Napoli’s resilience: Conte’s 4-1-4-1 a double-edged sword | OneFootball

Conte’s Napoli shows resilience and depth, but the new 4-1-4-1 raises questions: Is De Bruyne the key or is a return to 4-3-3 needed?

Napoli, resilience and depth: Conte’s 4-1-4-1 is a double-edged sword

The 3-2 victory over Pisa on September 22 was yet another demonstration of the resilience of Antonio Conte’s Napoli, a team capable of suffering but also striking with great clarity at decisive moments. A success that once again highlights the depth and compactness of the squad.

One statistic above all captures this start to the season: the Partenopei have scored 9 goals with 8 different scorers. A clear sign of how balanced the team is and how ready every department is to contribute, without depending on a single player.

The tactical dilemma of the new formation

Despite the positive results, there are still some doubts related to the change in formation: from the classic 4-3-3, Conte has switched to 4-1-4-1 to allow the so-called Fab Four of the midfield (McTominay, Lobotka, Anguissa, and De Bruyne) to coexist. A bold choice that, at least so far, has not yet produced that extra “something” expected by the fans.

The new setup inevitably sacrifices a winger: on the left flank, Lang and Neres have lost space in favor of a role tailored for Kevin De Bruyne. However, the Belgian has not yet managed to make the impact one would expect from his talent. Napoli develops most of its play on the right wing, with combinations between Di Lorenzo, Politano, and Anguissa, while on the left only Spinazzola tries to create superiority, since McTominay is often used as a central runner into the box.

Two possible paths

At the moment, this represents the main tactical limitation for the Azzurri: either De Bruyne finds a position closer to goal to best express his quality, or Conte will have to consider a return to 4-3-3, leaving the Belgian as a luxury alternative to be brought on during the match.

Napoli’s real strength, however, is flexibility. Conte has at his disposal two practically complete squads: one ready to play in a 4-1-4-1, the other in a 4-3-3. This will allow him to adapt to each challenge, both from the start and during the match.

The potential remains enormous and, tactical adjustments aside, Napoli continues to show the makings of a true protagonist.

by Davide Maria Pellegrino

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