Cristiano Ronaldo is three games into his Juventus career, and the Portuguese superstar is yet to score his first Serie A goal.
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While fans of the Bianconeri might be growing a tad worried about this club’s $128-million investment, manager Massimiliano Allegri insists he is cool as a cucumber. As far he’s concerned, Ronaldo isn’t the first player to adjust to life in the Italian league, and he won’t be the last — quotes from the BBC:Most Used“Italian football presents different problems.”
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“It takes time. He’s not getting the rub of the green at the moment either - the ball is not bouncing right for him or he’s shooting just off target.
“We’ll all be fresher after the break and that’s when the real season starts.”
There’s also the fact that Juve didn’t sign Ronaldo to help them win Serie A again — they already managed to do that seven straight seasons prior to his arrival. In truth, he wasn’t signed to help them during the group stage of the Champions League either — they’ve had no trouble passing that particular test.
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Fairly or unfairly, Ronaldo’s time at Juve will be judged solely on what he does in up to seven games spanning four months, from February to May. If he comes through during the latter stages of European competition and delivers the Champions League trophy to Turin, he’ll be a hero for an eternity, whether he scores 50 or zero goals the rest of the season.