3 weeks ago
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Kissing the badge with hungry delight, Scott McTominay went to celebrate with the fans, fist pumping the air in delight at having helped Napoli smash Palermo 5-0 in the Coppa Italia.
"I can’t talk enough about the fans, the people, the city and the welcome that my team-mates and coaches gave me," noted the midfielder, who moved to Italy from Manchester United in the summer.
McTominay has fallen in love with Napoli and the feeling is mutual with the club’s fans nicknaming their new star ‘McTotally’ for his ability to be totally present and committed to running everywhere and anywhere for the team.
Inexhaustible energy to drive Neapolitans wild with happiness, Corriere dello Sport labelled the midfielder a 'dominant all-rounder' and manager Antonio Conte agrees.
Adored by the fans and esteemed by the club, Conte changed the team’s formation to exploit the Scotsman's capabilities and Napoli can’t seem to stop winning.
Sitting at the top of the Serie A table with 22 points, Napoli are four clear of Inter Milan, their main rivals for the title.
Conte’s reputation strikes fear in the hearts of most opposition fans but not even he could have imagined the ease with which he’s been able to turn the club’s fortunes around considering the poor season the 2022-23 champions had last campaign.
Finishing a staggering 39 points below winners Inter resulted in the worst title defence in Serie A history. A summer of hell ensued with club captain Giovanni di Lorenzo, Victor Osimhen and Kvicha Kvarastkhelia’s all looking to move on.
Owner Aurelio De Laurentiis had to right a few wrongs and hiring Conte as well as investing more than £100m in the summer transfer market is proving fruitful.
Osimhen may have departed but Conte has reignited Di Lorenzo’s confidence while Kvara is in talks for a new and improved contract. More importantly, Romelu Lukaku, Billy Gilmour, McTominay and a few others were brought in to strengthen the squad.
Gone are the days of Luciano Spalletti’s beautiful Napoli, this is the year of balance, of winning at all costs.
'Conte has 'Juventinised' Napoli: what a mentality' read one headline. "The Azzurri seek victory without compromise, without following a single path, without being slaves to beauty. It is a change of mentality," wrote Sport del Sud.
When Conte first arrived, he was careful to temper expectations aware that his winning reputation had the fans dreaming of yet another Scudetto given he has won three with Juventus and one at Inter Milan, either side of guiding Chelsea to the Premier League title.
Eager to emphasise just how poorly Napoli performed the previous season, he noted the 48 goals conceded in the league, 27 of which were at home, how they finished 10th in the league and their failure to win a place in Europe.
By underscoring the details of their misery, Conte has not only bought time but ensured that should he turn it all around, he will be recognised for accomplishing an immense feat, a minor miracle.
Winning in Naples is always difficult but the manager's plan revolves around addressing three key areas. The first is the mentality, the 'Juventisation of Napoli' if you will.
"What I can promise is seriousness, a word that is often underestimated," he said.
"Seriousness in giving everything for Napoli, in transmitting my culture at work, my mentality.”
Conte is renowned for strengthening the mindset of a dressing room and it starts with instilling a serious atmosphere that demands professionalism, intensity and passion at all times.
Napoli must return to working as a collective, a unit that fights for one another, covers ground and remains determined until the very end. By battling together, bonds are forged, and success is celebrated as a team.
The fighting mentality has been Napoli’s Achilles heel for several years. Maurizio Sarri noted how he admired the fight of Juve’s players when battling them for the title as Napoli manager, while several journalists questioned whether the club would have indeed won the Scudetto under Spalletti had they been subjected to more pressure and a more determined rival pushing them until the final day of the season.
Two back-to-back 1-0 victories in Serie A have the media tipping their hats. By hook or by crook, Napoli are finding the way to accumulate the wins under Conte and the former captain and coach of Juventus is doing well to eradicate the Azzurri’s soft underbelly.
The second area that had to be addressed is the defence.
Bringing in Alessandro Buongiorno, one of Serie A’s best defenders and Italy’s great hope at the back, has already helped to resolve many of the problems from last season. Since he has been included in the starting line-up, Napoli have not conceded from open play inside the box.
Interestingly, by playing alongside him, Amir Rahmani has seemingly recaptured the form he exhibited in Napoli’s title-winning season when he lined up alongside Kim Min-jae.
A great defence can only be achieved when the team works as a unit, defending from the top. Balance is a key word because Napoli haven’t been thrilling going forward and when journalists asked why David Neres and Kvara can’t play together to inject more creativity and ingenuity, Conte reiterated the need to ensure balance. He seeks a winning scoreline, not to entertain.
Balance brings us nicely to the final point Conte must address to ensure success: tactical adaptability.
Having started the season playing a 3-4-2-1 formation, Conte confessed the arrival of the two Scotsmen altered his thinking. Boasting great midfielders, the tactician needed a system that would exploit the virtues of his new arrivals and especially that of McTominay.
Without the ball, Napoli play a 4-3-3 but in possession, they morph into a 4-2-3-1 or even a 4-2-4 with the ex-Manchester United midfielder often lining up alongside Lukaku at the very top.
Using the midfielder’s tactical intelligence, McTominay’s position changes according to the needs of the team. Against Monza, a team that opted to deploy a low block, the Partenopei played McTominay in line with Lukaku, in a 4-2-4 shape. The formation relied on quick, vertical passing and endless movement to pierce through narrow and compact defensive lines.
However, against Empoli, Conte opted to push McTominay back into midfield, to better manage the spaces, help the defence while simultaneously capitalising on his speedy incursions into the box.
"I’d go to Manchester United to arrest all directors," said Paolo Di Canio to Il Mattino. How could a player so disciplined, determined and intelligent not be retained at all cost?
Against Lecce last weekend, the midfielder’s positioning changed again and his fluidity as well as the team’s tactical capability of playing in different formations will stand them in good stead.
It’s worth noting that Napoli have had a relatively easy start to the season, and it is still far too early to adequately judge the team. On Tuesday they take on AC Milan with fixtures against Atalanta and Inter coming up to perhaps provide a better barometer of their progress.
But Conte’s reputation brings a certain level of expectation and by only competing in domestic competitions this season, he will be expected to challenge for the title.
