Is It Time?

The Tinkerman's hour may be up. 4 goals in the last 5 games is hardly a stat that makes Juventus fans quiver with excitement. With such such a high-powered attack, boasting the likes of (now injured) David Trezeguet, Amauri, Alex Del Piero, Vincenzo Iaquinta, Mauro Camoranesi and Pavel Nedved, why aren't the goals flowing?

In my opinion, the problem lies in Claudio Ranieri's overwhelmingly cautious mindset. Too often he goes into matches hoping not to lose, rather than attempting to win. It happened multiple times last year, when Juve lost the title by not being able to beat the smaller teams. Too many times the players he dispatched seem intent on defending with their lives, rather than capitalizing on weaker opponents and attacking with aplomb. Interestingly enough, Ranieri seems to grow in confidence when his Bianconeri side face opponents of a larger magnitude, rarely ever losing to "big" clubs. More often than not, Juve has prevailed in the higher profile matches over the past year or so, leading me to believe that Ranieri does have it in his power to play with an aggressive mindset.

Many of Ranieri's critics (myself included) state that his tactics are too cautious overall, and he should be scrapped in favor of a more adventurous manager. While the midfield tandem of Christian Poulsen and Momo Sissoko offer plenty of steel and defensive cover, a more creative centre-midfielder would provide much of the spark the side needs. While much of the blame can be placed on Ranieri, it's been a long-standing point of contention with Juventus supporters over lack of discretion in the transfer market.

However, although Ranieri does seem to have a no-lose mindset, it has to be said that with the exception of Amauri, most of the attacking players have not been pulling their weight on the goalscoring front. With chances galore, someone besides the big Brazilian-Italian has to step up before Ranieri is sacrificed on their behalf.