Napoli, Meret: "We are confident and we want to win them all. Starting with Atalanta"

Naples, 31 October 2024 - If the top spot in the standings has not been a novelty for some time now, for an entire city the pleasant surprise brought by the last week It is the first real escape attempt of the Napoli, which can now count on a margin of 4 points on 'Inter, 6 points on 'Atalanta, next opponent on Sunday at Maradona, and even of 7 points on a Juventus which, as obviously the other pursuers, could already be cut off from the game. Credit goes to all the Italian protagonists, including a Alex Meret unsurpassable and spoke in the afternoon on the microphones of Radio Crc.  

The role of the goalkeeper

  Needless to say, despite yet another clean sheet, the Friulian's big hands were also useful in the recent success di San Siro against Milan, in turn today already light years away in the rankings: particularly memorable is the save that saved the result on yunus musah. "They are difficult and risky interventions in which you have to calculate the exit timing well. At the moment of the stop the ball stretched out and there I decided to start with a low exit, and luckily it went well, because it hit my foot and so we got out of a potentially dangerous situation that we work hard on during the week". In short, the always useful pinch of luck is there, as confirmed by the person directly involved, but behind the dream numbers of the Napoli, especially in defense (the best in the championship), there is also a lot of effort. "The credit goes to the whole team: the midfielders close the passing lines, the defenders give themselves the right coverage and in the area there is a lot of attention to closing down on the man. Everyone sacrifices themselves as the coach asks, and obviously we must continue to give everything like this". The few creaks of the Italian defense so far have also come from a build-up from the back, not coincidentally a blessing and a curse for goalkeepers, not always impeccable. "If done well it can give many advantages and create important and dangerous situations. A technical error is normal, as is a wrong movement that makes you lose the ball, but in these cases - he continues Meret - it is essential to immediately attack the opponent to win back the ball, as we do. We use the build-up from the bottom, but only if the risk is not too high". A decisive role, in these situations but also in others, is taken on by the goalkeeper with his more or less marked communication skills. "It is certainly important to talk, even if it is not always easy because there is an audience. The most delicate communications concern cuts, following a man or sliding tackles: in these cases you have to stay awake and the goalkeeper, from behind, can see certain situations in advance, helping the central defenders or even the other teammates". Among them there is a Matteo Politano increasingly fundamental in both phases of the game. "He's playing a role that I've never seen him do before. He's a player with great stamina, but also availability and attention. He's struggling a lot, but that's how he's helping us a lot in the back, in addition to doing it in the offensive phase, especially on the counterattack". To the delight of the goalkeeper but also of Giovanni Di Lorenzo, the other gentleman of the right lane, as well as the great protagonist of this excellent start to the season.

Milan archived, forward with Atalanta

  All these ingredients shaped the victory of Milan, one of the most important because it came at the dawn of the iron cycle that from now on will involve the Azzurri. "For us it was a key test. We were facing a strong team and we were doing it coming from a moment of confidence. Now we have even more to continue our path. We want to win them all, and then we'll see". If this were to happen, with the Napoli already master of his destiny, the scudetto, the word so far (rightly or wrongly) still ignored, would be certain. But first it will be necessary to pass another very tough test, perhaps even harder than that of San Siro, against a Milan bandaged up: Sunday at Maradona you will see the fearsome Atalanta di Gian Piero Gasperini. "Tomorrow we will watch the videos together with the coach, who takes care of every detail helping us a lot, and his staff, with the aim of knowing our next opponents better. We will work on exits, pressure and above all on our game with the aim of limiting theirs. It will be essential to start again from the intensity put against the Milan: it's a factor that we've had since the retreat. We're physically well, and this helps us, just as it helps us to meet each other on the pitch if a teammate needs a hand". In short, just as he had suggested Antonio Conte, il Napoli must learn to wear more clothes even during the same match: imagine during an entire season. In the case in question, the one he is also referring to Meret, also to mark a clean break with the past, for the Azzurri it is important to combine quality with quantity. And in fact so far the league leaders are doing just this, especially in the last period in which many victories have come either by 'short nose' or above all thanks to favourable episodes promptly exploited. Then there are the merits of individuals, such as Meret, who closes his speech at Radio Crc talking about his idea of ​​football in general, before and after retirement, and the role of the goalkeeper. "I know for sure that when I finish my career as a footballer I will not be a coach. As for the modules, it is now a relative discussion: lately teams often take each other man by man and this leads to changes in position, adapting in a mirror manner to those of the opponent, trying to exploit their weak points with these movements. Talking about numbers in modern football makes little sense. As for goalkeepers, I think that one of the best is Thibaut Courtois: there are many as strong as him and from each one - he concludes Meret - I'll try to steal some secrets."

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