After a 2-1 defeat at Napoli on Saturday, few believe that Massimiliano Allegri and his Juventus side have enough in the tank to win Serie A at a canter.
A lack of identity, cohesion and intelligence are undermining the champions' Serie A campaign, while Allegri's bizarre choices are only exacerbating the problems. Once again he opted to rotate, making it even harder for his men to forge a relationship with one another.
Paul Pogba, meanwhile, is struggling to build on his immense potential and is a shadow of the player Juventus and the wider football world know he can be.
Napoli
Juventus
It is difficult for any side to travel to the Stadio San Paolo without their best players, but with Sami Khedira and Claudio Marchisio still injured and Stephan Lichtsteiner out, Allegri needed to show courage and have more faith in his new, expensive recruits. Juventus have begun to lose their fear factor, but starting the game with an ambitious starting line-up would have at least intimidated Napoli.
Instead, Simone Padoin and Simone Zaza started -- two players who should never be anywhere near Juventus' starting XI. Opting for a 4-3-1-2 formation with Hernanes acting as the playmaker behind the front two, the coach erred on the side of caution which is baffling considering Napoli's weaknesses.
The Partenopei may have a beautiful attack, but they lack defensive stability. A side that is renowned for its inability to deal with pace and is slow to shift into the right positions, the Bianconeri would have perhaps caused more damage in a 3-5-2 shape with both Juan Cuadrado and Alex Sandro playing in the wing-back roles.
An offensive pair, the duo's accuracy, penetrative skills and pace would have certainly caused Napoli problems in the wide areas while also offering a protective edge to their own side.
Yet neither player started, with Allegri preferring Patrice Evra's experience. Padoin, meanwhile, allowed Lorenzo Insigne to run riot on the left when the pace of Cuadrado would have hindered his attacking potential.
Not starting Cuadrado was a grave mistake. Perhaps Allegri wished to preserve the strength of certain players for the game against Sevilla in the Champions League, but right now, the coach must learn from Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri and realise that the only way his players can grow is by playing often and together. It is ridiculous to rest the Colombian now when the season has only just started.
Hernanes' mediocrity, meanwhile, continues to demonstrate why he was never the club's first choice target in the transfer market. Elsewhere, the loss of the fundamental characteristics that once defined Juventus is a big cause for concern.
The champions of Serie A and last season's Champions League finalists have always been renowned for their winning mentality, tough tacklers and players who know how to cynically keep the ball to ensure safety and control. But this side doesn't possess Juve's DNA. Juve were robbed of the ball 25 times against Napoli and managed only 15 tackles.
Overwhelmed and weak, they gave up on too many balls and often fell too deep when out of possession. They needed the midfield to control and dominate, pressing the ball higher up the pitch to push the team further up. Leadership in midfield is sorely missed, and while Mario Lemina is impressing with his character and strength, this is a side that has not only lost experience and intelligence but can no longer inspire the likes of Pogba to perform.
The Frenchman has regressed this season, accumulating criticism for his poor finishing, ridiculous decision-making and lack of intelligence. He's simply not a player deserving of the No. 10 jersey, and he plays with too many emotions. He's still learning the game and is not the finished article.
Yet before the club and its most ardent supporters surrender to panic, it's wise to remember to be patient.
This is perhaps nothing more than a bad phase, and once the injured players return, a set starting line-up will be established and that could bring about a change in fortunes.
Whether the side can ever score as freely as it once did is an entirely different matter, but right now, all Allegri must focus on is recovering the side's identity.
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