With the ushering in of new blood at the San Paolo, Maurizio Sarri is gearing his troops for a potentially very strong run for the 2015-16 Scudetto. IFD Napoli expert Vinny Romagnuolo looks at the Partenopei’s upcoming season.
With additions such as Valdifiori, Allan, Chirches, Reina and more, Napoli are certainly contenders to knock Juventus, currently showing signs of wobbliness, off their throne and capture this year’s title. It may seem as though Napoli have been flying under the radar with mid tier signings, but these new additions have the potential to explode with the power of Mt. Vesuvius.
Perhaps most crucial is the addition of the meticulous tactician, manager Maurizio Sarri, taking over from Rafa Benitez. With Sarri most likely implementing a 4-3-1-2 formation, Napoli are looking to utilize players in different, more defined positions. Lorenzo Insigne, who missed much of last season with a knee injury and struggled to find his form once he came back, look to evolve under Sarri into Insigne 2.0, a true trequartista. It’s a position that tickles the fancy of many Italian coaches and, one that warrants immediate attention and care. While staying on the offensive, Napoli look to exploit the weakness of teams using a Higuain-Gabbiadini partnership that hasn’t been tested before. Rafa Benitez employed the ex-Juventus man behind the striker and as a right attacking midfielder last season but 2015-16 looks to have him coupled with the Argentinian sniper.
In midfield, the options are plentiful: Allan, Valdifiori, Hamsik, Mertens, Insigne are a few names that when placed on the pitch, could play some attractive possession calcio. The cause for concern may be the deep lying regista (a vital position to Sarri’s 4-3-1-2) which Hamsik and Valdifiori are both looking to lay claim to. Allan will look to solidify the midfield in from of the defense with the same tenacity and grit that saw him take off at Udinese. It looks as though the midfield hasn’t been settled yet with even Insigne possibly missing the chance to start behind the strikers this opening weekend. It is a work in progress but look for this midfield to gel sometime in the early to late fall when teams are performing at 100% capacity.
Predictions: Attempting to see the future is a dangerous game, especially in a situation with as many things new and different as Napoli have right now. If Sarri and his new signings “click” with the current setup, they could be serious Scudetto contenders. If not, they could miss out on Europe entirely. There is much reason for optimism surrounding Sarri and Napoli however, and a realistic finish for the Partenopei is likely to be 3rd place in Serie A and the semifinals of the Coppa Italia. Stay tuned.
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