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Napoli fans would rather not talk about the 2023/24 season ever again. It was the second-worst title defence in Serie A history and saw the club hire multiple managers only to finish tenth in the league. It was a far cry from the sense of certainty that Luciano Spalletti had provided the side and things were falling apart.
The chase for Antonio Conte was a long-winded one and despite multiple rejections, Aurelio de Laurentiis got the man that he wanted all along. And with Conte comes the burden of meeting the Italian’s demands or risk being called out in public by the charismatic coach.
Despite that constantly lingering risk, Napoli made the move and then backed the maverick in the window. Despite the 3-0 loss to Verona on the opening day, Conte has turned things around in Naples and here, we look at what he has done right in his short time with the Partenopei.
Keeping key players
While Victor Osimhen did leave the club, it could have been far worse for Napoli.
Giovanni di Lorenzo‘s agent had made public demands for an exit and Paris Saint-Germain had come forward for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Stanislav Lobotka was linked with Barcelona and there were question marks around André-Frank Zambo Anguissa‘s future too.
But Conte convinced the first two into staying, informing them about the key role they would play in the project. Lobotka and Anguissa have been regular starters in midfield, with Giacomo Raspadori also remaining at the club despite links with both Inter and Juventus.
The exit of these players could have forced Napoli into further instability but their presence has granted the club some assurances for the near future.
Tactical certainty
Last season, Napoli were going round in circles from a tactical perspective. While Aurelio de Laurentiis wanted managers who played a 4-3-3, the decisions on successive appointments were contrasting starkly.
Rudi Garcia couldn’t implement that style and Walter Mazzarri was forced to move away from his 3-5-2 comfort zone. Francesco Calzona did succeed with the 4-3-3 but it still didn’t work out.
The insistence on the 4-3-3 hurt the club and Conte’s arrival means that they decided to move away from that idea.
The Italian, as always, has brought in a very specific shape that he wants to play. His positional style has made sure that his team are already playing the 3-4-2-1 shape well and while there have been weaknesses off the ball, they have a defined tactical approach. It will only get better.
Backing in the transfer window
Conte will always want to be backed in the transfer window and if that doesn’t happen, he can quickly turn to the self-destruct button.
And just when things seemed to be simmering after the loss to Verona, Napoli acted decisively in the window. They brought in Scots Scott McTominay and Billy Gilmour, while handing Conte his preferred striker in Romelu Lukaku.
Alessandro Buongiorno, who is a typical Conte defender, also arrived from Torino earlier in the summer. Rafa Marín joined from Real Madrid, strengthening a backline which was in need of improvement.
David Neres and the experienced Leonardo Spinazzola signed on, with the wing-back having been a target for Conte during his time at Inter.
The midfield has decent depth now and Lukaku is already scoring goals, combining well with Kvaratskhelia. The backline might still need another addition but things seem fine, for now. All the players offer experience in their roles and McTominay offers the bonus of scoring goals on the counter, while acting as a target man midfielder who works hard like Conte would want.
A call for patience
While Conte is generally the sort of manager who fixes the present and assures the short term possibilities of a club, he has constantly spoken about how the project is still a work-in-progress.
Be it tactically or the players’ growth mentally, he has called for patience. After the Cagliari win, which had nervous spells, Conte did mention that the players have improved from a mental perspective.
“This is a team that, in my opinion, didn’t like to get its hands dirty , after last year the switch was in this. Beyond the quality and the organization, we were good at pressing, this team is growing but the character aspect is also important, since we talked about it we have improved.”
This emphasis on the intangibles was something Luciano Spalletti was big on during his title-winning campaign and Conte is looking to focus on similar aspects early on.
It gives the impression that he is focusing on improving the team in many aspects and making them a title challenger. It might take time but there is a feeling in Italy that it will happen.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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