Spalletti: ‘Juventus short in a couple of positions, I trust blindly’
Luciano Spalletti does not deny the fact that Juventus need new signings during the January transfer window, and has warned of the challenges that Cremonese pose ahead of their meeting in Serie A on Monday night.
Spalletti on Juventus vs. Cremonese, Jonathan David and transfer window
The Bianconeri will be the last of the Serie A sides to take to the field in Week 20, hosting Cremonese at the Allianz Stadium at 19.45 GMT.
Juve are coming in off the back of a confidence-boosting 3-0 victory away against Sassuolo, which included a particularly influential performance from the previously-criticised Jonathan David.
Despite the victory against Sassuolo last time out, Spalletti believes that Juventus still have ‘catching up’ to do in certain parts of the game.
“We’ve grown in lots of ways, but we have to catch up in certain other areas that are part of today’s football. These things have become fundamental, like regaining possession so that you can start an attack where you left off,” Spalletti told the media during his pre-match press conference on Sunday.
Spalletti was asked if he feels similarly at Juventus to his first season at Napoli, but the Bianconeri head coach insisted that these are two vastly different experiences.
“The feeling can’t be compared one way or another. In my opinion, we are on the right track, but we have to do it over and over again,” he said.
“We have to see if we’re able to do it against Cremonese, who have a great coach. Nicola knows Serie A very well and his teams are always able to take advantage of certain situations. He’s done well everywhere he’s gone, and that will be an extra problem for us.”
He continued: “Playing on a Monday allows us to watch all the other games. It’s not easy for anyone to win. There’s always the chance of a slip-up, and now we will have the European competitions and the Coppa Italia as well.
“We have to take as many points as possible, because if you lower your level, you will always find a team that is willing to fight, like Pisa. It’s better to think about things one game at a time.”
Spalletti was also asked if he feels that he has landed ‘in the right place at the right time’ at Juventus this season.
He replied: “It’s a pleasure to be in this job when you get the results. But it always depends on the availability of the players, because they’re the ones who make the difference.
“My players are strong, they are humble guys who know how to work as a team, and there is still room for individuality. Now, it’s essential to carry on like this. We need to be like Scuderia Ferrari and use the whole track, the kerbs, because at the moment we’re not great at using the whole pitch.”
And on David, who was widely criticised after his performance during Juve’s 1-1 draw with Lecce, but bounced back with a goalscoring display against Sassuolo, Spalletti said: “This can be an injection of confidence because he had a great game.
“I expect him to continue growing because he ties in very well with the team. He creates superiority in other areas of the pitch. He also has a good understanding with the team, and we’ll put trust in him tomorrow.”
Juventus have picked up 36 points at the half-way stage of the 2025-26 season, and some feel that they will need another 50 in the second half of the season if they are to realistically fight for the league title.
Does Spalletti feel that this is an achievable goal?
“I don’t know, there’s still a long way to go. We have to earn it, then we’ll see where we end up. It’s better to run and not rush too much, and take things game by game. We’ll talk about it a lot, but we still have time.”
And, when asked about the transfer window, Spalletti said: “We have to do things in some areas. We’re a bit short in a couple of positions. The transfer window is handled by our directors and I trust blindly. We have our antennae switched on and need to have two options in these positions.”