The Turin Enigma: Can Jonathan David Spark Juventus Again?

Lost Confidence

Jonathan David, the Canadian forward at Juventus, has emerged as a genuine puzzle early in the season, struggling to settle into the team and creating palpable on-field confusion.

The ugly duckling label, a fish out of water, or a man of snow, has trended among the Bianconeri faithful on social media after he wasted a gilt-edged chance against Milan, failing to touch the ball and slot it home from close range before the international break.

The miss in the 34th minute stoked ridicule, leaving David through 720 minutes of action with questions about how a striker who scored 109 goals for Lille in five seasons can look so short of a finish from a few meters.

First of all, for the Canadian, this is a matter of confidence. He arrived in the summer with the expectation of becoming Juventus's new attacking focal point, only to confront unexpected competition and a crowded forward line.

Juventus was ready to hand him the sole responsibility as a striker, with the club close to pressuring Dusan Vlahovic to depart, but events shifted. Vlahovic stayed, and David found himself competing with a teammate for minutes and for a starting role in the attack.

Vlahovic's presence has made the job even harder. Although David has largely been used as a substitute, he has had moments of quality, helping Juventus rebound from setbacks, including a Champions League clash with Dortmund. The arrival of Louis Openda further reduced the space for the French-Canadian to operate.

Under coach Igor Tudor, who favors a one-forward system, David has had to chase a regular starting position and every match became a test. The Canadian has shifted from an automatic starter to a player seeking a chance amid stiff competition, and the pressure could eventually boil over.

Lack of Support

Another issue for Juventus is a technical and tactical mismatch. In Lille, David was a pillar in an attacking style that worked for him, thriving as a forward who linked with teammates; in Turin, the team has leaned toward a more vertical approach that rarely feeds him through balls.

In recent games, regardless of goals, Juventus has struggled to create clear chances. Against Milan, David touched the ball only 16 times in 69 minutes, underscoring a gap between his strengths and the team’s setup. The chemistry he enjoyed at Lille with players like Zigrova has not yet translated here, as the pairing with Yildiz and Consisao remains out of sync.

Early beginnings have also weighed on him. His teammate explains he did score on his league debut for Juventus, but his career shows he often needs months to fully settle in. At Gent, his European debut at 18 saw him score twice in the qualifiers, while his league baptism with Lille in 2020 required fans to wait a warm three months for his first goal.

The Italian press later suggested that what looks like an ugly duckling may simply need time to become a swan.

David’s Numbers

Since the season started, he has appeared seven times in total, five in Serie A, scoring one goal and providing another in 242 minutes, plus two Champions League appearances totaling 146 minutes without a goal or assist. Over his career, the Canadian has played 83 games for Gent with 37 goals and 15 assists, and 232 matches for Lille with 109 goals and 30 assists.

Punchline 1: If football were a dating app, David would be the guy with a few more matches to come.

Punchline 2: And if the ball could talk, it would beg David to stop ghosting it on the final meters.