Tactically, I have a problem with Napoli. Giovanni Manna, their sporting director, said on an Italian podcast, “Colpi da Maestro”, that the club were lucky to find a buyer for Romelu Lukaku. He left for Fenerbahçe this summer, aged 33. “The sale did not go the way we expected, but in a complicated transfer market, we were fortunate we found someone ready to buy him,” he said, quoted by Football Italia.
I read his reasons on the bench at pitch 2, towel on my knees. The high salary weighed heavily. And the club had already made a big investment in Rasmus Højlund, his replacement.
His replacement. That’s the word that bothers me. A replacement means you play with one striker. In my 4-4-2, the only honest system, I have no replacements: I have two strikers. Højlund on the left, Lukaku on the right, end of discussion. I run that on Tuesday. When we’ve got eleven, that is.
On the salary, I can’t help. At our place the clubhouse bar funds the transfer window, and this season it funded one ball. The club delegate opened his folder to see if we could afford a second set of bibs. Answer: no.
Manna also says Lukaku had the World Cup on his mind while Napoli were aiming at a vital target, the Champions League. Two targets at once, I know the feeling: staying up and picking the kids up at 5pm. You manage.
Two strikers. We used to call that a football team.
The director wishes him all the best and points out that he won the Italian title with them. Since his move, Lukaku has one goal and one assist in 13 appearances for Fenerbahçe, according to Football Italia. Put a partner next to him. A flat pitch away, mind you. Then we’ll talk again.
It’s true, we checked: HLN.
