Napoli Club Focus: No longer content with the antipasto, time for the main course

Date: 21st September 2012 at 1:33am
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NapoliFamed for its Prosciutto ham and Parmigiano cheese, Robert Donadoni returned home to Parma with a less than sweet taste in the mouth. His side battled valiantly for 90 minutes at the weekend, but eventually succumbed to a superior Napoli team in a match that saw Lorenzo Insigne score his first goal in top flight football.

The Gialloblu had opportunities to claw their way back into the match, but their failed attempts on goal ultimately cost them any chance of grabbing a point. Even with an out of sorts Edinson Cavani, the Azzurri are looking every bit Scudetto winning material, after a match that perhaps in seasons past they would not have won.

Walter Mazzarri’s men dispatched a dangerous Parma side who will feel aggrieved that they were not able to take home at least a point from this fixture. Despite Napoli racing into a 2-0 lead, the visitors began to find some confidence when Marco Parolo pulled a goal back on the stroke of half time. Good chances were then created and missed by both teams throughout the second period (the Uruguayan Cavani being the most guilty) before the new darling of the San Paolo, Lorenzo Insigne, slid home to secure the win.

However, more important than securing the points, this Napoli team has seemingly learnt how to suffer yet still win a match. This was a crucial test which they had to pass, if they are to seriously consider themselves as title challengers, and most observers would agree they graduated with distinction. Resolve is beginning to surface from this side, a tough and grizzled determination which is borne from self belief. Here at Club Focus not only do we think they can win the league, but we believe THEY think they can win it too!

The week was further buoyed with the Azzurri participating in the opening group match of the Europa League, against AIK of Sweden. As is the way these days with Italian teams in this competition, the Coach fielded a second string side to give playing time to fringe players and to confirm his ideas on the abilities of these squad men. The team ran out 4-0 winners and Mazzarri has discovered yet another gem in his team, Edu Vargas.

Vargas

The 22 year-old Chilean has been a peripheral figure since joining the Partenopei nine months ago, but he took this opportunity against the mediocre Swedes and has finally hit the headlines. His three goals on Thursday evening are the talk of the Neapolitan bars and he is now starting to repay some of the faith shown in him by the club, who paid out over £11million for the striker from South America.

For Mazzarri, this is further confirmation that he has on his hands a squad that is capable not only of grinding out results in the league but is also deep enough to perform at high levels against European opposition, without having to play his preferred eleven. A very handy situation to find yourself in, if you want to be challenging for major honours come the final weeks of a tough campaign.

He takes his team to Sicily this weekend, to face a potential ‘banana skin’, Catania. Salvatore Aronica is the only doubt with Miguel Britos ready to step in if necessary. In attack, the stars of the week, Insigne and Vargas will be expected to start from the bench as Cavani and Goran Pandev remain the first choice forwards. The rest of the line-up should mirror that from last Sunday.  This will be another major examination for the Naples team, as the Sicilians boast a very exciting, all Argentine strikeforce, made up of Alejandro Gomez, Gonzalo Bergessio and Pablo Barrientos

Hungry for success, starved of glory since the 1980s, this season could finally be the one that serves up the ultimate trophy to the fans that have faithfully followed the club through the many highs and lows since the Diego Maradona era. Perhaps now, the league title is firmly on the menu.

Buon appetito.

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