“I think the criticism of Pirlo laughable really” Former Juventus star comes to the defence of Andrea Pirlo

Lilian Thuram says the critics of Andrea Pirlo make him laugh because they are simply expecting too much too soon.

The Bianconeri made the former midfielder their latest manager in the summer as they searched for a tenth consecutive league title.

Unlike most former players who became managers, Pirlo didn’t manage a youth team or another club before taking the job.

Juve was confident in appointing him, but his first season has been poor with his team getting knocked out of the Champions League by FC Porto and also on the verge of losing their league crown to Inter Milan.

Pirlo was a much-loved player during his playing days, but he has now attracted a lot more critics who think Juve should end the experiment and replace him with a more experienced manager.

However, Thuram says just as you don’t expect a player to blossom in his first year as a footballer, you shouldn’t expect Pirlo not to have a learning curve.

“I think the criticism of Pirlo laughable really, because I believe he can become a great coach, just as he was a great player, but he needs time,” Thuram told Sky Sport Italia via Football Italia.

“You cannot become a great player in your debut professional campaign, nor a great chef or a great journalist, that all takes time. So you cannot expect Pirlo to be a great coach in his first season. You can’t ask him to deliver the same results as a coach with 10-15 years of experience under his belt.

“Let’s not forget, when Zinedine Zidane was appointed by Real Madrid, it was not his first management experience. He had already worked with the youth team, as well as being the assistant manager to Carlo Ancelotti and Jose Mourinho.

“This is why it makes me laugh when they criticise Pirlo. Excuse me, but there is such a thing as ‘gaining experience.’ Pirlo is gaining experience and you cannot expect him to know everything already.”