Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri expressed his desire to bring balance to the Scudetto winners ahead of their trip to face Juventus.
The 62-year-old Italian coach took over the defending champions last month after the dismissal of Rudi Garcia, who failed to prove convincing in his first few months in the Campania capital.
Mazzarri has shown some positives since becoming Napoli’s head coach, guiding them to a win over Atalanta and looking strong in losses to Inter and Real Madrid. His goal is to secure a top four finish with the club before likely departing next summer.
Speaking in a press conference via TMW, Mazzarri first discussed what Napoli’s match with Juventus represents.
“I think that since I arrived, we have realized that at the first mistake we immediately concede a goal, we are trying to change.
“I want to give more balance to the team as in the past, attack well like in the first half against Inter and not allow these sensational counterattacks which characterized the team even before my arrival.
“The top teams must have a balance, be solid, not concede many goals and then feel important and make the plays up front that we know how to make.
“This is my job, thinking game after game, there’s no point in talking too much, we start winning matches and conceding few goals, like in the first half against Inter.
“Juventus vs Napoli, you know what it means, the team that won the Scudetto, one of the strongest in Italy, it’s a match of importance, very important and we must do it well also to understand certain progress.”
He was asked if there were physical issues with the squad.
“I made it clear that I no longer want to do any of my past naivety in terms of communication, I won’t say things that go against the professionalism of those who were there before me, I can’t afford it once the season has started.
“I keep certain assessments to myself, with my trainer, but they stay in the locker room.”
The Italian tactician touched on his desire to bring a soul back to Napoli.
“Time counts in football, soul always counts in football, both when I spoke about it 14 years ago and now. The boys have made me understand that with me they give their soul, they are starting to give their soul, the important thing is that they’re convinced of what the coach proposes.
“Let’s leave aside the past, I see a strong bond towards me, you know that we also talk to each other individually and we are starting a journey. In first place there is the soul, the team, the desire not to succumb.
“Defensive phase? Football has changed since I was here, last year, beyond playing well, the defensive phase was to stay short and not let them counter, counterattacks will always be there, but they came in a different way. I’m working on this aspect.
“We’ve already seen a little bit, the first half against Inter the team did very well, the team didn’t allow a counter except for the goal. We deserved it for what we created and at the end of the first half we should have been in the lead.
“On Natan on the left… if I have time, he’s the only one who can do it in the absence of the full-backs. Unlike Jesus, he is younger, physical, has initiative, has the ability to accompany the attacker more.”
He provided updates on the conditions of Mario Rui and Victor Osimhen.
“For Juventus, Mario Rui will not be with us, the doctors tell me that there is hope of calling him up for Braga, but let’s see.
“For Osimhen, a little time is normal after a period of absence, he will not be at 100% but I think he will give me more guarantees than in the last few games.”
Mazzarri was asked if something fundamental in defence was missing after Kim Min-Jae’s summer exit.
“When someone who has been in football for many years like me knows how it works, anything I say would mean making excuses. If I speak it’s normal to say what I think, that’s how I am, otherwise I won’t even come.
“I need to have time to understand in my training sessions if we can maintain that attitude without Kim, but everything depends on work to be able to understand. If I were to learn that what you said is reality, I will have to find a way of playing football with different measures.
“I said it already years ago, to a coach who takes over there is data collection, it’s a process, you need a bit of patience.”
The Napoli coach discussed what it’ll take for his time to play a whole match like their first half against Inter, and if he expects any reinforcements in January.
“When we reach the end of this month, if the club listens to me… I will have more control over the situation and will say what I can possibly do. After a month and a half, I can be more conscious in giving indications. In the match, at the 45th minute I was very happy.
“Being ahead or behind changes the game, to really understand if there has been a drop you must also consider the psychological level.
“Being champions and finding yourself losing matches at home can also be a psychological issue to explain these drops, or let’s call them slips. It could also be the mindset, give me time and I hope to train it more.”
He was asked if he’s working more on the mindset or the on-pitch mistakes.
“Over time you improve, if you continually study and update yourself… I think we are on the right path, but I have to wait for the tests. We face all the best teams and Real Madrid also the best in Europe.
“These are special matches, we’ll see, I’m convinced which can be done well. The boys follow me, and we also need a bit of luck in the moments to regain morale.”
Mazzarri commented on the fact that Napoli lead in shots and possession but are still struggling with form.
“We need focus from the players, sometimes we coaches realize it and talk about brilliance, to score goals you need that spark and that focus that is now missing and there is the mental aspect of tranquillity, there is also a psychological backlash and there are many components that I’m trying to understand quickly.
“We’re showing that we’re not frayed for 90 minutes, when we even attack. Also, for the immediate recovery, which is talked about so much, staying short and beyond the moment with Lobotka’s foul, I’ve seen sensational counterattacks against the strongest team at the moment.”
He was asked if the gap to Juventus in the league table was accurate.
“Being more compact, making fewer mistakes in front of goal, not taking counters like before my arrival and being concrete in front of goal. And a bit of luck, believe me, sometimes everything goes wrong for you, a moment turns you around.
“If we see the squads last year it doesn’t fit, but this year we are behind, that’s how it is, the table speaks for itself but that first half with Inter against the best… they didn’t prove to be inferior, in fact Napoli deserved to end the first half ahead.”
The Napoli coach touched on the idea of seeing Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in a more central role.
“Interesting question. A team that wins the Scudetto, with the main players so well known by now, gets more attention and became predictable for the opposing coaches.
“Therefore, they need to be put in a position to not always be doubled up and therefore they have to move every now and then, coming into the pitch, and solutions are found to free him from the markers.
“But if three of them go on Kvara, it means that a couple are free, and we must also do well with the others who go after us. The team must understand that if the two most representative ones are closed off, we’ll go with the others.”
He touched on how Jesper Lindstrom can utilised more.
“I saw some footage of him with the previous team, to better understand where he can be used. He was important with the previous team, but here there is a consolidated formation.
“I need to understand where he can perform more but he has good qualities and now he’s starting to feel good because he’s been back for six to eight days.”
Finally, Mazzarri was asked if the punishment handed to referee Davide Massa infuriated him further.
“I’m a new Mazzarri, I stopped on purpose to clear myself of the past, I no longer want to be the one who talks about referees.
“Even the next few times I won’t talk about the referees, the old Mazzarri is retired. I prefer to do as on Sunday and not come because I imagined we would talk about that. I would just like to talk about the team.”