Kwadwo Asamoah

by John Cascarano

Last winter, it was no secret that Conte craved another top quality central midfielder. The part that nobody realized was that CM was Simone Padoin. By the Summer when Beppe Marotta was able to beat Manchester United to sign Kwadwo Asamoah from Udinese, it appeared as if the Ghanian box-to-box midfielder would end Padoin’s time in black and white. The M. Night Shyamalan twist, of course, is that Padoin remains while Asamoah has been shifted out wide as a left wingback — and to very positive results.

A prototypical strong tackling CM at Udinese, I am impressed with how well he can dribble, pass, cross, and shoot. Clearly possessing versatility along with his little noticed (by me, at least) technical ability, I still find myself dumbfounded when Conte needs to rotate his squad that he does not move Asamoah back to the center at times. This is especially notable when considering that Emanuele Giaccherini — whose attributes far more translate to that of a left-sided wide player — is often played in the middle. That is, of course, no knock against Kwadwo.

Pagelle Average Rating: 6.4
Matches Played: 24

José Martín Cáceres

by Aaron Giambattista

Caceres’ return to Juventus was welcomed by all Juventus fans, and marked with a tremendous brace against Milan in the Coppa Italia. He got a bit of playing time here and there in the Spring, whether at wing-back or center back. With the arrival of Isla and the maturity shown by Marrone, Martin has been somewhat marginalized this season, playing only a handful of matches as the first choice center-backs have been generally healthy.

He’s been a bit shaky in the few games he’s played, but understandable given the rare playing time conceded. The Uruguayan should hopefully see more time with Chiellini out, otherwise there will be questions over his future at Juventus.

Pagelle Average Rating: 6.1
Matches Played: 9

Paolo De Ceglie

by Aaron Giambattista

The last two seasons, both Gigi Delneri and Antonio Conte pledged to play the Val D’Aosta born fullback as their starter, and Paolino repaid their confidence with some solid displays. With Asamoah’s signing and subsequent “rebranding” as a wingback, De Ceglie has been put on the bench, and as we’ve seen in years past, that infrequent playing time degrades his performances. Not surprisingly, he’s not been the same player as last year, being shakier in defense and less confident in attacking play. I’m firmly a believer in Paolino- he’s never going to be a world class player, but he brings something to the team, even as simple as accurate crossing. Peluso’s arrival probably means either De Ceglie or Caceres will be benched even though Asamoah and Chiellini are out, and if Paolino sits on the bench all Spring as well, he will likely leave this summer.
 

Pagelle Average Rating: 5.7    Matches Played: 8

Mauricio Aníbal Isla

by John Cascarano

Brought over as the other half of the deal which also ensnared Kwadwo Asamoah, Mauricio Isla seemed a potentially great albeit excess signing by some. I conversely lauded the move, based on Isla’s versatility on top of his undeniable talent. His detractors love to point out that life has not begun smoothly in Turin and, while I cannot argue, I do not share the panic. More talented players have taken a long time to adjust to the weight of the black and white shirt, and that is not even considering the severity of the knee injury which Isla still seems to be recovering from. Yes, there is some real concern that he is permanently affected, however that at least has been considered by management as his deal is that of a co-ownership. I remain optimistic about him as he is still young and was simply too good in Udine.

Pagelle Average Rating: 5.9
Matches Played: 9

Stephan Lichtsteiner

by Adam Digby

He has appeared to struggle somewhat since Conte made 3-5-2 his de facto formation but that is almost entirely because of how well he played in the 4-3-3. Whether or not that formation returns in light of Chiellini’s injury is somewhat irrelevant as the Swiss international has to impress if he is to retain his place once Mauricio Isla is 100% fit. His tireless running, appetite for tackling and desire to play a full part in Bianconeri attacks make him invaluable to Juventus but needs to rediscover the consistency which was a hallmark of his first six months in Turin.

Pagelle Average Rating: 6.2     Matches Played: 17

Simone Pepe

by Lars Aabjerg Pedersen

Poor Simone… While it is fair to say that Pepe was never intended to be a main protagonist in this ConteJuve 2.0, it is still sad to see that his recurring injury problems has reduced his role this season such as is the case. He was never a world beater, but his “joker” status has sometimes obscured his very real qualities as a player – especially in the 4-3-3 (or 3-3-4) variations of Conte’s playing style, which seem to be enjoying something of a renaissance presently. One can only hope that Pepe will soon be able to inject his passionate and tireless versatility directly into the team once more, as well as his famous good cheer. Missed on the field and the bench.

Pagelle Average Rating: 5.5
Matches Played: 1