Juric under scrutiny as Atalanta identify three main issues – report

La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Atalanta coach Ivan Juric is under scrutiny as the club grows concerned about the players’ attitude, a declining efficiency in play, and some tactical decisions which have left the team in 10th place in Serie A.

Atalanta suffered their first Serie A defeat on Saturday, losing 1-0 away at Udinese.

La Dea had previously collected seven draws and just two victories and their first league defeat has left them in 10th in Serie A, eight points below a Champions League spot.

According to Gazzetta, Juric will be under scrutiny in the next two games against Olympique Marseille in the Champions League and Sassuolo in Serie A.

The Croatian tactician was appointed in the summer to replace Gian Piero Gasperini.

According to the report, club directors are worried to see an evident decline in the playing style, among other things.

Against Udinese, Atalanta kept 60% of ball possession (71% after one hour), but had no shots on target, lost possession 120 times and only recovered it 55 times.

The pink paper claims that Juric is not at risk of immediate sacking, but he’ll be under scrutiny in the last two games before the international break.

Some tactical decisions from the Croat have also caused debate, such as Ademola Lookman’s frequent role changes, the reluctance to play the Nigerian star alongside Kamaldeen Sulemana and starting Marten De Roon as a centre-back for tactical reasons.

Gazzetta questions whether Juric’s approach and playing style have been digested by the team, but at the same time, Atalanta will need a quick reaction as they have two other important games coming up.

Atalanta not only sit 10th in Serie A, but are yet to face some of the best teams in the league, such as Napoli, Inter and Roma, so club directors expect a quick U-turn from the players and the coach.