Alessio Tacchinardi, the former Juventus midfielder turned pundit, has offered his views on the current state of the Bianconeri. In a recent interview with La Stampa, Tacchinardi voiced his worries regarding the team’s recent performances and their outlook for the rest of the season.
Regarding the possibility of a crisis, Tacchinardi stated, “I don’t think we should talk about a crisis yet, but I believe it could start if this inertia continues in Udine. Perhaps we were too optimistic before; everything seemed perfect, but now the feat in Leipzig seems very distant. Let’s say it’s a moment of difficulty, which can happen, but a great performance will be needed in Udine.”
On the defensive issues, he commented, “There’s a lot to analyze because, after Bremer’s injury, there were two more games against Cagliari and Lazio where Juve didn’t concede much. The problem is that now the team seems tired, even drained, after the Inter game. If there’s already a physical decline, it would be serious. The feeling is that if they’re not at their best, they don’t win. I think of the draws with Empoli, Cagliari, Parma… I fear the team isn’t built to win even when not at its best. And this worries me. To win the Scudetto, you need to win even the ugly games, maybe 10 or 15 of them. To do this, someone needs to take charge of the team, and for now, I don’t see anyone capable of doing that. Let’s hope for Koopmeiners.”
Regarding Juventus’ Scudetto chances, Tacchinardi expressed doubt: “After the first few games, it seemed like Juve was ready, but experience says it takes time. As of today, I say no. It’s still a team that needs to grow in personality, but the season is long. The important thing is that the small cracks don’t widen. I struggle to understand where they can go. They’re the only team in the top 4-5 leagues that can’t be deciphered yet; the other top teams already have a precise identity. Instead, Juve, who started well, is now in difficulty. There’s time, but steps forward are needed starting from Udine.”
Cassano: “Vlahovic is poor, Juventus won’t make the top 4″
During a recent episode of “Viva el Futbol” on Twitch, Antonio Cassano offered a critical assessment of Juventus’ current situation and Thiago Motta’s coaching. The former Italian star raised concerns about the team’s future and the caliber of their players.
Cassano began by stating, “The path taken is not right; I don’t see a path. Many players are not Juventus material. Today, I still don’t see a path. I expect not everything immediately because you’re not Guardiola, but an idea. What can you notice or not notice today? The idea might be to circulate the ball very slowly, but it deflates everything for me. I only see Cambiaso throwing himself into midfield and becoming the extra man. If Juventus doesn’t unlock the game early, they struggle, but people follow positive results even though they haven’t put in good performances to date.”
Regarding Thiago Motta’s impact, Cassano commented, “We’re not talking about Conte, who creates in a day what others create in six months. Baroni has built something important; his place is demanding. But at this moment, what are you looking for from Thiago Motta? A minimum of what I saw in Bologna, and today I don’t see it. You’re looking for a project, and I still don’t see it today. I’m clinging to the fact that many players in Juve can’t play the game that Thiago would like to play. I said Milan and Juve wouldn’t finish in the top four, and now I have this fear.”
On Juventus’ playing style, Cassano added, “Four years ago, Juventus hired one of the top coaches for game ideas, Sarri. I immediately said that Thiago should be careful not to end up like Sarri. Juve today is 7 points behind the leader; even Napoli started from zero. Seven points is a lot. Other teams have taken a path, but Juve hasn’t. Parma wasn’t organized but knew what to do.”
Cassano singled out Conceicao as the only one currently adding value, saying, “At the beginning, Juventus didn’t concede much because they stayed behind the ball line, scoring on the first counterattack. Now it’s emerging that Juventus has great difficulties.”
Finally, Cassano didn’t hold back in his criticism of Dusan Vlahovic: “He continues to be poor. Frantic, afraid to have the ball, struggles to move. He can do something in the penalty area, but he’s not for a big team. Overpaid, but I like him zero. Retegui is much better, Castellanos is much better.”
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