Rafa Benitez insists he’s keeping a cool head despite Napoli’s recent struggles, and shrugged off talk of a crisis.
The Partenopei are on a run of four Serie A games without a win, and lost 2-0 to Milan at San Siro on Sunday to fall to seventh in the League.
Benitez, however insists he’s not feeling the pressure.
“Have the days since Milan been difficult?” Benitez considered in his Press conference ahead of tomorrow’s match with Parma.
Rafa Benitez insists he’s keeping a cool head despite Napoli’s recent struggles, and shrugged off talk of a crisis.
The Partenopei are on a run of four Serie A games without a win, and lost 2-0 to Milan at San Siro on Sunday to fall to seventh in the League.
Benitez, however insists he’s not feeling the pressure.
“Have the days since Milan been difficult?” Benitez considered in his Press conference ahead of tomorrow’s match with Parma.
“They weren’t three difficult days, every time we talk you [the media] say something different. I’m calm.
“There’s a saying in Spain: ‘Man is the only animal who trips over the same stone twice’.
“Here [in Italy] opinions change every two or three weeks. You’re critical at first, then you give praise when we win and then if we lose you’re critical again.
“Napoli now have an international recognition that we didn’t have before, that we hadn’t had for 20 years, not just two or three.
“Today, Napoli’s name is known all over the world, all we’re missing is some results.
“We’re two points behind third place, we’ve passed up a lot of opportunities to win through missing chances, missed penalties and defensive errors.
“We’ve missed the opportunity to be close to the top two [Juventus and Roma], but we’ll look for solutions in training.
“There are no problems. A problem would be not winning against Parma, because then there’d be talk of a crisis.
“There’s a perception that Napoli are self-destructive, but we can’t be that way, even if Neapolitans say that’s in their character.
“We can’t concern ourselves with hounding people or making scapegoats, we’re united to win. It’s up to us, we have to give 100 per cent, not just say that we will.
“By doing so we’ll return to the level that we’ve shown we’re capable of so many times.
“I’ve heard so many things, so many opinions. Before people said [Dries] Mertens has to play every game.
“Now [injured striker Lorenzo] Insigne is fundamental to us and therefore we’re not winning.
“I just keep going my own way.”