Black on White: Ambivalence in the Old Lady Israel today

A win over Zenit tonight in Turin will guarantee Juventus a place in the last 16 of the Champions League after just four rounds.

In Europe, Massimiliano Allegri's team looks like what Allegri's team should look like: three wins - including over European champions Chelsea, five right-handed goals, zero mandatory goals.

Maximum efficiency, minimum polishing.

The thing is, it's just like that in the European context.

In the league, the old lady is already counting four losses, 15 assists against 15 conquests, and a gap of no less than 16 points from the two leaders Napoli and Milan.

From the depths of ninth place in the table, Allegri summed it up simply: "Our situation is bad. We must understand that we are currently a mid-table group."

According to the plans, the 54-year-old coach was supposed to speak differently at this stage of the season.

After last year's unsuccessful adventure with Andrea Pirlo, who finished in fourth place and out of the Champions League in the quarterfinals, the mission of

Allegri.

Was supposed to speak differently, Photo: AP

Was to bring Yuba back to where he had taken her five times in a row between 2014 and 2019.

His resume spoke for itself, and there seemed to be no chance that this combination would not work again.

The expectation was for an immediate improvement, for good results from the first moment, for a re-grip on the steering wheel of the Serie ah.

Lack of understanding

"We are ready to start from the beginning," the team said in a statement when Allegri signed in May, "to build a common future together with his professionalism, his brilliant ideas and the smile that has already become his trademark."

The thing is, that smile is almost impossible to see this season.

Unlike the previous time he received the team - in 2014, after a 102-point championship with Antonio Conte on the lines - this time Allegri received a dismantled, disassembled, and rebuilt yuba.

Juventus players.

But what about the local league ?, Photo: AFP

In retrospect, among the plethora of things that needed to be done, the biggest challenge seemed to be dealing with the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo to Manchester United.

The Portuguese has been criticized for the tactical problems he has created - some of them are also true - but he has been the king of the team's goals in the last three seasons, and in his personal actions he has managed to hide quite a few problems.

Offensive, for example, Yuba is stuck.

There are injured, there is bad luck in front of the goal, and in its last seven games - the team has scored only one goal in each game.

The king of its gates is Paolo Dybala with just three, and the contribution of Federico Caiza is missing.

The extremist also suffers from injuries and does not really find himself under Allegri.

Against Inter he started on the bench, in five other games he was substituted and has only one goal.

"I'm surprised by what Allegri is doing with Keiza," admitted former player Angelo Di Livio.

"He has to start understanding who needs to play and when."

Turning her back

Even on defense, Allegri does not seem to understand yet.

Precisely after not absorbing against Chelsea, Torino, Roma and Zenit, the last three games came with five absorbs that mentioned that there are problems in the home side.

Beyond the fact that the link squad has not been good enough for several seasons in a row, offensively and defensively, this season the back four is also having a hard time.

Allegri continues to give great credit to Bonucci and Cagliani, while at the same time abandoning a bit of Mathis de Licht who in the recent loss to Verona is not a partner at all.

"De Licht is not yet ready to play a central brake in a trio of brakes," Allegri explained, "when he is ready it will happen."

Allegri is at a loss.

What about a method ?, Photo: AFP

And that may be the story.

November has arrived, and it seems that Yuba and Allegri are still not closed on themselves.

No method, no creativity, no stability.

In the Champions League, everything seems fine, but the league's troubles are too great for tonight's victory to make them forget.

"Allegri needs time with the team," Pavel Nedved said last week, the question is how much time is left for Yuba this season.