Napoli post-match thread

[01cravend]

You asked how would Napoli feel themselves without the ball mate. Was you question answered? :)
Sarri is probably the best positional play coach right now. Watched all their games this season and today's match has only confirmed my impression. I mean, I knew that someone will eventually appear and surpass Guardiola, but never thought that it's going to be a 58 yo former banker with less than 10 years of pro coaching experience...
They've made us look ordinary for most part of the game, and done it with a squad that is probably slightly worse than Arsenal's....Have no words. It's like another generation of Pepcelona football.

Made us look ordinary because they had more possession and pressed us high? lol, they had 3 good chances 2 of which were pens.

Worse than Arsenal's?

Koulibaly
Allan
Hamsik
Insigne
Mertens
Callejon
Jorginho
Ghoulam
Diawara

would all be starters for Arsenal

 

[Gabriel]

For all the frothing and fulminating, save for the penalties, it wasn't as if Napoli were peppering Ederson every couple of minutes. Compare tonight with previous games at home to Dortmund, Real Madrid, and Barcelona, for example, and by that standard we equipped ourselves rather well.

 

[Andrew___K]

They didn't make us look ordinary at all, I think you might need to rewatch if that's the impression you got. They had a good second half, they could have been 5-0 down by then, and they created no chances except through some penalties.

You're right, but the relative quality of squads should be considered. They don't have good forwards, but the quality of their build-up...it's unreal.

 

[Millwallawayveteran1988]

I don't think de Bruyne being booked helped the tactics as he has been winning the ball back often this season. He had to stop that pressing when he got booked and the game changed from then on although they were on the up at that point.

Ederson hardly had a save to make despite them looking good.

Both them and Shaktar have looked good. Don't think this group has been as easy as predicted when the draw was made!

9/9 - excellent stuff.

11 wins in 12 in all comps! Not much to grumble about with that.

Need to get some more minutes into Gundogan and Silva now so they can get right up to speed.

 

[mancity1]

Hope they get spurs or rags in the knockouts

If they make it.

My money is on Shakhtar.

 

[daztrueblue91]

This side has the grit and determination that was slightly lacking last season. Also, despite Napoli's much improved performance, we restricted one of the best attacking sides in Europe to virtually no chances.

Tonight does highlight why Pep is hell bent on signing Sanchez aside from his goal threat. I love Sane but he's very poor at keeping the ball under pressure and time and time again Napoli won the ball because of it.

 

[Franknorgrovesnephew]

Sane was not at his usual self second half and stones,delph and fernny were class all game ...

 

[TCIB]

You asked how would Napoli feel themselves without the ball mate. Was you question answered? :)
Sarri is probably the best positional play coach right now. Watched all their games this season and today's match has only confirmed my impression. I mean, I knew that someone will eventually appear and surpass Guardiola, but never thought that it's going to be a 58 yo former banker with less than 10 years of pro coaching experience...
They've made us look ordinary for most part of the game, and done it with a squad that is probably slightly worse than Arsenal's....Have no words. It's like another generation of Pepcelona football.

I think we watched different matches.

 

[domalino]

You're right, but the relative quality of squads should be considered. They don't have good forwards, but the quality of their build-up...it's unreal.

No, the cost of the squads doesn't mean shit.

Napoli have world class players whether they paid a lot for them or not, players who were world class under Mazzari as well by the way.

If you think Insigne & Mertens aren't good forwards as well...and you say you've seen every match of theirs? come on...

 

[ono]

You asked how would Napoli feel themselves without the ball mate. Was you question answered? :)
Sarri is probably the best positional play coach right now. Watched all their games this season and today's match has only confirmed my impression. I mean, I knew that someone will eventually appear and surpass Guardiola, but never thought that it's going to be a 58 yo former banker with less than 10 years of pro coaching experience...
They've made us look ordinary for most part of the game, and done it with a squad that is probably slightly worse than Arsenal's....Have no words. It's like another generation of Pepcelona football.

Yet they could have been blown away had we been slightly more fortunate with those two cleared off the line. We also messed up a number of counter attacks.

Napoli were good but we aren't critiquing them in the same way that we do to ourselves. We overly criticise what we do while ignoring the minor details that their coach has got wrong. Indeed it took him 40 minutes to realise that he wasn't pressing with enough bodies.

He's clearly a good coach, but to say he's surpassed Guardiola is hilarious.