Comparing Alvaro Morata's 2014/15 Stats to His 2015/16 Numbers

Juventus have clearly not been as effective this season as they were in the previous campaign. The overhaul of the squad during summer 2015 has undoubtedly had a detrimental effect on their on-field performances.

Putting aside the exits of Carlos Tevez, Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal, the reasons for the current side underperforming were discussed at length in this previous post, while their lack of attacking identity was identified here.

Perhaps the biggest single contributing factor there is Alvaro Morata’s failure to carry his excellent form from 2014/15 into this new Serie A season. So far he has three goals in 14 appearances, while his final five appearances in all competitions last term saw him find the net on no fewer than four occasions, showing he can be much more prolific.

Statistically speaking, his shooting has actually improved, however, with figures from Squawka.com showing he has hit the target with 55 percent of his attempts this domestic season, compared with just 50 percent a year ago.

Squawka.com

Furthermore, there is no real drop-off in the number of attempts, with WhoScored.com showing he is taking 1.7 shots per game in 2015/16 compared with 1.8 last season. Simply put, that would indicate Morata is all too regularly finding the opposition goalkeeper rather than the back of the net.

He has improved at taking on defenders, with Squawka.com showing he has been successful on eight of the 13 times (62 percent) he has tried to beat his man, managing just 27 of 54 attempts in the league last term (50 percent).

Morata has also improved as a passer, with WhoScored showing increases in terms of both volume and accuracy, completing 78.6 percent of his attempts to find a team-mate on 15.4 occasions per Serie A game this season, up from 75 percent of 13 passes last year.

Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images

While he may have recorded just one assist, Morata has become much more adept at creating for others, too, with Squawka showing he has already laid on 10 clear scoring chances this term after managing just 19 in the whole of the 2014/15 domestic campaign.

In certain matches this season, the Spanish star has been given a strict defensive assignment by the coach, which was particularly notable in the Turin derby. There, Massimilano Allegri charged him with tracking wing-back Bruno Peres, a task Morata adhered to diligently, ensuring the Brazilian could not impact the game as he would have liked.

Doing all the little things that do not show up in basic statistics—cutting off angles, denying passes to Peres and shadowing his runs—it was a disciplined performance for which Morata deserves huge credit.

Yet, overall, his defensive contribution has decreased, with WhoScored showing he is averaging 0.3 tackles and 0.2 interceptions per game this term, compared to 0.5 and 0.1 last season. That role on the left when Juventus lose possession should not curtail his attacking impetus, and Morata must work harder to get forward once the ball is won back.

JAVIER SORIANO/Getty Images

With just one league goal to his name, the Spain international admitted things could improve during a recent interview. “This season has been a little more complicated for us," he told El Larguero recently (h/t Gazzetta World). "I’ve struggled with injuries, and I’ve not been playing in my ideal role either."

Allegri must remedy that as soon as possible and enable Morata to thrive without affecting the impact of Paulo Dybala, because with both at their best, the Bianconeri would be a far more dangerous proposition.

Yet despite those problems thus far, the striker's vital influence in Juve’s run to the 2015 Champions League final mean his ability is not in doubt, as Gigi Buffon discussed in an interview back in September.

“Alvaro Morata is potentially a player who could become one of the top two or three in the world in a few years,” the goalkeeper told Spanish newspaper Marca (h/t Football Italia). "He’s a complete forward, the difference between a good player and a great player is the mentality.”

“In my opinion, everything depends on him and his head,” Buffon concluded, and it's now the 23-year-old needs to improve his contribution. With matches against Milan and Manchester City on the horizon, Morata must once again shine on the biggest stage when Juventus need him most.