Juventus head coach Luciano Spalletti offered telling answers when asked about Kenan Yildiz and his most effective role on the pitch.
The Turkish international was picked as the MVP of Saturday’s 4-0 win over Pisa after providing the assist for Andrea Cambiaso’s opener and scoring the third himself with a sublime finish.
Interestingly, the 20-year-old began the contest in his usual role on the left side of the attacking trident, before acting as the centre-forward after the half-time introduction of Jeremie Boga, who came in for Jonathan David.
Kenan Yildiz led the line for Juventus in the second half against Pisa
With David and Lois Openda struggling for form and goals, and Dusan Vlahovic still not fit enough for a starting role following his long layoff, it has been suggested that Yildiz could be the answer for Juve’s attacking woes.
During his original spell at Roma, Spalletti famously converted the iconic Francesco Totti from a number 10 to a deadly striker who went on to win the European Golden Shoe in 2007, after scoring 26 goals in the Serie A campaign.
But while a section of fans and observers are tipping Yildiz to undergo a similar trajectory, Spalletti doesn’t look convinced of this notion.
Spalletti explains why Yildiz is more suited to a role on the wing
Although the 67-year-old believes Yildiz has certain characteristics that can help him interpret the striker role at times, he feels the Turkish international is much more at ease when playing in wide areas, where he’s able to beat his man in the space.
“Kenan scored a goal, but the spaces are already stretched because of the team’s play,” explained the Tuscan tactician in his post-match interview with Sky Sport Italia via JuventusNews24.
“When Kenan starts from the outside, he finds it easier; he likes it because he has more chances to see the opponent and when there is space behind. From inside the pitch, you perceive it less.
“When you’re ahead, everything changes because Pisa didn’t keep the same low block they had in the first half.
“We have some difficulty playing in tight spaces. With a striker, Yıldız would do that kind of work even better.”
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