Penalising Juventus

[Blue Mastiff]

Why are Juventus getting so worked up about a couple of penalty claims against Parma? Rob Paton investigates.

“I think at this stage referees are afraid of giving a penalty to Juventus. We’ve only received one spot-kick this season,” reflected Antonio Conte after watching both Emanuele Giaccherini and Andrea Pirlo have claims against Parma turned down on Wednesday. “I am not just talking about [those] incidents, but it is a general view of the whole campaign that people are afraid of giving a penalty in favour of Juventus.”

Conte’s irritation in Parma was very similar to director general Beppe Marotta’s contempt after the club’s previous League outing. Where in at the Tardini Jonathan Biabiany had seemingly felled Giaccherini and Fabio Santacroce pulled back Pirlo, Siena’s Simone Vergassola had equally handled a cross in the penalty box in Turin. All were debatable decisions, particularly the one that fell in Siena’s favour, and in light of Juve’s misfortune, a rhetoric has begun.

Most significantly, such debate is being fuelled by those at the club, from Marotta’s ill-judged claims that the club need stronger referees to Conte’s tirade at the media this midweek, which has been supported by Andrea Pirlo, Pavel Nedved and even a club statement. Importantly, such words are taking column space and headlines away from the otherwise significant issues that the team are developing in these first weeks of the second half of the season.

Indeed, even as the Old Lady’s unbeaten run stretches on, comparisons with previous unbeaten sides Perugia 1979 and Milan 1992 are moving away from the latter and towards the former. In fact, as 1978-79 and 1991-92 boasted these unbeaten sides respectively, it was the Rossoneri who picked up the title in both seasons. In 1979, undefeated Perugia only finished second, because they drew almost two-thirds of their games.

Which, in light of Juve’s latest stalemate in 2011-12, is the example most cited as likely to be repeated. The midweek trip to Parma saw Conte’s side held to a second consecutive 0-0 in the League and a joint-League-high 10th draw from 22 played. Whilst dominating possession and generally looking comfortable in defence against Roberto Donadoni’s men, it was a quiet evening for the team’s attacking personnel, who between them struggled to create many clear-cut opportunities. Following on from the blank in Week 22 at home to Siena, in which the side recorded 70 per cent possession of the ball, concern surrounds the freshness of the Bianconeri forward-line.

Seventeen attempts at Parma’s goal and 20 against the Robur perhaps skew the graph slightly towards the argument of misfortune – an argument that would also back up the penalty discontent. However, nine of the 12 shots attempted inside Siena’s penalty area were either blocked by defenders or off-target, whilst similarly nine of the 13 inside the Gialloblu area failed to trouble the ‘keeper.

Where Conte is perhaps accurate to claim that Juve are playing as much as three-quarters of each game in and around the opponents’ penalty area, it is statistically true that three-quarters of their goal attempts in and around the penalty area are not finding their way to goal at all. It has also been a similar ratio throughout the season, with comparable rates recorded against Cagliari in Week 18, as well as in early-season draws against Bologna, Catania and Genoa. The 0-0 in Chievo in fact saw 100 per cent of shots in the area fail to test the ‘keeper.

The quandary is, where does the problem lie? In analysing the side’s three draws of 2012, it is interesting to note that only two players per game have created more than the one chance – one of those always being Pirlo. It is not to argue that Juve are dependant on Pirlo – there are six other players with more than one assist this season already – but the suggestion is there that in facing deep-laying banks of defence and midfield, the Bianconeri are statistically lacking the variety to their play.

As journalist Marcello Chirico wrote this week in reaction to the Parma struggle, “Juventus spent two hours trying to find a gap and not once did someone invent a play to unlock the game.”

Penalties would unlock such encounters and it is interesting to note that the two at the Tardini were the seventh and eighth contentious penalty calls to have gone against the Bianconeri this season. These are decisions that, it is argued, would have been the difference between the current 46-point total in the League and a more authoritative 54-point haul.

However, as a Coach to have described his preparation work with the players as meaning it is as close as he can get to having a remote control on the sidelines to conduct things, Conte may be outwardly blaming others for recent draws, but inwardly, he’ll most likely be changing the batteries.

[Juventino]

Maybe a few pens haven't been given, but the bottom line is we need to be more clinical and ruthless in these matches. The referee did not cause Vucinic to miss all 8 shots v Parma, or for Giaccherini to not convert his opportunity.

[Milos#27]

You hit the nail on the head there Juventino, we enjoy majority of the possession, something like 70%. As a result we spend extended periods of time in the opposition's half, they set up majority of the team behind the ball and we struggle to break them down. Although we have a lot of shots on goal most fail to make the keeper work or they are blocked, the article mentions this.

As for the penalty claims, i didn't see the hand ball incident in the game against siena, so i cant comment but as for the ones against parma giaccherini's could have gone either way, he didn't really have the ball under before biabiany clattered into him, but maybe he didn't get a chance to because of the contact. Pirlo's was non existent would have been better off trying to control the ball and make something of it.

Tricky game against catania this week, hopefully a more clinical Juve.

[Wayne Rooney's Elbow]

We’ve only received one spot-kick this season

Since when has there been a quota on how many penalties you should receive in a season?

[Milos#27]

We’ve only received one spot-kick this season

Since when has there been a quota on how many penalties you should receive in a season?

Very true, I believe that this is something a coach shouldn't worry about. However if you read the article, his comments are in relation to how many Juve has recieved against how many contentious calls have gone the other way. I think he is claiming that compared to the other clubs towards the top of the table, particularly Milan there has been reluctancy by the refs to convert those contentious calls into penalties for Juve, it's more about the clear cut penalties not been given time and time again.