Despite a shaky start to the season, the dust has finally settled and Napoli fans can see what they’ve gained this year: a great coach.
Maurizio Sarri is perhaps not ‘great’ in the eyes of the rest of the world, but he’s certainly the man the people of Naples can be proud to call their own.
Improved defensive capabilities, a motivated strike force and the integration of new and exciting squad members – this has altogether been a positive year for Napoli even without looking at their progress in the league.
After the impressive form demonstrated throughout most of the season, finishing the year in third is perhaps slightly disappointing. However, the Azzurri have qualified for the next stage of the Europa League, still have a run in the Coppa Italia and every chance of winning the league title.
Best Player
Truly, there could only be two candidates for the best Napoli player of 2015. Particular individuals have been highly influential, namely Marek Hamsik and Kalidou Koulibaly; who although impressive have not necessarily been consistent.
Both Jose Callejon and Manolo Gabbiadini have impressed in the Europa League, but less so in Serie A. Even the goalkeeping of Pepe Reina deserves some mention, but ultimately the decision falls to one of Gonzalo Higuain or Lorenzo Insigne.
The early performances of the Italian forward lifted supporters to new heights of enthusiasm. After being cut a frustrated figure under Rafa Benitez where even the fans turned on him, Insigne has returned with a vengeance, showing no ill-feeling toward those who had booed him.
Currently, he’s on seven goals, six of which came in his first ten games. He’s created five goals and has one of each in the Europa League. However, his influence has faded somewhat toward the end of the year; in stark contrast to the club’s star striker.
Higuain needed just one more goal to match his number of league appearances this season, with 16 making him the top scorer in Serie A by a comfortable distance. Arguably the best player at the disposal of Sarri, with the former Empoli boss going as far as saying the 28-year-old could win the Ballon d’Or. An integral member of the
An integral member of the starting XI who Napoli would struggle to replace, and the true best player.
Highlight of the Season
The tension between Northern and Southern Italian clubs has always been an underlying drama to Calcio, so the clash between Inter and Napoli was no exception. The Partenopei went ahead through Gonzalo Higuain in the second minute, with the Argentinian doubling their lead an hour later.
Adem Ljajic scored shortly after to put pressure on Sarri and his players, but Pepe Reina came to the rescue and bailed them out in the dying minutes.
The result saw Napoli top the league, albeit for a short period of time, but it was a joyous moment that had culminated from a wonderful stretch of performances.
Biggest Disappointment
It is perhaps the only fixture that appears to be haunting Sarri so far this campaign. Going 3-0 down to Bologna and eventually losing 3-2 was bitterly disappointing for the ambitious coach.
Although it is true the Partenopei lost out to Sassuolo on the opening day, much of this has been attributed to a slow start that saw them fail to win their first three Serie A games. So having looked so confident with convincing wins under their belt, a sudden defeat at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara was bamboozling.
The scoreline portrays an entirely different game, as two late goals for Gonzalo Higuain reduced the deficit but all too late.
Transfer Hit
Allan has shone in his first campaign since arriving from Udinese. As competent a ball-winner as a football fan is ever likely to see, with a penchant for getting himself involved in attacking moves, Allan is exactly what Sarri needed in his first season at Napoli.
Based on previous Napoli squads the team has always had a robust central midfielder, be that Gokhan Inler, Walter Gargano or Valon Behrami. A shortage of such players makes the signing of the Udinese midfielder all the more important, who has already scored three times and created the same number of goals across all competitions.
Transfer Flop
Despite a superb season with newly-promoted Empoli, the excellent form of Mirko Valdifiori seems to have been limited to just his previous campaign with the Tuscans.
A player gifted with a creative instinct and penchant for picking the perfect pass, Valdifiori is someone who could certainly have had an impact this season, with Marek Hamsik tasked with the bulk of the distribution work.
The Slovakian hasn’t disappointed, but would certainly benefit from another pair of eyes when trying to unlock the opposition defence. Valdifiori has made just nine appearances in all competitions and hasn’t impressed Sarri enough to cement his place.
What next?
Napoli must look to continue with their excellent progress in the league. A top three finish is ideal to compete in Europe, but winning the Europa League could open up that very avenue too.
