Juve’s Time is Now: Can Sarri Get the Job Done and Deliver a Champions League Trophy?

So yet another year of “Sarri Ball” is upon us. What does that mean? Couldn’t tell ya but here’s what I’ve made of it. 

Before we get into it… this is NOT a slander piece. I love Maurizio Sarri and I think he’s a phenomenal manager. His tenure at Chelsea saw the Blue’s return to UEFA Champions League football with a top-four finish and they also won the Europa League beating league rivals Arsenal 4-1 in the Final.

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So to say that Sarri’s tenure at Chelsea was anything than successful would be ludicrous. The only problem I had with him was that he was unwilling to part from his core players. His inability to incorporate Callum Hudson-Odoi, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and Emerson Palmieri until the title was well out of reach of the Blues angered many fans. Especially when first-team regulars such as Willian, Marcos Alonso, and Jorginho were blatantly struggling.

Despite his stubbornness, I thought Sarri was a phenomenal manager and I would’ve been more than happy if he returned to Stamford Bridge. Instead, he headed back to Italy to take over Juventus. I'm guessing the media and Chelsea’s abusive fans showed him the door and I don’t blame him for leaving.

To be clear I never called for his job once. I saw his tenure as a process that couldn't afford to be rushed and despite his mid-season struggles at the Bridge, at the end of the season, there was plenty to be proud of.

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So why the hell am I diving into Sarri’s history at Chelsea? Because it seems to be repeating itself at Juventus.

Yes, the Italian Giants won their Seire A opener against Parma on the road, but it’s the lineup that concerns me and it reeks of Sarri at Chelsea.

Everyone knows that Juventus is a team rooted in history and that the team prides itself on defense. Even so, the club is at a critical period in its history and Sarri can’t afford to be stubborn.

Juventus has been on the cusp of European glory for the past five years. The Old Lady appeared in 2 finals in 3 years losing both. The signing of Cristiano Ronaldo was not enough and Juve was bounced in the quarterfinals by an Ajax squad brimming with young talent.

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So where does did this leave Juve? In a difficult spot no doubt about it. Massimiliano Allegri lost his job and the club was back to square one and the clock is ticking on the club’s best players.

So with players like Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, and Cristiano Ronaldo reaching the end of their tenures of dominance, Juve’s best chance of hoisting the Champions League trophy is now.

To strengthen the squad, Juve added Adrien Rabiot, Aaron Ramsey, and Matthijs De Ligt. It was a huge summer for Juve business-wise. Their midfield got two huge upgrades and they signed the best young center-back on the planet. This squad is more than capable of winning the Champions League but the question is... can they finally get the job done?

As I stated before, Juve has a jaw-dropping amount of depth in their midfield. I’m not going to list off all the players because I did in a previous piece but Juventus has enough players to mold their midfield to match any opposing team’s tactics. Even so, the squad selected on Saturday was a confusing one.

My biggest question circulated around the center-mids. All three were defensive-minded players and there was very little attacking prowess amongst the trio. Plus, Sami Khedira was being shopped heavily so to see him in the starting XI was definitely a surprise. The trio of defensive midfielders definitely contributed to Juve only winning 1-0. A quick reminder that Parma finished in 14th in Serie A last year so the need to stack up on defense was obsolete. 

So what lineup would I have played against Juventus? See for yourself.

I think is an extremely well-balanced line-up. Yes, I geared it towards Dybala but that’s because I think Juve need him at his best to truly compete a Champions League trophy. Not only did he not start on Saturday, but he also didn’t even see the field despite Juve struggling to score.

Perhaps Sarri sat him because of the controversy surrounding the player's future or perhaps the rumors are true and Sarri doesn’t actually have plans to incorporate Dybala into his system.

Another player that was a no-show was Rodrigo Bentancur. The Uruguayan mid-fielder would have been a much needed attacking boost and like Dybala, he didn’t even see the field. In my opinion, Khedira and Matuidi should merely be used as substitutes with the sole person of applying defensive help in games which Juve need to hold onto a lead. They are both 32 both offer little in an attacking sense.

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Now, I don’t want to sound like a broken record but there’s no way Juve wins a Champions League with a line-up like the one we saw against Parma line-up. Aaron Ramsey has yet to return to full-fitness but even without him in the squad on Saturday, Sarri had enough attacking weapons at his disposal.

Juan Cuadrado and Federico Bernardeschi both featured off the bench as well as Adrien Rabiot. So a game in which Juve was in need of goals, Dybala, Bentancur, and Mario Mandzukic remained on the bench. Absolutely bonkers and it reminded me of Sarri at Chelsea almost immediately.

Perhaps, I’m getting ahead of myself. Obviously, we are only one game into the season but I hate that line-up. Don’t get me wrong I love all of the players in it but there’s a much stronger line-up that can be showcased and in my opinion, this line-up can absolutely dominate Europe.

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We will have to wait until Saturday to see who Sarri picks. Juve will face league rivals Napoli in their home opener and they will prove to be much tougher than Parma. Will we see the likes of Dybala? I sure as hell hope so. For Juve’s sake. Their time is now and Sarri needs to play his cards right.