‘A Serenata ‘E Pulecinella news

By: Joe | August 19th, 2008

Uruguayan striker Marcelo Zalayeta is set to make his return to Napoli in next week’s Birra Moretti. The preseason tournament, held at the San Paolo and this year featuring Juventus and AC Milan, will mark El Panteron’s first live action since he suffered a knee injury on March 9. My take: Zalayeta can be a useful player when he’s on and he is capable of some stunning matches. However, his inconsistency is maddening. He should be used as a logical sub for German Denis and coach Edy Reja is likely to bring him in off the bench in the Birra Moretti matches. All in all, he’s earned a place on the club but he shouldn’t sniff the starting XI when he regains full fitness.

Chievo Verona is looking at potentially sweeping up three Napoli players who are surplus to requirements at this stage. Left-winger/Left back Mirko Savini, central midfielder Samuele Dalla Bona and trequartista Roberto De Zerbi. Chievo would like to purchase Savini outright and figure out a loan deal for De Zerbi and Dalla Bona. Currently, the sides are two million euros apart. My take: The fact that Dalla Bona has rotted on our bench the last two years is one of the biggest indictments I have against Reja. He’s been pushed out by Michele Pazienza and Francesco Montervino. Put together they don’t have the skills of Dalla Bona who has hardly played since he signed a big contract with Napoli three seasons ago. The Andrea Russotto signing made De Zerbi expendable and it’s unlikely he’ll ever make a meaningful contribution. Savini? Meh. At his best he’s an average defender and provides little to the attack. At his worst? He’s slow, has trouble crossing the ball and is often out of position. Ciao, Mirko!

Direttore Generale Pier Paolo Marino confirmed Inacio Pià’s place with Napoli. Marino calls Pià a “player who we lost and now found again” and credits the Brazilian’s hard work and Reja for helping him rediscover his touch. My take: Pià must have gotten sick of being on the bench with smaller clubs in previous loan deals. Somewhere along the line, the kid matured and realized being on the bench of an up-and-coming Serie A team playing in Europe is better than playing scrub minutes for Triestina and Rimini (no offense). In Reja’s big-and-small two forward attack, Pià would likely sub in for Ezequiel Lavezzi.

The article referenced above also states Napoli’s market is closed unless/until some players get sold. Marino indicated he’d like to perhaps pick up a youngster to fill out the roster but nothing more. My take: I hope Marino is blowing smoke here. There isn’t a chance a hell Maurizio Domizzi is staying and I don’t see more than one player out of Savini, Dalla Bona and De Zerbi staying with the club. Competing in three different competitions (Serie A, UEFA Cup, Coppa Italia) is going to take its toll on the squad’s depth. We’re still short on defenders and flush with midfielders. As good a game as Grava had covering for Leandro Rinaudo and Fabiano Santacroce against Panionios, you don’t want to rely on a winger to man the back line against Milan or Fiorentina, do you?

Other tidbits: Marek Hamsik (Slovakia) and German Denis (Argentina) are out on international duty. Walter Gargano (Uruguayan) had been called up but remained with Napoli after his injury. Gargano is training separately (along with Daniele Mannini and Matteo Contini) but should be ready for the start of the Serie A campaign.
Russotto starts training with Napoli today.

Tomasz Jodlowiec’s Polish club (Warsaw) has asked Napoli to hold off on their purchase bid one more week for the defender. The 1.9meter (6’3”) 23-year old defender has been all but signed by Marino for 1.3 million euros to a five-year c

FORZA NAPOLI!