The Andrea Pirlo Dilemma: Back or replace him?

When Andrea Pirlo was handed the reins this offseason, it came as a huge surprise across the calcio world. After all, the World Cup winner had no prior experience at the top level and was still in the midst of completing his coaching licenses. Fast forward six months later, and Pirlo’s inexperience is becoming increasingly clear.

Injuries have not helped the rookie tactician, but Pirlo has made many questionable choices in his debut season. The Italian champions are set to relinquish their stranglehold over Serie A to arch-rivals Inter, while they already have one foot out of the Champions League. Once the season comes to an end Juventus will have a big decision to make: Should they back Pirlo or fire him?

Thrusting a rookie manager into the spotlight without fully backing him is a recipe for disaster. Year after year, Juventus neglects its stuttering midfield and persists with overvalued bosman deals. See: Adrien Rabiot and Aaron Ramsey. While both have flashes of brilliance, neither are good enough on a consistent basis to form a world-class midfield unit.

It would be completely unfair to criticize Pirlo without first mentioning that Fabio Paratici has done him no favors himself. The Juventus sporting director has done close to nothing to revitalize the midfield or other areas of concern. Beyond the middle of the park, Juve’s fullbacks leave a lot to be desired. Alex Sandro is on his final legs, Gianluca Frabotta is simply not ready, while Danilo is a backup at best.

Pirlo has had to adapt in this respect, promoting Frabotta from the second team. Decisions to sell Joao Cancelo and Leonardo Spinazzola have undoubtedly come back to haunt Juventus this season. While Paratici has made a number of mistakes on the transfer market, it doesn’t totally absolve Pirlo from the blame.

The rookie tactician has regularly demonstrated he is stubborn in his ways, persisting with a 3-5-2 when it clearly doesn’t suit his players. Pirlo has shoehorned Dejan Kulusevski up front, while deploying the side’s most dangerous player – Federico Chiesa – at right wingback. Both players would be better suited to a more conventional 4-3-3 and offer the Bianconeri some much-needed unpredictability in the final third.

Pirlo’s decisions in the middle of the park have not been much better either. Rodrigo Bentancur and Adrien Rabiot continue to feature, despite their inability to dominate proceedings week in, week out. Injuries have ravaged Juventus’ midfield core in recent weeks, but Pirlo still has alternatives on the bench.

Weston McKennie can be used from a deeper role as was the case in Juve’s 3-0 win over Barcelona, while Nicolo Fagioli is ready for a bigger role. At a time where the side’s midfielders shy away from dictating play, Fagioli would be a breath of fresh air. Beyond Arthur, the young Italian is one of few players who is comfortable in possession and willing to progress the ball forward. A midfield duo of McKennie and Fagioli with Kulusevski or Ramsey roaming in front of them should be tried before the all-important clash against Porto.

All this leads us back to the initial question: Should Juventus fire Pirlo or back him? Well, it’s tough to say. In many ways, the second half of the season could serve as his final audition. If the rookie manager shows he is willing to adapt and shake things up, Juventus would be wise to back him and accept the growing pains. That being said, if Pirlo continues to persist with a losing formula, it would be difficult to justify significant spending to fit his system.

At the end of the day, Juventus is in desperate need of an overhaul, which is very much out of Pirlo’s hands. The rookie boss can’t be faulted for what he doesn’t have, but if his first season in charge is anything to go by, Pirlo has a lot to learn.

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Andrea Pirlo must learn from his mistakes ahead of crucial stretch

Andrea Pirlo’s first season as a manager has not been without its highs and lows. The rookie tactician claimed his first trophy, leading Juventus to its ninth Italian Supercup while also guiding the Bianconeri into the Coppa Italia final. But as yet another early elimination from the Champions League looms, Juventus and Pirlo are about to enter a make-or-break stretch.

The Italian champions currently find themselves eight points behind Inter, albeit with a game in hand. With just 15 games to go, Juventus will need to string together quite a run to cut into Inter’s lead atop the table and win their 10th consecutive Scudetto. In Europe, it doesn’t get much easier for Pirlo following his side’s disappointing outing in the first leg against Porto.

Individual errors and complacency may have cost Juventus against Porto, but Pirlo’s inexperience at the highest level was very much on display last Wednesday. The World Cup winner has persisted with Dejan Kulusevski up front, even when it is abundantly clear the young Swede is better suited to a deeper role. The former Parma man was rendered completely uninfluential by Porto’s deep block and was inevitably subbed off.

Only when Alvaro Morata entered the pitch did Juventus look dangerous – a lesson Pirlo should take note of ahead of the crucial second leg. With Paulo Dybala sidelined for the foreseeable future, Pirlo would be wise to get Morata back into the swing of things with regular football.

Beyond getting his frontline wrong, Pirlo has some tough decisions to make in the middle of the park. Rodrigo Bentancur has struggled in recent weeks, while Adrien Rabiot is far too inconsistent to be a regular starter. Arthur’s injury could not have come at a worse time for Juventus, but Pirlo must adapt.

When Juventus put Barcelona to the sword 3-0, the Italian champions did so with Arthur and Weston McKennie in the double pivot. Aaron Ramsey was tasked with roaming dangerously in the final third, effectively acting as a hybrid trequartista. Recently, however, Pirlo has abandoned this setup, deploying McKennie in an advanced position.

While the U.S. Men’s National Team midfielder is extremely dangerous in the box, there is no reason why he can’t get forward from the double pivot. In addition to making late runs, deploying McKennie from a deeper position can make the most of his defensive awareness and industry. Rabiot and Bentancur are often guilty of being far too passive, a problem that can be addressed with the former Schalke man.

Given Juve’s increased injury problems in the middle of the park, the final midfield spot should come down between Ramsey and Kulusevski. The Welshman excels in an advanced position, while Kulusevski’s technique and ball progression would make him an excellent fit for the role. As the advanced midfielder is expected to slot in on the left-hand side, Kulusevski’s speed and counter-attacking threat should mean he edges out Ramsey for the role.

Juventus’ long list of injuries has not helped Pirlo, but as a crucial stretch in the season approaches, he must find his best starting 11. If his side’s last games are anything to go by, it is abundantly clear that he must stop using Kulusevski as a second striker and revert to his previously successful formula in the midfield.

While it would be incredibly harsh to sack a first-year manager after failing to deliver a deep run in the Champions League, especially when the upper brass hasn’t exactly helped – there are no excuses for Pirlo not to progress past Porto. The rookie boss must demonstrate he has learned from his mistakes and lead Juventus – at the very least – to the quarterfinals.

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Early qualification offers Pirlo time to find his feet

The Andrea Pirlo era is slowly kicking into gear in Turin, with Juventus punching its ticket into the Round of 16, thanks to a late winner against Ferencvaros. The Italian champions find themselves three points behind Barcelona, with two games left to duke it out for first place. Beyond progressing to the next round comfortably – an impressive feat in itself from the rookie manager – Pirlo has been presented with a unique opportunity in the two final matchdays; An opportunity to stamp out his best lineup and impart his footballing philosophy, pressure-free.

The World Cup winner has used the first months of his tenure to experiment with his roster, attempting to find his ideal eleven. As it stands right now, there are more questions than answers. For example: What is Juve’s best midfield pairing? Is there room for Paulo Dybala up front? When fully fit, who should start in defense? All questions that will largely determine how successful Pirlo is at Juventus.

Merih Demiral and Matthijs de Ligt impressed in their first game together against Cagliari, while Danilo – excluding his slip against Ferencvaros – has hardly put a foot wrong, playing in the back three. Leonardo Bonucci’s importance can’t be understated, with the veteran defender heavily involved in Juve’s buildup play, while few defenders are as uncompromising as Giorgio Chiellini when fit. That leaves Pirlo with the tough decision of leaving two defenders on the bench.

While not an easy decision, de Ligt will almost certainly start. The young Dutchman is the prototypical modern defender, equally capable of thwarting the opposition’s attacks as he is starting his own.  Demiral has been nothing short of sensational alongside him, adding some much-needed physicality in Chiellini’s absence. Given their potential to grow into Europe’s top centreback pairing of the future, Pirlo should entrust Demiral and De Ligt and give them a go against Barcelona. Danilo has earned his starting spot alongside them, offering something different from your typical centrebacks.

In the midfield, Adrien Rabiot’s recent performances have stood out. Simply put, Juventus are a better team with the Frenchman in the lineup. Pirlo has tried to get Arthur going, giving him a run of games as the side’s regista, producing mixed results. The former Barca man is an extremely gifted ball carrier but fails to break the lines.

Arthur was more aggressive with the ball at his feet on Tuesday, forcing a number of over-the-top through balls. While most of them did not reach their intended target, it is an encouraging first step. As Juve enters two dead-rubber games against Barcelona and Dynamo Kyiv, Pirlo would be wise to give the Arthur-Rabiot connection some continuity.

Alvaro Morata’s rapid rise to prominence has made Pirlo’s decision up front much easier. The Spaniard has hit the ground running since returning, already netting five goals in the Champions League alone – including the all-important winner on Tuesday. Beyond his goals, Morata is clearly better suited to playing alongside Ronaldo, linking up with the Portuguese superstar with ease.

Ronaldo has thrived in recent years with a more physical presence alongside him, something Dybala simply can’t offer. La Joya has struggled this season, scoring one goal in eight appearances. The ongoing negotiation for his new contract, as well, as his highly-publicized battle with COVID-19, have held Dybala back in the early goings of the season. As of right now, however, the former Palermo man is on the outside looking in.

Despite this, Juve’s final two Champions League games would be a good time to experiment with the possibility of playing the 27-year-old alongside Ronaldo and Morata; something Pirlo alluded to earlier this week.

Make no mistake about it, Pirlo’s Juve remains a side in construction and there will be more growing pains. The rookie tactician has demonstrated he is ready to adapt and make the most of the deep roster at his disposal, an intriguing prospect ahead of Juve’s upcoming clash against Barcelona. The coming weeks should be very interesting in Turin as Pirlo continues to stamp his authority on his new-look Juventus side.

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Serie A Fantasy Recap – Round Six

Standings implications: Milan came out on top again thanks to a late push versus Udinese, retaining the top spot. Juventus managed to pull away from Spezia with a superb second half and moved to third place as Napoli got upended at home by Sassuolo, who come in second. After two losses, Atalanta put one on the win column by handling Crotone rather easily, even though the score was closer than what transpired in the game. Verona returned to winning ways against Benevento and resumed flying high.

Inter could not build up on last week’s win as they were held to a tie at home by Parma and actually were very close to losing. Roma extended their positive streak by breezing past Fiorentina. Lazio topped Torino at the buzzer in a nail-bater. Sampdoria and Genoa shared the spoils in a pretty entertaining edition of the Derby della Lanterna. Bologna got off their schneid with a quality and hard-fought victory against Crotone.

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Andrea Pirlo learns tough lesson in first test against Roma

Andrea Pirlo’s managerial career has gotten off to an impressive start, opening the season with a convincing win against Sampdoria. Most recently, Juventus came from behind twice to draw Roma, doing so with a man down for the better part of the second half. While four points out of a possible six is a good start for the rookie tactician, Juve’s draw against Roma demonstrated Pirlo still has a lot to learn on the touchline.

The former midfielder deployed an unconventional formation, starting Juan Cuadrado at left wingback and Dejan Kulusevski on the opposite wing. Alvaro Morata joined Cristiano Ronaldo up front with Aaron Ramsey roaming dangerously behind them. Weston McKennie and Adrien Rabiot were tasked once more with dictating the tempo and breaking up play, and both largely struggled.

In many ways, Pirlo got it wrong. His decision to shift Kulusevski wide and field Morata from the start simply did not work, and the Spaniard struggled to impose himself. Kulusevski’s influence in the final third was reduced from the wide position and needs to play more centrally; be it alongside Ronaldo or in Ramsey’s free-roaming role.

Beyond getting the front two wrong, fielding Cuadrado at left wingback was an odd choice altogether. The Colombian international has rarely featured on the left and looked out of place for the most part of the game. Last week, Cuadrado did not have his best game, but still filtered in dangerous crosses from the familiar right side. Moving forward, Pirlo will need to find an answer in Alex Sandro’s absence. Whether it’s Mattia De Sciglio or Gianluca Fabrotta remains to be seen, but Cuadrado simply isn’t the solution.

Ultimately, the biggest difference was the midfield battle. The duo of McKennie and Rabiot were excellent against Sampdoria but were largely left to fend for themselves against Roma. As a result, Juve’s backline was exposed on many occasions on the break. The Giallorossi bypassed them with ease throughout the ninety minutes, passing through the double pivot at will.

Pirlo persisted with both McKennie and Rabiot regardless, with the latter eventually picking up his second yellow. The decision to keep Rabiot on the pitch despite his yellow and overall poor performance highlighted Pirlo’s inexperience and is a lesson that will serve him well in the future.

As a whole, the Juventus manager will be happy with his side’s first two games. Pirlo has them learning a new system, alternating freely between a back three and four and for the first time in two seasons, they are committing many men forward. There will undoubtedly be growing pains with this new system but at the very least, the early signs are encouraging.

It won’t get any easier for Juventus next week as they take on Gennaro Gattuso’s high-flying Napoli. The Partenopei have gotten off to a phenomenal start to the season and are as good a test as any for Pirlo’s new-look Juventus. It may be early days, but Juventus are heading in a clear direction under Pirlo – even if the Azzurri legend will make mistakes along the way.

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Serie A Injury and Suspension Report – Round Three

Atalanta: Pierluigi Gollini (PCL tear), Aleksey Miranchuk (thigh strain) and Matteo Pessina (patellar dislocation) will once again be unavailable and the coach raised some concern regarding Cristiano Piccini, who has not been able to practice fully since joining. The fact that they are signing another player in his role does not bode well for his timetable. The team announced that somebody tested positive but did not disclose whom: Mattia Caldara and Rafael Toloi are absent out of the blue. 

Benevento: Federico Barba returned midweek but subbed off in the first half and has been ruled out. Andres Tello (thigh) and Oliver Kragl (neck) are again sidelined. Nicolas Viola (meniscus) might not be back for the first game after the break. Continue reading

Why a return to a back three makes sense for Juventus

Juventus took the controversial decision to sack Maurizio Sarri and replace him with the relatively unproven Andrea Pirlo this past summer, after a disappointing season. The Bianconeri may have retained their Scudetto, but ultimately fell short against Lyon in the Round of 16 of the Champions League.

Sarri was a firm believer in his preferred 4-3-3 and rarely budged from his playing philosophy, despite his side’s lackluster play. While not much is known about Pirlo’s coaching style or formation, all signs are pointing to some form of a return to a back three. Media outlets have speculated that Pirlo will deploy a back three in possession, which will later transform into a back four when they lose the ball.

As of right now, this is Juve’s reported XI going into their season opener against Sampdoria:

Szczęsny; Danilo, Bonucci, Chiellini; Cuadrado, Bentancur, Arthur, Rabiot, Pellegrini; Kulusevski, Ronaldo.

In theory, Pellegrini would drop at left back when Juventus lose the ball, with the remaining midfielders forming a bank of four ahead of their backline. Matthijs de Ligt’s return would hand the Bianconeri a huge boost, as well, while Merih Demiral will slowly be eased into action following his injury.

The back three ensures Pirlo gets the most out of Bonucci and Chiellini, who have thrived in this system before while giving de Ligt and Demiral the license to get forward in possession. Danilo struggled last season, but could benefit from a deeper role, as the Brazilian will no longer be tasked with contributing offensively.

Beyond the back three, this formation offers a crafty solution to Juve’s fullback conundrum. The Italian champions simply do not have the quality out wide to compete with Europe’s elite, but the 3-5-2 helps remedy this. Cuadrado has typically excelled in this position, while Luca Pellegrini will be raring to go on Sunday. The former Cagliari man will be looking to make the most of Alex Sandro’s recent setback and cement himself as Juve’s starting leftback. Pellegrini has demonstrated he can get forward with ease and with Chiellini behind him, he will have all the guidance he needs in his defensive third.

Federico Bernardeschi and Alex Sandro are two players who will be hoping to get their careers back on track after mediocre seasons and the 3-5-2 could just revitalize the duo. The former has experience in this setup during his time at Fiorentina, while Sandro was at his very best as a wingback under Conte.

The midfield is where it gets interesting for Pirlo. As of right now, Rodrigo Bentancur, Arthur, and Adrien Rabiot are his preferred trio, but Juve’s latest signing Weston McKennie is worth monitoring. Arthur will reportedly start as the side’s regista after convincing Pirlo in training and will largely be tasked with dictating play. Rabiot, on the other hand, finished the season in exceptional form and will be eager to hit the ground running once more.

The biggest question mark, however, remains Bentancur. The Uruguayan international has played his best football at the base of the midfield, but Arthur is currently the preferred man there. As the season progresses, it will be interesting to see Pirlo juggle the two and potentially introduce McKennie into the fold for one of them.

Up front, Ronaldo and Dybala enter the season at the preferred duo, but the latter’s latest injury will hand Dejan Kulusevski a chance to stake a claim for a spot in the eleven. The Swedish international has emerged as one of the league’s brightest young talents and could force Pirlo’s hand with a strong start. As Kulusevski gains familiarity in his system, the rookie tactician may just be forced to deploy a three-man attack to accommodate him alongside Dybala and Ronaldo.

Given his propensity to work hard without the ball, a 3-4-3 with Kulusevski tracking back, similar to Gian Piero Gasperini’s system, is not entirely out of the question. Edin Dzeko’s reported move to Juve will also prove crucial, as the Bosnian international offers a much-needed physical and creative presence in the final third.

If last season showed us anything, it’s that tactical rigidity got Juve nowhere. The Bianconeri played mediocre football and struggled to create chances. Pirlo’s appointment is by no means a sure thing, but at the very least, the rookie tactician is ready to experiment, starting with their opener against Sampdoria.

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Pirlo heavily experimenting in the early days of his Juventus tenure

When Andrea Pirlo was hired by Juventus, not much was known about his coaching philosophy, let alone his preferred formation. The rookie manager is yet to submit his final thesis to Coverciano and will be doing so in October to receive his UEFA badge. As a result, many Italian outlets have speculated heavily about Pirlo’s preferred setup, based on his first training sessions.

Let’s take a look at the different options.

1) (3-5-2/3-4-1-2): Woj; De Ligt/Danilo, Bonucci/Rugani, Demiral/Chiellini; Cuadrado/Bernardeschi, Bentancur/McKennie, Arthur, Kulusevski/Rabiot, Alex Sandro; Dybala, Ronaldo. 

It’s been recently reported that Pirlo is looking to introduce a back three to Juve, a formation he enjoyed plenty of success in during his playing days. The former Milan man is already familiar with the inner workings of the formation and will be eager to impart his knowledge on his new side.

At the back, there are no real surprises with De Ligt, Bonucci, Chiellini, Demiral and Rugani occupying the central positions. Danilo has reportedly been training as a right center-back in recent sessions, indicating a position switch may be on the cards for the Brazilian. In many ways, the deeper role would suit him as the former Manchester City man struggles when tasked with getting forward.

Out wide, Alex Sandro and Cuadrado will arguably start, but Federico Bernardeschi’s progression is worth monitoring. Pirlo is said to be grooming him for the left wingback position, but ultimately, he can feature on either side. The former Fiorentina man played his best football from the right-hand side of a 3-5-2 and will look to get his career back on track under Pirlo.

In the midfield, Arthur is expected to start as Pirlo’s regista with two of Rodrigo Bentancur, Adrien Rabiot, and the newly-arrived Weston McKennie. When Pirlo’s looking to shake things up and get a more offensive outlook on the game, he can also introduce Dejan Kulusevski in a trequartista role behind the front two. The Swedish international thrived as Parma’s creative outlet this season and will undoubtedly emerge as a key man under Pirlo.

The front two of Paulo Dybala and Cristiano Ronaldo will round off the side and will be eager to build on their budding partnership. La Joya has been at his best in this formation in the past, linking up to devastating effect with Carlos Tevez and Fernando Llorente. The persisting links to Edin Dzeko and Moise Kean should come as no surprise, as either would slot in wonderfully in a front two and would offer some much-needed depth.

In many ways, this reported 3-5-2 would get the most of Pirlo’s current squad and help the Bianconeri’s stuttering players turn their fortunes around.

2) (4-3-1-2): Woj; Cuadrado, De Ligt, Bonucci, Alex Sandro; Bentancur, Arthur, Rabiot; Kulusevski; Dybala, Ronaldo. 

The main difference here is essentially the back four but is ultimately very similar to the 3-5-2. Dybala and Ronaldo would maintain their spots up front with Kulusevski roaming dangerously behind them. With this setup, Pirlo ensures his front three are in their best positions and could open up any opposition.

The midfield is where the main difference lies with one of Rabiot or Bentancur coming in for one of the center-backs from the back three. While this formation is intriguing from an offensive perspective, it stretches Juve’s depth pretty thin and does not give Pirlo much flexibility off the bench to shake things up. McKennie and Bernardeschi could help in this respect, but the Bianconeri would still need a few reinforcements from the summer mercato – notably a striker or two.

The final option for Pirlo is to deploy a 4-3-3 with any combination of Ronaldo, Dybala, Kulusevski, and Douglas Costa as his front three. The Brazilian, however, appears to be on the outs in Turin, after struggling with recurring injuries since arriving from Bayern Munich. The back four and midfield would remain unchanged from the 4-3-1-2 and is arguably the best formation for Juve’s star man, Ronaldo.

As the season approaches, it will be interesting to see what Pirlo has in store for his Juventus side. As of right now, the Juventus faithful are venturing into the unknown with Pirlo and will get their answers shortly as pre-season approaches.

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Juventus Top Performers – UCL Round of 16 vs Lyon

A sloppy, gassed and quickly dejected Juventus came one goal short of completing the comeback against Lyon despite Cristiano Ronaldo’s heroics as, sans a hobbled Paulo Dybala, the supporting cast proved to be nowhere near the level of the Portuguese ace.

Alex Sandro: he was not only the best defender on the pitch, but straight-up the second-best contributor of the night, as he bust out a vintage performance full of charisma, sprints and tidy defending. He was one of the few that still had some energy in the second half and thus created some dangerous situations galloping down the flank. Continue reading

Juventus Top Perfomers – Round 38 vs Roma

An already checked-out Juventus could not find a way to contain a more spirited Roma team and ended up throwing away one of the few things they had going for them, besides winning the title of course, as they soiled their home invincibility.

Danilo: it is again tough to find something good in the back-line, but the Brazilian fullback was more lively than usual and produced a pair of interesting runs that switched field position in a hurry, won a bunch of duels and drew some fouls in dangerous spots. He ends his campaign on a slight crescendo, despite the unlucky PK foul. Continue reading