Juve, Allegri doesn’t improve his game. But it improves the players

Exams never end, as we’ve always known. In the case of Max Allegri’s Juventus, the final exam already has a specific date, November 26th. In the meantime, however, Professor Ranieri will try to undermine the certainties built by Allegri with his perfect defense. Nine hours and more of football without conceding a single goal. Leaving the Franchi the other evening, walking through the avenues of a wounded and as always wonderful Florence in the company of Massimo Ambrosini and Federica Zille, we were obviously talking about football. How can we judge the Juventus performance with balance, that is, without getting swallowed up by the cloying diatribe of achievers vs. players, which often seems conditioned above all by the issue of personal sympathies? The facts. The game is missing, certainly. In some phases of the race, exiting the fort was particularly complicated given the vigor of the purple gusts. At the same time, however, how can we leave out the numbers, how can we not underline the defensive progress, the compact and ferocious spirit found? Let’s be clear, who among you would have imagined after Reggio’s tragicomic own goal in the 90th minute six games without even a goal conceded? Furthermore, who would have thought that they could achieve that result without Danilo’s vigorous leadership, which is the thing together with Rabiot that Allegri would never give up.

NOT JUST CATS AND RUGANS

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Small rewind. Gazza of the days before Milan Juve, the Brazilian’s injury that just happened, pieces rightly dedicated to the Allegrian temptation of a return to 4, because showing up at San Siro with Rugani and Gatti objectively seemed like a gamble. But no. A few weeks later it must be said that the number 4, net of some unauthorized excursions out of goal with associated shouts from Max from the bench, found authority, Rugani had continuity, between us in Florence he almost seemed like Beckenbauer, not bad for a player who until within a few weeks he was off any Juventus radar. Today he could drive the baby Huijsen together with Bremer. Again, McKennie, a summer spent in Caselle in transit towards possible future destinations has become essential and moreover adaptable between the lane and the central positions. Would you have believed it? And Kean, whose psychological stability has always been discussed more than his talent, has become precious again, a model student who manages to accept two goals disallowed by the VAR for things of millimeters and the like with a smile on his lips or almost.

UNDISPUTIBLE MERITS

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The main merit of all this beautiful story clearly lies in Livorno, with all due respect to those who have given Allegri responsibility for everything in the last two years, including climate change and geopolitical turbulence. The team has found spirit, unity, even irony (Szczesny’s joke about the 89 minutes of suffering is gigantic). Today these things can be joked about. Max will be the last to take offense. In his heart he knows well that it is still a work in progress, that the distance from Inter is still there and that Florence’s Juve will probably be enough to get a place in the top four but not for the rock and roll dreams that millions of fans cultivate. In short, if it is true that Allegri has not yet improved the game, he has certainly improved the players. It’s a first step. The next meetings with Ranieri, Inzaghi and again the one with Garcia on 8 December will be able to confirm or overturn the verdict, as if it were the episode of a new format, to which with a certain originality we could give the title of Four Coaches.