New Juventus manager Igor Tudor might be a keen admirer of Dusan Vlahovic, but he was still irritated by one of his old habits.
The Serbian endured a rough time under Thiago Motta in recent weeks. After playing almost non-stop during the first half of the season, he was cast aside following Randal Kolo Muani’s arrival in January.
Nevertheless, Tudor’s appointment proved a timely boost for the 25-year-old. The Croatian manager had already heaped praise on the striker during his time at Fiorentina, identifying him as the best centre-forward in Serie A.
Although we cannot be sure whether or not Tudor still genuinely believes this statement, the coach immediately entrusted the Serbia international with a starting spot on his Juventus managerial debut against Genoa.
Tudor was seemingly hoping to see the striker reconcile with the goal, so he kept him on the pitch for the duration of the match.
Although Vlahovic couldn’t find the back of the net, he at least played an integral role in Kenan Yildiz’s winner.
Nevertheless, the new Juventus boss wasn’t impressed with the way the former Fiorentina man kept complaining about the referee’s decision.
“Dusan did well. He was determined. But I didn’t like that he talked too much with the referee,” noted the former Marseille and Lazio manager in his post-match press conference via IlBianconero.
“You just waste energy on this thing. He has to stay inside the box. The referee could have booked him on a few occasions. But I liked his performance. He went deep and seemed hungry to score.”
It remains to be seen if Tudor will confirm Vlahovic as a starter over the next few fixtures or a chance to Kolo Muani.
The 46-year-old had also suggested during his unveiling that the two strikers can coexist in the same lineup.
