Napoli post-match thread

[domalino]

Personally I'm finding that the gloss is slightly coming off the Chelsea win simply because they've been dogshit ever since. That first half an hour on Tuesday by contrast was not only the best I've ever seen us play, it was alongside the best football I've ever seen any team play.

Get where you're coming from but is it a case of them being dogshit ever since because we knocked them out of their stride, made them start questioning themselves?

They've been shit because Morata, Kante, Moses all got injured. When those 3 are back, so will the normal Chelsea.

 

[BluessinceHydeRoad]

The first 30 minutes was probably as well as I've ever seen us play. It was mesmerising at times. The Chelsea performance tops it though, purely for being more sustained over a whole game (and away from home).

I was on holiday in Spain for the Chelsea match and only saw the last 30-35 minutes, but we were mightily impressive then. What was so remarkable about the opening period on Tuesday was how easy it was made to seem. The passing was so good that it was conclusive proof, if we need any, that the ball travels faster than any player, but the support and movement from all the players was so purposeful that the (excellent) Napoli players didn't know what to do to get a kick of the ball or keep the ball when they got it. I thought Chelsea played well enough against us in the half hour I saw, and Napoli are clearly a class outfit - but we were simply .... I suppose mesmeric is the only word that comes anywhere near to being fit for purpose. Guardiola says we can always be better and if he can get us to play like that for the full 90 minutes, and play like that (or better!!!) every week we'll have to .... find a whole new vocabulary to talk about City.

 

[Scaring Europe to Death]

Flashback to Tuesday night:
Are we to assume from the volume of the announcement, that a significant proportion of Napoli supporters suffer from a hearing difficulty?

 

[Proy]

Having watched back the full game on TV, one thing that stood out was the interchanching of people in positions. As a general principle, we have a shape, but there were occasions where we had CBs up front, full backs taking shots in the penalty area. Sane/Silva/Sterling constantly swapping. It's testament that whilst all that is happening we still managed to look so solid yet so fluid.

 

[canyerdogputoutafire]

Flashback to Tuesday night:
Are we to assume from the volume of the announcement, that a significant proportion of Napoli supporters suffer from a hearing difficulty?

It was deafening for everybody.

 

[Pleatfooted]

It was deafening for everybody.

Haha this

 

[IcriedwhenTueartleft]

Some people. Jesus wept.

Sterling was phenomenal. Absolutely phenomenal. What didn't help him was Walker had a mare by his standards. That's 2 in Europe for him now.

Sane, who I rave about, had a stinker by his standards. His first touch was shocking tonight.

Same with Fernandinho, by 60 mins he was shot.

We need to rotate some of these guys with weekend and keep them fresh.

Great result and some players were fantastic, especially Stones.

"phenomenal"?...seriously?..that's why he got hooked after an hour because he was playing so well? Good grief...
some people Jesus wept

 

[Rolee]

"phenomenal"?...seriously?..that's why he got hooked after an hour because he was playing so well? Good grief...
some people Jesus wept

Phenomenal is an exaggeration but he was playing well. The change was tactical, Bernardo retains possession better, something that we needed at that stage of the game to take the sting out of Napoli.