Opinion: Adzic isn’t ready for Juventus — But don’t write him off | OneFootball

After another underwhelming display in the middle of the park, Juventus teenager Vasilije Adzic proved he’s still not there yet.

On a freezing evening in Norway, the Bianconeri escaped with a narrow victory over Bodo/Glimt to boost their Champions League qualification hopes. However, the young midfielder didn’t fare well on Tuesday.

Adzic was surprisingly given the nod in the middle of the park alongside Manuel Locatelli, but the team’s rhythm was almost non-existent in the first half. He was also guilty of squandering a rare, promising chance for Juventus in the first 45 minutes.

Although the Bianconeri’s uninspiring first-half display cannot be fully attributed to the young man’s display, he was the only one hauled off at the interval, making way for Kenan Yildiz, who inspired the comeback.

Another full debut to forget for Vasilije Adzic

This was Adzic’s full debut in the Champions League, and the last time he started a match for Juventus, he was making his full Serie A debut against Atalanta. Curiously, Adzic undeniably failed both tests.

But before writing off another promising youngster, it should be remembered that Yildiz’s immediate impact on the senior level is an exception, and not the norm.

Hence, a 19-year-old struggling to cope with the pressure and failing to express his best football at the biggest stage is absolutely normal.

After all, the Montenegrin doesn’t have the luxury that Paul Pogba enjoyed upon making his first steps at Juventus. The Frenchman was introduced into an already functional system, and was embraced by absolute legends who gave him all the backing he needed.

On the contrary, Adzic finds himself surrounded by equally confused faces, with at least some of them unworthy of a place at Juventus.

Juventus must not give up on Adzic

Over the past few years, the Serie A giants have made too many hasty decisions when it comes to young players. It’s sufficient to mention Dean Huijsen, Matias Soule, Cristian Romero and Koni De Winter, who went on to carve themselves roles at some of Europe’s elite clubs, while Juve’s current ranks have been deprived of quality players.

So, before dropping the ball on Adzic, perhaps the management should contemplate the career path of Fabio Miretti, who was also written off after committing mistakes at a young age, but at the age of 22, and coming from an impressive loan spell at Genoa, seems to have made leaps and bounds.

The young Italian was no longer wanted at Juventus, and had Napoli raised their offer, he would have joined Antonio Conte’s team last summer. Nevertheless, he was one of Juve’s best performers in Norway, and his progress proves that patience with young players, even if unintentional, often pays dividends.