Juventus’ recent slump shows Cristiano Ronaldo was carrying the team all along

A look at the Serie A table paints a gloomy picture of Juventus. The Bianconeri have just a point from three matches and currently sit two places above the relegation zone.

For a team that dominated the Italian top flight and won nine consecutive league titles in the last decade, this doesn’t speak well of the Old Lady.

Max Allegri's return was meant to get the club back on track but very little has changed. On Saturday, Juventus suffered yet another defeat when they were beaten on the road by Napoli, thanks to Kalidou Koulibaly's late winner.

The Bianconeri’s slump started two years ago and they are desperately in need of a rebuild. Unfortunately, though, the majority of their current players are just not up to the task.

FT | ⌛️ | Full-time in Naples.#NapoliJuve #FinoAllaFine #ForzaJuve pic.twitter.com/HV5FBjEvH5

— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) September 11, 2021

Juventus still winless this season

This is definitely Juventus’ worst start to a season in more than a decade. Not only are they winless in three matches, but they also look clueless on the pitch.

Against Napoli, Allegri’s side was completely outplayed and they rarely ever threatened their more industrious opponents.

Napoli bossed the game, enjoyed a larger share of possession and created some decent chances. Meanwhile, Juventus had to rely on the individual brilliance of their forwards.

Unfortunately, though, Alvaro Morata’s early strike wasn’t enough as second-half goals from Matteo Politano and Kalidou Koulibaly helped Napoli overturn the result.

A Juventus fan holding a sign which says "Who needs Ronaldo?" after Ronaldo left the club.Juventus are currently 15th in Serie A with one point from three games. pic.twitter.com/v4qPmLUWLa

— Footy Humour (@FootyHumour) September 12, 2021

Juventus paying for not replacing prolific Ronaldo

There was a school of thought that held Cristiano Ronaldo accountable for Juventus’ slump. According to them, Ronaldo held the team back.

However, there hasn’t been an improvement since the Portuguese left to rejoin Manchester United. What has been proven, though, is that Juventus’ problems run deeper than Ronaldo.

At least the five-time Ballon d’Or winner used to guarantee them goals. Ronaldo scored 101 goals in just three seasons with Juventus. He also won the Capocannoniere with 29 goals last season. Now they’re even struggling to score due to the bluntness of their attack.

“I cannot reproach my players for anything this evening,” Allegri admitted after Saturday’s defeat to Napoli, as quoted by Football Italia.

“We put in a worse performance against Empoli, but today unfortunately we paid the price for errors.

“We weren’t as precise technically and lost the ball a few too many times in the second half. Napoli played very well, but in football when you don’t win, you can only shut up and work hard.”

If anything, Juventus’ latest struggles suggest Ronaldo was the one carrying the team. Without his goals, they wouldn’t have even finished in the top four last season. Now the Bianconeri are paying for not replacing such a prolific forward.