Juve, Kulusevski from phenomenon to mysterious object? No

For Pirlo, his role is that of attacking midfielder, but right now he comes after Ramsey and McKennie in the manager’s hierarchy. From freak to mystery object? For Dejan Kulusevski it is certainly not the best moment, as evidenced by the lack of use in the last month, but no one dreams of doubting the qualities that pushed Juventus to shell out 40 million to take over in January.

Without a doubt especially in Turin, where they still blindly believe in the potential of the Swede who last year enchanted with the Parma jersey. But the difficulties of acclimatization and insertion in Pirlo’s schemes are a reality certified by the numbers and only by two appearances in the last month. The impact with a great team and a new dimension has been felt, now it is up to Kulusevski to be able to take the qualitative leap necessary to assume the role of the protagonist as everyone had expected from the day of his landing in Turin.

New reality

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The difference between the player who was furious in Parma and the one who trudges today in Turin is visible to all. The decrease in performance so far has been striking and also certified by the votes collected: if last season in Parma he closed with an average score close to 7, today the Swede does not reach enough in the ten appearances collected. Except for the feat of the debut seasoned by the goal against Sampdoria, when he deserved an average rating close to 8, Kulusevski progressively descended until he slipped to the bottom of Pirlo’s hierarchies. The Juventus coach replaced him in the 57th minute of the derby with Granata to make him a spectator in the following games against Barcelona and Atalanta. In the middle, just 7 ‘in Genoa with the result already achieved. “It was not the right match for him,” Pirlo said after the Atalanta match explaining his lack of use, but last season’s Kulusevski certainly would not have been a spectator. The memory of that player who caused panic with the Parma jersey, ending the season with 10 goals and eight assists in 40 appearances, faded in the first months in Turin. But once the changes have been metabolized and Pirlo’s dictates have been assimilated, the Swede will fly again as before, no one on the Juventus coach’s squad has the slightest doubt.

Competition

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The role, on the other hand, hasn’t changed much. As was the case in Parma, Kulusevski was used primarily as an attacking midfielder, a role that Pirlo considers more in line with his characteristics. There, however, the Swede finds himself competing with Ramsey, whom Pirlo has so far preferred for his experience and adaptability. In the last month or so, the competition has even increased, because the McKennie explosion did not go unnoticed. In fact, today the Swede is behind the Welshman and the American, forced to roll up their sleeves to understand the movements that Pirlo requires and the double position to occupy according to the phase of the game: as an outside player in the 4-4-2 that the team adopts when the ball belongs to opponents, as an offensive midfielder rather than when the ball belongs to Juve. A matter of time, dedication and application, the 20-year-old Swede is not lacking in all things. As the undisputed talent that the difficulties of acclimatization cannot have canceled.