalize they let's say get ah win the ball they pass it to the the left back ah the left wing area the right back area where cambiasos vacated the cross comes in from cambiaso's position they they tap it in they score it all cambiasos felt unforgivable that from cambiaso and if if if um if motto He was asked about it. he He's diplomatic. He doesn't hang his players out to dry. He deserves hanging up for that. caist So that is that is great. That is unforgivable that you that you that you do that in this 90 second minute. ah Unforgivable. He's cost events has two points there on his own. Unforgivable. Yeah, no, well he's yeah that wasn't I agree with everything you said. I just think that
00:11:05
Speaker
It's he he is kind of, you know, let's remember he's, you know, he's not exactly a senator himself, but he's kind of been given that role at U of N. I think you're going to see him make these mistakes until he learns. I mean, I think he will learn from them. I'm not too worried about that. I'd rather he make these mistakes now than maybe next season when you are supposed to actually fly off and mount a serious title challenge, which they still can do.
Can Juventus Secure a Top-Four Finish?
00:11:31
Speaker
I mean, again,
00:11:32
Speaker
paregentos, as we can call them, after eight draws. are are still there. They haven't, they they still haven't lost a game. um Okay, there's six points off. Now police, but you know, six wins, eight draws, eight conceded, 10 clean sheets. but They're falling away. And, and if this continues, you know, if, if the, I tweeted at the end of the game, if they, if, if, if two things continue as they are, Juventus are going to struggle. But I still think they'll be okay. But
00:12:03
Speaker
if this If these two things continue, which you know all Juventus fans will hope that they don't, if they these two things continue, which I'm about to say, Juventus are going to struggle to to get in the top four. And that is number one, this chance creation, which we've already gone, lack of chance creation, which we've gone through, which needs to be solved. And that includes, I think,
00:12:22
Speaker
signing a, they need to sign a striker in in January. There's no doubt about it. They need to sign a number nine. Weijer was horrific, but he's not a nine. You can't be too critical. Just like you couldn't be critical of Mckenny throwing in a stinker at number nine against Milan. He's not a number nine, but even like Vlalvic Juventus need a striker, a reference point, like a Lukaku, who hasn't even been in great form, but a Lukaku who can just hold it up, can just bring others into play, just be the wall, be the man. Which Vlovich cannot. Which Vlovich can't do, so it's not going to improve Vlovich. I let you try to teach him for the many years he was there and he he just refuses to get it.
00:13:00
Speaker
look I think we can be capable I think it's not just well that's that's the thing then I said then I don't if he's not capable of that then he's not a top-level striker it's as simple as that if you're a top-level striker you have to know how to play with your back against the goal you have to be able to put others into play you have to be able to link up you can't be a tap in match it playing for a top side that wants to win the league, especially in the Serie A, especially when teams defend deep against you, when you have to create your own space, you have to create space for others. That is a provincial striker. I think we have to say though, Nima, Junzli is also to blame for leaving... Oh, for sure, I said it last week. For leaving Juventus in a situation where they don't have a striker and they're having to play these games. Again, I'm not and we're not absolving blame of Mota.
00:13:46
Speaker
we've we've We've been pretty clear that that the Juventus are not creating enough chances and you can't put that all on you know just not having a number nine. but when you don't have a number nine it's not easy because everything well it doesn't make you easier no you know taken if you took Lukaku out the Napoli team it would be a lot that you'd be very very difficult for yes but the difference is that Napoli have a clear and clear identity and structure of how they want to attack and like i said last week uh just go back and listen to what i said i just want to echo everything Juventus play really well and look really good in the build-up phase until they reach the opposition's box
00:14:22
Speaker
they They flatline. They're attacking identity flatlines. They don't know what to do. They have no idea what they're going to do. They spam crosses hoping something happens, um but they look completely lost. That's on Mota. Now the squad, overall, and this injury situation and that the squad isn't constructed properly, that's all on Jumtoli.
Injury Crisis and Financial Constraints
00:14:48
Speaker
But then again, it was it was there were mistakes made in the summer. They did as much as they could. The injury situation, okay the ACLs, I can't really blame on on the medical staff.
00:15:00
Speaker
But because that's not something you can, you know. Well, that's that's open for debate as well. Like not the medical staff, and but but, you know, the whole we don't know. We don't know. we we We don't know. No, we don't know what the training is like. Is it too intense? Are they over training the players and and tiring the players out, which do cause ah ACLs? We know that as the number one factor over playing, over training, overloading, and overloading, lack of rest.
00:15:27
Speaker
you know that because we don't know whether whether ah you know whether we don't know what the what what mutters training is like and and what the preseason was like and and we we we're not sure you know but also two of those are for the for the for the for the next gen their next gen play two of those acls but but still two acls is too many yeah and and yeah but the acls i i don't want to you know it's it's fine you you that's great but at the same time the issue is that they have, what, 13 outfield players in the first team? Well, you could even say 12. I mean, and Bangula wasn't even supposed to be a senior player this year. He's been he's been ah the reason why and Bangula was was was brought into the first team squad in the first place was because of a lack of look of numbers. And then he's just kind of stayed there because there's no one there. Now people are quote because it's people calling him a senior player. You could really say 12, to be honest with you.
00:16:23
Speaker
i mean it's I mean, it's absurd. It's a scandal. um It's a scandal. And um I think, you know, I think someone, I think heads should roll for this. It's a scandal. We're talking about the biggest club in Italy.
00:16:37
Speaker
you know, we're talking about one of the biggest clubs in Europe and and what? they've got They've got all these injuries, all this money that's in the club. and All this money that they spent, all this ah all this money that they do spend on medical stuff, on research and the facilities, 12-13 first team players available in early December,
00:17:02
Speaker
a new coach who's attacking identity flat lines when it reaches the opposition. it's been ongoing though ni Number nine striker who who doesn't know how to play as a number nine striker in a big team, plays like a provincial striker. um Yeah, I'd say that needs to roll. Yeah, well, yeah, I want to just focus just on the injury situation. Heads need to roll with in terms of who is to but there needs to be a ah proper investigation. Who is to blame for this? What is causing this? And whoever is to blame, and these heads some of those heads need to roll because this cannot be allowed to be acceptable and it's ongoing as well. This isn't something that's just, ah you know, this has been happening pre-date in this season. And what is worse for me is
00:17:47
Speaker
What I find incredible is the recoveries, how long the recoveries are taken. That is a J medical problem. um yeah Some of these things are not J medical, because obviously you know we're talking about injuries happening. It's like you know it's like blaming the the hospital for you get for you having a heart attack. du Do you know what I mean? Sometimes you can't you can't just blame J medical for everything, but but you know the recoveries you can, because that's in J medical's hands, and the recoveries. We're getting players with supposedly minor muscular injuries like Nico Gonzalez, who was only supposed to be out for a few weeks. He's been out for two months. He's still not back. What the hell is going on there? Why is he taking so long? you know Then you've got players that are taken out for precaution precautionary reasons before a game like Douglas Louise was before a Champions League game. he was He wasn't even injured. He was taken out as a precaution. Was how long ago was that? That was like a month ago. He's still not back.
00:18:41
Speaker
So what the hell is going on there? Then you've got players that have no injury at all, like Vlawovic, they miss two games. Now, OK, there might be a reason for some some of these. There might be a reason that for Vlawovic being out for two games.
00:18:54
Speaker
What I'm saying is there's too many of these players in total that are supposed to be minor injuries and their recoveries are taking way, way longer than they usually should take. And that is that that for me, I find this astonishing because most a lot of these players that ah that are out on this long injury list, they should have been back at ages ago.
00:19:14
Speaker
And they're not back because their their recoveries are taking a lot longer than they are. So what the hell is going on there? So from from the injuries, to the recoveries, to the ACLs, is is it's a scandal what is going on with Juventus' injury situation. And this is and this is having a this is ah exacerbating the crisis that Juventus, the struggles that matters have him with the chance creation. And the because the players are now exhausted, which is making that more difficult,
00:19:43
Speaker
you know the same players having to play every single game. They've got no one to bring on. And we're in the the such a busy part of the season now as well. So what do you think is going to happen? Juventus are going to go into the next game. They're going to be exhausted. They're going to put in another flat performance. They're probably going to drop more points. and it's just and And then people are going to just blame Motta for but lack of chance creation when the players are all exhausted because he's got no one to pick from.
00:20:06
Speaker
So, you know, is is ah that's why at the start I said it's a crisis. It's a crisis in totality between everything. and and yeah so yeah the those are the two that's what Coming back to my initial point, the two things that need to be sorted out, otherwise Juventus are going to risk top four are the chance creation and the injuries. so If they don't stop if they don't get there these injury situation continues and then connected to that, the chance creation, then Juventus are going to struggle for top four.
00:20:36
Speaker
No, I don't think they're going to struggle for top four. I'm saying if. Yeah, but even now, but regardless of that, because I don't expect Fiorentina and Lazio to to continue um down there. And I think we saw... Yeah, but what I'm saying is if they continue the rest of the season with 12 fit players, you're not going to get tough for them. They can't, like, it's it's just not... Of course Juntoly has to address this in January otherwise they... That's what big I mean. Why is he there? like Is he on holiday? That's the other thing there. Sorry to to go on and on about your answers, but they don't have any budget in January either. So, so again... you know If somebody wants to buy Vlaovec in January, I'd sell him if he can get the right money for him. I've i've given up now. I think you know it's well it's not working. All I say is good luck.