Italian media criticised Nick Woltemade after Juventus lost 2-0 to Genoa on Wednesday. The defeat left Juventus down in eighth place in the table.
Second-half introduction fails to change match
Woltemade came on at the start of the second half with Juventus already 2-0 down against Genoa. Luciano Spalletti took off defender Federico Gatti to give the attack fresh impetus.
Seconds before the final whistle, Genoa goalkeeper Justin Bijlow saved Woltemade's header. Woltemade is still without a goal in Serie A.
Matching ratings from two Italian papers
Gazzetta dello Sport gave Woltemade a rating of 5.5 after the Genoa match. It wrote: "The giant simply could not find any gaps against Genoa's concrete defence. In the league, he plainly lacks the killer instinct. His powerful header came far too late to avert the bitter defeat."
Tuttosport also gave Woltemade a rating of 5.5 after the Genoa match. It wrote: "Spalletti brought Woltemade on at half-time to finally breathe life into the faltering attack. The result was sobering. Together with Kolo Muani, he currently forms a duo who avoid the opposition penalty area like the devil avoids holy water. Attractive backheels simply do not help Juve when they desperately need goals."
Borriello's pre-match criticism
Former Italian striker Marco Borriello criticised Juventus's attack in an interview shortly before the match. He said: "Juventus currently have a serious problem at centre-forward. Woltemade may be a tall, technically gifted beanpole, but he is completely predictable on the pitch. At this very highest level in Italy's top flight, the German simply lacks the necessary ruthlessness."
Names discussed around Spalletti
According to GOAL's account of a report in La Stampa, Juventus's management are already considering potential successors to Spalletti. According to GOAL's account of a report in La Stampa, former Juve coach Antonio Conte is the favourite, while Stefano Pioli and Didier Deschamps are being discussed as candidates.
Deschamps coached the Turin side in the 2006/07 season. GOAL said Deschamps publicly described his departure as a mistake a year ago.
