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The news following Juventus' 2-0 win over Udinese on Monday has been, well, relatively slow when it comes to actual on-the-field matters. It's pretty easy to understand why. There's no Scudetto race to hype up with Juve being ahead of Roma by a comfortable eight-point margin and Juve are about to battle with a couple of relegation battlers rather than title contenders.
There's been plenty of interviews, though, if that's your thing. Gigi Buffon talked about Paul Pogba and how he trusts the Juve management when it comes to the French midfielder's future at the club. Andrea Pirlo wrote in his English-version book about how Rino Gattuso tried to kill people with forks. Beppe Marotta talked about Antonio Conte and a contract renewal for the Juve manager.
You know, some stuff we've heard for months, some stuff that is relatively new and interesting.
But on Wednesday morning, Tuttosport rolled out something that would directly impact Juventus on the field. And not as they cranked up their in-house Transfer-O-Meter another notch for next season. This has to do with Juve this season. Hell, it has to do with Juve this weekend.
Well, potentially this weekend if their report has any kind of juice behind it.
Simon (aka caption) Says: Relay for the Scudetto, Europa with Tevez, Serie A with Giovinco
It's something coming from Tuttosport, you know, so we probably have to take it with a grain of salt until it actually becomes a reality. But let's say all of this is what Antonio Conte is planning on doing for the final month of the season. Instead of spitting out typical transfer blabber on a daily basis, they actually went with something that makes a decent amount of success.
The gist of it, if you didn't figure out the caption by now, is that Sebastian Giovinco will be the one playing in Serie A matches and Carlos Tévez will put his attention towards Juve's upcoming Europa League games against Benfica — and possibly beyond if Juventus get that far.
The two biggest things of having a Tévez-Giovinco alternation?
- Having Tévez solely concentrated on the two Europa League matches against Benfica — and a possible cup final in the middle of May at Juventus Stadium — would allow him to rest any kind of injury he has been bothered by over the past week. It's why Conte kept him out of Juve's trip to the Friuli on Monday night and you would like to assume it's why any kind of Giovinco-related playing time will be coming in the future.
- Giovinco will get playing time — and a lot of it. And based off what he has done his last couple of times out, he's adding something positive to the team. His goal against Udinese this past Monday night will be the headliner of why he should be playing more these days — and I understand why.
You never know, if this playing time scenario is the case and Giovinco is playing the rest of the way in Serie A, he could very well be showing what can do when it comes to next season. And while it won't be the biggest sample size in the world, this would be Giovinco's first regular playing time for the first time since last season. A year ago, the little guy started over half of Juve's games in Serie A. This season? All of four. That's what you'd expect out of somebody like Simone Padoin, not a player like Giovinco who is a known favorite of Conte. (I know there's been injuries, but just go with me here, people.)
Just consider this: Juventus have an eight-point lead over Roma and two big-time European games on the horizon. Would you rather have Tévez get extra rest against Bologna and be 100 percent and ready to break that favorite discussion point of everybody outside of Juventus circles a week from today? I think I know which one I'd go after.
But it's not like if you open Door No. 1 you're going to get a magical prize. Well, maybe Juventus playing in the Europa League final next month. In that case, I'd say Door No. 1 is a pretty good choice.
I understand that Conte wants to win everything left on the schedule because that's what Conte does. But a healthy Tévez is so much better than any other striker in Serie A these days.
