Massimiliano Allegri (146 Viewers)
- Thread starter Mark
- Start date
- Tags 15 minute man < pep > pep dai doesn't know football halma il4j doesn't know football pasta mourinho spaghetti mourinho subs coming in any min now time's up
Mad Max should load new guns | Football Italia
With Juve’s new additions starting to find their feet, Max Allegri should stop tinkering with the line-up, writes Vilizar Yakimov.
It’s time for Juventus to step up. December promises to be a key month not only for the Scudetto race, but also for the Bianconeri’s European hopes, as the next few games can define their whole season.
A longjourneyto league leaders Napoli, a crucial clash with a Champions League qualification at stake against Olympiakos and a mouth-watering Derby d’Italia against Luciano Spalletti’s high-flying Inter at the Allianz Juventus Stadium. That’s how Juve’s schedule for the first week of December looks and Massimiliano Allegri cannot afford any wrong steps due to his side’s shaky start tothe season.
Mad Max has arguably been the main reason for Juve’s inconsistency, as he’s been playing with the starting line-up and until recently was refusing to play regularly most of his new signings. A clear example is Douglas Costa, as despite his obvious impact every time he enters the field, the ex-Bayern Munich man has just begunto earn some significant playing time in recent weeks.
The emergence of Costa should limit Mario Mandzukic’s playing time on the left, as the so-called 'mad idea’ of playing the big Croat there has handicapped Juve’s attacking potency in some games recently, despite the effort and the dedication that Super Mario always puts in. Mandzukic should now return to his better-suited role and be mainly played as a centre-forward rotation option for Gonzalo Higuain,
who looked exhausted at the end of last season.
The situation with Blaise Matuidi and Federico Bernardeschi is similar to Douglas Costa, as (putting his horror showing against Sampdoria aside) Bernardeschi has always had a positive impact even with very limited playing time. The 23-year-old can be a valuable option not only on the right wing, but also as a back-up for Paulo Dybala, who similarly to Higuain ran out of steam towards the end of the previous campaign. On the other hand,Matuidi already proves to be the aggressive physical midfielder that Juve lacked last term, but both heand Bernardeschi are yet to earn Allegri’s trust and a more constant presence in the starting XI.
Having the likes of Sami Khedira and Stephan Lichtsteiner as regular starters week,in week out doesn’t seem to be doing any good to Juve’s performances either, especially in games against more prestigious sides. And while Khedira can still be a valuable squad member, the soon-to-be 34-year-old right-backis already well past his prime. With his contract set to expire at the end of the season, plusMattia De Sciglio’s and Benedikt Howedes’ returning to fitness, the once mighty Swiss Express should be singing his swan song in a Juventus jersey very shortly.
De Sciglio and Howedes looked good against Crotone. While the Sharks are far less formidable than Juve’s next opponents, the new duo’s performances are undoubtedly a promising sign that should earn them more playing time in the next few games.
The same applies for the rest of the new Bianconeri signings, as they are not only capable of helping overcomethe next few obstacles, but playing them more regularly would allow Allegri to keep his old soldiers fresh when the end of the season approaches. With what seems to be the tightest Scudetto race in recent years and a clear goal of reaching the latter stages of the Champions League, Juventus and Allegri should be smart enough and show that they learned their lesson.
Allegri is well-known for his cautious approach when it comes to easing new signings in to the squad, as he did a remarkable job with the likes of Dybala, Alvaro Morata and even Higuain. However, Juve’s tight schedule and early-season struggles might actually do them a favour, as they will force Mad Max to load up his new guns probably earlier than he would’ve liked. After all,what’s the point of a soldier having an AK47 if he’skeeping it in the closet?
With Juve’s new additions starting to find their feet, Max Allegri should stop tinkering with the line-up, writes Vilizar Yakimov.
It’s time for Juventus to step up. December promises to be a key month not only for the Scudetto race, but also for the Bianconeri’s European hopes, as the next few games can define their whole season.
A longjourneyto league leaders Napoli, a crucial clash with a Champions League qualification at stake against Olympiakos and a mouth-watering Derby d’Italia against Luciano Spalletti’s high-flying Inter at the Allianz Juventus Stadium. That’s how Juve’s schedule for the first week of December looks and Massimiliano Allegri cannot afford any wrong steps due to his side’s shaky start tothe season.
Mad Max has arguably been the main reason for Juve’s inconsistency, as he’s been playing with the starting line-up and until recently was refusing to play regularly most of his new signings. A clear example is Douglas Costa, as despite his obvious impact every time he enters the field, the ex-Bayern Munich man has just begunto earn some significant playing time in recent weeks.
The emergence of Costa should limit Mario Mandzukic’s playing time on the left, as the so-called 'mad idea’ of playing the big Croat there has handicapped Juve’s attacking potency in some games recently, despite the effort and the dedication that Super Mario always puts in. Mandzukic should now return to his better-suited role and be mainly played as a centre-forward rotation option for Gonzalo Higuain,
who looked exhausted at the end of last season.The situation with Blaise Matuidi and Federico Bernardeschi is similar to Douglas Costa, as (putting his horror showing against Sampdoria aside) Bernardeschi has always had a positive impact even with very limited playing time. The 23-year-old can be a valuable option not only on the right wing, but also as a back-up for Paulo Dybala, who similarly to Higuain ran out of steam towards the end of the previous campaign. On the other hand,Matuidi already proves to be the aggressive physical midfielder that Juve lacked last term, but both heand Bernardeschi are yet to earn Allegri’s trust and a more constant presence in the starting XI.
Having the likes of Sami Khedira and Stephan Lichtsteiner as regular starters week,in week out doesn’t seem to be doing any good to Juve’s performances either, especially in games against more prestigious sides. And while Khedira can still be a valuable squad member, the soon-to-be 34-year-old right-backis already well past his prime. With his contract set to expire at the end of the season, plusMattia De Sciglio’s and Benedikt Howedes’ returning to fitness, the once mighty Swiss Express should be singing his swan song in a Juventus jersey very shortly.
De Sciglio and Howedes looked good against Crotone. While the Sharks are far less formidable than Juve’s next opponents, the new duo’s performances are undoubtedly a promising sign that should earn them more playing time in the next few games.
The same applies for the rest of the new Bianconeri signings, as they are not only capable of helping overcomethe next few obstacles, but playing them more regularly would allow Allegri to keep his old soldiers fresh when the end of the season approaches. With what seems to be the tightest Scudetto race in recent years and a clear goal of reaching the latter stages of the Champions League, Juventus and Allegri should be smart enough and show that they learned their lesson.
Allegri is well-known for his cautious approach when it comes to easing new signings in to the squad, as he did a remarkable job with the likes of Dybala, Alvaro Morata and even Higuain. However, Juve’s tight schedule and early-season struggles might actually do them a favour, as they will force Mad Max to load up his new guns probably earlier than he would’ve liked. After all,what’s the point of a soldier having an AK47 if he’skeeping it in the closet?
Mad Max should load new guns | Football Italia
With Juve’s new additions starting to find their feet, Max Allegri should stop tinkering with the line-up, writes Vilizar Yakimov.
It’s time for Juventus to step up. December promises to be a key month not only for the Scudetto race, but also for the Bianconeri’s European hopes, as the next few games can define their whole season.
A longjourneyto league leaders Napoli, a crucial clash with a Champions League qualification at stake against Olympiakos and a mouth-watering Derby d’Italia against Luciano Spalletti’s high-flying Inter at the Allianz Juventus Stadium. That’s how Juve’s schedule for the first week of December looks and Massimiliano Allegri cannot afford any wrong steps due to his side’s shaky start tothe season.
Mad Max has arguably been the main reason for Juve’s inconsistency, as he’s been playing with the starting line-up and until recently was refusing to play regularly most of his new signings. A clear example is Douglas Costa, as despite his obvious impact every time he enters the field, the ex-Bayern Munich man has just begunto earn some significant playing time in recent weeks.
The emergence of Costa should limit Mario Mandzukic’s playing time on the left, as the so-called 'mad idea’ of playing the big Croat there has handicapped Juve’s attacking potency in some games recently, despite the effort and the dedication that Super Mario always puts in. Mandzukic should now return to his better-suited role and be mainly played as a centre-forward rotation option for Gonzalo Higuain, who looked exhausted at the end of last season.
The situation with Blaise Matuidi and Federico Bernardeschi is similar to Douglas Costa, as (putting his horror showing against Sampdoria aside) Bernardeschi has always had a positive impact even with very limited playing time. The 23-year-old can be a valuable option not only on the right wing, but also as a back-up for Paulo Dybala, who similarly to Higuain ran out of steam towards the end of the previous campaign. On the other hand,Matuidi already proves to be the aggressive physical midfielder that Juve lacked last term, but both heand Bernardeschi are yet to earn Allegri’s trust and a more constant presence in the starting XI.
Having the likes of Sami Khedira and Stephan Lichtsteiner as regular starters week,in week out doesn’t seem to be doing any good to Juve’s performances either, especially in games against more prestigious sides. And while Khedira can still be a valuable squad member, the soon-to-be 34-year-old right-backis already well past his prime. With his contract set to expire at the end of the season, plusMattia De Sciglio’s and Benedikt Howedes’ returning to fitness, the once mighty Swiss Express should be singing his swan song in a Juventus jersey very shortly.
De Sciglio and Howedes looked good against Crotone. While the Sharks are far less formidable than Juve’s next opponents, the new duo’s performances are undoubtedly a promising sign that should earn them more playing time in the next few games.
The same applies for the rest of the new Bianconeri signings, as they are not only capable of helping overcomethe next few obstacles, but playing them more regularly would allow Allegri to keep his old soldiers fresh when the end of the season approaches. With what seems to be the tightest Scudetto race in recent years and a clear goal of reaching the latter stages of the Champions League, Juventus and Allegri should be smart enough and show that they learned their lesson.
Allegri is well-known for his cautious approach when it comes to easing new signings in to the squad, as he did a remarkable job with the likes of Dybala, Alvaro Morata and even Higuain. However, Juve’s tight schedule and early-season struggles might actually do them a favour, as they will force Mad Max to load up his new guns probably earlier than he would’ve liked. After all,what’s the point of a soldier having an AK47 if he’skeeping it in the closet?
With Juve’s new additions starting to find their feet, Max Allegri should stop tinkering with the line-up, writes Vilizar Yakimov.
It’s time for Juventus to step up. December promises to be a key month not only for the Scudetto race, but also for the Bianconeri’s European hopes, as the next few games can define their whole season.
A longjourneyto league leaders Napoli, a crucial clash with a Champions League qualification at stake against Olympiakos and a mouth-watering Derby d’Italia against Luciano Spalletti’s high-flying Inter at the Allianz Juventus Stadium. That’s how Juve’s schedule for the first week of December looks and Massimiliano Allegri cannot afford any wrong steps due to his side’s shaky start tothe season.
Mad Max has arguably been the main reason for Juve’s inconsistency, as he’s been playing with the starting line-up and until recently was refusing to play regularly most of his new signings. A clear example is Douglas Costa, as despite his obvious impact every time he enters the field, the ex-Bayern Munich man has just begunto earn some significant playing time in recent weeks.
The emergence of Costa should limit Mario Mandzukic’s playing time on the left, as the so-called 'mad idea’ of playing the big Croat there has handicapped Juve’s attacking potency in some games recently, despite the effort and the dedication that Super Mario always puts in. Mandzukic should now return to his better-suited role and be mainly played as a centre-forward rotation option for Gonzalo Higuain,
who looked exhausted at the end of last season.The situation with Blaise Matuidi and Federico Bernardeschi is similar to Douglas Costa, as (putting his horror showing against Sampdoria aside) Bernardeschi has always had a positive impact even with very limited playing time. The 23-year-old can be a valuable option not only on the right wing, but also as a back-up for Paulo Dybala, who similarly to Higuain ran out of steam towards the end of the previous campaign. On the other hand,Matuidi already proves to be the aggressive physical midfielder that Juve lacked last term, but both heand Bernardeschi are yet to earn Allegri’s trust and a more constant presence in the starting XI.
Having the likes of Sami Khedira and Stephan Lichtsteiner as regular starters week,in week out doesn’t seem to be doing any good to Juve’s performances either, especially in games against more prestigious sides. And while Khedira can still be a valuable squad member, the soon-to-be 34-year-old right-backis already well past his prime. With his contract set to expire at the end of the season, plusMattia De Sciglio’s and Benedikt Howedes’ returning to fitness, the once mighty Swiss Express should be singing his swan song in a Juventus jersey very shortly.
De Sciglio and Howedes looked good against Crotone. While the Sharks are far less formidable than Juve’s next opponents, the new duo’s performances are undoubtedly a promising sign that should earn them more playing time in the next few games.
The same applies for the rest of the new Bianconeri signings, as they are not only capable of helping overcomethe next few obstacles, but playing them more regularly would allow Allegri to keep his old soldiers fresh when the end of the season approaches. With what seems to be the tightest Scudetto race in recent years and a clear goal of reaching the latter stages of the Champions League, Juventus and Allegri should be smart enough and show that they learned their lesson.
Allegri is well-known for his cautious approach when it comes to easing new signings in to the squad, as he did a remarkable job with the likes of Dybala, Alvaro Morata and even Higuain. However, Juve’s tight schedule and early-season struggles might actually do them a favour, as they will force Mad Max to load up his new guns probably earlier than he would’ve liked. After all,what’s the point of a soldier having an AK47 if he’skeeping it in the closet?
Bench Sami
Great read
Massimiliano Allegri reiterates Napoli are favourites for the Scudetto and says “everyone is hoping Juventus will lose”.
The Bianconeri Coach named the Partenopei as favourites in his pre-match Press conference ahead of tomorrow’s game, and he returned to that theme toward the end of the conference.
“Up until now the team has done what’s required,” Allegri said.
“We’ve got a point more than last year if I’m not mistaken, but Napoli are doing incredible things. They’re a team with 12 wins and two draws, which I don’t think has happened often in the Italian league.
“So tomorrow we face a team that’s setting a much faster pace than us, and they absolutely deserve to be where they are in the table.
“There’s also Inter and above all Roma, who together with Juventus and Napoli have fought for the last few Scudetti.
“Roma are a very dangerous team because they’re showing great solidity, their slip-up in Genoa notwithstanding. They have a game in hand and they’ll fight with all the rest of us.
“So it’s going to be an open league until the end, with these four or five teams - because Lazio are on the attack - who will fight to the end of the season.
“Napoli are setting an impressive pace, so at this point Napoli are favourites for the Scudetto.
“Then everyone is hoping Juventus lose and Napoli or another team wins the Scudetto. That makes us even more motivated to win what would be a seventh Scudetto in a row.”
Napoli play “beautiful football”, according to Juventus Coach Massimiliano Allegri, but “they’ve quickly learned to do the defensive side too”.
The two sides meet at the San Paolo tomorrow for what is being billed as an early Scudetto showdown.
In a reversal of recent seasons, Juve have scored more goals than anyone in Serie A, while the Partenopei have the best defence so far.
“Tomorrow we have to play a great game first and foremost,” Allegri said in his pre-match Press conference.
“That matters above all to get the two results which suit us. A win would definitely be a fantastic leap forward, and we’d give a beautiful signal, but a draw would be another positive result.
“We start from the performance, tomorrow we need to put in a good performance from every point of view: technically, tactically, physically; because tomorrow will be a physical game.
“In these kind of games it’s the details that make the difference, so whoever makes fewer mistakes has more chance of bringing the result home.
“Does defence or attack matter more? In the end all that matters is who comes first, no team finishes top by chance.
“Napoli play beautiful football, and I’d say they’ve learned quickly to do the defensive side too which, among other things, has always been [Coach Maurizio] Sarri’s strength.
“Ever since his time at Sangiovannese his strength was the defensive phase.
“Now they’ve understood that to win leagues you need to have the best defence.
“Just look at the numbers, you can’t escape from that. Napoli are first, having conceded nine goals, Inter are second with 10, we’re third on 14 but there’s Roma with a match less so they could match us and - if I’m not mistaken - Roma have conceded nine goals.
“That’s what the league table tells you. I repeat, the last 10 seasons have always told you the same thing: the best defence wins the league.
“This year maybe we won’t have the best defence, but we hope to win all the same. Or maybe we’ll become the best defence, maybe we won’t concede many from here to the end.
“However, we know we play a Napoli side tomorrow who really are beautiful to watch, they play well and have been entertaining people when they play for the past three years - myself included.
"I first met Maurizio in 2003, so we've had 15 years together, and his strength has always been the defence.
"Napoli are a team that defend very well, and then after that it depends on the players you have.
"Napoli have players with features that other teams don't have, because they've got small players up-front and they're all quick.
"[Dries] Mertens is 1.70m - I don't know if he's 1.75m, but you know what I mean - while [Mario] Mandzukic is 1.90m.
"[Sami] Khedira is 1.85-1.87m, Jorginho is a bit shorter and he's 30kg less with different characteristics.
"So he [Sarri] is very good at exploting the characteristics of his players, which is exactly as it should be for a Coach.
"It's the same for [Lorenzo] Insigne, Insigne is a little bit different to [Gonzalo] Higuain. They have different players to the ones we have, so we need to exploit our own characteristics."
Allegri was then asked if he’s planning to play a back-three or a back-four tomorrow.
“They [the defence] are getting better, [Benedikt] Howedes is definitely one who’s better on the ball, with more quality. Barzagli can play with no worries.
“They used to say that the older you get, the deeper you go. Barzagli started with me at Pistoiese and played as a midfielder, fortunately then they put him at the back, Otherwise he wouldn’t have had a career, poor guy…
“Now he could play as the third centre-back, and even play a little behind the others. Then there’s Howedes, but at the same time there’s [Medhi] Benatia.
“Benatia has to be more convinced of the quality he has, he’s got two good feet but sometimes he loses his way.
“I don’t know if we’ll play three or four tomorrow. We’ll see, because I still haven’t decided who to play up-front. It depends on that, depending on who plays up-front, we’ll decide on who is behind them.
“There could be space for [Blaise] Matuidi, but I repeat: it depends on whether I have everyone available up-front.
“At the moment up-front we have [Juan] Cuadrado who hasn't trained much, [Federico] Bernardeschi who hasn’t trained much, Higuain who is a hand amputee…
“So at the moment the only ones who are fit are [Mario] Mandzukic, [Paulo] Dybala and Douglas Costa.
“I’ll see today, if I have more attackers available maybe we’ll play with more up-front, otherwise we’ll put one more behind.
“What absolutely won’t change is the attitude of the team.”
Juventus Coach Massimiliano Allegri says “I’ll have to see” if Gonzalo Higuain can face Napoli but “let’s say I’m confident”.
The striker had to have surgery on his hand earlier this week, putting him in serious doubt for the reunion with the Partenopei.
However, there has been growing confidence in recent days that Pipita could be available, and the Bianconeri boss gave an update in his pre-match Press conference.
“[Stephan] Lichtsteiner is out,” Allegri confirmed.
“[Juan] Cuadrado has trained a little, along with [Federico] Bernardeschi but they should be available, I’ll see what the situation is today.
“As for Higuain… the hand is definitely painful, but he could be available. We’ll see today, let’s say I’m confident.
“Let’s see how he is, how much pain he’s in, because it’s pointless risking a player for one game when we have another 30 between now and the end of the season.
“So we need to judge things well, together with him.
"Would he play if it was the Coppa Italia final? Well, it isn't the Coppa Italia final, we have 30 games ahead of us so...
"Really, I don't know what condition he'll be in. I know his hand isn't good, it's sore, so let's see tomorrow.
"Today Gonzalo has given me his full availability, so we'll try to be confident."
A loss tomorrow night could see the Old Lady fall seven points behind Napoli in the Scudetto race, does the Coach expect to see the anger and determination of previous years?
“First of all, Juventus up to this point have made the journey we should have done. Napoli have done and are doing incredible things, because they’ve won 12 games and only drawn two, Inter are two points behind them and then we’re four points behind Napoli.
“We’ve dropped a few points on the road, but then of course football comes down to incidents.
“That said, Napoli really are doing extraordinary things. They’re to be congratulated for what they’re doing, what they’ve done for the past three years, and tomorrow is a good test, especially ahead of Olympiakos.
“That’s the first decisive game of the season, because we can’t get it wrong there. We’re obliged to reach the Last 16 of the Champions League.
“I repeat, Napoli represents a good test for us, because first of all it’s a fascinating match.
“We’re playing in Naples, with a full stadium, so it should be a nice night of sport and football and I hope it is. There should be a spectacular game, because it will have technical players in it.
“It’s an important game, which we have to face as the great team Juventus are, with great respect for Napoli.
“Right now Napoli are ahead of us, they’re favourites for the Scudetto and we need to be good at chasing and keeping up with them, getting to March in the best condition to make the final push.
“Tomorrow is an important step, but not a decisive one.”
- - - Updated - - -
---------------------------
Must be his longest interview
The Bianconeri Coach named the Partenopei as favourites in his pre-match Press conference ahead of tomorrow’s game, and he returned to that theme toward the end of the conference.
“Up until now the team has done what’s required,” Allegri said.
“We’ve got a point more than last year if I’m not mistaken, but Napoli are doing incredible things. They’re a team with 12 wins and two draws, which I don’t think has happened often in the Italian league.
“So tomorrow we face a team that’s setting a much faster pace than us, and they absolutely deserve to be where they are in the table.
“There’s also Inter and above all Roma, who together with Juventus and Napoli have fought for the last few Scudetti.
“Roma are a very dangerous team because they’re showing great solidity, their slip-up in Genoa notwithstanding. They have a game in hand and they’ll fight with all the rest of us.
“So it’s going to be an open league until the end, with these four or five teams - because Lazio are on the attack - who will fight to the end of the season.
“Napoli are setting an impressive pace, so at this point Napoli are favourites for the Scudetto.
“Then everyone is hoping Juventus lose and Napoli or another team wins the Scudetto. That makes us even more motivated to win what would be a seventh Scudetto in a row.”
Napoli play “beautiful football”, according to Juventus Coach Massimiliano Allegri, but “they’ve quickly learned to do the defensive side too”.
The two sides meet at the San Paolo tomorrow for what is being billed as an early Scudetto showdown.
In a reversal of recent seasons, Juve have scored more goals than anyone in Serie A, while the Partenopei have the best defence so far.
“Tomorrow we have to play a great game first and foremost,” Allegri said in his pre-match Press conference.
“That matters above all to get the two results which suit us. A win would definitely be a fantastic leap forward, and we’d give a beautiful signal, but a draw would be another positive result.
“We start from the performance, tomorrow we need to put in a good performance from every point of view: technically, tactically, physically; because tomorrow will be a physical game.
“In these kind of games it’s the details that make the difference, so whoever makes fewer mistakes has more chance of bringing the result home.
“Does defence or attack matter more? In the end all that matters is who comes first, no team finishes top by chance.
“Napoli play beautiful football, and I’d say they’ve learned quickly to do the defensive side too which, among other things, has always been [Coach Maurizio] Sarri’s strength.
“Ever since his time at Sangiovannese his strength was the defensive phase.
“Now they’ve understood that to win leagues you need to have the best defence.
“Just look at the numbers, you can’t escape from that. Napoli are first, having conceded nine goals, Inter are second with 10, we’re third on 14 but there’s Roma with a match less so they could match us and - if I’m not mistaken - Roma have conceded nine goals.
“That’s what the league table tells you. I repeat, the last 10 seasons have always told you the same thing: the best defence wins the league.
“This year maybe we won’t have the best defence, but we hope to win all the same. Or maybe we’ll become the best defence, maybe we won’t concede many from here to the end.
“However, we know we play a Napoli side tomorrow who really are beautiful to watch, they play well and have been entertaining people when they play for the past three years - myself included.
"I first met Maurizio in 2003, so we've had 15 years together, and his strength has always been the defence.
"Napoli are a team that defend very well, and then after that it depends on the players you have.
"Napoli have players with features that other teams don't have, because they've got small players up-front and they're all quick.
"[Dries] Mertens is 1.70m - I don't know if he's 1.75m, but you know what I mean - while [Mario] Mandzukic is 1.90m.
"[Sami] Khedira is 1.85-1.87m, Jorginho is a bit shorter and he's 30kg less with different characteristics.
"So he [Sarri] is very good at exploting the characteristics of his players, which is exactly as it should be for a Coach.
"It's the same for [Lorenzo] Insigne, Insigne is a little bit different to [Gonzalo] Higuain. They have different players to the ones we have, so we need to exploit our own characteristics."
Allegri was then asked if he’s planning to play a back-three or a back-four tomorrow.
“They [the defence] are getting better, [Benedikt] Howedes is definitely one who’s better on the ball, with more quality. Barzagli can play with no worries.
“They used to say that the older you get, the deeper you go. Barzagli started with me at Pistoiese and played as a midfielder, fortunately then they put him at the back, Otherwise he wouldn’t have had a career, poor guy…
“Now he could play as the third centre-back, and even play a little behind the others. Then there’s Howedes, but at the same time there’s [Medhi] Benatia.
“Benatia has to be more convinced of the quality he has, he’s got two good feet but sometimes he loses his way.
“I don’t know if we’ll play three or four tomorrow. We’ll see, because I still haven’t decided who to play up-front. It depends on that, depending on who plays up-front, we’ll decide on who is behind them.
“There could be space for [Blaise] Matuidi, but I repeat: it depends on whether I have everyone available up-front.
“At the moment up-front we have [Juan] Cuadrado who hasn't trained much, [Federico] Bernardeschi who hasn’t trained much, Higuain who is a hand amputee…
“So at the moment the only ones who are fit are [Mario] Mandzukic, [Paulo] Dybala and Douglas Costa.
“I’ll see today, if I have more attackers available maybe we’ll play with more up-front, otherwise we’ll put one more behind.
“What absolutely won’t change is the attitude of the team.”
Juventus Coach Massimiliano Allegri says “I’ll have to see” if Gonzalo Higuain can face Napoli but “let’s say I’m confident”.
The striker had to have surgery on his hand earlier this week, putting him in serious doubt for the reunion with the Partenopei.
However, there has been growing confidence in recent days that Pipita could be available, and the Bianconeri boss gave an update in his pre-match Press conference.
“[Stephan] Lichtsteiner is out,” Allegri confirmed.
“[Juan] Cuadrado has trained a little, along with [Federico] Bernardeschi but they should be available, I’ll see what the situation is today.
“As for Higuain… the hand is definitely painful, but he could be available. We’ll see today, let’s say I’m confident.
“Let’s see how he is, how much pain he’s in, because it’s pointless risking a player for one game when we have another 30 between now and the end of the season.
“So we need to judge things well, together with him.
"Would he play if it was the Coppa Italia final? Well, it isn't the Coppa Italia final, we have 30 games ahead of us so...
"Really, I don't know what condition he'll be in. I know his hand isn't good, it's sore, so let's see tomorrow.
"Today Gonzalo has given me his full availability, so we'll try to be confident."
A loss tomorrow night could see the Old Lady fall seven points behind Napoli in the Scudetto race, does the Coach expect to see the anger and determination of previous years?
“First of all, Juventus up to this point have made the journey we should have done. Napoli have done and are doing incredible things, because they’ve won 12 games and only drawn two, Inter are two points behind them and then we’re four points behind Napoli.
“We’ve dropped a few points on the road, but then of course football comes down to incidents.
“That said, Napoli really are doing extraordinary things. They’re to be congratulated for what they’re doing, what they’ve done for the past three years, and tomorrow is a good test, especially ahead of Olympiakos.
“That’s the first decisive game of the season, because we can’t get it wrong there. We’re obliged to reach the Last 16 of the Champions League.
“I repeat, Napoli represents a good test for us, because first of all it’s a fascinating match.
“We’re playing in Naples, with a full stadium, so it should be a nice night of sport and football and I hope it is. There should be a spectacular game, because it will have technical players in it.
“It’s an important game, which we have to face as the great team Juventus are, with great respect for Napoli.
“Right now Napoli are ahead of us, they’re favourites for the Scudetto and we need to be good at chasing and keeping up with them, getting to March in the best condition to make the final push.
“Tomorrow is an important step, but not a decisive one.”
- - - Updated - - -
---------------------------
Must be his longest interview
