What to expect from Juventus in 2015-16

After a summer shake-up of Massimiliano Allegri's squad, can the Bianconeri maintain their domestic dominance while at the same time pushing on in Europe?

 

Arturo Vidal, Carlos Tevez and Andrea Pirlo - how heavily will departures of this quality weigh upon Juventus' bid for a fifth successive Scudetto? We'll find out very soon.

Of course, in the first true test of their season, the Bianconeri passed with flying colours, sweeping Lazio aside in the Supercoppa Italiana to rack up the third trophy of coach Massimiliano Allegri's tenure, and the eighth of the Andrea Agnelli's presidency.

However, claiming another Serie A title will prove a far sterner examination of the Old Lady's credentials. Furthermore, replicating last season's run to the final of the Champions League final will not be at all easy, particularly in light of the greater financial might of Europe's top clubs and a summer of wholesale changes in Turin.





While it would be wrong to talk of a revolution at Juve, the Old Lady has certainly been rejuvenated, reinvigorated by the arrival of several fresh faces. Director general Beppe Marotta and sporting director Fabio Paratici wanted, for several reasons, to shake up the squad. The experienced core remains well represented by Gianluigi Buffon, Andrea Barzagli, Giorgio Chiellini, Claudio Marchisio and Leonardo Bonucci but there have been notable departures, including Simone Pepe and Marco Storari. Unlike Vidal, Pirlo or Tevez, neither Pepe nor Storari were particularly important on the pitch but they were influential presences off it, in the dressing room.

There's also been a subtle but significant tactical and strategic shift, with Juve having now decided to fully embrace 'Allegri 2.0', which essentially means a less physical and more technical approach. The former Milan boss wants a flexible team, one capable of changing formation depending upon characteristics of the opposition. Indeed, while 4-3-1-2 is the preferred system, 3-5-2 remains a vital alternative, as evidenced by its deployment in the Supercoppa against Lazio. Once again, Allegri's insistence on tactical fluidity yielded a positive result. Consequently, there is now total faith in the coach and his project.

This summer, then, was about acquiring players that are not only versatile but young and hungry; new additions to maintain Juve's drive for further trophies; to ensure that the Bianconeri's training sessions are as competitive as their matches.

Juve want to not only strengthen their stranglehold on Serie A but also solidify their standing on the European stage. Achieving the latter will be far from straightforward, of course, but the Bianconeri proved last season that they are once again capable of rising to the big occasion.

In addition, they have made several quality signings to replace those who have departed - Mario Mandzukic and Sami Khedira are proven world-class talents, while Paulo Dybala is player of enormous potential - but, in the short-term, Juve's fate will depend upon Paul Pogba. Having stayed in Turin despite interest from England and Spain's finest, Pogba has been handed the prestigious No.10 jersey and is no longer a member of the supporting cast - he is now Juve's leading man. The Bianconeri are hoping to start a new cycle of success and Pogba is the key cog in the wheel.

Much will depend on Allegri, though. After the initial scepticism that greeted his appointment as Antonio Conte's successor, the former AC Milan boss didn't just keep Juve on track domestically last season, he drove them all the way to Berlin. It will now be fascinating to see where he takes them next.