Sports
Napoli’s fall from grace, Garcia’s future, Osimhen’s dilemma
Napoli will be playing Salernitana in Serie A this weekend, a fixture that in the past might have seemed like an easy win for them. However, the current season paints a different picture.
In their recent match against AC Milan, the Italian champions found themselves trailing by two goals and had to stage a comeback to secure a 2-2 draw at home. This result reflects their overall poor form this season, as they currently occupy fifth place in the league with 18 points from 10 matches, having won five, drawn three, and lost two.
While some may argue that it’s premature to sound the alarm bells, there are evident issues with the Napoli team this season. The departure of their charismatic coach, Luciano Spalletti, who led them to their first Scudetto in 33 years, has left a void. Spalletti chose to step away, citing the need for a sabbatical and explaining that he no longer had the energy to meet the high expectations.
Rudi Garcia was appointed as his successor, a move that many found surprising. However, since taking charge, Garcia has failed to make a significant impact. Clinton McDubus, a prominent football analyst and podcaster, attributes Napoli’s decline this season to Garcia’s management. McDubus criticizes Garcia’s tactics, decision-making, and game management, asserting that his leadership is taking the team backward.
One notable incident that has drawn attention is the social media controversy involving star striker Victor Osimhen. Napoli’s official TikTok account mocked Osimhen for missing a penalty against Bologna, which has cast doubts on his future with the club. Despite this, McDubus believes that Osimhen, who played a pivotal role in Napoli’s title win last season, remains a professional and can be relied upon to score goals. He suggests that Osimhen, along with his teammates, is suffering due to the manager’s incompetence.
Some observers have compared Napoli’s situation to second-season syndrome, drawing parallels with Leicester City’s unexpected Premier League win in 2015. Currently, Napoli finds itself trailing the two Milan clubs and Juventus, the traditional Serie A champions.
In conclusion, Rudi Garcia needs to address the team’s performance, and Victor Osimhen must overcome a slow start to ensure Napoli doesn’t fall further down the league table. The team’s fortunes may improve if there is a managerial change, but for now, their season is off to a challenging start.
Chelsea manager, Mauricio Pochettino, has insisted he was not expecting Cole Palmer to have a big impact at Chelsea.
Palmer joined the Blues from Manchester City in a £42 million deal in August.
The 21-year-old has now scored 20 Premier League goals and is joint-top scorer with former City teammate Erling Haaland.
When asked if he’s surprised at how many goals Palmer has scored since moving to Stamford Bridge, Pochettino responded: “We believe they can perform but it is true he is performing in a very good way; maybe above expectation. I think it’s his first consistent season playing but we need to be careful because he is still young, he is growing, he needs to develop in different areas.
“But of course, he is far away from what we expected from the beginning. I need to be honest.”
CREDIT: DAILY POST
The Nigerian Super Falcons are set to begin their journey at the 2024 Olympic Games by facing Brazil in their opening match. The match is scheduled to take place at Stade Matmut-Atlantique in Bordeaux, France, on Thursday, July 25, starting at 6 pm.
Following this, Randy Waldrum’s team will go up against world champions Spain three days later at Stade de la Beujoire in Nantes, also at 6 pm.
Their final group stage match will be against Japan on Wednesday, July 31, at Stade de la Beujoire in Nantes, with a kick-off time of 4 pm.
Having secured their place in Paris 2024 by defeating South Africa 1-0 on aggregate last week, the nine-time African champions are gearing up for the tournament.
Wembley Stadium appears to be the chosen venue for the highly anticipated all-British heavyweight showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. The much-discussed bout is likely to proceed, contingent on Fury’s victory against Oleksandr Usyk on May 18 in Riyadh.
Bob Arum, Fury’s co-promoter, expresses confidence that the super fight will take place in London rather than Saudi Arabia. Arum believes that the Saudis, despite their substantial financial influence and ability to determine the location, would prefer to host the event at Wembley Stadium with a capacity crowd of 95,000, where they could act as promoters. He suggests that this choice would enhance their image more than holding the fight in Saudi Arabia.
However, Joshua may have to wait before facing Fury, as the latter might engage in a doubleheader against his Ukrainian opponent. Arum acknowledges that if Fury defeats Usyk and secures another victory in a potential rematch, it would be ideal for him to culminate his career with a significant fight in the UK at Wembley Stadium. Arum emphasizes the competitiveness of the upcoming match on May 18, recognizing Usyk as a formidable challenger who will push Fury to his limits. He also notes Fury’s dedication to training diligently for the upcoming bout.
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