Spalletti tells David and Openda what they need to avoid Juventus’ ‘slap’

Luciano Spalletti says Jonathan David and Lois Openda should not be ‘timid’ and have a bit of ‘di**face’ to emerge at Juventus, otherwise opponents will ‘slap’ them around.

Openda and David will likely get more playing time in the coming weeks as starting Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic has sustained a muscle injury that appears to be serious.

Vlahovic was forced to be subbed off during a 2-1 win over Cagliari on Saturday, so David took his place on the field at the Allianz Stadium.

La Stampa reporter Nicola Balice asked Spalletti on Saturday what he expects from David and Openda in the coming weeks, given that they’ll likely compete for a starting spot up front.

“We also have other solutions, but the analysis is clear and easy,” Spalletti replied at a post-match press conference.

“Openda and David are central forwards. David might be better as a second striker because of how he links up with the team, even though everyone says the opposite. Maybe when it comes to attacking space, it’s the opposite. One is about depth and speed, the other is more about link-up play, cleaner in possession.”

Openda and David both joined Juventus in the summer transfer window. The Belgian has scored one goal so far, while the Canadian has grabbed two.

“If the team puts them in the right conditions, they’re good at scoring goals because both of them have scored in the past,” Spalletti continued.

“In terms of personality, they’re very sensitive, good guys. I gladly hug them because they need that. They would need to score two or three goals in a row to gain confidence and feel calmer. But in football, you have to earn it and do it yourself. Once you nail down your role, you take on that posture and do what you need to do. As things are, it’s not enough. Everyone has doubts, and only they can clear them. They need to have that self-esteem and a bit of a di**face, otherwise others notice it, and if you’re timid, they’ll slap you around.”

Juventus’ next game is on Tuesday as the Bianconeri host Udinese in the Coppa Italia Round of 16 at the Allianz Stadium.