Many questions to ask but is Juventus in trouble?

Many questions to ask but is Juventus in trouble? After shock loss to struggling Benevento in the Premier League

 

Heads down! A shock loss to Benevento has thrown Juventus under scrutiny and could be worse if they lose against Napoli in April. (Photo credit: Sky Italia)

Stranger things have happened especially in the world of football but the current standings in Serie A leaves us with too many questions and a lot of what-ifs?

 

The headline in Serie A this weekend is that Juventus lost to Benevento, a side who hadn't won since Jan. 6. 

As often happens, you can extrapolate a parallel narrative where Arthur doesn't make a boneheaded gift of a blind pass for the opposition goal, where Federico Chiesa wins a penalty (that Cristiano Ronaldo converts), where Danilo buries his late chance and where Juve wins the game.

 

And if all of that had happened, guess what? If that had happened, plenty in the football world would have marvelled at Juve's never-say-die attitude, at their "winning mentality" and at the fact that they'd won five games on the spin and may yet reopen the title race. (As if...)

The above scenario is extremely plausible because we've heard it all before last season and, at times, under Max Allegri. 

It fits with a certain "winning is all that matters" ethos, and it's poisonous and counterproductive. 

Yes, Juventus could have won this game, but it wouldn't have changed an abject performance and it wouldn't have changed the fact that, right now, this team can't do what Pirlo wants them to do. (Or maybe he's not the guy to get them to do it... who knows?)

Juventus reiterated that Pirlo's job is safe and that he (and Ronaldo) will be back next season. Good. In Pirlo's case, it means they believe in what he's doing. 

 

There's a long journey ahead and Pirlo may not get to the end of it, but he's going in the right direction. 

All that said, the thought that must keep Juve President Andrea Agnelli awake at night is that if they lose their game in hand against SS Napoli on April 7, they slip to fifth place. 

And if they're still there at the end of the season, there's no Champions League next year and there is a massive revenue loss.

If that happens, all bets are off.