Italian Press Praise McTominay
Midfielder has been described as a ‘new idol’ at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium
Following his determined display at the Allianz Stadium, McTominay received widespread applause from all of Italy’s media, with some of the biggest outlets suggesting that the Scot could become a new cult hero in Naples. In their match rating for the contest, Sport Mediaset awarded McTominay a score of 6.5 but offered high praise, commending his ‘physique and technique’ and emphasizing his strong ability to ‘always know what to do.’
Former England boss Fabio Capello remarked that the 27-year-old provides exactly what Napoli’s midfield had been missing and that his side would not be the same without him. Meanwhile, Corriere dello Sport praised him as a ‘dominant all-rounder with physique, technique, and personality,’ while la Repubblica labeled him ‘a luxury for Serie A.’
Perhaps the biggest compliment came from Calcio Mercato, who insinuated that should McTominay continue his impressive start to life in Italy, that he could go on to become the ‘next idol’ for fans who grew up watching the likes of the legendary Diego Maradona and modern day hero Edinson Cavani grace their famous stage.
Conte Explains McTominay’s Impact
The former Chelsea manager has been protective of his new signing
McTominay’s strong performance on Saturday came not long after the box-to-box midfielder was defended by his manager after having a quiet debut in a 4-0 victory over Cagliari. Having been thrown in from the start against tougher opposition, Conte explained exactly what the Scotland international has brought to the table and why he is important to his team’s tactical flexibility:
“The idea came to me because on the last day of the transfer market we got McTominay and Gilmour, plus brought Folorunsho back into the squad. The midfield then became a pretty strong group of players and we had to make the most of that.
“We had already started working on it last week against Cagliari , alternating between the systems, and 3-4-2-1 will be useful, but I also concentrated on this tactic. It fits this team, they can do it, let’s say I was a little concerned about our defending with this approach, but we did very well.”
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt – accurate as of 22/09/2024.
