Tribal Football

Conte stunned by Napoli players after victory: Neres has just given me another problem!

Conte stunned by Napoli players after victory: Neres has just given me another problem!
Conte stunned by Napoli players after victory: Neres has just given me another problem!Action Plus
Antonio Conte admits Napoli's players have stunned him after victory over Como on Friday night.

The Azzurri won 3-1, with summer arrivals Scott McTominay, Romelu Lukaku (penalty) and David Neres all scoring the goals. The result sees Napoli clear at the top of the table, with Conte delighted with the team's response.

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Your assessment?

"Let's say we started really strong because we scored almost straight away, even in a very nice, studied situation. Maybe the goal satisfied us a little, I wouldn't say, but we tried to manage the pace. Since we train a lot to play at an intense pace, in the first half we conceded three dangerous shots outside the area. And we certainly could have done better. During the break we also changed a few things tactically because they were creating too much superiority between our midfielders, and then we managed to manage the ball in the right way and deservedly win the match, against an excellent team.

"I told you in the press conference, maybe they are the team that was doing better than all the others. What I told the lads is that we had a really important second half in terms of character, personality, and tactical level. They were very good, I liked it.

"We won more duels, we went to more clashes between the first and second half, Como had won 22 and we had 8, this makes me happy because in the difficulties... Take goal at the end of the first half could have killed us, instead there was a great response and it means that the boys are growing, in terms of personality, of belief."

 

What did he say to the fourth official about the contact between Kvara and Moreno?

"I didn't say anything but I got very angry, then in fact the referee cautioned me. I'm sorry because it bothers me when I get a yellow. Those are situations on the pitch, then they told me that the VAR cannot intervene, they are individual decisions of the referee so I respect them. Last week there were two other sensational situations where the VAR should have intervened and didn't. But that's okay, we're moving forward, we have to be stronger than all the situations."

 

Did you hear what the crowd was singing? What do you think of this dream in your heart?

"What I appreciate about the environment is that regardless of players, coaches, ownership, Napoli has always had passion and strong warmth towards its team. So we have the opportunity and privilege of having them on our side and this must make us more responsible, a positive responsibility, knowing that this union is very important.

"What I ask of the Neapolitan crowd is to see the players leave the field with sweaty shirts. Then you know very well that only one team wins and it doesn't mean that all the others lose. We don't want to close ourselves off like a hedgehog, I tell the boys to open ourselves to this enthusiasm, it can do us good. It's an extra push. Today in the second half we had a very strong push."

 

Neres in 63 minutes collected an assist and a goal, when will we see him more present on the pitch?

"What holds him back is the issue of balance. You know very well that teams must always be balanced, this is important for us. David is growing exponentially, what we have worked on is bringing him to an important physical, tactical and condition point of view. David in recent years has had ups and downs, in Benfica last year he wasn't a starter. I am trying to touch points with him too, on an offensive level he has important characteristics and in the last period I have seen that he is also applying himself a lot on a defensive level. This can only please me.

"What Neres has done today is raise the level of competitiveness, even among the boys. Here there is not a table with written who always plays. Of course, who plays is doing his duty. I have found Politano to have grown much more, in terms of desire, self-denial, sacrifice, this leaves me very calm. I said that I would like to give Gilmour more space, then you see Lobotka and you say wait a minute (laughs)... The same Ngonge, I didn't give him minutes today but I won't give time to anyone, but at the written time there is no one who plays by force and someone else doesn't.

"David scored a goal today and could have scored another, he injured an opposing player. Having an impact like his, a coach also takes this into consideration: finding players who come in and have a devastating impact is not so easy."