So unfortunately after finishing with 9 points we have been eliminated by Liverpool due to the total goals rule. Unlucky, but we knew what we had to do to successfully pass the group stage and unfortunately we didn't accomplish it. We can't say it was a huge disappointment. We won 1-0 and lost 1-0 to Liverpool and we tied Psg away 2-2 and at home 1-1. No one expected us to push them to those limits but we managed to with a much smaller budget and that's something we can take with us. As of rn 6/8 teams from the champions league who will be dropping to the EL are known. Club Brugge, Inter, Napoli, Galatassaray, Benfica, and Valencia. Will be joined by Lyon/Shakhtar/Hoffenheim and Plzen/Cska Moscow. None of those teams are frightening tbh, maybe Valencia I guess ? In the EL the only teams really threatening are Chelsea, Arsenal and Sevilla. Let's see how far we can go, I'm assuming the subs will be getting game time here unless we make it to the quarters or further where we can see the final. I can't see us getting past the R16 cuz I doubt we'll take it seriously but we'll see.
Hard to get excited about Europa league after exiting UCL. There's neither glory or money in there. Unless we can go all the way to the final.
EL won't exactly be a walk in the park as well. Arsenal, Chelsea and Sevilla especially aren't exactly push-overs. Not sure why, but I think the media and pundits generally over-hyped us, even ex-Juventus players. https://app.football-italia.net/#article/footballitalia-131946&menu=news-all
Milik has kind of regained some of my trust, I want to give him a chance again. I was satisfied with Koulibaly and Hamsik's skill yesterday, and with Allan's fighting spirit. We cannot judge the midfield players based on their accuracy in a game such as our last one, as we as a team failed on so many levels that it was quite frightening at times, but considering the difference in quality we did well and can only improve. Hamsik provided some good passes yesterday, and being inaccurate every once in a while in a game where our strikers could not keep the ball in front for more than one second and the defenders could barely pass it out of their field is not that much of a factor, therefore in such a game you must concentrate on the little good that some individual players were able to put together, and I think Hamsik did well. He's an old fart now but he showed a lot of fighting grit as well, more than many youngsters! In Napoli, the captaincy is given for loyalty, and it has been so in many successful clubs throughout history. It is nowhere written that the best player, the judgment of which matter is often subjective, should be the captain of the team. Insigne saved himself a little with that pass to Callejon near the end, though he screwed up a perfect long ball from Marek just a little while before that, he was even offside, though he seemed to be scared even in spite of that fact, as he had foolishly lost the ball before the whistle. Mertens was totally off, I don't remember seeing him at all, Callejon I won't even mention further than this... The battle was not lost in the midfield as much as if was lost in the transition from defense to midfield and on the wings. Just compare Salah with our wingers, it would be like comparing all the Greek and Egyptian Gods with a little kid, or Led Zeppelin with Justin Bieber. Nonetheless, we have to move forward as I still believe we are on the right path. I am only afraid that our team will lose its spirit and determination, especially as many of the fans have obviously been struggling after yesterday's defeat to a very 'garbage' team from a very 'garbage' league. The thing that I regret the most is that Marek will probably fail to do anything substantial within or outside of SSC, which will most probably be one of the prices of his loyalty, though some people might see it the other way around. I hope he can keep his game up and even improve it for another 2 or 3 years, for if there is anyone who deserves success with Napoli it is him, and just maybe by the end of that time we will have won sth, or at least sent those accursed CHL groups straight back to hell!
Marek is our best and most creative midfielder (I am not counting Allan who has a different role). But Hamsik is not a leader and he fails to shine in big games. He is a veteran so expectations of him are much higher than from Fabian and Zielinski.
Milik is a limited player, and his main problem is that he has no pace so he can't really join in the game buildup, only can poach for goals in the six yard box. As for yesterday's game, indeed it's a bitter disappointment, probably one of the worst since I followed Napoli. Not so much in the sense that we lost and didn't qualify. I would be happy if we tried with intensity and heart and go down fighting, but it's like all of them decided to have a collective "off-day" at the most crucial of games. I don't watch a lot of EPL but it's certainly not garbage league and Salah is world class. He makes the difference yesterday while on our side, none of our players step up. Hamsik has been a loyal servant of the club and we all appreciate him and should bid him a fond farewell when the time comes but my concern is that time is fast approaching, regrettably. He still got a few more years of playing time left in him and he deserved a good payoff from other less demanding league that will welcome players like him. For a creative midfielder with great passing and dribbling ability, I am actually thinking it will be good if we can get Isco to boast our midfield but that's probably not likely to happen.
Agree on Milik. He is limited. He is a good joker to have and we should keep him. Bu we need a proper striker.
Sorry but if you think hamsik played well yday you are not being impartial in your judgement. If you think that was a good performance, then he can do no wrong in your eyes. He did make some sublime passes yesterday, unfortunately to the wrong team.
I have either failed to express myself comprehensively or you have failed at reading with comprehension. I had meant to say that there were factors in our last game that consequently made me adjust the criteria for judging the quality of the players' performances. I do not think that I am biased, as I neither care much for nationality or for any one player for any reason whatsoever. Nationality, from my point of view, is mostly a burden that has been wreaking havoc on mankind for centuries, and the damages of its existence exceed the gain of cultural heritage or signature by far. My point is simply this: All players were bad in that game. I remember so many players easily giving the ball away repeatedly that it was becoming sad to watch. Yet some of those players did some good things along with the bad, and I think that Koulibaly, Hamsik, and Allan were the ones that contributed the most to the good things, though they were also responsible for some of the bad with the rest of the team. But the contribution towards the good end of the spectrum from Mertens, Insigne, or Callejon was non-existent, except for that one pass conjured up by Insigne that Jose failed to capitalize on. Our midfield did get the ball through, often it was Hamsik who did so, yet our play once it was there was not on par with that of Liverpool. To put it simply, we lost the ball there almost immediately while the likes of Salah would created a deathly chance immediately. However, the overall quality of our performance was bad. But did get the ball forward, but our game there was horrible, while it was enough for Liverpool just to pass the ball to Salah to the center of the pitch and suddenly it was as if he teleported to the box...
I really want to see us make the final. We need some big time silverware and lets face it this team is never going to win a CL trophy the days of teams like ours winning the CL are done. Porto is probably the last "non" elite team to win that cup.
Yeah, it also started Mourinho's ''The Special One'' era. But still, it would have been nicer to qualify for CHL, just advancing from the group in CHL is better than winning the CHL, but that is an overstatement. There are some CHL quality teams even in EL, us included, there should be at least some fun. Perhaps we'll even see a Sarri vs Carlo game...
Football can be a funny thing. On their day, even a "shit" club can win against a top club. Underestimating an opponent is not a good thing to do in football. That's what the players deserved, after their shitty performance in the Liverpool game. Technically speaking, the EL trophy is not exactly a "big time silverware", but yeah... it will be nice to win a trophy after so long.
It would be nice to see us win, if we're in a good spot in the league by the time these games come around who knows maybe we would focus on this and have 2nd or 3rd place wrapped up. (As long as we're top 4 by a comfortable margin over 5th place) I would prioritize the EL and Coppa Italia.
This is why I am skeptical of ypur judgement. You place hamsik amongst K2 and Allan, yet those 2 were contributing much more than hamsik. If Allan and hamsik both played well, our midfield would've been tighter. But no, whilst Allan did his job providing cover, hamsik was nowhere to be seen messing up simple passes and buckling under pressure. When youre captain is toothless and playing in the manner they did, how is the rest of our team going to play good. You cant absolve yourself of responsibility just because it was a hard game and everyone else played crap. As captain you're supposed to step up and set good precedent. Instead he was a pedestrian.
Hamsik was the weak link in the midfield and as soon as we can replace him the better. It will cut huge wages and he's really not special.
I only pointed out Allan because of the fact that he showed the heart of a lion, but I do agree with the person here who posted that it was Allan's worst game so far and that he was very bad. Being the captain does not necessarily mean that you have to be the best player of the team, at least not in my books. There is noone in the world who can continuously provide that which you expect from Hamsik, captain or not... That's why the greatest teams have 2, 5, or 10 leaders, so expecting sth like that from one player and criticizing him almost exclusively because of that is not alright from my point of view. I maintain my position, though I am willing to talk about it, but why did you automatically assume that my take on the matter had arisen out of the pit of bias? Couldn't it be that I simply have a different opinion and maybe, just maybe, I might just be right, if there is such a thing? I think what I think and I can assure you bias is nowhere near any of it, but erroneous judgment due to other causes is, of course, possible.
Against Zurich I'd like to see this lineup: Meret/Ospina/Karnezis Hysaj-Maksi-Koulibaly-Luperto Ounas-Allan-Fabian-Younes Verdi-Milik Throw on Gaetano if we're in a lead but I can see Ancelotti not throwing him on in Switzerland and waiting til we're back in Napoli with a good lead
The first leg is in Switzerland on 2/14. Next season, the 2014/2015 season, where we gained 22 coefficient points will be wiped out. We better do well in this competition. Current ranked #16: https://www.uefa.com/memberassociations/uefarankings/club/#/yr/2019