Different coach, same defense. This is probably the exasperated consensus Napoli fans have come to about their team. In fact, their defense has very much been the reason for Napoli’s recent slip out of the scudetto race. Therefore the question remains: is Rafael Benitez matching expectations in terms of improving Napoli?
The answer is two-fold. Offensively Benitez has definitely improved the team. In spite of selling Edinson Cavani, Napoli are keeping up well with their scoring statistics from last season. The Partenopei scored 73 goals last season. This year, with 22 games played, Napoli have scored 44 goals and are thus on course to match their last-year form.
Although Gonzalo Higuain is not scoring at quite the same rate Cavani was, Benitez has found a supporting cast in the form of Jose Callejon (nine goals) and Dries Mertens (five goals) to complement the Argentine. Offensively Benitez has found the right formula, but the problem remains in the new personnel he brought in defense.
Benitez tried hard to re-build a backline that was shipping too many goals. The first decision towards this goal was to switch away from Walter Mazzarri’s three-man defense to a classic back-four. The decision created a problem in itself however because Napoli have no fullbacks. Therefore the intent to solidify the defense has instead unbalanced the system by having wing-backs as opposed to more orthodox fullbacks.
Indeed Juan Carlos Zuniga quickly lost the faith of his coach and only managed four Serie A starts this season, compared to 30 last year. Benitez shipped off Pablo Armero to West Ham on loan, despite the Colombian having just joined the club six months prior. As for veteran Christian Maggio, he has struggled to play in a back-four, which had been evident when he played in Cesare Prandelli’s Azzurri system.
Benitez has attempted to address these issues by bringing in fullbacks Anthony Reveillere and Faouzi Ghoulam. He also brought in Raul Albiol from Real Madrid to bolster the central defense. Finally, he sealed Pepe Reina’s signature on loan from former club Liverpool. On the face of it, all these moves look great.
However, so many changes create problems too. Benitez attempted to re-build an entire defense from scratch. A good rearguard is about being complementary and understanding your teammates. This current defense has none of that. After all, Albiol is not only new to the team but new to the league as well.
Reina is just coming in himself and having to contend with an ever-changing back-four, in which Albiol seems to be the only regular fixture. The role of Albiol as the anchor of that defense is problematic in itself. After all Albiol had his best years at Valencia deferring to Carlos Marchena, who was the real leader of the back-four.
So a lack of familiarity and many sudden changes have all been factors to the defense failing to improve under Benitez, and Napoli slipping out of the scudetto race. It is both a combination of personnel and Benitez’s rotation policy that are also causing the defensive problems. Indeed Benitez is always reshuffling his back-line as well as the double-pivot meant to protect the defense, with Gokhan Inler not always playing alongside the same midfield partner.
Finally, Benitez took a big gamble by selling both Hugo Campagnaro and ostracizing Paolo Cannavaro – before loaning him to Sassuolo last month – as soon as he arrived in Naples. The sale of Morgan de Sanctis last summer also did not help. As critic-worthy and error-prone as all the aforementioned players were, Benitez did away with that all important triangle between the goalkeeper and the two centre-backs that forms the spine of any defense, thus always complicating his task in solidifying the Neapolitan back-line.
Perhaps a different coach, but so far the same 1.05 goals conceded per game average.
Follow Ogo Sylla on Twitter at: @RossonerOgo_3
Fine article but failed to mention that Zuniga has been out injured for most of the season. Benitez didn’t lose faith in him.
Not many people will disagree that the Napoli defence has performed bad but not for the reasons you suggest.
A few incorrect points Zuniga has been injured and was the pick of the defenders and has not been dropped by Benitez and is still out for another month. Mesto was also in good form before his injury so that has not helped things hence the recruitment of the unattached revilleire. Hugo had already agreed to join Inter on a free as his contract had ran down and this was agreed prior to Benitez joining. DeSanctis also wanted to leave meaning most of the changes were enforced. You also suggest that rotation has been a problem he does not rotate the centre backs and keeper and maggio has been an everpresent at rightback since the injurys back in October. Also Inler’s main partner Berhami has missed half of the league games due to injury also not due to rotation he is just coming back also.
umm… Zuniga hasn’t “lost the faith of his coach”, he’s been injured this season…
Some glaring errors in this article. Rafa did not lose faith in Zuniga – in fact he approved a new long-term contract for him. Zuniga was the only genuine full back and the only defender of quality. He got injured early in the season and then demanded major elective surgery from which he has not recovered. Rafa did not sell De Sanctis – he asked to leave before Rafa arrived and Rafa replaced him with Pepe Reina – an improvement. Rafa did not ostracize Cannavero. He gave him a chance to prove himself. In his last appearance he got a red card and created an own goal. Rafa did not sell Campagnoro – that transfer was arranged before he arrived. The article does not mention the injury to Behrami and Hamsik – two major players who have just started to come back into the team. Rafa’s rotation policy has been forced on him by injuries and a very full program that saw Napoli score equal points with Arsenal and Dortmund in the CL yet not go through on goal difference – one goal. Rafa is well known for creating tight defences. He inherited a very weak defence at LFC and the following year it was the tighest in the PL. Give him time. His budget is limited. He has selected a young full back and midfield general, and a central defender in January.
“Indeed Juan Carlos Zuniga quickly lost the faith of his coach and only managed four Serie A starts this season, compared to 30 last year.” Zuniga has been injured since Aug/Sept!
Few things I’ll respond to:
– Regardless of the reason for the rotation (due to all the injuries you’ve all rightfully pointed to), it doesn’t change the fact that Rafa is still moving parts around to make the best of a bad situation. So as far as I’m concerned, there’s still substantive truth in what I’ve said
– Campagnaro & De Sanctis were already on their way out by the time Rafa came, fine. However Cannavaro was clearly not in Rafa’s plans. Let’s call it even on this one
– The whole Zuniga thing is obviously my bad. I knew of his injury but missed the fact he opted for surgery that has been keeping off the team sheet for this long. Failure to thoroughly investigate on my part here, won’t happen again. Mea culpa
It’s a fine piece, Ogo. Hard to keep up with all the moving parts on a team especially when someone’s focus is either on the entire league or on another team.
The fact is Benitez has not come near to solving this squad’s defensive woes. Those of us who closely follow the squad knew they were gaps in the defense under Mazzari’s 3-back system. Converting to Rafa’s back four has only amplified the problem. Letting our best defender go on a free to Inter certainly didn’t help matters.
Personal opinion here but I think the troubles are more to do with personnel than Rafa’s rotation. Albiol is the only centre-back worth a damn, and that includes Cannavaro who has been rubbish since 2010. He was frozen out because DeLa got pissed at him calling him a “strunzo” when he took Higuian out to Capri and he hurt himself diving off the rocks there. He was persona non grata at that point.
Good piece though. Hard to argue against a shifting midfield trio and a shaky backline being the principle concerns which cost the club a chance at the scudetto. Though, to be fair, is anyone capable of matching Juventus this season given how they’ve played overall?
I agree with you Joe that personnel is bigger issue here. And like you said, I’m not convinced that a better defense would allow them to really challenge Juve. Look how well Roma are doing, in any other Serie A year, that points total has them leaders & yet they are behind Juve