Here’s the thing about the current version of Juventus — at least they are not boring.
Sure, when you catch them on a bad day and they will leak goals left and right. But sometimes, when they do, they have found the extra gear and chutzpah to always find a way to get back into it just like in their 3-3 draw against Roma at the Olimpico a couple of weeks ago.
Catch them in a good day, though? They produce a super fun, enjoyable dismantling of Pisa by a 4-0 scoreline that made you, for a moment, remember
the good old days.
We are fighting for European spots — again — so I will savor any enjoyment that I can wherever I can find it, people. I suggest you try and do the same.
Let’s cook.
Process vs. Execution
I’m always fascinated by these sorts of conundrums. At the end of the day, any sort of decision that anyone can make is shrouded in a mist of uncertainty, there’s always a chance that anything you do goes bad — the world is a messed up place and predicting anything is near impossible.
All you can do is make educated guesses. The process of decision making, do you have data that can predict future outcomes? Experience in similar situations that can give you an idea of how something can go or how to fix a certain situation? The more you can add evidence whatever decision ends up happening you can be more and
more certain of the result.
Which brings us to Jonathan David.
The process of signing David last summer was as sound as any other signing Juventus has made before. There was a clear need for another striker given the up-and-down form of Dusan Vlahovic — plus his expiring contract — and the general absence of Arek Milik, who in principle remains alive as far as everyone is concerned.
David had a desired profile all over Europe. David had four seasons in a row with over 15 goals and the last three scoring over 20 at Lille in Ligue 1. Every year he had over 40 appearances as well and he was 25 years old, so he was just getting into his physical prime as well.
The Canadian striker had no contract, expressed interest in joining Juventus, was durable, proven and served a direct need for the team — both in the short- and the long-term aspect given his age and squad composition. Signing him on a free transfer checked pretty much every single box for a team like Juventus, and the process was damn near flawless. If you were betting on a guy succeeding in his first year as a Juve player, David was a damn good one.
The result?
Well … 38 appearances, seven goals and five assists across all competitions.
David is currently on track to have the worst counting season of his professional career and the signing that started with so much hope is now — as with everything related to this club — in real limbo to even stick around for more than a year.
Chalk it to the higher level of competition, the general instability of the team … or whatever you want, David has flopped in his first season as Juventus. With Vlahovic almost certainly moving on (unless you believe he has a legitimate chance of signing a new deal as the club reportedly continues talks) and very little depth at the position, I’d wager David will not end up being a one-and-done in Turin. There’s still time for him to turn it around and fulfill the promise he had when he was announced as a signing.
But, this just goes to show, no matter how sure you might be of something, nothing is ever a sure thing.
Cleaning House
How many players from this team are you attached to? Like, how many of the guys currently playing for Juventus would you consider not even letting go of? It’s single digits, right? No way it’s more than single digits.
And look, I’m not saying that Juventus should or will sell most of their players. It’s a financial and logistical nightmare to do so and they won’t, but it’s not great that off the dome I find so very few names that I’d legitimately be shocked about seeing go.
Pierre Kalulu is one. Gleison Bremer is another in defense. I can make the argument Weston McKennie, Khephren Thuram and Manuel Locatelli, sure. Kenan Yildiz is obviously your guiding star for as long as he plays for this club, so that’s a no. And this might be just my preference, but I’ve come to enjoy the footballing style of Francisco Conceição even if his end product is not always quite there.
That’s seven players and I can be talked out of at least two of them.
It continues to be remarkable that every single year passes and every single year we just keep coming back that this team is not good on the whole. Either the scouting department is inadequate or good players come into Juventus and just fail. Why is that? Your answer is as good as mine.
It’s a bad time to buy stamped kits, though, that’s for damn sure.
Parting Shot of the Week
Like I said up top, even though Juventus are playing out the string they have at least been entertaining sometimes for good, sometimes for bad but you can’t complain about the watching experience at least.
The bad news is that Juve is currently sixth and on the outside looking in of Champions League qualification next season. The good news is that they are only one point behind Roma and Como for the last of those aforementioned coveted European spots. The bad news again — two pieces of bad news! — is that they no longer have head-to-head matchups against those two direct rivals for fourth place, so they no longer control their own fate. If the teams above them happen to go on a streak, then there’s nothing Juventus will be able to do to avoid their Europa League or Conference League fate.
It’s unlikely both Roma and Como pitch perfect games the rest of the way, but to be fair to guess how Juventus will do the rest of the way is also the definition of a coin flip.
It is what it is.
See you next time.
