“It’s a huge game against Monza tomorrow,” explained Walter Mazzarri in his pre-match press conference. “We need to play with attacking impetus and also strike the right balance. We can’t have any more slip-ups. We need to get back to our brilliant selves and restore our confidence levels.
“I’m pleased about the expected attendance tomorrow. I’d like to thank the fans as they’re showing us all their support. That’s also why I’m expecting a great performance.”
Based on the January transfer market, could we see a tactical revolution for the team?
“You don’t have revolutions in January. I want to help the players so that they can rediscover the confidence that they had last year, the ability to play well and stay solid.
“I’m only focused on Monza today. I don’t like talking about the long term. The priority right now is getting a good result tomorrow and then we can look ahead.
“Monza play good football. They have a fine coach and know how to make life difficult for everyone. My thought is purely on the game tomorrow, which is so important for us.”
Victor Osimhen and Matteo Politano are out, so what sort of attacking set-up could we see? Could it be time for Jesper Lindstrom to return?
“We’ve almost got Lindstrom back, but he certainly won’t be able to play the full 90 minutes. I’ll assess what’s best based on our resources after the last training session today and which formation to play in.
“We can make five changes and we can switch our tactical set-up during the game. The idea is to understand who can be at their best based on how many minutes they’ve played.”
What have you made of the team’s form over the last month since you returned to Napoli?
“We’re experiencing an injury crisis at the moment. We’ve also lost Natan for a period of time. I think that we’ll have deserved two or three more points from my first cycle back in charge based on how we’ve performed and how we’ve played on the front foot. That’s my only regret, but I’m here to help the lads out and I’m confident we can improve.
“When we’re playing well, we usually impose our game on everyone. We’re also improving defensively. Unfortunately, we’ve paid for some mistakes which have led to us dropping points. The aim is to have attacking threat while striking the right balance and remaining solid.”
Could we see Giovanni Simeone and Jack Raspadori play together tomorrow?
“I do like them both to tell the truth, but playing them together is difficult at the moment because it would mean changing our tactical approach and we would then be short of options on the bench. Tomorrow one of them will start and we’ll then see how the game pans out.
“We’re often in and around the opposition box, but what we’re missing is our finishing. I’d like to work harder on our attacking game in training, but with all our commitments, it might tire the players out. I say that sometimes all you need is a slice of luck to turn things around in terms of taking chances.
“I can see that mentally this team has fire on the inside and is acquiring the sort of spirit that I like. We need to channel that energy in a positive way. I’m sure that as soon as a few things go our way, we’ll see a Napoli side that never gives up and shows what we are capable of. That’s what will show we are on the right path.”
