Conte: ‘Knew it would be tough for Napoli, but won’t change tactics’
Antonio Conte reiterates his warning that ‘this will be a tough season’ for Napoli after so many changes, but insists he ‘won’t change tactics’ after a 6-2 defeat to PSV Eindhoven.
This was the first time that one of Conte’s sides have ever conceded six goals, and although Lorenzo Lucca saw red at the 76th minute, the visible collapse had started well before that.
It was unpredictable because Scott McTominay had put Napoli in front in Eindhoven, but cheap errors saw PSV Eindhoven turn it around to lead 4-1 before the Lucca card.
McTominay tried to limit the damage with a header, but Ricardo Pepi and Couhaib Driouech made it a tennis score of 6-2.
Conte saw Napoli problems coming
“There is certainly disappointment, but these situations are never a fluke. We must do well to make the most of what happened tonight to change tack,” Conte told Sky Sport Italia.
“Last season, we won the Scudetto in an extraordinary, incredible way, having very few players when everyone went beyond their limitations. We had great unity and solidity. Inevitably, playing in Europe and adding many more new players, who in my view were too many, because nine new faces in a locker room is no mean feat. We were forced to do that.
“Since the start of the season, I said this was going to be tough, because I have experience, I know what it takes to absorb these changes.”
Napoli are suffering from an injury crisis, missing Rasmus Hojlund, Stanislav Lobotka, Amir Rrahmani and Romelu Lukaku, but they were still not expecting to struggle to this degree.
“This is the level,” warned Conte. “This is the level of the Champions League. We cannot complain. There is a lot of work to be done, but we know that it will take a real struggle this season, so we’ve got to be ready to put that work in.
“I see these players every day, and when I try to calm things down, it’s not looking for excuses. It’s because I can see things that suggest to me this is going to be a complicated campaign.
“We mustn’t despair, we all have to try to recreate the alchemy we had last season, albeit knowing there are nine new faces in the team. That takes time to create that connection.”
They have now lost four of their last seven competitive games, conceding 15 goals and scoring 10, without a clean sheet since August 30.
“When I said this is the level, that’s not the point. We were forced to go on the market because last season we had a very limited squad that did well to win the Scudetto. We added nine new players, it takes time and patience,” continued Conte.
“The old guard who achieved a coup last season must do well to challenge themselves, and that includes me too. This is building the second season, we did it all together, so we have to take responsibility. I take my share of the responsibility, but if I’ve been saying this will be tough from pre-season, I wasn’t trying to seek alibis or act unsatisfied.
“I know my name gets used to create controversy for weeks. I try to be as honest as possible and do my work in the best way. We need to rediscover the physical and mental energy that allowed us to do something extraordinary last season, allowing the new players to enter into the mechanism of this team, not just on the field, but in the locker room too.”
Napoli have a huge test coming up in Serie A, as on Saturday evening they go head-to-head with Inter, but when he was asked if there will be tactical changes, Conte reacted with irritation.
“What do you mean? If you win, it’s all good, if you lose then it’s all bad? Everyone praised using four midfielders, people said De Bruyne was bad after one game, then after Sporting they said he could not be replaced.
“We’ve been trying to get the four midfielders to co-exist together. In my view, a good coach is able to choose his best players in the starting XI and find the right alchemy. We have been able to do that at times.
“Inevitably, there will always be someone who complains that this or that figure isn’t playing, but what are we meant to change tactically? We’ve found the best balance right now, and two very attacking wingers is not giving us balance, so I see no need to sacrifice one of the midfielders right now.”
Fabio Capello in the Sky Sport Italia studio noted that Conte seemed sluggish and lacking ‘joy’ on the touchline this evening, even before it all started to go wrong.
“I’ve never given a sense of joy from the touchline, if anything determination and anger! I think the first half overall wasn’t bad. I try to help my players, perhaps it was my fault that I was less aggressive on the bench and therefore we lost 6-2. Next time I’ll throw a chair, like a lion tamer,” joked Conte.