It is the end of an era for Juventus as the five consecutive title-winning manager Massimiliano Allegri will no longer lead the team.
The club board decided that after five successful years with the Italian specialist, they want to see the club go in a different direction.
They won it all in Italy, but it seems that the few disappointing Champions League campaigns took the lead and resulted in a managerial switch.
There were some controversial opinions on the team’s new head coach Maurizio Sarri following his inconsistent first Premier League season coaching Chelsea.
He had some ups and downs but luckily, the Blues ended the season at the top, winning the Europa League and securing Champions League football for next season.
This has surely affected the decision on Juventus’ next manager, as the club recognized Allegri’s replacement in him.
This raised a lot of questions on what’s going to be the team’s tactical approach, how is he going to implement his Sarriball philosophy, and is he good enough to keep them at the highest level.
The transfer window is another matter that’s been discussed since his appointment since there are no signs of the Black and Whites being active out there.
Even though there is one certain player that is heavily linked with the club and might be just enough for them to dominate once again.
One of the most talked about young talents Matthijs de Ligt is said to have agreed on terms with the Bianconerri.
He created wonders as Ajax’s captain and played a huge part of their title-winning campaign.
De Ligt has shown what he is capable of and might turn out to be the perfect replacement for Giorgio Chiellini or Leonardo Bonucci as they enter the twilight of their career.
They are the key figures for Juve’s defensive achievements and the team needs to start looking for replacements so the transition can be smooth and successful.
But how in fact, can the Dutch centre-back impact the teams’ performance and integrate with his teammates-to-be?
This Matthijs de Ligt tactical analysis will look into how Sarri tactics could use De Ligt’s strengths in order to secure a strong performance in his first season on board.
Matthijs de Ligt Mentality and adaptation
Some of the most valued qualities in the players are their mentality and attitude.
Fitting to a new club at such a young age and managing to implicate the manager’s vision and tactics means a player needs to be calm, confident and respectful.
De Ligt is only 19 years old but has shown a maturity beyond his age.
Being a leading figure for his teammates and showing impressively strong decision-making has brought him under the spotlight and made him fans’ favourite.
In the last few years, this leading figure for Juventus has been Chiellini.
The 34-year-old is one of the reasons for the outstanding defensive performance Juventus pull out.
His presence is immensely important, but it is unlikely that he has many more active seasons ahead of him.
Allegri already started the transition by experimenting with different backlines throughout the season.
Due to Andrea Barzagli’s departure, Sarri might not have the opportunity to rotate the players frequently enough and yet have a solid defensive line.
No matter his age, De Ligt seems like the only realistic option to replace Barzagli now and Chiellini in the future, showing the same strong mentality.
Matthijs de Ligt Defensive impact
Although he is a centre-back, his role is much more expanded and colourful.
The youngster has shown an outstanding ability to find the balance in his performance and Matthijs de Ligt style of play reflects that.
Not only he brings solidity to Ajax’s back line, but he also has a great contribution to their offensive actions.
His positioning is on a very high level and not only does he manage to quickly transition defensively but he is also aware of his teammates’ positioning and takes responsibility to cover them whenever they happen to be out of position.
This could be extremely helpful in the later stages of Juventus’ games as Bonucci and Chiellini often get tired which leads to some individual mistakes.
This extra support from De Ligt could help in closing newly opened gaps.
The Dutchman is extremely important for gaining back possession and providing the ball to more advanced areas.
With his 11.67 recoveries on average per 90 minutes, he manages to take control and slow down the tempo when the team is under pressure.
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