Former Juventus striker Paolo Di Canio defends Massimiliano Allegri despite his defensive playing style and blames Dusan Vlahovic but believes Federico Chiesa is playing out of position.
Juventus will host Inter at the Allianz Stadium on Sunday. They sit second in the Serie A table, two points below the Nerazzurri.
They have been far from spectacular this season, but the Bianconeri have the second-best defence in the league after Inter and won five consecutive matches.
“I admire and respect Allegri. I have already explained that Premier League clubs play different kinds of football, from the first to the last. The same is true of the first six or seven clubs in Europe,” Di Canio told Friday’s printed edition of Tuttosport newspaper (page four).
“Juventus are an Italian anomaly. A top side that leaves the ball possession to the opponents. It’s legitimate. I like football made of sacrifice, I do not necessarily back Pep Guardiola and other coaches. To me, Allegri is doing a great job considering the players he has. At the same time, Juventus looked like a team struggling for survival against Fiorentina. They defended deep against a team that struggled to score goals. I think it will be difficult to get to the end of the season with this playing style, Allegri could do something more. Just think about Miretti’s goal in Florence. He scored after a well-manoeuvred attack.
“Allegri has more central midfielders than wingers,” continued Di Canio.
“If we look at their team, they don’t have many quality players. Allegri knows he can rely on solid defenders, strong with headers, so he has adapted, getting the best out of everyone.”
Despite Juventus’ convincing results, the former West Ham star believes Allegri is not getting everything right.
“Chisa is playing as a support striker but, as we saw with the national team, he needs space and ply wide. In a 4-3-3 system, Chiesa is an excellence. He has scored some goals playing in the middle, but sometimes he gets lost and does not make the best use of his pace.”
Chiesa has scored four goals in 11 appearances this season, the same as his teammate Vlahovic who, however, has recently lost his starting spot.
“A few months ago, I would have said it was 50-50, but now I can say it is 75% Vlahovic’s fault,” argued Di Canio.
“Even if he doesn’t have many chances to score, he must be committed to managing the few balls he touches in the best way. He was on fire at Fiorentina because he was always involved. He played with joy. Of course, it is all different at Juventus; there is more pressure, but I’ve discovered his fragility and the fact that he is not intelligent in football terms when making certain decisions. I am not saying he can’t play for Juventus. But he must learn how to do simple things. Pure talent is strong even at difficult times.”
Vlahovic joined Juventus in an €80m deal from Fiorentina in January 2022 and has scored 27 goals in 73 appearances with the Old Lady. Back in Florence, he had bagged 49 goals in 108 matches.