I was speaking about last season. I hate that I feel this way now… I know we weren’t going to repeat but I wanted to see a respectable fight… we are doing so poorly that I’m doubting if we even deserved the win… I mean lecster city put on a better fight…
Rumours that Rrahmani and JJ have been steering up issues in the locker room ever since Garcia picked Ostigaard and Natan over them at the start of the season. Apparently, they have managed to turn most of the locker room against Ostigaard and Natan. Natan was also being scapegoated at HT against Empoli, even though he was one of many disappointing players. If this is true I am almost done for words, since many cases can be made that our two worst players (of the starters) this season could be Rhahmani and Juan Jesus. It makes sense, they seem like people who lack self-awareness. This is one of the rumors as to why the locker room is divided.
We deserved to win last season, don't take that away from the team just because the team is shit this year. Don't be beta males about that; Napoli was the best team in Serie A the previous season, and Juve was not the secret winner last season. I have no idea why this forum obsesses over Juve like that. They were awful last season and not that good this year either, and Napoli exposed them as a horrendous team last season. Shit take of the year in here. This season is an unmitigated disaster, though, starting with ADL. He got by on luck for a lot of years, and that luck has come to an end. I didn't think it would need to happen so soon after a Scudetto win, but the team likely needs to be blown up; throughout the season, I was hoping this team would pull its collective head out of its ass, but that isn't happening. Now, we are linked to Conte, Pioli, and Gasperini. ADL has shown he has no ideas and thinks he is the maker of his luck. Uninspired alleged choices, but maybe ADL will pull a master stroke and bring in Benitez lol. Maybe Napoli will show something against Roma, who happened to get canning Mourinho right, despite what the Moutards were saying. ADL didn't get any decision right this year between selling Elmas to bring in Traore, not resigning Zielinski, and loaning out half the team. The only positive I can think of for loaning out the younger guys is they can get away from what looks like a toxic locker room situation—asking the manager to sub off Natan just to put up one shot on target against Empoli, who looked happy to sit back.
Reminder that we drilled them 5-1 before they got the deduction. We were the best team in Italy last year. How soon people forget
Between last summer and now ADL has considered almost every coach available. From attack minded guys like Italiano to dinosaurs like Allegri. It tells me that he himself has no idea what Napoli's identity should be or what technical project he needs to build. He is the first that has to leave Napoli before anyone else.
Embarrassing and stupid things ADL has said & done since last summer: 1. Triggers Spalletti's extension without giving him a pay increase. (Spalletti quits) 2. Goes on a very intense audition process for a new manager. In his search he speaks with T. Motta. Motta asks him who the DS of Napoli will be, ADL answers him "I am here at the club. Isn't that enough?" Motta tells him he isn't interested. 3. ADL teases a new manager of "international experience" despite the budget being between 2-3 million euros. He speaks with Galtier. The rumors are that they are close to an agreement. L'Equipe even runs a cover story. ADL announces Garcia the next day. Garcia admits in a press conference he hadn't even watched Napoli that year. 4. Someone in Napoli's PR team plants a story in the media that Napoli and Ricky Massara are close to an agreement for him to be the new DS. ADL announces Meluso on twitter that afternoon as an "up yours" to the media. Meluso a virtual unknown who hadn't worked in two years. Ricky Massara had experience at Milan and Roma. One of Walter Sabatini's pupils. (He really showed them.) 5. Bayern trigger Kim's release clause at an estimated 56-58 million euro. ADL and Meluso begin a search for a new CB. (Kim was the best defender in Serie A that year) We hear many names : Itakura, Scalvini, Kilman, Danso. It's estimated that Napoli will have to spend money in the 30-40 million range to replace a player of Kim's calibre. RC Lens end up giving Danso an extension to his contract who then mock Napoli on their social media. ADL ends up signing Natan from the Brazilian league who is young and doesn't have much experience for 10 million. It's OK they tell us because Napoli have champions like Juan Jesus and Ostigaard. After all, up to now ADL's strategy of finding cheap unknowns has worked well. He can't miss. 6. Zielinski is entering the season in the final year of his contract. Napoli are adamant, he must take a pay cut. Zielinksi loves Napoli and doesn't want to move, but he also doesn't want to reduce his wages. In other words, a big problem. In the meantime, Napoli are in negotiations with highly rated young Spanish midfielder Gabri Veiga who is seen as his replacement. All parties involved come to terms, but for some reason Napoli begin stalling. They go back to the negotiating table with Zielinksi. A week passes before any news. The owners of Al Alhy in Saudi Arabia take advantage and sign Veiga paying his full release clause also giving him 10 million a season in wages. The owner openly mocks ADL on his social media. Napoli lose out on a very good young player. But it's ok they say, because Zielinski will for sure sign a new deal. 7. Zielinksi and ADL agree to begin the season on a handshake. They will negotiate down the line. Up until now, ADL has been very good at forcing his players out when they are in the final year of their deals. Milik and Fabian Ruiz were two good examples. Either sign a new deal, agree to a transfer, or sit on the bench for a year were their options. Zielinski is very important to Napoli's project and was coming off a really good season. But once again, negotiations stall. Zielinksi is unwilling to decrease his wages. January comes, and it is revealed that Zielu has signed a pre-contract with Inter. After this, it reported that Napoli were willing to give Zielinski the money he wanted, but it was too late. Rumor has it that Zielinski and Marrotta had an agreement since last summer. Something no one can ever know for sure, but interesting nonetheless. Whatever the truth, ADL got played hard These are at the top of my head, but there are much more
I think Spalletti wanted to leave regardless, but AdL's actions made his mind up more clearly in case he had doubts. Motta was always wary of AdL, but their direct interactions only confirmed it further. We hired Garcia over Galtier to keep Osi happy. Plus he was cheap. With Meluso, AdL was trying to prove he doesn't need a real TD, just a guy in a suit on the cheap can help him do the job on his own. AdL likes to believe he's the reason we won the league title last season. This season he wanted to prove it and he sure did. We'll be lucky to finish inside the top half. Ziely totally played us and will play a big part in Inter's plans.
Well, as much as we are emotionally subjective, we still, I believe, have to admit he is a huge chunk of the reason. His love for the club and the city can hardly be questioned, notwithstanding his stubborn methodology. The point is, he has made the club what it is, but his beliefs clash with the necessities of those clubs that aspire to challenge for the best goals every year. To be able to do that, you have to do whatever it takes, like Juve did when they went so far as to risk point deduction later. We have steadily been rising for almost two decades now, and DL will most probably never be the right president for a club that wants to consistently challenge the best teams in the world, and eventually become one.
After winning the title and having Beppe the finder of cheap talents ? They got a couple of guys they could let go and not miss a beat.
Even if Sunning sells, the people that are making bids to buy the club would likely also be very loyal owners. Like I've heard of a couple Saudi companies making bids that really love Inter. If Beppe stays, it should be fine.
Juventus will probably be back next season if Allegri gets sacked, with Giuntoli as the sporting director. I still feel Inter has the edge, but I think next season: Inter, Juventus, and Roma will be the three teams to beat. In fact, here's my prediction for next season: 1. Inter Milan 2. Juventus 3. Roma 4. AC Milan 5. Atalanta 6. Fiorentina 7. Bologna 8. Napoli 9. Lazio 10. Torino 11. Genoa
True enough. I only recently discovered Valentin Carboni of Monza is their player. Plus Giovanni Fabbian, of course.
You guys should go for Viktor Goykeres (not looking up the spelling) of Sporting Lisbon to replace Osimhen. Won't be at Osimhen level yet but he could be with the right team in due time. The money from Osimhen will be available so it can't be that.
Bologna own Fabbian but Inter retain a buy back option that I really hope they don’t exercise. The inter midfield is more crowded now with Zielinski on his way. Fabbian is in a good environment right now
They zoomed in on the only Roma fan there and sure enough he was picking his nose. Roma are starting to play a bit. They're looking less afraid. We're looking more flat.
Just as I wrote that, we produced two decent chances, but now Roma have won a penalty. Juan Jesus caught Azmoun's foot as he tried to volley/toe poke the ball away.