Conte’s Napoli dreams of a return to a three-man defense. There’s a surprise name that could change the Azzurri’s face: a hot opportunity straight from AC Milan
Il Napoli e la difesa a tre: c’è il colpo perfetto in casa Milan (Foto: Ansa) – serieanews.com
There is an unwritten rule in soccer: the teams that win are the ones that can adapt. Antonio Conte, this, has long understood.
Perhaps that is why, having arrived in Naples after last year’s disastrous 10th place finish, he rolled up his sleeves and took the team by the hand, bringing it back to fight for the Scudetto. He did not do it with a magic wand, but with the craft of someone who knows the field well.
Yet, on closer inspection, this Napoli is still not its true self. Because Conte has had to bend to circumstances, choosing a module, the 4-3-3, more the child of necessity than of his convictions. He, who has the three-man defense in his blood. Next year, however, things could change. And quickly.
If he stays in Naples – and that remains to be seen – Antonio Conte could finally shape the team in his image. A three-man defense, a four-man midfield or a five-man midfield, with two fluent outfielders who have the leg and intelligence to play that role so dear to the Salento coach.
This year on the left, Mathias Olivera and Leonardo Spinazzola have alternated. Two outfielders who have shared minutes, ups and downs. It is not excluded that one of them could pack his bags, not least because a profile like Carlos Augusto’s would be the ideal solution.
But the real knot concerns the other flank. Because if on the left a solution can be found, on the right we may have a problem.
Napoli, Saelemaekers perfetto per Conte: che coppia con Carlos Augusto
Matteo Politano played a season to applause. He sacrificed like few, ran and reinvented himself almost as a fifth midfield player. But asking him to hold up 50 games at that pace, between Serie A and the Champions League, might be too much. A real outside player is needed. Someone who has already done that job and knows how to do it at a high level.
Napoli, Saelemaekers perfetto per Conte: che coppia con Carlos Augusto (LaPresse) – serieanews.com
And here enters the scene a name that no one expected. Alexis Saelemaekers, now at Roma but owned by AC Milan, is perhaps the perfect coup for Conte. A footballer who has found his dimension just this year, thanks to the care of Claudio Ranieri, who has transformed him into a full-band outside player capable of giving balance and depth.
Six league goals and five assists, all since December, and consistently above-average performances. Today Roma, in the second round, is the second team in points won behind Inter. And Saelemaekers has been a factor. He is no longer the discontinuous boy seen in Milan: he has put his game in order, he has matured. He runs, covers, attacks. A perfect wild card for a 3-5-2 or 3-4-2-1 whatever.
Milan has not yet decided what to do with the Belgian. Everything will depend on who will be the new coach. Should a coach arrive who is oriented to a 4-3-3, such as De Zerbi or Italiano, then Saelemaekers could be expendable. In that case, Napoli will have to be ready to step in and attempt a breakthrough.
Il Milan può cedere Saelemaekers? Ecco cosa potrebbe succedere
It would be a different matter if Massimiliano Allegri, who has always favored ductile and tactically disciplined outfielders, were to pop up. With Allegri, Saelemaekers would risk becoming an untouchable for the Rossoneri.
Il Milan può cedere Saelemaekers? Ecco cosa potrebbe succedere (LaPresse) – serieanews.com
For Antonio Conte, however, the pairing of Saelemaekers on the right and Carlos Augusto on the left could be the key to building a Scudetto-winning Napoli. Two real outsiders who would allow the Apulian coach to return to his soccer, the kind made of running, pressing and sudden verticalizations.
The time for reflection will not be long. If Milan decides to sell Saelemaekers, it will have to be quick. Because such a player today is coveted by many. And the Champions League that awaits Napoli waits for no one.
This article Napoli and the three-man defense: there’s the perfect shot at AC Milan appeared in its original version first on SerieANews.
