So with pre season well underway at Folgaria, Mazzarri has the opportunity to spend a full summer looking at the current roster. What has me most intrigued is not any new player (of which there is only Cavani and he’s not back in Italia until 2nd August I think) but the 9 Primavera players that were taken to the beautifully situated training ground.

The players taken were defenders Francesco Monda (19) and Armando Izzo (18), midfielders Crescenzo Liccardo (19), Raffaele Maiello (19) and Alessio Diana (19), attackers Lorenzo Insigne (19), Camillo Ciano (19) and Umberto Varriale (19). Luigi Sepe has been called up with the 1st team over a couple of seasons now but is still plays with the Primavera.

The future custodian of Naples?

I’m sure you’re familiar with a few of the names as I’ve probably mentioned them quite a lot over the last few weeks! The reason I do go on about youth players, from any team I like, is because if they have the quality to succeed at a high level they will also have a bond with the club that goes beyond just playing for them. This seems to be magnified quite a bit when it comes to Napoli as Maiello crying in the locker room after his debut from sheer joy testifies!

http://www.tuttonapoli.net/?action=read&idnotizia=45255

“Nello spogliatoio ho pianto dalla gioia. De Laurentiis mi ha stretto la mano. Paolo Cannavaro mi ha abbracciato forte”

When I have read interviews with some of the youngsters a few mention Paolo Cannavaro as their idol or that he is close to them. He is a brilliant role model for all the kids coming through as he is a class act on and off the pitch. Shame on you DeLa!

We missed out on a real talented crop of local produce with the usual names like Criscito, Bocchetti, Nocerino and Palladino springing to mind due to the fact that the club was in complete disarray allowing them to slip away to other clubs. I’m pretty sure we used to have Bocchetti’s brother or cousin play for us! Now we are slowly building the club to be financially secure and competitive in the future with the Primavera being targeted as a future source of 1st team players and hopefully world class talent.

http://www.tuttonapoli.net/?action=read&idnotizia=46951

In that article former youth trainer Ernesto Apuzzo describes what he thinks of the youngsters who had a chance to train with the big boys. He describes Ciano as a player whose best asset is his finishing which has been proven in training over the last couple of weeks. There was talk of Zemen being interested in taking him to Foggia on loan but it seems Mazzarri could keep him in Naples.
He is apparently a quiet lad and a little shy with his inspiration being Adriano (hopefully not the partying aspect) but the striker he likes most is Quagliarella.

Is Ciano the youth player to really break into the 1st team and score some sorely needed goals??

“Indosso la maglia che sognano tutti I ragazzi di Napoli, Spero di non svegliarmi” this is why we need local lads they have a connection with Napoli we can never understand!

With finishing like that (goal is at 2:53) I have a genuine hope he can carve out some minutes next season and become a regular in the side.

Apuzzo then goes on to say Monda is a very physical defender who could be useful if he could improve his feet so I assume this is how he plays with the ball at his feet and perhaps tackling, then Diana (who is used as a right sided midfielder) has great potential perhaps as a playmaker, but his attitude needs to improve. He says Gigi Sepe has the potential to be a great keeper and has a lot of time to improve. Umberto Varriale obviously scores a fair few goals so clearly there is talent there. He mentions Liccardo has good speed, strength and technique but the 3 players I’m most interested in are Insigne, Maiello and Izzo.

Could Liccardo be our Marchisio or De Rossi?

Armando Izzo is the youngster from Scampia and the one Primavera player above all the others I want to succeed, not just because of his tough upbringing also because he is a defender! Apuzzo describes Izzo like this;

“Qui stiamo parlando di un ’92, un giovanissimo, ma che – continua Apuzzo – è già il difensore centrale del futuro. Con me avrebbe giocato praticamente sempre, ha carattere, fisico, grinta ed intelligenza tattica. Semplicemente, deve solo essere accompagnato nella sua crescita per diventare uno dei migliori centrali d’Italia”

I’m not sure if he might be biased towards his former pupil but if this is true then we could be dealing with a real gem that just needs polishing. It’s worth mentioning that Izzo only made the step up to the Primavera from the Beretti midway last season so he is no way ready for 1st team action but I do hope he can fulfil his potential which could be something very special.

http://www.tuttonapoli.net/?action=read&idnotizia=44231

(The article above is a good read and shows the sort of background these kids are coming from)

“Berretti, Primavera e qualche allenamento con la prima squadra: Mazzarri è fantastico. E poi è incredibile marcare Lavezzi e rubare i segreti del mio idolo Cannavaro”

To go from the Beretti to marking Lavezzi (a certain Fabio Cannavaro started out with marking a certain Maradona and his coaches had to tell Fabio to take it easy on him!) in 1st team training in 3 months the kid must have some real talent! What a role model Paolo is for a kid that could have gone down a very dark route and into the web of the Camorra, shows you the kind of character he has to play his way out of that type of life.

My great hope for the future of Napoli's defence...

The 9 youth players at Folgaria was cut down to 5 last Monday I think with Diana, Izzo, Monda and Varriale getting sent home clearly signalling they aren’t quite ready for the 1st team. This left Sepe, Liccardo, Maiello, Insigne and Ciano. Sepe will eventually leave as De Sanctis is eased back into action and it seems Mazzarri likes something in Liccardo as he received a fair amount of call ups last season. It’s easy to see why Ciano is still around so what have Insigne and Maiello done to warrant spaces in 1st team training??

Our very own fantasista?

I will start with Lorenzo Insigne who is really impressing in training from what I can gather. He is scoring, assisting with goals and generally causing a nuisance to the opposition. First of all the kid is short and I mean really short. You can see just from the pictures of him with the rest of the team. He has been compared with Giovinco of Juventus and while I do see the similarities the one big difference between the 2 and the most important is Lorenzo has great balance which is crucial for a small player. Take a look at the goal he scored against Serie B team Cittadella;

He obviously needs to improve physically but look at how he can control the ball under pressure in the box and still slot it past the keeper. I’m hoping Mazzarri can see his talent and keep him in the 1st team as a vice Lavezzi.

The one player that is really causing a stir is Raffaele Maiello. He is the supposed diamond in a very talented group of young players. When Apuzzo was asked to describe him he had this to say;

“Spesso – spiega Apuzzo – mi hanno chiesto di paragonare Raffaele a qualche altro centrocampista: io dico soltanto che questo ragazzo non può essere messo accanto a nessun altro giocatore. Ha una duttilità tattica straordinaria: può fare l’interno di centrocampo, l’esterno in una mediana a quattro o a cinque ed anche l’attaccante laterale nel tridente. Deve solo fare quello step fisico che gli consente di giocare ad altissimi livelli, anzi in massima serie.”

This kid has the potential to be huge. He is a Neapolitan in the mould of an Iniesta type of player and could prove to be a huge talent if he can make the step up. the fact he is extremely versatile won’t harm his chances of getting some serious minutes next season. Along with Liccardo, Mazzarri has seen something in Maiello that has really impressed him.

Touted as the most complete and versatile player we have, very excited to see what he can do

One of the reasons for the recent mid season collapses is perhaps the fact the 3-5-2 needs every player to sacrifice and track back constantly leading them to burn out. I’m not going to talk about the 3-5-2 as I’m sure by now I’ve made my opinions quite clear! You can see in certain players especially Hamsik that playing at such a high tempo running up and down the full length of the pitch takes its toll and their performances begin to slip. Well if Maiello is as good as I’m led to believe we have a local lad who is able to come on for Marek or start in his place to give him a rest. The same goes for Insigne and Lavezzi.

Instead of fixing up the apparently terrible youth training facilities DeLa has simply fused the senior team and Primavera training schedules at the main training complex. This is exactly what I wanted to happen and I hope it can prove to be a major success for the club. Of course the youth team shouldn’t just be made up of local lads and the club has recently brought in a youngster from Torino, Raffale Maiorano 18, who is apparently one of the most exciting strikers in Italia for his age, more on him in the future hopefully.

Hope its not Cristiano's personality he models!

The new scouting staff that has been brought in is renowned for discovering gems and it seems Napoli is interested in Juan Manuel Iturbe who is 17 and is Paraguayan with dual Argentine nationality. He isn’t signed yet and if he does he could turn out to be a dud but when a player is described as the new Messi and he says himself his inspiration is Cristiano Ronaldo I can’t help but feel rather excited for what the future holds for Napoli!

For all you lovers of Marino here is one more reason to make you hate him;

“Nocerino ce lo teniamo. Poteva venire al Napoli due anni fa, ma Marino non lo volle”.
-Zamparini

Fuck you Marino!

Late, as ever. I’d be terrible with birth control pills. Updating as we go along.

IL CALENDARIO DELLA ROMA

1° GIORNATA (29 agosto): Roma-Cesena
2° GIORNATA (12 settembre): Cagliari-Roma
3° GIORNATA (19 settembre): Roma-Bologna
4° GIORNATA (22 settembre): Brescia-Roma
5° GIORNATA (26 settembre): Roma-Inter
6° GIORNATA (3 ottobre): Napoli-Roma
9° GIORNATA (31 ottobre): Roma-Lecce
15° GIORNATA (5 dicembre): Chievo-Roma

Hat-tip to Vince and DirtyTackle for the find.

Felipe Melo, you continue to impress.

(Follow me on twitter.com/juventusoffside as I tweet the new Serie A calendar)

There is a game of some importance today as one Associazione Sportiva Roma is playing a football match against a Qatari side. Worlds are colliding, ladies and gentlemen. Worlds.

Time: 2045 CET; starting 30-45 pregame.
Links: Myp2p

Though recently, it looks like Giovinco is heading to Parma, Bari fans have made their voices heard. They want Giovinco.

A few days ago our new Coach had a few words to say about the topics highlighted. I will admit it appeared we had another Leo like “Yes Man” or “Company Boy” in the ranks but after reading his thoughts and words I have to say I am impressed and maybe, just maybe, this is the type of progressive breath of fresh air this team need to move forward. For the record talk is cheap, very cheap, but if the results come and the players buy into what he is selling this team may be readying itself for a bright future. While I harbor no intentions of anything above fifth place, if he can get this team playing with balance and firing on all cylinders then a poor year is a blip on the radar for potential future success. I am putting my thoughts/responses directly below his:

ON HIS FIRST IMPRESSIONS:
The reception I received was excellent. The lads showed amble willingness to work yesterday and that’s what counts. I liked the relationship in terms of respect amongst the players because I believe that respect is essential to work with great calmness. It will therefore be equally important for everyone to work in this way on a daily basis.

Respect for me equals good team chemistry and with good chemistry a team can be dangerous. You want to know that when the going gets tough a teammate will have your back and then deficits don’t seem insurmountable because of the bonds formed through respect. I LIKE IT.

ON THE PRESIDENT AND OBJECTIVES:
President Silvio Berlusconi did not put any pressure on me yesterday. He decided to speak yesterday and put out his idea. I was there as well for the journalists, but only the president asked me a question.
Yesterday, the president has shown great practicality and I think this is a quality that must characterize this team. What counts are the results and we must do everything possible to get them. If there will be teams that deserve more we must be equal to them, we are not here to suffer at the hands of our rivals.

I am simply going to focus on his statement, “What counts are the results and we must do everything possible to get them.” Very nice, a win is a win is a win, and in the end when your hands on the title no when remembers if you won pretty or ugly. I admire this mentality and hope that he can follow through on that in getting results. I also liked the bit about not being here to suffer at the hands of our rivals, sounds like a guy who has a bit of edge and no intention of rolling and being embarrassed by teams like Inter and Manchester United, hope he can deliver on that talk!

ON RONALDINHO AND WHERE TO PLAY HIM:
I do not think there is any doubt about the technical quality of Ronaldinho. He is an amazing player who is world-class, but in football today skill alone is not enough . It is necessary to build a balanced group and the strength of a team is that everyone must make themselves available to the group to get a good result.

Ronaldinho is a player who can become dangerous when he is playing out wide against a marker if he can come inside and get into a deeper position. He has a lot of qualities that can make the difference. He needs support from the team but equally he must make himself available to the needs of the team. Yesterday, he was a jet-lagged and not in the best physical condition. I only spoke to him for five minutes and I told him he was a very important from whom I expect a lot. Even the top players have to be in good shape if not excellent condition. You have to be in good shape to play and just like the other players if you are fit then you can show your skills.

I won’t say a word, Allegri has said it all already…

THE GAP WITH INTER:
I have a deep squad. This group still has a lot to give even if there are players who are over thirty years. At the same time, however, there are several young players. When we have everyone available we have the quality to do well.
What about the gap woth Inter? Last year Milan were a point off Inter, but then various incidents halted this pursuit. I believe this team can do very well, and achieve important goals and at least be in the top three and go as far as possible in the Champions League.

Perhaps alluding to his planned youth integration? I have always like Coaches who blend youth into the first team as opposed to throwing a Primavera squad into the Coppa Italia and watching the old men flounder on the weekend. Why not give both teams equal opportunity for success and in turn build that confidence for the players chosen. Can’t see I agree on the quality to do well, but maybe he sees something in the youth…

ON PATO:
Pato is a lad of twenty. He is an amazing player that I think he still has a lot to improve on. He has so many qualities, both physical and skill-wise that even he realises this. A boy of twenty needs to grow as a man but also as a footballing phenomenon. Due to its characteristics Pato can play off a front man, can do everything.

Have to agree with him here as well, Pato does have a lot to improve more mentally than physically. His recognition skills seemed to get worse last season but Allegri seems to recognize his ability to “play off” a striker a trait that I think can make Pato lethal. Hopefully he is deployed that way and the success, assists and goals come in bunches!

ON THE DRESSING ROOM:
“I have to understand as quickly as possible how everything works here Milanello: from the players, staff, doctors, chefs, from the kit-room. Everything you need here at Milanello is important because if the team gets results it is the due to the merit of everyone from the kit-room to the president because it takes cooperation and respect from everyone.”

Actually like this statement too, you will never hear anything like this out of Jose Mourinho, because Jose believes that every success is his and his players. This goes back to chemistry and Allegri seems very aware of it and making sure everyone feels like they are playing a part, hope this continues.

ON HIS METHOD OF WORKING:
“It would be presumptuous of me to turn it all around and take a team that last year worked hard and was fighting for the league six games from the end of the season. Leonardo did a good job with the whole group. For my part, however, there may be different ideas. The current squad is more or less that of last year. Every season, however, is not the same and even the players themselves can change their performance from year to year. I will consider things game to game. It is a group that has won everything there was to win but has remained an ambitious group who still want to do well and know they have won a lot through skill. They won both through quality and because they have worked on it, for one and another and for the coach.”

Would have liked to hear a bit more about his “different ideas” but I guess we will wait and see for those. As for his, “considering things game to game” could we see a dynamic Milan capable of coming out in various formations/tactics to capitalize on the weaknesses of opponents!? That would be quite the turn from static XMAS Tree and 433 game in and game out. I am very interested to see how that pans out.

LEONARDO:
“I have great respect for Leonardo because besides being a good coach, he has demonstrated what he did at Milan last year that he is an educated person. I met him at the current coaches meeting and talked in general not specifically about Milan, but if another opportunity arose I would gladly talk to him.”

Not sure if I want the old coach talking to the new coach? Thoughts? On a personal basis I talk A LOT with various Coaches to get ideas, scouting, or anything else they are willing to share, but have never had the chance to speak to a predecessor, odd…

THE TEAM’S STYLE:
“Milan have players to play in different ways. Compared to the squad I had available at Cagliari, here at Milan there is a lot more technical players, more quality. Now there are still the Internationals such as Pirlo, Huntelaar, Thiago Silva, Zambrotta and others to arrive. I certainly do not intend to throw away the work of previous years, of Leonardo and even Ancelotti, but I intend to use it as a way to put forward my own.”

Not sure we can call Silva an International yet, and surely KJH’s lack of World Cup minutes will take him off that radar as well! Pirlo was injured and Zambrotta was, well, old and slow, so I wouldn’t hang my hat on our “Internationals” quite yet. No doubt Thiago has quite the future on the World’s stage, but the real question becomes is he serious when he says “others to arrive.” If so when????

ON THE TRANSFER MARKET:
“Right now I’m pleased with the squad I have available. If someone were to leave, the club will replace him with a player who can play for Milan.”

“Right now I’m pleased with the squad I have available.” First mistake, wouldn’t it be easier to honest here…oh wait the idiots in charge don’t listen anyway…

ON THE OBJECTIVES:
“What I wish is that this team plays good football, with good intensity, and is convinced of what it can do. To achieve significant results there must be other components, not just one. We need belief, technique, intensity, all these are important things. Winning is never easy, but we must start with a belief and the belief that one can and must do their best. This is the starting point.”

So I think Allegri agrees that a scudetto is a tall order. I would also like to think that with a team at this advanced stage of their careers, belief should be second nature. Hell, Oddo and Kaladze believe so much they may even think they deserve starting spots!?!?!?! Bottom line he is appearing to be realistic, and hopefully many of us are too, I just hope he has a chance to prove himself and not fired at the first sign of trouble. We need continuity not some disastrous Coaching carousel for the next few years. I do like the part about intensity though, it is not a word you hear often in Italy, there is not much Italians do with intensity (ever go to the bank or supermarket in Italy!) so it was refreshing.

Just as in the last few years, I figured I’d do one giant Pagelle for the entire season before the new season gets too hectic, as I did in 2007-2008, and 2008-2009. I’ve tried to remain objective of course- I’m no fan of Zebina or Melo, but I’m trying to rate them based on their performances, not their fighting with the fans. Besides, they ended up playing terribly anyways. In general, I follow similar numbering systems to the pagelle in Italy:

These judges gave better ratings than I did

4- Dreadful. Consistently producing horror shows and generally completely incompetent.
4.5- Poor.
5- Subpar. Never impressing, and while not terrible, never playing well either.
5.5- Mediocre. Not something a player should be pleased with.
6- Decent.
6.5- Solid. Putting in consistently good shifts, though not exemplary.
7- Excellent. Playing well typically, and capable of brilliance.
7.5- Outstanding. Consistently winning MOTM awards.
8- Phenomenal.
9- Legendary.

Injuries don’t directly factor, as that has weighed enough on their performances as is. So without further ado, the Juventus Pagelle for season 2009-2010.