Naples, how it changes with Garcia: the game and the schemes

Among the selection criteria of Aurelio De Laurentiis, there was one above all: continue in the wake of the 4-3-3 traced by Spalletti. Not only because with this set-up Napoli has been the protagonist of a triumphal ride towards the Scudetto, but also because no substantial changes are expected in the starting eleven, who apart from Kim should not lose any other player. Therefore, the interpreters remain practically the same and there is the opportunity to cultivate a game setting that has made the fortune of the Azzurri and has allowed them to make a good impression in Europe as well. Rudi Garcia, therefore, will have the task of joining this trail and developing its still unexpressed potential.

His Rome

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In the two and a half years spent at Roma, the French coach had been able to pass on some recognizable principles. The first above all concerned the search for verticality in the offensive transition phase with the least number of touches, an exaltation of the counterattack made possible by the speed of the tall wingers, Florenzi and Gervinho, and by the finishing quality of Pjanic and above all of Totti, deployed in the center of the attack. The continuous and organized movements of the trident became difficult to read for the opposing defense which, if on the one hand it had the task of following the cuts and overlaps on the wingers, on the other it had to avoid excessive crushing towards the penalty area in order not to give space to the many behind-the-scenes shooters like Strootman, Pjanic, Nainggolan or Totti himself.

What changes

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Napoli is a different team in many respects. He has a pure centre-forward, able to give depth thanks to an uncommon athleticism. Many players prefer running the ball to changes of play, especially midfielders. This also applies to Kvaratskhelia, which often becomes a static starting point of the action, relying on one-on-one skills that can easily generate numerical superiority. Both Spalletti and Rudi Garcia promote the advancement of low wingers, but with different tasks: the Frenchman focused on incursions, while Di Lorenzo, for example, proved to be an important weapon even by centralizing his position. In the non-possession phase, the Giallorossi resorted to the Lavolpian salida, i.e. the lowering of a median between the two power plants to optimize spaces and outlets during the initial construction phase. A job generally attributed to De Rossi, difficult to imagine in this Naples.

Anguissa pin

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It will be interesting, also in this sense, to understand the role that Anguissa will play in the system. Rudi Garcia knows him well, he had him for two years at Marseille where he launched him. “He is a very special man, you can go to war with a player like that, I have a very close relationship with him. He is physically a beast, but he is not only strong in this, technically he knows how to do everything ”the coach had said, commenting on his transfer to Napoli two years ago. Today he is an evolved footballer, he has refined his interdiction skills without losing the ability to know how to dribble in tight spaces and also thanks to his physical structure he has been able to establish himself immediately in the Italian championship. The material available is top-level, the preparation of the coach as well: the right mix could make Napoli’s fortune once again.