[THREAD] What’s wrong with Sarri’s Juventus?
Breaking down some of the tactical that are holding back the Old Lady.
Breaking down some of the tactical that are holding back the Old Lady.
It is important to note that #Juventus are 6 points clear at the top of Serie A, on pace to record 93 points. There are definitely worse positions to be in.
With that said, they have looked underwhelming at times. With their sights set on the UCL, there is need for improvement.
With that said, they have looked underwhelming at times. With their sights set on the UCL, there is need for improvement.
Stylistically, Juve have come a long way since 17/18. In 17/18 they were a team built around a sturdy defense and had a flexible offensive game. The appointment of Sarri means Juve have drastically altered their approach, yet...
In many respects, they still fall short of the Italian’s brilliant 17/18 Napoli side. For starters, that Napoli side averaged significantly more positional attacks, and were able to convert more of them into shots. But why hasn’t Sarri been able to match that at Juve?
One reason is Pjanic. The Bosnian is no doubt a brilliant midfielder. However, he has been used in a new role under Sarri. Although he has played in a deeper role since his move to Turin, Pjanic was still Juve’s main playmaker under Allegri.
Under Sarri, he has been used as an orchestrator, the man every build-up must go through. In essence, the role that Jorginho played for Sarri’s Napoli and Chelsea sides. Suffice it to say, he has not been able to replicate that. He is not solely to blame for that, though.
Indeed, the drop in his pivote’s ability to progress the ball forward has had a direct impact on the number of positional attacks his side undertake. In fairness however, Juve’s inability to stretch the pitch both vertically and horizontally has made Pjanic’s job a lot harder.
We see this here. With no player offering an immediate threat down the left flank, the opposition are able to play in a very narrow deep block, and make it virtually impossible for Juve to progress the ball.
Given Sarri’s favored attacking trio of Ronaldo/Higuain/Dybala, most of Juve’s width comes from the fullbacks. Neither FB has been able to offer much attacking output however, and this helps explain why Juve don’t cross as often as Sarri’s Napoli did.
*Scores by @smarterscout.
*Scores by @smarterscout.
This forces Ronaldo/Dybala to push to the wings often. When Ronaldo does so here, Juve’s other players fail to stretch the pitch vertically. This collapses the spaces between the lines as defenders push forward, and means Ronaldo has nowhere to go with the ball.
Moreover, Juve’s other CMs often fail to play BTL to offer progressive passing options or offer much creativity or attacking threat.
@StatifiedF graphic demonstrates that none of Juve’s midfielders carry much NsxG in dangerous areas. @smarterscout scores also show that.
@StatifiedF graphic demonstrates that none of Juve’s midfielders carry much NsxG in dangerous areas. @smarterscout scores also show that.
This forces Juve’s forwards to drop between the lines. But doing so means Juve, again, cannot stretch the pitch vertically, and allows the opposition’s last line to push forward and collapse the space between the lines. This means Pjanic is forced to recycle possession.
Even when Juve are on the ball in wide areas, their poor positioning and spacing when in possession affects their ability to successfully create a threat from those areas. We see this here.
Overall, Juve have trouble breaking down a defense during sustained spells of possession. They have looked at their most threatening in counter-attacking situations through the clever link-up of their forwards.
Throughout the season they have depended heavily on the exploits of their star-man Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese has scored 41% of Juve’s 56 league goals. His efficiency, particularly inside the penalty box and from the spot, is remarkable even at 35 years of age.
Finally, although Juve employ an intense press (as their PPDA shows), their pressure regains’ success rate is among the poorest of Europe’s most intense pressing teams. This makes them vulnerable in defensive transitions.
Pressing starts at the top, and Ronaldo, Dybala and Higuain are all guilty of not pressing enough. Ronaldo in particular ranks in the bottom one percentile of forwards for pressures and pressure regains according to @StatsBomb
Given his age and stature, this is understandable. With that said, Sarri must find a way to hide his star-man defensively if he wants to successfully implement his high-pressing tactics.
Sarri has inherited an aging & declining core of players. His team’s struggles this season are the hallmark of a side that have often been unable to grasp and/or implement his tactics. A big overhaul of the squad may be required to truly take this team to the next level.
*tactical issues
