Juventus Roundtable: What To Do With Sebastian Giovinco?

The second part of the first-ever Juventus Roundtable has to do with one of Italy’s highly touted young players, Sebastian Giovinco.

The tiny playmaker has been one of the most talked about players in Italy over the past few weeks. A highly publicized contract negotiation and a lack of playing time to begin the 2008/09 Serie A season has seen Giovinco’s name on the front of Italy’s sports newspapers. There have even been rumors of a move away from Turin and the team he idolized as a child.

The top Juve writers sat around the table and discussed what Juventus manager Claudio Ranieri should do with The Atomic Ant.

Daniel Penza

Claudio Ranieri is obviously in a tough spot. While he has one of the most dynamic youngsters Italy has seen in quite some time with Giovinco, he is also backing up one of Juve’s most consistent players, Pavel Nedved.

A lot of Juve fans complain about Giovinco not seeing the field, but what they fail to realize is that Ranieri isn’t going to put him in if he is not needed. When the team is a goal or two, Ranieri is not going to throw on another attacker. His substitutions will be because they will help the team tactically, not just to please fans.

However, with Juve in the Champions League and Coppa Italia, along with the usual Serie A schedule of fixtures, things will be busy in Turin and Nedved is going to need to rest his 36-year-old legs. There is no reason why Giovinco shouldn’t start or see a good amount of playing time against the lower level Serie A teams (Cagliari, Sienna, Bologna, Chievo).

Despite Ranieri wanting to slowly integrate Giovinco into the squad, his performance against BATE Tuesday in the Champions League proved that the 5’5” starlet is ready for big-time football. He was certainly one of the best players on the pitch despite playing in a less-than familiar role wide on the right.

Khalid Shakran

Claudio Ranieri has realized that he will definitely receive some harsh criticism from the media and fans if he doesn’t play Giovinco.

However, he has made it clear from the moment he brought Giovinco back to Turin that he will be second choice to Pavel Nedved. The 36-year-old Czech star is starting to regain his form last season and can arguably be labeled as the most consistent player in Serie A.

Giovinco is not Ronaldinho, Cristiano Ronaldo, or even Robinho just yet. Juve fans are growing restless with Claudio Ranieri's apparent refusal to play one of Italy's most talented youngsters and instead going with less popular players like Christian Poulsen. However, Giovinco must be aware that he's not at a club that has a roster of a 19-year-olds.

Despite the significant age different between Giovinco and Nedved, the latter has much more experience than the emerging player.

Zahi Shali

I think Claudio Ranieri has been wise to keep Pavel Nedved in the first team and leave Sebastian Giovinco on the bench during the beginning of the season. Giovinco has to understand that he is not a huge star yet. He has to know that he is equal to other players and has to make the best of his chance when they are given.

However, I feel that Ranieri should give the talented youngster a bigger role in the team. Giovinco can at least be a super-sub.

Marzia Hazra

Ranieri finally decided to rest Nedved and give Giovinco his first starter in the Juventus shirt in Wednesday’s midweek game against Catania. The young starlet showed his class and he definitely proved that he is well worth the attention he has been surrounded by recently.

Considering the fact that Nedved and Giovinco are fighting for the same position it is easy for the Juventus tactician to go on experience rather than potential. I’m not saying that Giovinco didn’t impress under his loan-stint at Empoli, on the contrary, but it’s easier to stand out in Empoli in comparison to Juventus.

But why play Nedved in three games in seven days? That has a negative effect on both midfielders, seeing it as the veteran being pushed to hard while the youngster is growing more and more frustrated warming the bench.

The Czech is most likely playing his last season in the Turin outfit and considering all signs point to Giovinco being his successor, Ranieri would be wise to put the youngster to more use.

Ranieri has to give the young midfielder more playing time even if it comes at the expense of Nedved. That is to say, if the Juventus coach wants to Giovinco to be a man for the future he better start including him in his plans starting now.