Juventus
Last Season: Serie A – 4th; Coppa Italia – Runners-up; UEFA Champions League: Last 16; Top Scorer – Paulo Dybala (15)
The Question: Can Juventus regain their old Self?
Last season followed the 2020/21 campaign as being one of disappointment for Juventus. Another season in which they had to settle for fourth place, and were unceremoniously dumped from the Champions League by a relatively weaker side in the first knockout round. This time, there wasn’t even Italian Cup success as compensation, nor was there excitement in chasing the top four; they ended the season with their lowest points tally in over a decade. Juve simply had an incredibly workaday season.
One of the reasons why Juventus were thoroughly uninspiring last season was a sore lack of goals. The Old Lady scored 57 league goals last season – the lowest of every team in the top half of Serie A bar one, and a personal low for the club since 2010/11; they scored 77 the season before. Dusan Vlahovic joined the club at the mid-point of the season, yet it was testament to the club’s issues that quickly came to be over-reliant on the Serbian forward, while simultaneously holding him back. Vlahovic’s nine goals made him Juve’s second top scorer of the season. Only one player reached double for the Bianconeri, and that player – Paulo Dybala – has left the club. Dybala wreaked of inconsistency for yet another season – again, it’s a sign to Juve’s flaws that he was their talisman anyway – and has moved to Roma for free.
The Argentine isn’t the only famous face to leave Juve this summer. Defensive stalwart Giorgio Chiellini has moved to the MLS, but if that move is one of a club trying to rebuild, the departure of Matthijs de Ligt definitely isn’t. The Dutch centre-back pretty much epitomised the failures of The Old Lady’s transfer market activity in recent past – another case in point is the recently-departed Aaron Ramsey – and he has left for Bayern Munich.
So, Juventus are tethering towards the need for a rebuild, but the signings of 34-year-old Angel Di Maria and the returning Paul Pogba still bears evidence of a club clinging on familiarity and short-term sure bets. Juve’s need for a change isn’t just with the players on the pitch. Surely, it’s time to ask questions of the entire structure of the club, with those upstairs, and their decision-making. Speaking of…
The Manager – Massimo Allegri
After two years away, Allegri returned to management with the club he left in 2019. The Italian makes no secret of not being a fan of philosophies and identities, and being a results-oriented manager, which makes Juventus’ failings last season all the more galling. It also makes the point that taking this club back to the pinnacle of Serie A will require more than just mere adaptability. Some of Allegri’s tactics bore scrutiny last season, and with reason. How long before it looks like he might have to do one again?
Lazio
Last Season: Serie A – 5th; Coppa Italia – Quarter-final; UEFA Europa League – Knockout playoffs; Top Scorer – Ciro Immobile (32)
The Question: Where does Sarrismo go in Season 2?
Last season was decent for Lazio, all things considered. The departure of Simone Inzaghi and replacement with Maurizio Sarri meant an inevitable change in style. And with largely the same personnel, the shift from a counter-attacking team to a possession-based one (only Fiorentina had more possession per game in Serie A last season) didn’t stunt their attack, with Lazio having the second-best attack – behind Inzaghi’s Inter.
But the other end is where the problems are at. There’s the fact that Lazio conceded 58 goals last season, only better than nine teams in the entire division. Then there’s the departure of both goalkeepers in Pepe Reina and Thomas Strakosha, as well as centre-back Luiz Felipe.
That might open room for Sarri to bring in personnel more versed to his way of playing, and makes for an interesting watch. But Lazio still sorely lack squad depth, have European commitments, and new signings will more teething problems. Sarriball might not be there yet.
The Manager – Maurizio Sarri
Since leaving Napoli in 2018, the former banker has had three different jobs, and hasn’t quite been on the money yet. In fact, this is the only time since then that he’s starting a second season at the same club. His time at Lazio has featured inconsistency – they never managed more than two wins in a row – and questionable progress – they finished one place higher than 2020/21, but with four points less, reminiscent of issues he had with Chelsea and Juventus. A second season under the Italian - who signed a contract extension at the Olimpico - will definitely make for interesting watch.
Liverpool
Last Season: Premier League – 2nd; FA Cup – Winners; League Cup – Winners; UEFA Champions League – Runners-up; Top Scorer – Mohamed Salah (31)
The Question: Do Liverpool have the fortitude to go again?
Liverpool have come close to winning titles before, missed out, and bounced back in style. But the way they came close last season was quite something. Two different results and we’d be talking about a quadruple and one of the greatest teams of all time. Liverpool gave it the full throttle last season. Every ounce, and every inch. The Reds played every game they could possibly play last season, but the biggest prizes eluded them. If you were a cynic, you’d point out how, if two penalty shoot-outs had gone differently, they’d have won nothing. Winning nothing in itself shouldn’t be seen as some failure, but winning just two domestic cups after chasing everything would sting a bit, and definitely feel emotionally anti-climactic.
So, do Liverpool have the strength to go again. Towards the end of last season, fatigue started to set it, and asides the impressive arrival of Darwin Nunez – to replace Sadio Mane – the squad’s fabric is largely untouched. Whether this same squad can muster the fortitude to go again, or suffer from loser’s fatigue, time will tell.
The Manager – Jurgen Klopp
The German remains untouchable at Anfield, and last season signed a contract extension, pushing his time at the club beyond the expected 2024 date. Revered by the fans, and gives back in return, it’s up to him to re-galvanise a team that came close to winning the lot, and prevent any sort of lag.
Manchester City
Last Season: Premier League – Champions; FA Cup – Semi-finals; League Cup – 4th Round; UEFA Champions League – Semi-finals; Top Scorer – Riyad Mahrez (24)
The Question: Does getting Haaland fire them to Champions League glory?
Last season was probably the first in the Pep Guardiola era that Manchester City won just one trophy and it wasn’t met with over-critical post-mortems and dissections. Despite just a sole trophy to their name, many understand the gruel of the season, and how City withstood the Liverpool onslaught to retain their title. Even elimination from the Champions League wasn’t due to over-cooking the broth, more of another team caught in the Real Madrid narrative machine.
Much of the criticism directed at City not getting a number nine and playing with one last season read like confirmation bias. A team that got to 100 goals by February of 2022 probably didn’t need that much sneers at their lack of a conventional forward, especially as they got to the latter stages of all competitions the previous season with the same model. But there was truly a sense that having a conventional forward might have changed things a bit. A man to score when all isn’t particularly going well; one who’d step up in attack when the system isn’t quite working.
Enter Erling Haaland; arguably Europe’s most in-demand striker for the past two years. Haaland has created a reputation for himself as an insatiable goal machine, like a goal-seeking Terminator model. But that doesn’t knock his off-the-ball and link-up play up front. Yet, we know why he was signed; for the key moments, especially on continental soil. To say City have the final piece is quite odd. The system has been working fine. But this definitely feels like an updated model. Will it finally be enough for European conquest?
The Manager – Pep Guardiola
The Spaniard enters Season Seven of his time at the Etihad, where he’s still the don. He seems to be wary of the slackness that took hold of the team after the 2018/19 season, and hasn’t wasted time in reshaping the squad, with significant departures and arrivals. Or he’s just obsessed with new toys to play with tactically.
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