It is still a sixth-placed Juventus: what is behind Spalletti’s broadside at Kolo Muani
Juventus win at Frosinone, but show the usual limitations. And Spalletti asks for reinforcements
The same old Juventus, the same old Spalletti, the same old transfer market. The Old Lady's league opener brought Juventus fans three points and a strong sense of déjà vu. For long stretches, Juve's win away at Frosinone looked like a carbon copy of so many Juventus matches from last season: one goal scored, plenty of chances missed to kill it off, and the danger of being pegged back in a nerve-shredding finish. A superb Bremer delivered the win, at both ends of the pitch. But will it be enough against other opponents? The doubt is fair.
Luciano Spalletti is the one who seems to have doubts. And that is nothing new: as he has done throughout his career, the manager does not mince his words. For all his refined, metaphor-heavy way of speaking, Spalletti sends clear messages to the club hierarchy. And clear demands. Of everything said after the match, what sticks are the blasts (of encouragement?) for Randal Kolo Muani, the firm line on Conceicao, and the profile of the new striker to be found on the transfer market. To recap Spalletti's thinking:
The Spalletti thought
On Kolo Muani: "We brought in Randal and looked after him, we know what his value is. But he also has to realise that if he has not been playing for two years, there must be a reason. Sometimes you think you are at an exceptional level and then leave something out there. In matches like this he has to take his chances, given that he had the right spaces. He will give us back what he did not give us here".
On Conceicao: "As far as I am concerned, Conceicao is not for sale. There was a moment when we were all on the market, me too because we did not qualify for the Champions League. Then the directors balanced the books, Conceicao is a strong player and we want to keep him".
On the transfer market and the new striker: "The directors will certainly be active and will assess what happens during the week, but we could also stay as we are. We are still a strong team, and almost too strong if, as happened today, certain situations are not finished off. The striker we are looking for could be one with different characteristics, because he likes to attack the space. Then there are matches that are decided in the last 20 minutes, when you need something different if teams sit deep".
From sixth place
Who knows what Carnevali, Massara and Ottolini make of it. Above all, who knows what John Elkann makes of it, given that last Monday, in the test against Next Gen, he had sat on the bench alongside Spalletti and then, at the end of the match, had pointed to victory as Juventus' enduring mission, and therefore also that of this year's Juve, even though they are rebuilding.
Yesterday's Juve, and Spalletti's concerns, instead seem to tell us this side are still a team fit for sixth place, fourth at best. Will Spalletti's work on the training ground and the final nine days of the transfer window be enough to change the current reality and the destiny of this Juve?
