Selecting 3 Christmas Gifts for Juventus Boss Massimiliano Allegri

Earlier this summer, Massimiliano Allegri must have felt Christmas had come early—the 47-year-old surprisingly landing the coaching role at Juventus. Having been fired by Milan just six months earlier, the shock resignation of Antonio Conte seemingly weakened the reigning Serie A champions heading into 2014-15.

Since taking control, however, Allegri has repaid the faith shown in him by the Turin giants, overseeing a superb start to his debut campaign with the club. Winning all but one of their domestic matches thus far, he has also taken La Madama into the Champions League knockout stages, a feat which proved beyond them last term.

On Monday, the club was drawn against Borussia Dortmund in the last 16 of the competition, an opponent which gives the Bianconeri a nostalgic trip into their recent past, as discussed here. Allegri has also given them a four-point advantage above AS Roma, a favourable position as they head to Doha to face Napoli in the Italian Super Cup on Monday.

With a wonderful first six months in charge under his belt, it only seems fair to present the Juventus coach with some festive gifts. Like the three ghosts in Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” there is one gift from Allegri’s past, present and future, with the first a name that may have haunted him over the past year.

Paolo Bruno/Getty Images

Past

The end of his tenure with the Rossoneri came just days after the club was destroyed by Sassuolo last January, a 4-2 rout which forced the Milan hierarchy to replace him. The chief architect of that result was unarguably Domenico Berardi, and the young attacker is already co-owned by Juventus.

He has not captured the headlines the way he did last term, but the 20-year-old has already notched three goals and four assists this term. Statistics from WhoScored.com show he also creates 1.5 clear goalscoring opportunities per game for his team-mates, proving a constant source of creativity for the Neroverdi.

Yet Berardi is far more than just a fast-paced forward, also displaying a work ethic that would see him stand out in any side. WhoScored also shows he has recorded averages of 1.6 tackles and 0.8 interceptions per game, highlighting the effort and commitment with which he presses opponents when not in possession.

Bringing him to the club would provide Allegri with further options in attack, able to play behind Fernando Llorente or Alvaro Morata in the 4-3-2-1 framework. He would also allow the coach to deploy a 4-3-3 formation, giving the Bianconeri a genuine threat out wide to stretch the tightly-packed defences they often face.

Present

With Berardi from his past, the one man in Allegri’s present that could provide him with a gift is Arturo Vidal. The Chilean midfielder was arguably Juve’s best player over the three previous seasons, but has failed to reach those heights so far this term, as discussed in depth here.

Despite notching five goals and one assist in 13 Serie A appearances this term, he is clearly lacking the energy that brought such an edge to his play. According to WhoScored, his averages for tackles (3.0 per game) and dribbles (0.2) are career lows in league play since arriving in Turin, while his statistics for interceptions (1.3) and passes (48.6) are not far from those depths.

He turned in a vintage performance against Cagliari on Thursday, but having Vidal back consistently at his very best would make such a difference to Juventus that it would make quite the gift for Allegri. 

Squawka.com

Future

From the future, the ideal gift to round out the trio could be another former Milan man, with full-back Luca Antonelli perhaps being an idyllic signing for the Bianconeri.

With Kwadwo Asamoah injured and in spite of some improving performances from Patrice Evra, a defender to patrol the left flank is becoming a serious issue the club needs to address.

Having recently netted the match-winner for Genoa against the Rossoneri, 27-year-old Antonelli is now a fine player, five years after the San Siro giants sold him to Parma.

The Milan youth product is averaging 1.8 tackles, 1.6 interceptions and 3.3 clearances per Serie A game, according to WhoScored, testament to the defensive solidity he offers the Rossoblu. With three goals and one assist, he also contributes to the attack, bringing a great blend of talent to the side.

Those attributes would prove hugely useful for Juventus, making Luca Antonelli the perfect final addition to this list of gifts. Packaged with the arrival of Domenico Berardi and a return to form for Arturo Vidal, Massimiliano Allegri would gain three wonderful presents that would allow him and the Old Lady to enjoy the New Year.