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‘Antonio Conte Should QUIT If Napoli Don’t Win Scudetto’ (Clip From Ep. 493)
1.4k Plays8 days ago
After a poor January transfer window where Napoli sold Khvicha Kvaratskhelia but failed to replace him adequately, Nima Tavallaey and Carlo Garganese discuss, debate and analyze of Antonio Conte would or should leave if they don't win the Serie A title.
This is an extended clip from this week's free Monday episode of The Italian Football Podcast which is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube podcasts.
To listen to this & all other full episodes of The Italian Football Podcast (and support the show), go to Patreon.com/TIFP OR now also available on Spotify OR YouTube Memberships and sign up. Your support makes The Italian Football Podcast possible.
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Transcript
Introduction to Italian Football Podcast
00:00:02
Speaker
Welcome to the Italian football podcast.
Napoli's Missed Scudetto Opportunity against Udinese
00:00:05
Speaker
so we'll start off with the big game on sunday evening napoli against udenai and napoli coming into this game knowing that they had a golden opportunity to really strike a gazedetto below against intel after in had lost so to Fiorentina on Thursday in the rearranged game. Napoli knew that if they won this game, they would have gone six points clear, ah having played the game more, but opened up ah a little bit of a gap um at the top. And it was a ah win that, you know, everybody expected them to to to get, but they only draw one-one.
January Transfer Window Impact on Napoli's Scudetto Chances
00:00:40
Speaker
Udenezi deservedly get a point. and Napoli were were were really quite poor, to to be honest, especially in the in the
00:00:48
Speaker
in the second in the second half so it's um yeah it's a it's a it's a big ah they've let inter off the hook Napoli by drawing this game and my my biggest takeaway ah from this game is and I said this after the the transfer window closed um last a week ago now that Napoli risk or Napoli, let's say, Napoli have thrown away their chance of, you know, they might still go on and win the Scudetto, but they've thrown away a golden opportunity to strengthen their team in January um and and really go on and win the Scudetto because that they had a golden opportunity there ah and they didn't replace Kovar at Scalia, they didn't spend their Kovar at Scalia money,
00:01:36
Speaker
They're weaker now, of course they are, than they were and before the January market.
Conte's Perspective on Napoli's Long-term Growth
00:01:41
Speaker
And this game illustrated really um what they are what they are missing, having not done that. um And it was shown in this game. This is a this is a squad that on paper is is way off Scudetto level. When I say the squad,
00:01:58
Speaker
I mean, the depth of the squad. I mean, you know, they have a couple of players out and they're they're starting Juan Jesus and Mazoki, who both were to blame it for the goal and the options to come off the bench. I mean, just look at the but look at Napoli's bench and have a look at the players on their bench in this game and the players that Conte had to bring on to try and win this game in the closing stages. I mean, it's mid it's mid table, Serie A level, his bench, um to to be honest. it And the subs who came on against it and easy were horrendous. so you know Napoli might go on and still win the Scudetto. If they do, it's down to a Conte miracle, in my opinion, given the squad that he has. um But you know I really have to blame Napoli um ah for not for not replacing Claret Scalia. And if by the end of the season they don't win the Scudetto, then Conte has every right. I would say has every right to walk because he's been let down by by by his club in and in January.
00:02:58
Speaker
um Had Napoli won the score at a regardless of who had they had signed in January, had they signed Garnaccio, whoever they'd signed, it would still have been a Konta miracle because I retain what I said at the start of the season. This is this would have been Konta's Mona Lisa if he wins the Scudetto with this regardless of who they signed in January. However, they didn't exactly they had a chance in January to buy someone um and they didn't they couldn't get a deal done and they couldn't find someone who who was who would have worked out for them and so they decided to punt to
00:03:31
Speaker
to to the end of the season. um and Conte was was very clear in his pretty much press conferences about, it's not about that player, it's not about this player, it's not about how much
Tough Schedule Ahead for Napoli
00:03:43
Speaker
we invest. I'm i'm here to help the club grow. i'm here too you know He went on one of his hilarious, and now all of a sudden he's he's the champion of youth because now he's talking about how the club doesn't have a real functioning youth set up and he needs to you know he wants them to grow at every level, we need to have a proper youth set up and this, that and the other. um And it's you know that that's that's kind of also a message to the Laurentiis that you know ah yeah I'm here to grow the club, make use of me as much as possible. um ah don't think I think they were regardless of
00:04:19
Speaker
Had they won this quarter, it would have been a huge overachievement. It would have been his coaching masterpiece. they they have no business being in a school at the race and the only reason they are is because he is he's built the system and attack and and tactics that gets the most out of the players as he always does his teams are always more than the sum of their parts and uh... i i still think that they're probably going to do it because i had in my from now until the end of the season i had them winning against udinesse and i had them drawing against latio well a win against latio will
00:04:52
Speaker
will put them back on course.
Napoli's Transfer Strategy: January vs. Summer
00:04:54
Speaker
But it also kind of depends a little bit on Inter, because I have them drawing tonight. We're recording this on Monday at home to Fiorentina. um And we'll see what happens. But it is, you know, they've they've won, I think it was six or seven on the trot. Now they've drawn two. And above all, I think the the game against what I would say is worrying against Woudinesse was that they didn't play well. They really didn't play well. they in In previous games, the seven they won, they and even against Roma, they actually played well. But here they didn't play well at all. And they they looked a bit out of rhythm, out of sorts. um And now they've got Lazio Way, Lazio they've lost to twice this season. ah They have Cormor Way, which is not easy for anyone. And then they've got Inter,
00:05:43
Speaker
And then Fiorentina, then Venetia, and then Mila. So it's it's it's a tough stretch stretch of games coming up. um And now they have to show what they're made of.
00:05:53
Speaker
um But I don't think, regardless of who they'd signed, I don't think it would have had that much of an impact if I'm perfectly honest with you. I think the squad has its limitations, the depth has its limitations. There's only that much you can do in January. Napoli historically don't invest in January.
Udinese's Strong Performance Against Napoli
00:06:10
Speaker
um They like to do their business in in in the summer, similar to Marotta, who's also very, very frugal usually in January.
00:06:18
Speaker
um because they prefer to ah to when there are more players available and more opportunities available during the summer. um i I think this game was more conditioned by a Napoli that seemed to... They were a little bit tense. I mean, when they beat Juve, when they beat Atalanta, they looked natural. It flowed more. Here they looked a bit tense. Even against Roma in the first half, i thought in they looked much more relaxed and things were more flowing. Here it didn't...
00:06:56
Speaker
here it didn't at all. Udinesse really, really put them to it and and and and closed off um how the the way that the Napoli usually play. And we're we're creating quite a good few good chances for themselves as well.
Napoli's Squad Depth Concerns
00:07:11
Speaker
um And I think Runjaj this season has been one of the revelations of the sea of the of the Serie A, the way that he you know he came from nowhere, the way that he's reinvigorated the squad. I mean, we interviewed Maduka interviewed Biol this season who said that, you know, Runjajic has brought in a belief into this team, an energy into this team, as well as tactically. And you can really see that, Ono Dinesse. And they've done really, really well. So we have to give credit to them as well. ah But I felt that Napoli
00:07:48
Speaker
i I look at this and and I feel that, well, what do we know about Kontem? That is, he works the best under pressure. That's when he does his best work. And now he's under a little bit of pressure. ah the They didn't play well at all, but you know you can't playing badly once is not an issue.
00:08:10
Speaker
um and especially after a run of form where you've played really, really well. um So it's not a panic, but there's a small alarm bell ringing off, and we'll have to wait and see how they handle it against Lazio. I think that is that is a very key game. The problem is that the the problem is with this game is that we saw the limitations of the bench in this game. that was that that's the you know We saw, first of all, a couple of players are out on Juan Jesus and Mazoki. Oh, my God.
00:08:37
Speaker
he is so way off the level needed to put him at this level. He is so, oh my God, one of the worst performances I've ever seen. I've lost count of how many crosses from the left that he over hit to the back post ah that went way over ah straight out of play. um And obviously he was to blame for the goal with that stupid blind clearance that that but gave it straight back to Houdonaire's there. And then I don't know how Merritt gets beaten from that angle and that far out. And that's on Merritt, that's on Merritt. I mean, it was a very,
00:09:07
Speaker
kind of strange kind of almost like knuckleball strike it had a weird trajectory on it which made it difficult for the keeper but your goalkeeper doesn't get beaten with a side foot shot from that far out way out on the right I'm sorry you don't and that's that's on merit as well and so you know we' we're seeing the limitations you know a couple of players out and you're playing Juan Jesus and Mazzocchi who are just way off the level of a Scudetta team but then if you look at the bench I mean, honestly, you know, your your first midfielder to come on is Billy Gilmour and the next one is is Philip Billing, you know, and these are the players you want to bring on and then, and then you know, in a attack, you've got, you bring on Simeone and Raspadori, you know, these are players that you're trying to win, you know, try and turn the game round. i mean
00:09:50
Speaker
yeah is is and As I've said, you know if Napoli get a few few injuries and attack when midfield, they're finished. They're going to drop points every single week because these players are just ah not good enough ah at all. So they're going to need to be relying on luck that these players not to get not to get injured um as well.
Weaknesses in Napoli's Attack
00:10:07
Speaker
um So this this could have all been solved by strengthening the strengthen in the squad, even if you weren't able to get ah a like for like replacement for Kavara because it's January, it's difficult to to to replace you know big names and in January, it's not an easy market. you Even that's the case, we'll go out and and and buy someone in midfield that that can that can help make the difference. Instead of buying philip billing on loan,
00:10:32
Speaker
by a proper midfielder you know with thevara money you know it doesn't have to necessarily be you spend that money just in on the the position for but ganacha but even still an attack you know the but the replacements and attack are just not good enough and the attack in general this season um is ah you know has a weakness is a weakness i mean look at look at this i mean Politano and his two goals this season all this season Politano and Neres two goals all season and Neres has been very good Although he was he wasn't good in this game and then that the subs I know they've only had limited minutes because continent never makes subs before the symmetry of minute generally But Simeone one goal raspadori one goal and gong Those three came on to apparently try to rescue the game zero goals and even Lukaku
00:11:18
Speaker
who was was was very poor in this game, but completely dominated by Soleil, who was fantastic. He was fantastic.
Future Challenges for Napoli: A Haunting Season
00:11:26
Speaker
Lukaku only has six non-penalty goals this season. So, I mean, given that the the output from the attack this season is is's miraculous, what Napoli have managed to do. Obviously, Tomine has chipped in with a lot of goals and he was and he scored again in this game and he was dangerous, great header.
00:11:46
Speaker
and Anguisos chipped in some some goals as well. But yeah, I just have to underline what I've said. I mean, that not doing not doing business in January and letting Conte continue the season with this squad, a weaker squad without Clara is, um yeah he's been let down. I'm sorry, he's been really let down because this was a golden opportunity. Generally, I understand, save your money for the summer. you know If Napoli were comfortable in fourth and fourth was pretty much in the bag,
00:12:14
Speaker
then I would have agreed with not not not going for it. But when you're in the position that Napoli were, you're top of the league, you're fighting it out with Inter, you're only playing once a week, you've got a golden opportunity to win for, golden chance to win the Scudetto. Go out and spend spend the money and win the Scudetto because you might not get another chance. Napoli went 33 years without winning the title.
00:12:36
Speaker
take that opportunity because you won't get it next season. This Napoli squad, I'm telling you now, Conte or no Conte, Napoli will struggle next season in Serie A. Top four is is is really what the best they can hope for because this squad is way off being able to compete on on the European and and domestic front. Impossible.