CorSport – Napoli, Conte brings flexibility to their tactics | OneFootball

CorSport – Napoli, Conte has brought flexibility: no longer just one system of play

The initial idea has been replaced by another intuition, one that is no longer current today but could soon come back into fashion. Antonio Conte, who during his break—from Tottenham to Napoli—did nothing but deepen his knowledge, now doesn’t lock himself into any particular formation and sets no limits to his desire to shape the team in the image and likeness of his players, unforeseen events, inspirations, and the characteristics of his opponents. Since arriving at Castel Volturno, he has taken Napoli by the hand, leading them to a league victory by traversing various paths and now, at this moment, trying to explore new ones. The arrival of De Bruyne, for example, inaugurated the new era, that of the Fab Four: the four midfielders with width mainly coming from the right, with Politano, but with a balanced, geometric team that dominates possession and thus the game.

But the Fab Four is a concept, a slogan that translates, on paper, into a sort of 4-1-4-1 with Lobotka as the deep-lying playmaker and McTominay as a false winger who, by moving inside, gives Spinazzola on the left the space to push up the entire flank. And De Bruyne? He roams everywhere, without limits, acting as a playmaker who joins Stani in the build-up and then as a second striker pressing alongside Hojlund. Because what matters is the interpretation more than the formations themselves—a concept that is now clear and well-rooted in the players’ minds. Every change does not disorient but becomes an opportunity to grow and to become even more unpredictable. For this reason, while waiting for other ideas and new developments not to be underestimated, the reliable alternative remains the 4-3-3 mentioned by Conte after the Sporting match and often used during games, such as in the Champions League. In that case, Neres joins the attackers—either on the right or left—in place of a midfielder, but among the options there are also Lang or Elmas as valid choices on the left wing. The 4-3-3 was the outfit for the Scudetto at the crucial moment of the season, but before and after that, there was a Napoli just as effective, though different from itself.

Carlo Gioia

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