[ITA] Coppa Italia 2013/2014 (24 Viewers)

[Fred]

Benitez has always been a Cup manager, I fully expect him to bag the Coppa Italia, so typical.

Whatever happened to Insigne btw, when they first bought him he really looked like was going to work for them, theres no question about his talent, thats for sure. For those who follow Napoli regularly, what are the main reasons he's under performing do you think?

Maybe he doesn't fit in Rafa's 4-2-3-1 system?

 

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[Red]

Think he's just in the awkward spell for a youngster between demonstrating talent and really stepping up to being a consistent performer.

Don't think he has a problem with the system, but the competition is pretty tough just now with Mertens and Callejon both being very productive when they play. Hard to really nail down a starting spot and get a long enough run to find consistency if you aren't playing well and struggling with confidence a bit.

Also can't be easy being the only Neapolitan in and around the Napoli team and dealing with that additional pressure.

 

[JBF]

The way I see it he's lacking the cinsistency a starting spot privides. By all means though he's not bad, its just that bith Callejon and Mertens been on top form thus far. Only a mad cow will bench one of those for him.

I always wondered why he didnt play him as a SS next to Higuain when Hamsik was injured though. Especially since Pandev was absolute shit.

 

[Red]

I always wondered why he didnt play him as a SS next to Higuain when Hamsik was injured though. Especially since Pandev was absolute shit.

Probably because the trequartista needs to be able and willing to drop a bit deeper and do more playmaking.

Don't really see Insigne as being suitable for that role just now.

 

[JBF]

Probably because the trequartista needs to be able and willing to drop a bit deeper and do more playmaking.

Don't really see Insigne as being suitable for that role just now.

When Pandev played he was more of a second striker though. Didn't really backtrack to midfield and open up the play but rather his role was mainly to support Higuain when on the offensive.

Also, Insigne played as a second striker most if his career at Pescara.

 

[Red]

Was Zeman not playing his normal front three at Pescara?

 

[JBF]

Was Zeman not playing his normal front three at Pescara?

He gave him a free role. He used to drift on the wings at times but I never saw him as a classic winger.

Even Mazzari did the same last season. Was quite obvious when Napoli were on the defensive.

 

[Fred]

Think he's just in the awkward spell for a youngster between demonstrating talent and really stepping up to being a consistent performer.

Don't think he has a problem with the system, but the competition is pretty tough just now with Mertens and Callejon both being very productive when they play. Hard to really nail down a starting spot and get a long enough run to find consistency if you aren't playing well and struggling with confidence a bit.

Also can't be easy being the only Neapolitan in and around the Napoli team and dealing with that additional pressure.

Ya Mertens especially has been really productive lately, I've watched a few Napoli games over the past month, and he's really been on fire. But I read reports of Napoli fans jeering Insigne recently, thats why I asked.

 

[ArturoFreestyle]

Benitez has always been a Cup manager, I fully expect him to bag the Coppa Italia, so typical.

Whatever happened to Insigne btw, when they first bought him he really looked like was going to work for them, theres no question about his talent, thats for sure. For those who follow Napoli regularly, what are the main reasons he's under performing do you think?

Maybe he doesn't fit in Rafa's 4-2-3-1 system?

He's not "underperforming", or to better say, yeah, partially, he should be more incisive in front of the goal, but he's still very young and it's one of those players that, if he ever grows up totally, he takes a while to do it. But he's never been a problem for Napoli, especially in big matches he's often been on of the best permormers and I see that nobody points this out (f.e. in Turin and in both legs against Dortmund he was the best on the pitch for them). As I said, he could score more, but he's never been a finisher rather than an assist-winger. You can see his quality when he treats the ball, even if he has to get a lot of experience. He's just having a lot of competition in those spots of the team. Mertens and Callejon are pulling off an impressive season and actually there's no way he could overtake them.

For the Coppa Italia, I wouldn't count Fiorentina out yet. They're very good and they have a lot of entusiasm and spirit this year. For sure they'll give Napoli an hard time like they did in the league (they actually played better than them and deserved to win, but the ref was disgraceful), especially if Gomez and the other main players will be fully fit. I'll be interested to see Napoli-Fiorentina in the league in March, maybe we'll get some hints of how the teams will prepare this final even if I think that both trainers will choose a careful approach, especially if like now Fiorentina is few points behind. Montella is not stupid and has a lot of experience in italian football, and he knows that overexposing at San Paolo is ridiculous and just makes you take some risks. Even last year he was really careful and managed to get out with a balanced game.

 

[Red]

But I read reports of Napoli fans jeering Insigne recently, thats why I asked.

Yeah, I saw whatever game it was that he got booed after being subbed.

He's clearly not playing anything like his best just now, but no reason to think it's anything more than a temporary blip.

 

[Vlad]

Is he really experiencing the drop in form, or maybe Italian media and fans hyped Insigne a little too much, kinda like they tend to do with their every promising youngster of late, only to spew criticism once he fails to meet the expectations, which are very difficult to meet in the first place as the bar is set too high? Insigne has potential to be a decent player and nothing more than that. IMO

 

[ArturoFreestyle]

Is he really experiencing the drop in form, or maybe Italian media and fans hyped Insigne a little too much, kinda like they tend to do with their every promising youngster of late, only to spew criticism once he fails to meet the expectations, which are very difficult to meet in the first place as the bar is set too high? Insigne has potential to be a decent player and nothing more than that. IMO

Yeah, the way you described the Italian media is actually truthful, that's what happened more or less in the last year and a half. For sure the high competition in the team from the likes of Mertens and Callejon, who're pulling off a fantastic season, really more than expected, didn't help him to get playing time and impress. Even the stupid (at least mostly) Napoli fanbase are being silly with him, and the good performances he's pulled off so far even in big matches are sort of forgotten due to the antipathy he's getting in Naples cause has been found out that in he was a childhood Juve fan and he admitted that his idol is Del Piero, and you can imagine how those Napoli clowns can react to these comments, even is Del Piero is overall respected everywhere. He had a lot of rows with the Napoli Curva and so on, he also felt offended and made some gestures to them. Being a Napoli player sometimes can be very difficult, with such a fanbase. About the quality of the player, if he improves his efficience he can be more than decent IMO, he can reach the likes of a Cassano for example. The quality in feet and treating of the ball is remarkable.

 

[Ragazza]

The one he got jeered in, he had a really poor game (I too saw that one). It was a one time occurrence, as the next game he started, he played well & was cheered when subbed as normal. His biggest problem right now is definitely his finishing, and why his level of goalscoring is so low. I don't think his overall game is poor though, in a general sense.

 

[JuveJay]

Same problem as always in Italy, kids get crowned and then killed off in the space of a couple of seasons. Insigne proved against his peers at U21 level (yes, that includes the fabled Germans and Spaniards who currently play at the top level) that he was a stand out player, in terms of pure ability, but it's different when put into Serie A.

Ability only does so much, but there is a difference between a talented player who doesn't fulfill his potential and a player who was never really that talented. Too early to tell yet if Insigne will be the former.

 

[AOD4]

Jorginho seems to be getting space in Napoli. He still can play for Italy NT .

 

[JBF]

Jorginho seems to be getting space in Napoli. He still can play for Italy NT .

I always thought him next to Oscar in the Brazilian midfield would be something to watch. He's too young to write off Brazil for Italy this early.

 

[Xperd]

The one he got jeered in, he had a really poor game (I too saw that one). It was a one time occurrence, as the next game he started, he played well & was cheered when subbed as normal. His biggest problem right now is definitely his finishing, and why his level of goalscoring is so low. I don't think his overall game is poor though, in a general sense.

Italian Sterling.Small size,poor finisher.

 

[Bianconero_Aus]

Yeah, the way you described the Italian media is actually truthful, that's what happened more or less in the last year and a half. For sure the high competition in the team from the likes of Mertens and Callejon, who're pulling off a fantastic season, really more than expected, didn't help him to get playing time and impress. Even the stupid (at least mostly) Napoli fanbase are being silly with him, and the good performances he's pulled off so far even in big matches are sort of forgotten due to the antipathy he's getting in Naples cause has been found out that in he was a childhood Juve fan and he admitted that his idol is Del Piero, and you can imagine how those Napoli clowns can react to these comments, even is Del Piero is overall respected everywhere. He had a lot of rows with the Napoli Curva and so on, he also felt offended and made some gestures to them. Being a Napoli player sometimes can be very difficult, with such a fanbase. About the quality of the player, if he improves his efficience he can be more than decent IMO, he can reach the likes of a Cassano for example. The quality in feet and treating of the ball is remarkable.

Pretty sure he said he was a fan of Del Piero, don't even remember him saying he was a Juve fan per se.

The kid clearly has plenty of talent, but you need more than talent to succeed and make it to the top. He has superior players in front of him at the moment, so whenever he does get his chance and he doesn't play as well as he'd like, the pressure does seem to get to him. As it usually does when you play for your home-town club.

 

[Cronios]

Since our team officially disregards the cup so much, maybe we should close this thread, at least untill we have a coach that doesnt hate it...

 

[Bianconero_Aus]

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