Conte is right, that grumbler, that irascible, that unpleasant one, in short, the lucid Antonio Conte. He is right when he gets furious and threatens fire and flames after the 2-0 in Bologna and when he “punishes” the team by canceling the rest day after the defeat in Udine and the slaps received in Lisbon, at Mourinho’s home: because Conte, perhaps more than his team, knows the value of Napoli, he knows well where he can get when there is heart and commitment. And above all: hunger. And he knows well that to get there, you have to sweat and work hard.
The two performances in the Super Cup, with Milan and Bologna they are proof to him that he is right. Yesterday, to his boys, after Christmas Day left to celebrate with the family, he wanted to explain this concept: a Christmas repetition, a way to underline that as soon as Napoli thinks that they don’t have to work hard to win, defeat comes. For two hours he showed videos of Cremonese: today he will not speak in the conference as he often does now for various reasons. Otherwise he would have underlined the pitfalls of the trip against what he considers the revelation of Serie A and in the presence of one of the coaches he most respects, Nicola.
THE CHOICES
At this moment, Politano overtook Lang in the hierarchies: the tour de force is impressive, also because it is yet another of a season without respite. In the next 33 days, Napoli plays 10 matches. Practically only New Year’s Eve will be a “typical” week even if the New Year’s Eve party on December 31st doesn’t exactly rhyme with normal days. Conte has already warned that he will not leave any days of relaxation next week, because then there is Lazio and then a breathless dive: 8 championship games and the last two of the Champions League which, due to the Azzurri, are decisive. Conte left a few hours of celebration for the Italian Super Cup: in an era in which everyone just wants to be nice, because dislike doesn’t bring approval or followers, credit to the merit of those who sing it without worrying about the consequences. Conte, in Riyadh, was upset when he said that «no cycle can open, because there remain distances between Napoli and the big teams in the North». To tell the truth, as soon as Napoli faces competitive fatigue at the rate of one match every three days, there are moments when they collapse. In the legs, then in the soul. There hasn’t been, also because there’s no time, who knows what athletic work these days: Conte is convinced that the blackouts in the league and in the Champions League are linked to a drop in intensity of the collective. And a weakening of the lucidity of the key men. One above all: McTominay.
IN CREMONA
Beukema will still be kept prudently at rest, even if it is very likely that he will get on the flight that leaves for Cremona in the afternoon: Olivera should return as the starter. Now we need to understand if Conte will adapt Jesus to the left, because Buongiorno will return to his place, or Di Lorenzo will be the one to climb between the three. We will see. Also because this morning, there will be the decisive test: Meret, to be very clear straight away, is not yet ready. And the same goes for Lukaku, who still doesn’t have even a minute left in his legs. However, there is Lobotka: without him, the blue balance proved to be a short blanket. Conte knows well that, given the many injured people still in the pits, despite the Super Cup on the board, it remains a difficult moment in the adventure. Now we’ll see if the coach with great qualities will be able to ferry Napoli beyond the shallows. Meanwhile Elmas, with the Eastern nights now far away, already has his mind on the championship: «Being a wild card is a very difficult thing, and not everyone understands it. For me, playing as a midfielder is a great effort”, he confesses to Radio Crc. «Compared to Spalletti when there was more dribbling, now there is more physicality. Being a wild card is a very difficult thing. I like to play behind the striker and at the moment we are playing with the 3-4-3 and that is my position a little. After five weeks of playing midfield, coming back straight away and playing number 10 with three attackers up front was a bit difficult, but I’m trying to do my best. The Cremonese? All matches in Serie A are very difficult. We have to be focused because it is also the last match of the year. We need maximum attention and we have to do our job.”
