Juventus manager Luciano Spalletti wasn’t happy with how his players approached the game against Hellas Verona after dropping two valuable points.
The Bianconeri could have solidified their chances of reaching the next edition of the Champions League by beating their already-relegated visitors, but they found themselves trailing after 34 minutes, despite dominating the action.
Dusan Vlahovic restored parity following his second-half introduction by scoring a free-kick, but the Serbian and his teammates couldn’t find the winner.
Luciano Spalletti rues ‘small’ Juventus against Hellas Verona
After the contest, Spalletti once again lauded his players’ wonderful human traits, but argued that these men tend to be too nice at times, especially when ruthlessness is required.
“We’re a team of sensitive lads, good guys, and the bond between them, this friendship, is a huge strength,” said the 67-year-old in his post-match press conference via JuventusNews24.
“But when it comes to being a bit more ruthless, more determined, showing more character, it’s clear that’s not our main trait.”
The Juventus head coach went on to claim that the players mentally shrank after conceding the opener, as they started playing like ‘boys’.
“We conceded due to some naïve mistakes, and everything becomes more difficult, because you get nervous and start fearing you won’t make it, even before the match begins.
“When you go behind, it feels like the whole world is on top of you. We were influenced by the idea of it being an ‘easy game’.
“You try to keep the level high, but these are the matches where you have to be ruthless. Instead, at times we shrink, we become smaller than we are—we become boys in the way we play, making mistakes that are too basic for our level.
“Then, on the other hand, we produce great passages of play and deserve to win, like in the second half, because we pinned them back, forced them to play almost entirely inside their own box—they only had two shots on target.”
Spalletti wants a creative midfielder
Juventus will be looking to bolster their ranks with quality signings in the summer, and Spalletti highlighted the need for a quality midfielder who can add creativity and flair in the final third.
“We’re missing a midfielder who can receive the ball in tight spaces, in difficult zones, between the opposition’s defensive line and midfield.
“Up to now, we’ve compensated by tucking the wingers inside more, because they’re strong in one-on-one situations.
“We’ve also relied on McKennie’s instinct—at times, he has that knack of finding pockets of space where he’s almost invisible to the radar, though less so today. But when you create all these situations in the penalty area, not just the obvious chances, but also those final passes where better decisions could have been made, you have to make them count.”
The main candidate to fill this role is departing Manchester City captain Bernardo Silva, whom Juventus are hoping to sign on a free transfer.
The Bianconeri are one of the 31-year-old’s main suitors, but it remains to be seen if they will prevail over the competition, with Galatasaray and Barcelona said to be interested in the Portuguese playmaker.
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