Juventus Club Focus: Has Allegri’s time come to an end?

Oscar La-Gambina questions whether the Bianconeri hierarchy must consider the exit door for an underperforming Massimiliano Allegri

If there was one word to describe Juventus 2015/16 Serie A season so far, it would be ‘rollercoaster’; that also sufficiently defines these Club Focus features since August.

Demonstrated perfectly in the seven days since we talked of the Bianconeri’s attacking prowess last week, they suffered yet another shock 1-0 defeat to surprise Serie A package Sassuolo, before claiming a huge 2-1 victory over bitter rivals Torino in the Derby della Mole and then finally obtaining a point in the Champions League against Borussia Monchengladbach, which they have Gianluigi Buffon to thank after he made a series of outstanding saves to keep the match at 1-1.

It is difficult to tell whether one game, one tactical decision or a single player will kick-start the season for good, just look at these articles over the past 11 weeks to prove it.

However, with Paul Pogba grabbing yet another goal and Juan Cuadrado’s first and possibly most vital of the season in the 93rd minute against the Granata, there may still be reason to be optimistic for Bianconeri fans.

However, talk of positivity has arisen once before, so it is probably best to avoid this during a discussion of a team stuck on a rollercoaster.

How about a bold question instead; Should coach Massimiliano Allegri be sacked?

Following the Derby win it might seem an inappropriate thing to ask, but it was a thought that surely crept into many a mind after the demoralising Sassuolo loss.

Allegri’s history with clubs supports the view that he should perhaps be relieved of his duties. At AC Milan, he won the league title in his first season and a Supercoppa Italiana in his second. Following this, he was unable to secure another Scudetto, finishing in second and third place simultaneously. 

He was then fired in January 2014.

During his time at Sassuolo, he helped them gain promotion to Serie B for the first time in their history and then left, while he finished an impressive ninth in Serie A with Cagliari before being surprisingly sacked, despite keeping the side up the following campaign.

With success comes disappointment soon afterwards for the 48-year-old it seems, and so it would be no strange event if he was to depart La Vecchia Signora.

Plus, whatever his CV looks like, their current position of 12th is simply not good enough for the reigning Italian champions. Fourth or fifth could maybe just be accepted for the moment as it would mean European football, but mid-table is a poor place for a club as big as Juventus to be in.

Perhaps the only thing that is currently keeping him in the job, is their recent success in the lucrative Champions League.

The tournament is for only the best of Europe’s top clubs and it can be the difference between keeping a job and getting the sack for a coach, but the league still has to be prioritised.

Considering their domestic form, the possibility of European football is currently a long way off, and should this continue, Allegri could soon be facing the exit door.