ffs

Losing to Pep away

Sarri is genius, S hating is shameful

M99 wrote:Losing to Pep away

He doesn't have that bad of a record in away games in group stages. It's the KO stages were they get bad.

I think the last time Napoli lost at home was last season with Real Madrid, crazy run from them

And they're basically out of Europe, bad news for the rest of Serie A

Napoli wants to win the scudetto this year, the CL is a distraction. If Roma and Juventus remain in the CL, Napoli is much closer to the scudetto, unless Inter is able to up its game.

Luca wrote:I think the last time Napoli lost at home was last season with Real Madrid, crazy run from them

And they're basically out of Europe, bad news for the rest of Serie A

If they win their remaining two games and City beat Shakhtar then they may still be in it.

Winter is Coming wrote:

Luca wrote:I think the last time Napoli lost at home was last season with Real Madrid, crazy run from them

And they're basically out of Europe, bad news for the rest of Serie A

If they win their remaining two games and City beat Shakhtar then they may still be in it.

They should win both but it will be tight. Especially the Shakhtar match.

Anyways, I don't particularly like Napoli. In fact, I dislike them but I have respect for them and how they play, it was a good match with City. City was just better

breva wrote:Napoli wants to win the scudetto this year, the CL is a distraction.

What a horrible attitude to have, spends all year trying to qualify for competition and then the top competition in European club football is a "distraction".

Unbelievably small time.

Great Leader Sprucenuce wrote:

breva wrote:Napoli wants to win the scudetto this year, the CL is a distraction.

What a horrible attitude to have, spends all year trying to qualify for competition and then the top competition in European club football is a "distraction".

Unbelievably small time.

Unfortunately, its true. That's why Serie A desperately needs teams like Inter and Milan back to previous heights. Not that it matters now that the 4th spot is back due to "historic merit" but its a matter of credibility. Napoli is small time compared with Inter, Milan and Juve, and its not even close

Great Leader Sprucenuce wrote:

breva wrote:Napoli wants to win the scudetto this year, the CL is a distraction.

What a horrible attitude to have, spends all year trying to qualify for competition and then the top competition in European club football is a "distraction".

Unbelievably small time.

I mean, does anyone here really believe that they didn't want to win? No self respecting player would be like "oh it's only against the best english team, shouldn't try hard and focus on the match against Verona on the weekend"

BarrileteCosmico wrote:

Great Leader Sprucenuce wrote:

breva wrote:Napoli wants to win the scudetto this year, the CL is a distraction.

What a horrible attitude to have, spends all year trying to qualify for competition and then the top competition in European club football is a "distraction".

Unbelievably small time.

I mean, does anyone here really believe that they didn't want to win? No self respecting player would be like "oh it's only against the best english team, shouldn't try hard and focus on the match against Verona on the weekend"

They absolutely played to win, just don't think they'll be bothered if they go out in the group because they won't. They benched Allan and Jorginho against City in the first match ffs

But it was tactical. Sarri made it very clear he wanted to do well in that match both before and after the match.

And De Laurentiis said this before the match:

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/manchester-city-vs-napoli-team-news-preview-aurelio-de-laurentiis-interview-a8002876.html

"City? I think that some of our players should sit out this game, with Inter only around the corner and being just as important," he told Gazzetta dello Sport.

Tactical? You don't drop two of your starting three central midfielders for Diawara and Zielinski, two very good players in their own regard but to me, that's quite a clear indication of their approach. They still ended up playing quite a good match.

Poch also played an unconventional eleven at the Bernabeu and it worked out well for him. I don't think that's proof that he was throwing the game.

BarrileteCosmico wrote:Poch also played an unconventional eleven at the Bernabeu and it worked out well for him. I don't think that's proof that he was throwing the game.

No, but I think it does demonstrate their intent. Like I said, they played well in Manchester and well in Napoli, but I still maintain that I don't think they'll be bothered by an early exit in Europe.

Even to suggest that players should be rested for Inter, a Serie A match in October versus a crucial CL match after losing their opener against Shakhtar, is indicative of a provinciale mentality from a team that desperately wants to win Serie A this season.

They're not throwing the competition, I would never stretch that far. They played too hard in these City matches alone to suggest that, losing Ghoulam today and Insigne coming off in the first leg due to injury.

Great Leader Sprucenuce wrote:

breva wrote:Napoli wants to win the scudetto this year, the CL is a distraction.

What a horrible attitude to have, spends all year trying to qualify for competition and then the top competition in European club football is a "distraction".

Unbelievably small time.

And this is why they won't win the league this year.

Agreed on their provinciale mentality that is counterproductive for the victory
Anyway I don t think they have snubbed this CL , guys
Based on what ?

Winter is Coming wrote:

Luca wrote:I think the last time Napoli lost at home was last season with Real Madrid, crazy run from them

And they're basically out of Europe, bad news for the rest of Serie A

If they win their remaining two games and City beat Shakhtar then they may still be in it.

If these things happen then they qualify. Their game against Shaktar is at home so that shouldn't be that hard. A big problem is that they don't depend on themselves anymore.

Great Leader Sprucenuce wrote:

breva wrote:Napoli wants to win the scudetto this year, the CL is a distraction.

What a horrible attitude to have, spends all year trying to qualify for competition and then the top competition in European club football is a "distraction"

Unbelievably small time.

This morning on the Football Show, they said that three players on MC team (don't remember which) are valued as much as the whole Napoli team. So yes, Napoli is small time, even in Serie A compared to the northern teams.

rincon wrote:

Winter is Coming wrote:

Luca wrote:I think the last time Napoli lost at home was last season with Real Madrid, crazy run from them

And they're basically out of Europe, bad news for the rest of Serie A

If they win their remaining two games and City beat Shakhtar then they may still be in it.

If these things happen then they qualify. Their game against Shaktar is at home so that shouldn't be that hard. A big problem is that they don't depend on themselves anymore.

Pep is gonna field a competitive team minus 1 or 2 starters against Feyenoord. We should win at home and will need still need to get atleast a draw to cement 1st place.

Issue is the Trip to Ukraine midweek before the Manchester derby. Could see Pep send the reserves + Youth. Foden to start and put Shakhtar to the sword

BarrileteCosmico wrote:

Great Leader Sprucenuce wrote:

breva wrote:Napoli wants to win the scudetto this year, the CL is a distraction.

What a horrible attitude to have, spends all year trying to qualify for competition and then the top competition in European club football is a "distraction".

Unbelievably small time.

I mean, does anyone here really believe that they didn't want to win? No self respecting player would be like "oh it's only against the best english team, shouldn't try hard and focus on the match against Verona on the weekend"

This isn't on the players, i'm blaming the management here not the players.

Regardless the mentality if it is how Breva describes is definitely very small time.

BarrileteCosmico wrote:Poch also played an unconventional eleven at the Bernabeu and it worked out well for him. I don't think that's proof that he was throwing the game.

That was out of a lack of players. No LB meant Vertonghen needed to be switched over to the left, which meant Dier had to go in defense. No Dier in midfield meant Winks had to play. No Dembele or Wanyama meant a spot for Sissoko opened up. The only real surprise was that he went for Llorente instead of Son, which did turn out to be a great maneuver.

I think that is much different than Napoli.

With that being said we can only speculate that they put out a weaker lineup on purpose. It certainly seems like it and if that's true...it is a small time mentality. However, it very well could have been tactical. Who knows?

Either way, they're flopping in Europe and that's on them. They should get the same hate for it that Spurs endured last season.

Ir is small time and it wasnt tactical. ADL said before the game that the Inter match was more important. Sarri and all the players said the scudetto was their priority. Starting 2 U21 players over your two best midfielders wasn't a tactical choice. Jorginho and Allan started against Inter too.

If they want to sustain being a top club then 1 title in a blue moon isn't going to do that. Consistent CL knockout runs with the financial benefits and prestige is the way to go. Even if they do win the league, they're far more likely to lose key players a la Leicester than gain any because they'll be looked at as constant overachieving underdogs instead of a modern European level club/brand.

Combine saving first team players and add the injury to your only decent left wingback Ghoulan), all the trying in the world won't do much good against a team that can assemble and play two teams of equal quality to your first team.