“Football is simple, lads. It’s pointless complicating it, it’s simple. On the pitch you have to do the opposite of what your opponent does.”
Simplicity. That’s been the key word of Massimiliano Allegri’s career – as he made it clear in several interviews and press conferences, including the one from which the quote was extracted back from 2017 (Football Italia).
In this sense, the returning Juventus manager can be described as a nonconformist. Whilst we live in a world where most people will explain to you how complicated their jobs are, Max will tell it otherwise.
“I don’t have to watch videos for hours and hours, I look at what I need to look at, and within a quarter of an hour I understand what I can understand.
“If I spend all day watching videos, by the end I won’t understand anything”
Nowadays, every football manager now has his own philosophy, his own brand of football, and even his own magical numbers that are used to indicate his signature tactical lineup.
In fact, the Bianconeri had their fair share of coaches who tried to implement their personal ideas rather than tending to the needs of the team.
In this regard, Maurizio Sarri is arguably the best example, as he arrived with a clear idea (at least in his own mind) about how football should be played, but the squad didn’t exactly buy into it.
Andrea Pirlo’s tenure began and ended without us being able to understand what is his exact philosophy – as he’s obviously still trying to figure out his own game.
But even Antonio Conte – the man who kick-started Juve’s latest winning dynasty – might not be the perfect candidate for the club with his obsession in details which can sometimes prevent some of the more talented players from performing to their best standards.
On the other hand, Allegri’s relaxed tactical approach mixed with his organic passion to the game and defensively solid tactics makes the perfect contrast for the black and white club.
Similarly to Marcello Lippi – who might arguably be Juve’s most successful manager – Max would always ensure that his backline is up to the task, and well-supported by the midfield, but at the same time, he would always leave some space for maneuver in attack, allowing the talent upfront the freedom to be creative.
Therefore, Allegri’s approach will be crucial for a side that is relying on the excellence of the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo (if he stays) and Paulo Dybala, and now it will be up for the management to support him with the right signings in order to relaunch yet another winning dynasty.
In conclusion, Max is “Simply” the best option.