From hot start to ‘in or out’ moment – Where has it all gone wrong for Tudor and Juventus?
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It wasn’t long ago that things were looking cheery in Turin for Igor Tudor.The Croatian was widely seen as no more than a traghettatore or ‘ferryman’ when he arrived in March tasked with guiding the good ship Juventus to the safe harbour of season’s end. But after successfully securing UEFA Champions League qualification, he was handed a long-term deal ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup, and when Juve claimed an astonishing 4-3 Derby d’Italia win over rivals Inter to make it three wins from three at the start of the new Serie A season, it looked like a gamble that could pay off. However, a lot can change in a month. Tudor now finds himself preparing for a trip to Rome on Sunday night to face his former employers Lazio – live on TNT Sports and discovery+ – amid speculation that defeat could end his tenure prematurely.
Juventus have not won a game since Vasilije Adzic drove in an astonishing late winner against Inter. Their run of five draws and two defeats (in their last two outings against Como and Real Madrid) marks the club’s longest winless period since 2008/09, and you have to go back to 1955/56 to find a worse run, when the club went 13 games without victory.
“He cannot afford to fail against Lazio,” wrote Gazzetta dello Sport on Saturday. “At the Stadio Olimpico, the Croatian kicks off an ‘in or out’ week.”
Could this be the end for the Croatian or can he still turn things around?
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The striker conundrum
Juve’s performance in their 1-0 defeat at the Bernabeu on Wednesday was an improvement on the 2-0 loss in Como that preceded it, but the two matches shared a common denominator – an absence of goals.
Tudor’s biggest selection headache this season has been deciding which of his three striker options to go with: Dusan Vlahovic, Jonathan David or Lois Openda.
Vlahovic, Serie A’s highest-paid player, was heavily linked with a summer exit before free agent David arrived on the next-biggest salary in the squad and Openda joined from Leipzig in a €44 million (£38m) deal.
Despite the wealth of expensively assembled options up front, the trio have failed to find form thus far.
Vlahovic leads the way with four goals but hasn’t scored since mid-September, while David’s only strike in a black-and-white shirt came on the opening day and Openda is yet to open his account.
Juve’s strikers are averaging a goal around every three-and-a-half hours this season, and the club’s run of three games without scoring is their longest dry spell in 14 years.
Tudor has rotated between the three and struggled to settle on a first-choice option; David has earned six starts, Vlahovic three and Openda two. The match in Madrid highlighted the damaging impact of their wobbly form, with Vlahovic and Openda both squandering good chances to score.
However, Vlahovic – who was denied one-on-one by Thibaut Courtois – was encouraged by the display and believes it showed a path forward.
“There was a big change from the game with Como, and many other performances this season,” the Serbian told Sky Italia.
“We talked after the match and agreed we must have this attitude in every game, whether it is against Real Madrid or Como.”
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Tudor feeling the heat
Juventus’ performances and results over the last month are the chief reasons that Tudor has found himself under pressure.
But some of the Croatian’s comments during the slump in form have also raised eyebrows, be it raging against “shameful” refereeing after a draw with Hellas Verona or upsetting Como counterpart Cesc Fabregas by not referring to him by name. “He called me ‘the Como coach’ but I, being respectful, will call him Mister Tudor,” Fabregas retorted.
Tudor also pointed to a “crazy” fixture schedule to explain his side’s results, saying: “If we had played Cremonese and not Milan, we would be top of the table.” When asked about the comment, Cremonese coach Davide Nicola – who has masterminded a win over Milan this season – simply said: “I’m not playing these games.”
Tudor said Juve were “lacking leaders” after the Real defeat, but some pundits, including club legend Alessandro Del Piero, believe the coach needs to look at himself more.
“The situation we are seeing is very similar to last season, so it worries me that we are seeing this repetition in performances,” Del Piero said.
“Como are a quality team and deserve praise, but Juventus should have had a different attitude in that match.
“I feel the vision ought to be expanded to tactics, physicality, and also this fire that the players need every time they want to pull on that shirt. Juventus need players who all think like this, in my view.”
The mounting tension has led to reports in the Italian media that former Italy coaches Roberto Mancini and Luciano Spalletti or ex-Fiorentina boss Raffaele Palladino could replace Tudor if he is dismissed.
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However, that would be an expensive choice, with Motta and his staff still earning a reported €12 million gross salary per year and Tudor taking €8 million.
Juve’s director of football strategy Giorgio Chiellini came out in Madrid to back his man publicly in a bid to cool the rumours.
“We want to continue with Tudor… he has our support and there is no pressure from our side,” Chiellini said.
Be that as it may, the pressure is certainly growing for Juve to end their winless run in Rome against a Lazio side led by Maurizio Sarri, the last coach to win the Scudetto for the Old Lady, in 2019/20.
Tudor insisted “we are on the right path” after the performance in Madrid, and he was backed by former Italy manager Cesare Prandelli this week too.
“Tudor hasn’t yet identified the right idea, but he deserves trust because the performance in Madrid was an encouraging sign,” Prandelli said.
“Juventus lost, but it was a solid display, and I’m convinced that from now on the pecking order will become clearer. I’m expecting less rotation and a more consistent starting 11.”
The Juventus hierarchy will hope he is right.
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