What's up with Vlahovic? He hasn't scored in eight games!

Dusan Vlahovic has always held immense respect for Erling Haaland and has studied the movement of the Norwegian striker, whom he calls "a goal machine." However, Vlahovic does not see Haaland only as a role model but also as a peer. He firmly believes that both he and Haaland possess similar levels of talent and technique.

Currently, though, Haaland is performing on a completely different level compared to the Serbian striker. On Tuesday, Haaland broke the record for the most goals scored in a season by a Premier League player (45), and it's not even mid-April yet.

Meanwhile, Vlahovic's place in Juventus' starting lineup for their Europa League quarter-final against Sporting CP is uncertain due to two reasons. Firstly, he is nursing a minor ankle injury. Secondly, and more importantly, he is experiencing the worst goal drought of his Serie A career, failing to score in his last eight games, of which he started seven. As a result, his poor form has become a major talking point in Turin and beyond.

'A foreign body in this Juventus'

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At an economics event in Florence, Fiorentina president Rocco Commisso took the opportunity to criticize former forward Dusan Vlahovic. Commisso boasted about the success of the €15 million combined deal for Arthur Cabral and Luka Jovic, who have scored a total of 20 goals across three competitions. In contrast, Vlahovic has only scored 10 goals in Turin, two of which were penalties, leaving him with half the number of goals as Fiorentina's two forwards.

Vlahovic has only scored 10 goals in Turin, two of which were penalties

Commisso also mentioned that Fiorentina earned €70m, making the Cabral-Jovic deal excellent for the club compared to the Juventus deal for Vlahovic. The gap between the three players' goal-scoring tally has only grown since Commisso's speech, with Cabral and Jovic now at 24 goals, while Vlahovic has only added one more in the interim.

Vlahovic seems to be struggling to integrate himself into Massimiliano Allegri's team, and some pundits believe that he still appears like a foreign body in Juventus. Even after a year, the situation has not improved, and some believe that Vlahovic looks more isolated and out of place than ever before.

'Juventus will not change with Allegri'

Antonio Cassano, despite having controversial views, made a noteworthy observation just after the confirmation of Vlahovic's move from Fiorentina to Juventus. Cassano stated that Vlahovic had made a "sensationally wrong" choice of club. He warned on BoboTV that Juventus would change with Allegri, neither in the coming year nor in the next 10 years. This was a valid point because even last season, there were legitimate concerns about whether Vlahovic would fit into his new coach's style of play.

Juventus will not change with Allegri

Vlahovic had thrived at Fiorentina playing under coaches with more expansive footballing philosophies than Allegri's painfully pragmatic approach. There was hope that Juve might adopt a more attacking approach this season. However, when Vlahovic arrived in Turin, the team was struggling, and Allegri focused on securing a Champions League berth with a win-at-all-costs mentality. This year was meant to be different, but injuries to key players and a 15-point penalty deduction have forced Allegri's hand. At a club where winning is everything, ugly wins have become the norm at Juventus.

'There was criticism for Cristiano when he arrived'

Vlahovic has been displaying signs of increasing frustration on the field, and the fact that he has deleted his Instagram account is little comfort to him. This is not the first time he has done so, as he has taken breaks from social media on at least two previous occasions when he faced significant criticism for his performances. On the eve of the Sporting game, Allegri pointed out that even Cristiano Ronaldo faced criticism when he first arrived.

There was criticism for Cristiano when he arrived

However, Allegri believes that Vlahovic, who is 22 years old, will find the goal again, as he has improved technically and has very specific characteristics that make him a strong player. Despite his recent struggles, Allegri suggests that Vlahovic should remain calm and focused, as there are always moments of difficulty throughout a player's career. Nevertheless, the statistics may indicate otherwise.

'Vlahovic just needs to stay calm'

During his last 18 months at Stadio Artemio Franchi, he scored 41 goals in 65 games across all competitions, with an impressive goal-per-minute ratio of 126.7. However, since joining Juventus, his scoring rate has dropped to an average of 199.8 minutes per goal, and his conversion rate for big chances has fallen from 65% to 50%. Additionally, his overall shot conversion and shooting accuracy have also declined.

Vlahovic's scoring rate has dropped to an average of 199.8 minutes per goal

In a recent interview with DAZN, Juventus coach Allegri advised Vlahovic to work on his game management and avoid rushing when the ball arrives, which could improve his finishing. While Vlahovic has shown potential and has everything needed to improve, it remains to be seen if he will reach his full potential under Allegri's management.

'The Juve shirt comes with a lot of pressure

The working relationship between Vlahovic and Juve is good, but it's clear that he has not yet reached his full potential at the club. Alessandro Del Piero, a Juventus legend, has raised concerns about a possible psychological aspect affecting Vlahovic's performance, as the pressure of playing for such a prestigious club can weigh heavily on a player.

On the other hand, Christian Vieri argues that Vlahovic's struggles are a result of a tactical mismatch rather than any personal shortcomings. He believes that if Vlahovic were playing for a team more suited to his strengths, such as Inter, he would have scored many more goals this season.

Del Piero has raised concerns about a possible psychological aspect affecting Vlahovic's performance

Prandelli echoes Vieri's sentiments, stating that the blame lies not with Vlahovic, but with his coach and teammates. He believes that the team should provide Vlahovic with more service, and not just rely on him to do the dirty work.

Despite his struggles at Juve, Vlahovic has continued to perform well at the international level, with six goals in his last six appearances for Serbia. There is still hope that he can reach his full potential at Juve, and all parties involved are willing to work towards making this happen.

'Juve cannot give up someone like Vlahovic'

Vlahovic was keen on joining Juventus last January, and the feeling was mutual. His former coach, Iachini, is confident that he will eventually find success despite criticism over his lack of scoring. According to Iachini, all strikers go through such periods, and Vlahovic has been dealing with a groin problem that has impacted his training.

'Juve cannot give up someone like Vlahovic'

Despite this setback, Iachini believes that Vlahovic's quality will ultimately see him through. However, Juventus' recent revival may not be enough to secure a top-four finish, and the club could be forced to sell a star player this summer if they fail to secure Champions League football. As their most valuable asset, Vlahovic has attracted interest from Premier League clubs such as Arsenal and Chelsea, as well as Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich, who are in need of a new No.9. While Vlahovic has a long way to go before he can compete with players like Haaland on the biggest stages, he must focus on proving his worth to Juventus and any potential suitors for the rest of the season.

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