A mercato of renovation up front for Juventus will lead to a change in playing style next season.
Juventus had reached an agreement with Palermo for the signing of 21 year-old phenom Paulo Dybala even before the 2014-15 Serie A campaign had come to a close. When Dybala first signed, it was expected that he would play alongside Carlos Tevez and Alvaro Morata, adding to one of the most feared attacks in Italy. As it has turned out thus far in this mercato, that will not exactly be the case. Morata is still with the club, but Tevez has moved on to his home country and back to his boyhood club, Boca Juniors. Dybala has simply become the first piece in overhaul of the bianconeri attack.
Mario Mandzukic was next, followed by the imminent signing of Simone Zaza from Sassuolo. Fernando Llorente is still in the mix even amidst all of the transfer rumors that seem to grow by the day. The Spanish striker had a disappointing 2014-15 campaign, only scoring 9 goals in all competitions last term, down from 18 in 2013-14. He also lost his starting role to Morata midway through the season. All of that has led to rumors of his depature from Turin.
Whether Llorente stays in black and white or not, the Juventus attack has still changed dramatically from last campaign. A change in personnel usually means a change in tactics, and that is definitely the case in this situation. Juve coach Max Allegri is good with transition and change as he proved in his first year with the club. Allegri was able to transition the squad from the 3-5-2 formation that previous coach Antonio Conte used to his own 4-3-1-2 gradually throughout the season. The transition proved to be very effective given that the bianconeri were one win away from an historic treble. There will most likely not be a change in formation this next season, but a change in style and tactics is imminent.
First of all, it will be necessary for Juventus to reinvent their attacking approach. Last season, the scudetto winners were content to sit back and defend until they were able to break back down the pitch and score. Tevez was the main proponent of that break, but his replacement, Mandzukic does not have that same skill set. The 29 year-old Croatia international is more comfortable waiting for crosses or looking for service from the midfield. After Diego Costa left Atletico Madrid last season, and Mandzukic was acquired, they were forced to change their style as well. The team relied more on set pieces and building up from the back. It will be much the same for Juve in 2015-16. Mandzukic plays much like Llorente as he is a poacher type striker. If the Spaniard stays in Turin, he will rarely be playing at the same time as Mandzukic due to their like styles.
A key component of working the ball up the pitch is having the presence of a true creative talent up front in the attacking mid role that can link play between the deep midfielders and the strikers. This number ten position, also called a trequartista, is at the top of Juve’s target list to acquire in this mercato. There are a few realistic and some unrealistic rumors floating around, but the position is still not filled in the bianconeri squad. Juve’s search for a number ten is detailed further in this Italian Football Daily exclusive. If the search for a trequartista comes up empty, there are other, but less effective options. Last season, Vidal played in the attacking mid position, but he is better suited to play further back in the midfield where he has the freedom to tackle and track back to defend. Tevez, although he was a striker handled most of the transition from the midfield to the attack with his speed and elusiveness. The best option to fill this role already on the squad may be Paulo Dybala. Even though he is a forward, the Argentine can retrieve the ball in the midfield or join the attack. Dybala had ten assists last season with Palermo and averaged 32.2 passes and 25 short passes per game according to WhoScored.com. His ability to provide assists for Mandzukic and Morata could prove to be vital in the new attacking style.
The Serie A is growing stronger during this summer mercato. With teams like Milan and Inter upgrading their squads, there will be a more substantial challenge for the bianconeri to win their fifth straight scudetto. Whether this new attack can be as effective as last season’s will only be determined once the seasons starts, but there is no doubt that dramatic changes will be instituted. It will be up to Allegri to implement the new style, and up to the players to perform it. After showing last season that they can adjust to a new formation, adjusting to the new style should be no problem for the Italian Champions.
The post Analyzing Juventus’ Attack in 2015-16 appeared first on Italian Football Daily.
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