Journalist accuses Juventus of overplaying the ball during matches

Club News

November 1, 2024 - 12:00 pm

Juventus’s shift from Max Allegri’s pragmatic, counter-attacking strategy to Thiago Motta’s possession-based, entertaining football represents an ambitious attempt by the club to blend style with substance. Under Allegri, the team was known for a conservative approach that emphasised structure over flair, a method that left fans yearning for more engaging, attack-driven performances.

Motta’s hiring signalled Juventus’s desire to offer fans a more dynamic style of play while still competing at the highest level for trophies. However, the early months of Motta’s tenure have raised concerns, particularly as Juventus struggles to turn their possession into goals, resulting in a series of frustrating draws that have seen them fall behind Inter Milan and Napoli in the Serie A standings.

The excitement around Motta’s appointment was grounded in his impressive tenure at Bologna, where his teams exhibited high-tempo, possession-focused football. However, Juventus fans, eager to see trophies return to Turin, are becoming increasingly concerned as Motta’s side appears to lack the clinical edge required to finish off winnable games. Despite playing a more attractive brand of football, the team has frequently overplayed, sometimes sacrificing direct, goal-oriented moves for intricate passing sequences that lack a decisive final product. This approach has resulted in a pattern of games where they dominate possession but fail to secure victories, leading to dropped points in critical matches.

Journalist Paolo Rossi has highlighted this issue, pointing to Juventus’s tendency to focus on style over scoring, a flaw that may hinder their trophy ambitions this season. Rossi noted as quoted by Tuttomercatoweb, “We have entered a phase in which every game can be won or lost with the same probability. But what is most evident is that we think much more about playing than about winning. So time slips away, in the game and in the season.”

If Juventus is to challenge for the Serie A title, they must find a way to combine Motta’s emphasis on beautiful play with a more direct, goal-oriented approach. Improving their conversion rate and developing a killer instinct in front of goal could be the missing link in their title pursuit. While Motta’s style is indeed refreshing, achieving a balance between form and function will be essential if Juventus hopes to bring home silverware by the season’s end.