Juventus, the Woltemade case: Spalletti sees him everywhere; at 24, he still has no position

Spalletti's description could fit an all-round player (from Johan Cruyff downwards), or a footballer who, at 24, has yet to establish his technical and tactical identity or reach maturity. Woltemade clearly falls into the latter category. On a straight one-year loan to Juventus this season, with neither an obligation nor an option to buy, Woltemade needs to move quickly to find his place in Spalletti's team. The manager must show the nous and intuition to find the right role and spaces for the number 27 in his system. That won't be easy, given the German's characteristics and the presence of other players with 'crossover' characteristics in the squad, starting with Randal Kolo Muani.

At yesterday's press conference, Spalletti called on the whole team, including Woltemade, to show more venom and ferocity: "We are not ferocious enough when a match presents us with the chance to change everything. When that moment comes, we must not hesitate; we must demand a solution right then. It is in moments like these that many results are secured. We do not have enough venom." Character and personality matter, but Juventus do not appear short of either, and nor does the manager. At times, Juventus seem too fired up, if anything. Instead, they often lack a clear-headed idea of how to play and what to do on the pitch. Woltemade is an example of that. Today, the German has 90 minutes to prove his detractors wrong and start thinking about his future. After just five appearances, that future already seems to lie away from Juventus.