sport news ALVISE CAGNAZZO: Massimiliano Allegri has 'the gaze of a dead man walking' at ... trends now
After Juventus lost 1-0 to newly-promoted Monza in Serie A last weekend, #Allegriout began trending on social media. It certainly feels as though the tide is turning against the experienced manager.
It is growing increasingly clear that both the team and board are losing faith in the Italian coach and a meeting is planned this weekend as Juve fight to save their season at this early stage.
According to reports, there is an agreement between chairman Andrea Agnelli and the rest of the club's hierarchy to await the outcome of the Board of Directors meeting before making any decision on Allegri's future.
The Juventus team and board are beginning to lose faith in manager Massimiliano Allegri
However, the major stumbling block is that it would cost Juventus £39million to sack the 55-year-old and his staff, then about £30million more to hire a replacement.
Allegri's reputation as a defensive-minded manager has made Juventus an easy team to play against and they are no longer feared.
Large passages of games are taken up by horizontal passes between Bonucci, Danilo and Bremer in defence. The midfield is slow and doesn't ask for the ball and the attack lacks courage and creativity.
As Serie A becomes a more attack-minded division, Juventus are at risk of being left behind. Against Sampdoria, Monza and Fiorentina, the Old Lady personified their nickname and looked completely out of ideas.
Veteran defender Bonucci was left on the bench against Monza. But why did Allegri leave out the squad's most experienced player in a game in which Juventus played like a small white rabbit chased by a hunter in the countryside?
The Old Lady suffered a shock 1-0 defeat by newly-promoted Monza in Serie A last weekend
Veteran defender Leonardo Bonucci has always had a fractured relationship with Allegri
Relations between the pair have always been fractured and being named as a substitute was perhaps Bonucci's punishment for his suggestion that Juve 'deserved to be booed' after losing to Benfica in the Champions League last week.
Allegri's gaze is that of a dead man walking. He appears oblivious to any of his shortcomings as a coach that are obvious to everyone else.
Juventus' players seem not to listen to him and training appears to lack intensity. Whenever the club posts training videos on social media, there are several comments on the lack of effort on show.
Bremer and Dusan Vlahovic are shadows of the players that Juventus thought they signed, but director Pavel Nedved is afraid of seeing the £96million they spent go to waste.
