OP-ED Did Juventus make a mistake in signing Higuain?
Why, then, have Juventus changed so often of late. Partly forced to do so by certain departures (Tevez, Vidal, Pogba), one gets the feeling that the Bianconeri have done too much of that of late, and the acquisition of Gonzalo Higuain may have something to do with it.
Don’t get me wrong, Higuain is an exceptional player, and one who has shown a lot of abnegation in sacrificing himself for the team, and doing good defensive work.
The problem is that, by reinforcing the attack, Juventus seem to have left their midfield cupboard bare: with Claudio Marchisio still injured, the Bianconeri are stuck with Mario Lemina, who doesn’t seem ready for the role yet, despite everyone always talking up his potential. Hernanes is hardly a champion, and Kwadwo Asamoah has injury problems. Nils Liedholm once said that teams play better with ten men, rather than eleven. That was the case in midweek as Lemina was sent off against Lyon.
Miralem Pjanic himself doesn’t seem to be able to hold the line in front of the defence, and hasn’t found his role quite yet.
In other words, it’s all good and well to buy someone like Higuain, but was it worth leaving the midfield exposed?
Fernando Pernambuco, adapted by @EdoDalmonte
