Juve, Allegri and the speech after Verona: what he said to the players

Juventus’ restart began with group therapy before training. Massimiliano Allegri, increasingly a psychologist in this delicate moment of the season (2 points in 4 games), spoke to the team. Frank speech, but with more decisive tones than those of a week ago after the unexpected internal slip-up against Udinese. Some saw it as a lecture from a family man. Others like a speech like many others, frank and from a practical coach accustomed to looking reality and the various problems in the face. The Juventus coach, who appeared furious in the Bentegodi post-Verona match on Saturday, tried to shake up the players with the aim of quickly rediscovering that ferocious, angry and compact group that remained on the San Siro pitch after the defeat in the Italian derby.

“We have to forget Inter, reset everything and reorder our objectives because qualification for the next Champions League is not yet guaranteed and in football you need a lot to build but little to destroy everything”, he said immediately after the draw against the Venetians. And yesterday, according to what he received, he insisted on the same concepts, again placing attention on that lightness in the defensive phase which cost goals and points. From “we must quickly return to who we were before this negative period, especially on a mental level and from the point of view of attention” to a clear message on the objective to be achieved: “We must not give up because the Champions League is not yet guaranteed”. What words don’t explain, numbers highlight. In the last four matches (Empoli, Inter, Udinese, Verona) Juventus has halved their lead over fifth in the table. From 18 to 9 points. The margin remains important, but as Allegri is trying to make the players understand, it is not enough to feel safe. Even more so if you look at the calendar and the opportunities wasted in the last few outings at home: a draw in two games between Empoli and Udinese, both fighting for survival.

Tactical evaluations Whether Allegri has managed to get into the players’ heads and make them perceive the danger, rekindling that hunger that had disappeared with the end of the championship dream, it will be clear on Sunday. At lunchtime Rabiot and his teammates will host Frosinone and the Juventus loanees Soulé-Barrenechea-Kaio Jorge at the Allianz Stadium, who in the last 4 games have done even worse than Juve (3 defeats and a draw) and found themselves sucked into the battle for survival. A delicate match that the Livornese, beyond possible tactical variations that he will evaluate in these days, will face without Danilo (knocked out ankle) but with the returning Bremer, who can be recruited again after the disqualification served in Verona.