Allegri on Juve: “Retirement is not a punishment, but now we have to rebuild”

Massimiliano Allegri, why did you change your plans after the defeat in Haifa?
«The withdrawal is not a punishment, but a moment to be together. We need it to give order and then when there are no results it shows blacker than it is. Being together and talking can do well, I talk to the team every day: we came from a three-day retreat in Israel and had to go home to collect the stuff ».

Did the players not want to go into retreat?
«That’s not true, the team has never asked us not to retire and we all know the moment we are living. We arrived at 6pm on Wednesday, did some training and then met again the next morning. The situation is not nice, now we have to get a result ».

Are the players on your side? Is the team compact?
«When there are these moments we say that the team is not compact … We want to reverse the trend, but no one gives us anything. There are difficulties and we must overcome them: getting out of this situation is fundamental, but it cannot be solved with a match. In the meantime we do a good performance as a team, then let’s see ».

What reaction do you want to see tomorrow against Taurus?
«It’s the derby, a very heartfelt and difficult match. Taurus attacks, has intensity and will be a complicated challenge. You have to be careful and short, working as a team to get a positive result “

Are there any minimum goals not to be questioned?
We are late in the championship, we paid for the week with Monza and Salernitana … We have time to recover, but we have to start over. We will think about the Champions League after Empoli. The president has given charge to the team, now we need to compact even more. Team, coach, managers and fans: all compact, doing simple and tidy things.

In these moments, is the recklessness of the young or the responsibility of the old guard more useful?
«Unconsciousness must never abandon us and must belong to the young and the elderly: it is useful when you are in difficulty. The field will say what game we will play tomorrow ».

Why can the challenge of returning to be Juve be won?
«It’s not my challenge, but everyone’s: we win and lose together. The team has worked well these days and we need to get a result with Toro ».

The team runs little, is there a problem of physical condition?
“Data is an end in itself, then it becomes a vicious circle. Where we raced more we did less well … The data are all valid, but there is no one that solves the problem ».

Why is there no competitive malice?
«Haifa’s approach was good in the first two minutes, then we suffered four crosses. It must not happen against Toro which has technical players ».

Will Kean have a starting opportunity?
«In the Champions League, in the finishing phase, he had a nuisance and I took him to the bench. Tomorrow he has to choose between three forwards for two places ».

Is Paredes in trouble?
«He arrived, he made himself available, he had played little in the PSG. The problem is not paredes or others: it is the whole team, you have to work as a team. Taking one step at a time: not everything is built in a day and now we have to rebuild ».

What makes you angry about your Juve?
Since the beginning of the season, we have paid little attention to goals taken off guard. Against Maccabi, in Florence … It is a question of attention, not of physique.