Napoli, no McTominay issue: same form as last year despite De Bruyne | OneFootball

In recent days, there has been talk of an alleged crisis for Scott McTominay at Napoli. Some believe that living with Kevin De Bruyne has limited the Scottish player's performance. But the numbers tell a different story.

Napoli, no McTominay case: same performance as a year ago despite De Bruyne

After five Serie A matches and two Champions League rounds, McTominay has scored a goal, on his debut against Sassuolo. Exactly as in the last season, when the first goal came on the third matchday against Como (3-1).

So, no drop in productivity: the Azzurri midfielder is perfectly in line with his performance from the previous year, which turned out to be crucial for winning the third Scudetto.

The role next to De Bruyne

De Bruyne's presence has prompted Antonio Conte to explore new tactical solutions. The recurring choice has been the Fab Four in midfield, which has inevitably reduced McTominay's space compared to the past season.

According to Tuttosport, however, this is not a definitive limit: the coach could also consider a return to the 4-3-3 formation, a system that last season particularly enhanced the Scotsman.

The numbers of the other midfielders

The comparison with his teammates reinforces the idea that there is no alarm:

Lucca (at Udinese last year) had scored a goal in the first five.

Anguissa had also scored only one goal in the past season (against Parma).

Politano, Neres and Noa Lang were still dry after five rounds, just like today.

A year ago, Politano found the net on the sixth matchday against Monza, while Neres unlocked the scoreboard on the seventh against Como.

No alarm at Napoli

The numbers confirm that there is no "crisis" for McTominay and, more generally, for Napoli's attack. The long cycle of the season and Conte's rotations will lead all the protagonists to make an impact. For now, everything is proceeding exactly as it did twelve months ago: with a measured start that, in the long run, could prove to be winning again.

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