Reggina vs. Napoli 1-1: No Storybook Start
By: Neil | March 16th, 2009The media likes to blow things out of proportion sometimes. I didn’t see this game, so I had to check the score online well after the match ended. When I read on the Channel 4 website that Donadoni made a poor debut, I thought that Napoli had lost. But a 1-1 draw for me represents progress. When a team has lost seven consecutive away games, anything other than a loss has to be a step forward. And remember that Don only started with the team on Wednedsay, so he didn’t even have a full week to prepare. Of course it wasn’t a storybook debut, but Reggina is fighting for their Serie A lives. In the five weeks prior to Napoli they’ve tied Fiorentina and Palermo at home, and tied Milan away. So it’s not like they were going to offer us three points on a silver tray.
From watching the extended highlights, it looks like Napoli came on strong the second half and forced an equalizer. This was something they weren’t doing under Reja: playing with urgency when the game was on the line.
The spirit of the team seems to be a bit higher than in previous weeks. In an interview Lavezzi confirmed that it was time for a change.
Here is how the team lined up against Reggina:
Navarro
Santacroce, Cannavaro, Contini, Aronica
Pazienza, Blasi, Bogliacino
Hamsik
Zalayeta, Lavezzi
Don made two changes, bringing on Montervino for Bogliacino in the 79th minute and Russotto for Zalayeta in the 87th minute. I wasn’t happy to see Montervino playing but keep in mind both Maggio and Gargano are injured, and we may see the veteran Pugliese midfielder again in the stretch run.
Next week is a home game against Don’s old club AC Milan. Donadoni also coached some of the Milan players at Euro 2008, so he should be familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of the Milan team. Currently Napoli are tied for 11th, two points ahead of Catania and three ahead of Sampdoria who we play two weeks from now. After the Samp game the schedule gets a little easier, with Inter the only top six team left to be played. There’s definitely the opportunity to make a late season charge up the standings.
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Category: Team News
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Comments
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You are right, a point on the road is some progress, as sad that is to say. I hope the team can find some spirit and pride for the game this weekend and pull off an upset. BUT, we need a top goalscorer pronto for next season. Even someone like Crespo on a free is better than Z-donkey and Denis the menace. Crespo could end up being another Pippo and keep scoring goals even in his thirties. Plus, get rid of both of our present strikers and have like Rusotto, Crespo, and Iaquinta or Boriello
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if milan go and sign another striker we should definitely go for borriello. i dont think iaquinta would join us but im hoping we can bring in fabio and he can persuade some top players to come. quagliarella is also a player we can bring in if udinese arent in europe next season as hes a big napoli fan. a defender, a midfielder that can pass and a quality striker thas all we need i just really hope we dont buy anymore overpriced, overrated stranieri that are only there to pick up a pay check. fair enough if they are 18 and are said to be the next big thing, but a 27 year old? he wasnt good enough at cesena so what makes marino thinks he would of been good now?!
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Hey guys. As you probably know, I’m the Julian who runs the Italy WorldCupBlog (click my name for a link), and I was hoping to get some help from you guys for an upcoming series of posts. I’m asking each writer for a serie A club to email me, if you’d like to, and name 2 or 3 players who you believe should get called up to the Azzurri. Not players that are already a fixture, but maybe young guys who haven’t gotten a call up yet, or older overlooked players who deserve one. If you could email me, that’d be awesome. Much thanks.
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well thats borriello out the window then unless they get another striker. how can he still like milan when they didnt play him for 6 years or whatever it was?!
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Prob because they sign his checks!
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good point. i reckon quagliarella should be our main target along with cigarini and f.cannavaro. fabio on a free and the other 2 would cost around 15-20m which we will have if we sell hamsik. even if we dont dela needs to spend some big money if we dont want to finish mid table again. the season after nocerino and criscito
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more important! What was up with that ugly ass chick on the video? She could back a bulldog off a streak with that face.
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dont know what the story is behind this article but i would have him at napoli in a heartbeat and his agent has pretty much said that gaetano would fit in the team=he wants to play for us. f.cannavaro, d’agostino, quagliarella and i would be a happy bunny. as long as boro dont get relegated of course.
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ive never seen an ugly woman presenting italian television before especially a football show
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Mannini is back in, hopefully he will get the start
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D’ Ago would be a Fantastic pick up! But, I bet he wouldn’t come cheap. We are going to have to sell Hamsik if we are going to have any funds
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de laurentiis would be able to afford some players he will have a personal fortune as well as what he makes out of the club and his film company. even if we dont sell hamsik (im afraid no one wants him now) we will have to spend big money on at least 3 players if we want to do anything with this team
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sorry two players, fabio IS coming on a free. i hope. i reckon you could pick up d’agostino and quagliarella for around 18-20m. unless we can send a couple of players the other way like denis
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