Napoli’s Victory Shows Importance of Sticking to Conte-Devised Plan
Napoli bounced back from last week’s loss to Lazio with an impressive 3-1 victory away to Udinese. Three points aside, the manner in which the team stuck to Antonio Conte’s preferred tactics is a welcome sight.
Bouncing Back with An Old Plan
Much has been made about Antonio Conte’s supposed dogmatism. Napoli fans were supposed to get a stubborn manager stuck in his ways and unwilling to listen to reason.
This has not been the case. Take, for example, Conte’s famously preferred formation, the 3-5-2. While the backbone of this has informed Napoli’s tactics so far, Conte has been willing to make changes to accommodate for the squad he has at his disposal.
In last week’s loss to Lazio, Conte played, essentially, in a 4-3-3 formation. Many thought that this would be ditched for the match against Udinese.
It wasn’t. Napoli played in a 4-3-3 again and with 10 of the 11 starting players used in last week’s game. Consistency paid off.
Gli Azzurri was excellent against Udinese at scoring despite few clear-cut chances. Excellent, direct passing reveals that well-oiled drills are bringing results. And Napoli’s manner of suffocating possession proves that the squad is gelling.
Building a Team, Rather Than Chasing a 2025 Title
Excellence is something that Antonio Conte has been searching for throughout his entire career. Most of the time, he has found it. That is why it is easy to get excited about this Napoli side and assume they’re among the favourites to capture the Scudetto.
While this is a season in which rivals like Inter, AC Milan, or Juventus have failed to find consistency, it’s important to analyze Antonio Conte’s project realistically.
The team won’t hesitate to try and take the opportunity of rival slip-ups. But Conte is building a squad for the following couple of seasons. The manner in which he has integrated new signings and younger players into the squad displays this excellently.
Many point out that Conte has a history of falling out with the club’s hierarchy. But let’s not be pessimistic just yet. Aurelio Di Laurentiis and Antonio Conte should know this is potentially an excellent side.
Napoli is good now, but they can be great in the 2025/26 season. That ought to be the main goal.