It’s been a rollercoaster campaign for Juventus. From being the only Scudetto rivals to Inter to rewriting the club’s history in the 21st century in a negative way, they’ve gone from top to flop in a few months.
One man has emerged as the only culprit for another unremarkable season. Massimiliano Allegri’s notoriously destructive football has made Juventus fans turn against him. However, he still has the board’s support. For whatever reason, the Allianz Stadium hierarchy stands firmly behind his back.
A side that used to rule Serie A with an iron fist for a decade has suddenly become appreciative of a top-four finish, representing it as a standout achievement. That concept has been a common excuse for Allegri whenever Juventus fail to take three points, which has been a frequent occurrence in recent months.
Juventus shared the spoils in a tepid 0-0 draw against crosstown rivals Torino on Saturday. It was their first scoreless outing in the Derby della Mole since 2008, halting a run of 27 consecutive scoring appearances against Granata. Dusan Vlahovic’s epic miss in the first half had everything to do with that undesired piece of history.
However, let’s look at the big picture. Juventus lament their worst scoring record at this stage of a Serie A campaign in the 21st century. Not since the 1998/99 season have they scored fewer goals after 32 rounds than this term. Allegri’s misfiring squad has only netted 45 goals, 18 fewer than runners-up Milan.
For instance, runaway leaders Inter have 75 on their count. It’s needless to say that Allegri has been the architect of the Turin giants’ downfall. His conservative approach has turned Juventus into one of the least productive teams in Serie A. To put this into context, 17th-placed Frosinone have netted 40, only five fewer than them.
Maybe it’s time for Juventus chiefs to reassess their trust in Allegri, preferably before the start of 2024/25.
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