So Juventus have got their man. The Argentine who broke the goalscoring record in the toughest league to score in. Before people cheer and dream about all the trophies that Juve may win next season, we need to break this all down and figure out the logistics as to how he will be able to fit into the team.
What people must realise is Higuain is not this amazing striker that can fit into any system. He ain't the Cannibal Suarez or Lewandowski who can slot in anywhere and do what they do. Higuain has his strengths and his weaknesses, and it's the job of Allegri to make sure they get the best out of him. But because I am so nice, I'll be willing to lend a helping hand.
First off, Allegri has to look at what made Higuain so amazing for Napoli last season. That's the reason why they spent this amount of money on him, because he was able to do something I didn't think he was able to do. This wasn't the Argentina Higuain who would have a promising start and fail when the pressure was really on. His goalscoring consistency in all kinds of games for Napoli was insane and it looked as if he would almost single-handedly win them the scudetto.
What made Higuain so good at Napoli was the way in which Sarri built that team. It was particularly catered for him. They had him as the lone striker, and the midfielders behind him were all given the instuctions to always move the ball forward and look for him. Sarri's Napoli team was very attacking, spread out, and circled the ball from defence to attack very quickly.
Now, we look at Higuain at Argentina and wonder where the disconnect is. I view it as being in Argentina, Higuain isn't the main player, it's Messi. So Gonzalo has to play as just another striker and not the center of attention. He has to also battle to get noticed alongside Di Maria, Messi and others. This leads to Higuain not getting the kind of service he does when at Napoli.
So the first thing Allegri has to do is have Higuain as the lone striker. I don't even want to hear the name of Mandzukic, that dude is irrelevant to me. However, I do want to hear about Dybala and an interesting partnership can form between both Argentines. What Allegri has to train Cuadrado, Liechsteiner and the other midfielders to do is hit that ball early when they see Higuain make a run.
That's where Allegri needs to do some thinking because Juventus are a more measured and balanced team as opposed to the more offensive Napoli. I don't think Higuain has the ability and characteristics to be a striker that can operate with many defenders around him or be that dependable poacher. He needs to find space and always likes those through balls played early to him.
Two players that will be important for this are Cuadrado and Dybala. For Cuadrado, he'll have the Insigne role. The dude on the flank who will be in space to stretch the game, and has to deliver the right pass or cross into Higuain when he sees him making the run.
Insigne played an important role in the amount of goals that Higuain scored because of how he would be far out wide on the wing, but was also able to use his balance and control to cut inside and find Higuain via through balls. I have no question Cuadrado can easily do this, but Allegri will need to get him to be a little more giving and support Higuain.
With Dybala, this is an element that Higuain did not have at Napoli. He now has someone near him in the striking area who he can work with. Hamsik was someone who came from the heart of midfield but Dybala plays further up. So Allegri should have them work together, forming an understanding of trading quick passes to conjure up something.
I don't think them being a strike partnership will work as I think Higuain is better playing as the lone-ranger striker. So finding a way in which Dybala can act as a central supplement to him, can make Juventus even more interesting as an attacking force.
Personally, I think Higuain should be the one that does the readjusting to Juve's system rather than vice-versa. He's the one without a Serie A medal and he's joining the champions and the best team. The secret to these things is finding an equilibrium. As Higuain adjusts his game, Allegri should try and bring in a new element of attacking to Juventus that comes with having a new player. HH
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