Over the Neapolitan’s recently stuttering form, Rafa and his president have been busier comforting each other over referee gaffs rather than ascertain the team’s real issues.
Last month, Forza Italian Football touched on the refereeing decisions that have marked Napoli’s season, something the club hierarchy have been quick to highlight.
However, despite the injustice they’ve suffered from match officials, Napoli still need to take a good hard look at themselves. Ahead of their titanic Derby del Sole encounter against Roma this weekend, there still exists major deficiencies in this Napoli team.
Chief among them have been Napoli’s defensive problems, which have been in existence for as long as they’ve been in Serie A, if not longer.
In more recent years, funds have been made available to sign defenders of the caliber expected of a top team, but it could be contested less worthy players have performed to a higher level then the current crop.
Maurizio Domizzi was one of the last defenders to have had a truly remarkable season for the Neapolitan club, both defensively and offensively as he registered the same goal tally as Ezequiel Lavezzi.
Although he was at times the forgotten man, Paolo Cannavaro performed with great consistency and showed all the passion you come to expect from a club captain. Despite his short-comings, Cannavaro was able to combine guile and determination to outlast some of Serie A’s most potent strikers.
The work of Salvatore Aronica and Hugo Campagnaro isn’t easily forgotten either, as both operated on the fringes of what was legal as far as defending goes.
However it was this very approach to defending that helped push Napoli to the summit of the Serie A table; an industrial yet agricultural approach to defending.
Under Walter Mazzarri, the role of the wing-backs became much more noticeable and Napoli moved toward containing opponents before pulverizing them on the counterattack.
Sadly this is less evident under Rafa Benitez, who does employ a counterattack methodology, but not to the same effect.
Napoli’s suspect defending has been clear from the very start.
Their early exit from the Champions League came after conceding four goals to Athletic Club over two legs, not to mention a total of six goals conceded in their opening five games of which only two were victories. Overall Napoli have conceded at total of 36 goals this campaign.
The only defensive additions to the team this season have been Kalidou Koulibaly, a giant of a defender who arrived from Racing Genk, and Ivan Strinic of whom precious little is known.
Arguably the only high profile defender at Napoli is former Real Madrid centre-back Raul Albiol, who was dispensed with by Los Blancos for the princely sum of €12 million.
The solution to Napoli’s defensive concerns isn’t altogether clear, but it is certainly a position Aurelio De Laurentiis should be looking to further invest in.
For one of the first times in recent years, Napoli aren’t scoring enough.
The apparent exhaustion of Gonzalo Higuain has left Benitez with a beleaguered front line, with the Argentinian scoring 13 goals in Serie A alone this season. Although Higuain would be expected to lead the attack for Napoli comfortably, blaming him for their misfortunes is somewhat misguided.
Napoli’s good fortune in the Europa League could also be seen as something of a hindrance, as their focus is drawn away from Serie A to focus on silverware and another outlet for qualifying for the Champions League.
With both Lazio and Sampdoria sneaking in ahead of Napoli, Benitez may be tempted to enhance his own personal prestige by winning the tournament and devoting the club’s resources to do so.
However a top club like Napoli should be expected to compete on both fronts and the Europa League does not excuse their run of one win in six games.
Their meeting with Roma comes at a crucial time for Napoli, with the Giallorossi looking less than assured in second.
The traveling Neapolitan supporters will be hoping for a game free of refereeing misjudgments, particularly if it manages to highlight areas Napoli need to improve on.
More importantly, the fans will be wanting a victory; something to help them over the finish line.
Saturday’s fixture ought to be a real test of the player’s character and that of Benitez as a motivator; with so much at stake, it promises to be one of the game’s of the Serie A season.
