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I can’t keep in mind the final time in Serie A {that a} single month of the calendar 12 months appeared so pivotal for Juventus.
The Previous Woman started the 2020-21 marketing campaign beneath managerial rookie Andrea Pirlo in auspicious kind with a high-flying 3-0 win towards Sampdoria after which ended the primary half of the season simply 90 days later with one other 3-0 consequence — a thumping by the hands of lowly Fiorentina. There are moments from the final three months the place we’ve seen ephemeral glimpses of what Pirlo is making an attempt to do, moments when it seems like connections are occurring, when the gamers are excited and motivated, and there are moments that go away you scratching your head and wanting (one other) glass of no matter’s in your cup.
January is pivotal for the Scudetto this 12 months. That a lot is apparent. However for a nationwide and worldwide juggernaut just like the Bianconeri, the primary month of 2021 may be pivotal for the complete path of the membership, not only a single trophy.
First issues first: the Scudetto
Milan haven’t misplaced, and so they’ve achieved this feat throughout a reasonably sustained stretch of damage for Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The brash Swede, when wholesome, is banking objectives like he all the time has, however he’s a lot, way more than only a statistic: he’s the fireplace within the stomach of the dragon, and it seems he can breathe that fireplace whether or not or not he’s truly on the bench.
The primary two video games, beginning this weekend, are tough as hell. Out of the transient vacation is Udinese, who aren’t world-beaters however who hardly ever get blown out of the sport and who’ve earned some respectable outcomes. (Simply ask Lazio.) If the sport weren’t perilous sufficient in its personal proper, you may ensure that even when Pirlo and his gamers insist they’re fully targeted on this primary matchup, they’ll most likely have an eye fixed or two on the midweek conflict with Milan. That’s horrifying. Then, in fact, Milan, who at present maintain a one-point margin over their crosstown rival and are contemporary off a magical last-minute win vs Lazio.
All the month consists of eight video games from Jan. 3 to Jan. 30. There are league video games towards the first-, second-, and fourth-place groups within the present desk; there’s a Coppa Italia tie with Genoa; and there’s an precise sport (!) towards Napoli, the Supercoppa on the twentieth.
Irrespective of the way you spin that lineup of video games, that is a fully loaded slate. For Juventus to leap again within the title race — and make no mistake: they should bounce to make that occur — the Bianconeri must do one thing beneath Pirlo they haven’t performed so far: obtain consistency. The Previous Woman has been start-and-stop towards each kind of opponent this 12 months, towards the Barcelonas of the world and towards the tiny fish of the underside of Serie A. Dropping factors towards Crotone, Hellas Verona, Benevento, and Fiorentina is just not a recipe to lifting the trophy on the finish of the season. Pirlo’s facet has carried out reasonably properly towards higher-level competitors.
Now, in January, in the event that they wish to win a tenth Scudetto, they’ll must do each.
After my last column, somebody remarked that they disagreed and believed Juventus are probably the most proficient squad in Serie A. It’s humorous: being probably the most proficient roster in Serie A doesn’t make a champion. I very a lot imagine that the Bianconeri are the deepest and most proficient staff on this league; how may they not be? With Cristiano Ronaldo, Matthijs de Ligt, Paulo Dybala, and a dozen different family names, in fact they’re. However proper now, that is expertise keen on dropping factors.
Damaged hegemony
Juventus have dominated Italy for almost a decade. Shedding won’t solely be the concrete breaking of that dominance, nevertheless it may be a symbolic, tectonic shift within the membership’s path and composition.
Cristiano Ronaldo turns 36 years outdated in February and has 18 months left on his contract. Dybala is at present in protracted negotiations with the membership — if the papers and pundits are to be believed — and, outdoors of the contract challenge, he’s been out of types all season lengthy. Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini are both outdated and frail or outdated and inconsistent. (And that’s being beneficiant, Leo!) Even Juan Cuadrado, one of many membership’s finest gamers this 12 months, is 32 years outdated.
There’s numerous younger expertise on this staff, however there’s greater than a little bit concern about all of it integrating — particularly within the midfield. The Rodrigo Bentancur state of affairs is troubling, as a result of numerous us thought that he may be the man to degree up and take management of the midfield; that hasn’t occurred. Adrien Rabiot has proven flashes, Arthur too, however consistency is difficult to return by from anybody on this staff outdoors of de Ligt, Woj, and, God assist me, Danilo.
Throw within the precarious monetary context of the membership and globe, and the truth that Juve have a brand new supervisor, and also you’ve received a cauldron of chaos able to bubble over if issues proceed to go haywire.
Look: I hope all of the gamers get up on the primary morning of 2021 and uncover new superpowers, or at the very least uncover the power to be nearly as good as they’re individually. I hope Pirlo matures as quick because the staff wants him to. I hope Milan and Inter stumble. I hope CR7 reveals the league and world he’s nonetheless CR7. I hope Chiellini comes again a vengeful capitano, that Bentancur places on his Iron Man swimsuit, that the membership trades Sami Khedira or Federico Bernardeschi for an improve, that Dybala regains his swagger, and that no person will get downed by an damage or the virus. I hope.
We at the moment are on the place past hope, the time when issues will occur, when both issues will disintegrate or the tenth Scudetto will maintain.
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