David Lee Wheatley believes unexpected defeat to Udinese highlighted deficiencies that may scupper any chance of a fifth-straight Scudetto at Juventus.
Many feared the debilitating departures of star names Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal and Carlos Tevez would irreparably weaken last season’s double winners.
It appeared those worries were entirely unfounded when normal service resumed on a wild and windy August night in Shanghai.
The Bianconeri overcame rivals Lazio 2-0 to seal a comfortable Supercoppa Italiana triumph, which suggested their domestic dominance was far from over.
However, they were hit by an Udinese sucker punch with 12 minutes left of their opening Serie A clash on Sunday evening to bring the Old Lady crashing back down to earth.
Mario Mandzukic and Kingsley Coman were preferred up front in place of Paulo Dybala – Juve’s second goalscorer in China – and Fernando Llorente.
Meanwhile, the versatile Simone Padoin took on a deep-lying midfield role, which had been so beautifully undertaken by old maestro Pirlo in the recent past.
Juventus racked up 21 shots compared with Udinese’s six, but could only aim five of those on target. Possession also heavily favoured the champions to the tune of 66 per cent, but they struggled to make a decisive breakthrough.
Alas, it was all to no avail, when Cyril Thereau latched on to a cross from the right-hand side to drive the ball low and hard beyond Gianluigi Buffon.
The single-goal loss was Juventus’ first at home since January 6, 2013, when 10-man Sampdoria won 2-1 in Turin.
Furthermore, they’d never lost a first league fixture of the season when played at home. A total of 40 previous opening day contests consisted of 33 victories and seven draws, while the Bianconeri had always managed to notch at least one goal during ‘Week One’ home ties.
That bitter reverse against an outfit who finished 16th in the standings last term conjured a whole host of prevailing doubts about Juve’s ability to remain at the very top throughout this undoubted period of transition.
Boss Massimiliano Allegri relied upon an aging back-line when facing up to Stefano Colantuono’s men, with only Leonardo Bonucci under the age of 30 out of those six defensive stalwarts – including goalkeeper – involved from the start.
Paul Pogba, judging by an unconvincing performance against the Zebrette, is apparently struggling to assume former mentor Pirlo’s mantle.
Thrusting creative responsibility upon Pogba’s shoulders, without an experienced comrade alongside him who can ably share that burden, may prove suffocating for the exciting Frenchman.
Lacking a world-class playmaker of Pirlo or Vidal’s ilk is a significant problem, while sporting director Giuseppe Marotta’s summer-long search to find a suitable successor for the bearded legend continues. One thing is certain – Padoin is not the solution in that position.
There is also the pressing issue of which strike partnership to entrust with the task of grabbing those all-important goals for Juventus into the foreseeable future.
It presents a complex conundrum, which can only be solved by affording a fair amount of game-time to a particular pairing. Constant rotation could lead to confusion, and ultimately, failure of their forward line to click.
Those abundant concerns leaves celebrated coach Massimiliano Allegri with plenty to ponder ahead of an already crucial meeting with title contenders Roma at the Stadio Olimpico.
The remaining days of the transfer window may provide some answers, but simple hard work on the training field with his current group is required in order to find a winning formula – regardless of any imminent new arrivals.
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