Scudetto-Napoli, do you believe it or not? Pros and cons of the Spalletti operation

Without losing the lightness. It is the last slogan chosen by Luciano Spalletti for his Napoli and this too seems right. Sure, “cool” lasted half a game. In other words, the one in which the team, following the strategies of its coach, played better than the leaders Inter who suffered and even risked going down 2-0. Then after the equal of Dzeko the fears took over, but let’s talk about this separately. Here we see what are the strengths from which Napoli restarts for the sprint of the last 13 races in which they can have their say for the Scudetto.

The Azzurri conceded almost nothing to the best attack of the championship. And the goal conceded came from a slightly unfortunate rebound rather than a mistake. This is an important benchmark in team self-esteem. Koulibaly’s recovery also allows in exchange for the form with the three-man defense (using Juan Jesus) and this gives Spalletti more strategic alternatives, one that he knows how to use them.

Really complete pink

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In addition to Koulibaly Anguissa has also returned and all the injured have been recovered, apart from Lozano who will have it for a month. Between December and January Spalletti managed to build a different but competitive team that allowed a comeback to the top positions. Today the coach has alternatives of men and important tactics that always allow greater competitiveness.

After the goal in Venice, the Nigerian against Inter has struck another positive performance, touching the net several times. If the center forward explodes as everyone expects in the environment, Napoli can really achieve a string of remarkable results.

Las mentality

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Frame on the last action of the match. Napoli must take a free-kick from the trocar, but instead of bringing two players of different feet to serve – to propose those schemes that have also brought good goals (see Florence) – only Ounas is found on the serve point. And the Algerian instead of crossing into the area passes the ball back to Lobokta who turns the ball again, then Mario Rui, still the Slovak who throws it in the middle more pushed by the audience than out of real conviction. And the referee whistles the end without the Azzurri having tried the last assault. Now it is not that any danger would surely have arisen from that action, but it is as if the team mentally said to itself about that punishment: “It’s over, we equalized”. Instead of thinking: “Let’s also try this last ball with everything we have in our body.” No process, mind you, but in that flash there is the last leap in quality that the team has to make and its audience pushed in this direction. The ability to fully try without fear, without conditioning.

Arrigo Sacchi has been fighting on this theme for some time, that is, on the maturity of the environment to be able to withstand the pressure of staying at the top all the way. Napoli actually did it in the first 15 days, but if that record was lost it was because Spalletti suddenly lost several important men. Of course, those three consecutive home losses – Atalanta, but above all Empoli and Spezia – came after games managed not flawlessly. Here, it is not that Napoli has to win the Scudetto “by force”, but with attention to detail, we can and must grow. And in this sense it is the company that has to make the organizational qualitative leap, because the balance sheets are in order, but they are not enough.