Napoli e Bologna

By: Christopher | October 16th, 2009

Ahhh, a breath of fresh coaching, tactics, and motivation. Maybe now I’ll be able to drink my coffee during the game without risking spitting it up in ‘Donafrustration.’ It is a bit odd to think while our home record has been good (2 wins, 1 draw), and we have spent more money than Bologna can ever hope to spend in one summer, that we are just a sloppy point ahead of them (this is where you come in Mazzarri). Maybe now having four Napoli players on my fantasy team will help rack in the points.

The New Coach Effect:

mazzarri(8)
Gotta love that new coach placebo effect, regardless of how good the coach is, there’s always the expected bump of form. Then again, maybe this isn’t historically accurate in our case… Either way, we’re at the San Paolo, and the bump is expected or I think De La will have an aneurysm. Another apparent new coach effect (or coincidence?) is the ‘100% fitness’ of Quagliarella:

“Until now I had physical ailments: I have never been able to take the field one hundred percent.”

This being said maybe I’ve been too critical of him in the past games, but his fitness (and thus form) is mostly the fault of Donadoni who played him with no rest. It will be interesting to see Mazzarri on the field on Sunday. It was clear that Donadoni simply did not have control over his team.

Lineups:
Bitties have their drama shows- Grey’s Anatomy, Hills, but we have our San Paolo home games. And what would one be without some preceding drama? Lavezzi caught the I’mDatoloandI’madumbass syndrome? Whether it be the football federation’s fault or Lavezzi’s, it is up to Mazzarri to decide the punishment. Either way De La has a good point that Lavezzi should have been back early to get to know Mazzarri having not played in Argentina’s 1-0 win against Uruguay.

“First it happened with [Jesus] Datolo, and now it’s happened with Lavezzi. We are tired of having to deal with these Argentines who are not paying attention, and who are less than professional,” blasted De Laurentiis to Il Corriere Dello Sport.

NAPOLI (3-5-2): De Sanctis; Campagnaro (D), Cannavaro (P), Contini; Maggio, Gargano, Cigarini, Hamsik, Aronica; Quagliarella, Denis (P). All. Mazzarri
(D= doubtful, P= Probable)

Notes:
It looks like Mazzarri will opt to stick with the old 3-5-2 in the meantime to smooth the transition from hell to where there’s light. Expect a switch to what will be the new 3-4-3 formation, with Hamsik pushed up to the left, and a more flat midfield.

BOLOGNA (4-4-2): Viviano; Zenoni, Britos, Portanova, Lanna; Vigiani, Mingazzini, Guana, Tedesco; Di Vaio, Zalayeta. All. Papadopulo

Notes:
Relegation Savior Di Vaio seems to be playing through a nagging Achilles problem, and his inconsistent form should continue at the San Paolo. Zayaleta better not score. Apparently he netted twice in a friendly over the weekend, but of course now he will be facing his old teammates and the all-star defensive trio.

(Notice who is marking Di Vaio in his goal)

Forza Napoli!