Will Juventus find it Easy to Bounce Back This Season? | OneFootball

Last season did not go as planned for Juventus. They were the reigning Serie A champions and indeed the top side in domestic Italian football over the last 9 consecutive seasons, they were favourites at every live casino to reclaim their place at the top with expected ease. Many hoped for a famous completion of ten titles in a row. Yet, things went horribly wrong for the club.

As they are such a big club, it is assumed they will get back on track quickly. Unfortunately, sometimes that doesn’t happen and if they are not careful, could slip into a period of decline. Fans are hopeful this was a blip in form but are wary as there are a few reasons that may help or hinder the upcoming season. There will be big pressure on Juventus, can they deliver?

The Return of Allegri

This should bring some stability back to the side, as Max Allegri is familiar with the club, having a previously successful spell with Juventus for five years. Fresh from taking a break from football, this could be just the challenge he needs. While a title win by Maurizo Sarri appeared to cover up cracks in the club and disharmony in the squad, his replacement, Andrea Pirlo, despite being a playing legend for Juventus, oversaw a poor campaign.

The slipping of standards allowed other clubs to finish ahead of them and despite winning the Supercoppa Italia and the Coppa Italia, they decided to part ways at the end of the season. Allegri has great experience in Serie A and will inspire some confidence back into the team and the fans. He will be keen to get Juventus back to the top and add to his legendary status there.

Possible Defensive Problems

The club has counted on experienced players in defence in recent years with Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini forming a solid partnership that has produced many trophies. However age is catching up with both, Chiellini is now 36 and recently became a free agent. Injuries had affected his playing time last season and it will be interesting to see how long he continues to play.

Bonucci is just slightly younger at 34, but still a fearsome presence to face when bearing down on goal. The two recently combined again to help Italy win Euro 2020, but will Juventus see this as the end of the road for the pairing? Matthijs de Ligt was signed from Dutch club Ajax after having an amazing season but has still not earned many plaudits from fans in Italy. A prospect for the future, he will only get better, but may not be the answer Juve are looking for now.

The Ronaldo Situation

Juventus will have to now look to a future without the Portuguese superstar, who returned to his previous club Manchester United in the last transfer window. It was a difficult decision for Juventus, as in these cash strapped pandemic times, they needed to cut costs where they could and reinvest in other players.

Yet, trying to clamber back to the summit of Serie A, was selling one of the best players in football history a good idea? Ronaldo guaranteed goals and in fact, last season was the top goalscorer in Serie A. While he still had another season on his contract, the man craves success and a floundering Juventus side was no longer the attraction it once was. If you think Ronaldo will continue to bang the goals in for United, you can have a punt on him winning the Premier League Golden Boot at any reputable online casinó.

Challenges From Rivals

While Juventus were busy making a mess of last season, they provided the opportunity for their domestic challengers in Serie A to make some heavy statements of intent. Inter Milan, last winning the league in 2010 and coming so close to doing so in 2020, finally managed to claim the trophy. What made it hurt even more, leading Inter to glory was none other than Antonio Conte, a highly successful manager with Juventus in recent years.

In the end, Juventus just about scraped into the Champions League qualifying places, relying on other results to go their way on the final day of the season. A tight finish with teams such as a resurgent AC Milan, an ever-improving Atalanta and consistent Napoli, show the scale of the task that is facing Juventus this season.

Potential Moves

As with any club in the transfer window, Juventus are surrounded by constant speculation of the comings and goings of players. With Ronaldo already gone, rumours abound as to who could replace him in the long term. You could take your pick from a variety of players, such as Arsenal’s Pierre Emerick Aubameyang, former Inter Milan striker Mauro Icardi or even Fiorentina’s Dušan Vlahović. How events will unfold is of major interest to the fans.

In the midfield, Juventus have always longed for the return of Paul Pogba. Performing well, he was sold to Manchester United for a high fee but has always been linked with a move back. Miralem Pjanic’s move to Barcelona has not worked out, and he is keen to return to Turin, however, he has since been loaned out to the Turkish side, Besiktas, though that does not mean he could not move back to Italy next summer. The midfield could be an area that sees a lot of movement as Aaron Ramsey and Adrien Rabiot are also tipped to leave, possibly in January.

Summary

The road back to glory may be tricky and could be a bigger job than Allegri or the fans anticipate. While craving success on the European front, the Champions League may be given less priority this season if they wish to reassert themselves in the Italian league. A lot may depend on solving the defensive issues to ensure they don’t lose valuable points. While experience is great, players will start to slow down and could be exposed by skilful forwards.

The threat from other teams must not be underestimated. Improvements from surrounding teams in the table may see Juventus in bigger trouble than they thought. This poor start to the season could be fatal as every point counts. Other teams will be battling to ensure Juventus’ struggles continue. It’s an intriguing season ahead and could define how the next few years at the club will be.