CorSport – Napoli: If you can't win, don't lose, mentality needed… | OneFootball

CorSport – Napoli, when you can't win, at least you must not lose: a mental step is needed…

Napoli disappeared in a week. They had dominated against Juve and reclaimed first place, then collapsed against Benfica and Udinese. Two consecutive defeats that worsened their standing in the Champions League and dropped them to third place in the league, overtaken by Inter and left behind by Milan. A double blow, bringing their season losses to seven, all away from the Maradona. It's the second time Conte has lost two in a row; it already happened in mid-October against Torino and PSV. A worrying sign, a clue that should trigger the alarm. Because it's true that the situation is complicated, that the absences are significant, that rotations are impossible and there are many commitments. But Napoli must learn to live with difficulties, because at least until the end of January, not much will change. When you can't win, at least you must not lose. If the wind is against you, as Conte explained, you still have to keep the boat steady. What’s needed is above all a mental step; the team must understand the tough moments and manage the circumstances. They can't let themselves be emotionally affected, can't so easily lose the thread. They must have experience, cunning, and character even away from home, when the environment has its weight. This growth is necessary in such a complicated moment, when you are forced to draw on mental energy and physical strength every three days against opponents who are almost always fresher and more charged.

In Udine, they lost the match in every way. They managed for one half, then collapsed as time went on. Udinese had more hunger, more determination, more desire to win. They overwhelmingly won the duels, took control as the minutes passed, and brought home three points they wanted at all costs. Napoli did very little, not even a shot on target, something that hadn’t happened in almost two years. But above all, they only started playing in the last ten minutes, when they freed themselves mentally and tried to snatch a draw that Hojlund and Lucca even came close to. The last time Napoli lost two matches in a row without scoring was at the end of 2023, with Mazzarri on the bench.

Conte didn't make a drama out of it; he was the first to warn of the difficulties ahead and probably already knows where and how to intervene. The only good news he brings back from Udine is the return of Lobotka and Gutierrez, at a time when you have to scrape the barrel to find new energy. On the horizon is the Supercoppa; on Thursday in the semifinal against Milan there will be a chance for revenge after the defeat at San Siro in the league. But to play on equal terms, the real Napoli must take the field: the united and compact team that had collected five wins in a row before this horror week. They need to regain not only physical energy, but above all the motivation that had brought them back to life after Bologna. For at least another month, they’ll have to go above and beyond; from February onwards, it will be a different Napoli. The important thing is not to get there with broken bones.

Carlo Gioia

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.