The reJUVEnator

You know that piece of clothing you have in your drawer that you use once in a while but never actually realise how cool it is until a friend of yours takes it and makes it his/her favoite? Well that your friend is Juventus.

Could it be their scouting system? Or maybe it’s just random. Call it what you want to but the old lady certainly knows how to get the best out of
The old gents. Saying the Turin side are a team that solely goes after “washed up” stars is of course totally out of place and simply wrong but the strategy employed in attracting some of Europe’s talented “old men” is something that has to be looked at keenly.

Most talented rejects?

Pirlo’s switch from Milan to Juve esembled the move of a player at the end of his career and Juve as a comfortable burial ground, the Itallian midfielder was never really appreciated as much at Milan, a few years into his Juve career and we all realised this man is up there with the greats.

Patrice Evra’s move from United to Juve was even more perplexing, I felt this old man had little to offer after being part of a United side that won it all under Fergie and struggled in his last season under David Moyes and couldn’t make it into the french national team but after one season at Turin, he was a mainstay in the french National team at the Euros and was integral in juve’s Seria A success last season. There are of course other players who weren’t old per say but were still at crossoads in their careers, players like Mandzukic, Cuadrado, Carlos Tevez and Dani Alves were either surplus to requirement at their previous club or losing interest in football but at Juve, they are important players now.

There certainly are many factors involved when analysing this issue, the players in question were all talented players at their prime but either due to injuries, not fitting it(at previous club) or form,  were discarded by their previous clubs and Juve are the beneficiaries, I feel that;

JUVE ARE A DOMINANT FORCE ALREADY

The fact that Juve are a dominant force in Italy and Europe as a whole with a lot of good players at theirr disposal makes it easier for these players to slot into the team and be successful.

THEY USUALLY COME CHEAP WITH LOW EXPECTATION

When Juve added paul Pogba to their ranks for a measely fee, no one thought he would grow into the superstar he is now. The fact is that these players come into the side with little or no expectation from them so they get to play their football away from the media’s eyes(which is a blessing in disguise) and the fans don’t get on their backs for every error made.

THE SERIA A MAKES IT EASIER TO FIT IN

This will not sit well with a lot of people, but there’s a serious talent drain in the Italian league. Quality players are few there, so it’s way easier for a perveived “washed up” star to shine there. This is evident in the fact that despite their dominance in Italian football, they haven’t been able to implement such a stronghold in Europe.

There certainly are other factors as to why players that seem to be at the end of the tunnel suddenly find their way back to the centre, maybe it’s the food at Turin or the manner with which the club is managed, maybe it’s the fans or the team’s playing style.

Sometime in life, things might not be going as good as intended but it doesn’t mean you’re less of a man, maybe it’s just a change of environment you need and who knows? You might be the next Paul Pogba, dabbing your way to the bank.