An obviously talented player but also a difficult one to accommodate and fully utilise. His skill set is neither fully here nor there. He’s not a striker, he’s not a midfielder, he’s not a winger. He’s somwhere in between the lot. Playing him as a false 9 is maybe the best bet at getting the most out of him but then how do we re-shuffle personnel to accommodate that? Mandzukic drops to the bench? Deployed wide right? DC becomes a starter? All things allegri needs to solve.
They are unsolvable as we are.
Mandzukic will not be benched to use dybalas as 9, not because we cannto accomodoate dybala as 9, but because allegri will never bench his tall forward to use dybala as 9. Personally i would try it and use berna or costa on the right....but That goes against allegris phylosophy. Also he said he doesnt feel dybala is a 9.
Like you said, he is no cam nor winger, and we do not use formations with a SS. I dont see him ever fitting wholly in this team tbh