New Delhi: Napoli’s team have been on a different rhythm this season, and their 5-0 win against Palermo in the Coppa Italia was just an example of their dominance this year. Scott McTominay having just moved to the club during the summer transfer, has become a fan favourite in a very short period of time, giving him the nickname ‘McTotally’.
Having recently moved from Manchester United, the midfielder has noted that he has welcomed with open heart by the players, the fans and coaches around him. For Napoli he has been a dominating midfielder who has been present at every length and breadth of the field.
The team’s new manager Antonio Conte agrees that McTominay brings a new energy to the side. To his credit, Conte has changed the team’s formation to fully utilize the 27-year-old’s potential and that has really improved the team’s performance. Currently the team is at the top of the Serie A table with 22 points and are leading with four points from the second placed Inter Milan in the title.
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Nobody would have thought that Conte would have the effect on the opposition as he has on his opponents. For a club that ended 10th in the last season, their recent performance in the season shows that they are on the way to repeat their 2022-23 title win. It is a far cry from the tumultuous summer they had with many players, including their captain Giovanni di Lorenzo, looking to make a move.
Napoli’s turnaround
Some snaps from the photo shoot! 📸
💙 #ProudToBeNapoli | @anmnapoli pic.twitter.com/LIAF2d1WYh
— Official SSC Napoli (@en_sscnapoli) October 24, 2024
The top hierarchy for their part made a fresh start when they decided to hire Conte and invested around £100m during the summer transfer window. While someone important players like Victor Osimhen may not be part of the team but Conte has been able to turn Di Lorenzo’s attitude more positive. Aside McTominay, the addition of Romelu Lukaku and Billy Gilmour has made the squad quite dynamic.
The team is playing a style which aims to win at any cost. Conte’s reputation preceded him and there was a lot of expectation from him for repeating his Juventus and Inter Milan success story along with guiding Chelsea to a Premier League title. Napoli’s last season performance, which saw them failing to secure a place in European competition, came at the back of conceding 48 goals of which 27 had come at home.
The Italian manager understands that the turn around is no less a miracle. For Conte, his plan’s most important part remains changing the mentality. He has said a countless times that mentality of a team determines a lot of their result and it is his wish to bring a culture which focuses on professionalism and bringing intensity and passions at all times within the team.
This season Napoli has played an unit that backs one another and is committed to the job at hand till the very end. This fighting mentality was lacking in the club for years now. Napoli’s mentality was never of determination and putting opposition on pressure. Under Conte, however, they have managed to pull of wins from all kinds of situations.
Another place Conte has made huge changes for the team is by improving the defence of the team. Alessandri Buongiorno has given the team some confidence and resolved the conceding the problems they had. Buongiorno is one of the best defenders in Serie A and since he has been part of the starting line-up, Napoli are yet to concede from open play from inside of the box.
Changing Napoli’s style of playing
⏹️ Full time and job done: #MilanNapoli 0-2 💪
💙 #ForzaNapoliSempre pic.twitter.com/Iv4ptuwT18
— Official SSC Napoli (@en_sscnapoli) October 29, 2024
It is affecting the overall team’s performance, with someone like Amir Rahmani exhibiting his form from the title-winning season as he plays alongside Kim Min-jae. Conte’s style isn’t to entertain the crowd but to maintain balance within the squad. It is clear in the way that Napoli are playing this season that their defence has improved by miles, and it is all by how they are playing as a team.
Though Conte had started with 3-4-2-1 formation but the arrival of some players meant that he needed to transform his formation. With someone like McTominay in the team, Conte looks to utilize his midfield more. Napoli without possession often plays 4-3-3 but once they have the ball more, they change into 4-2-3-1 or 4-2-4 as Lukaku and former United midfielder play together in the top.
McTominay is the most fluid of the players when it comes to position and depends on the situation of the game. While facing Monza, they went for a 4-2-4 formation which makes more vertical passes and pierces through all gaps and defensive lines. Against Empoli, Conte placed McTominay into the midfield to manage spaces better and to improve the defence.
Of course for now Napoli have faced more easier opponents and though they have won 0-2 over AC Milan, they have to continue this form when they face Atlanta and Inter Milan to understand their progress better. As the team only plays domestic competitions, Conte’s reputation does make Napoli the favourites to lift the top-tier title of Italy.
