Conte critical of ‘timid’ Gilmour and Napoli | OneFootball

Antonio Conte admits he was unhappy with Napoli and Billy Gilmour for being ‘too timid’ against Empoli, but assures they are ‘building the foundations to be ambitious.’

The Partenopei were struggling in the first half at the Stadio Castellani, where nobody had been able to score since last season in Serie A, and thanked Elia Caprile for his saves to keep them level.

The turning point came on the hour mark when Giovanni Simeone replaced a quiet Romelu Lukaku and immediately contributed to the move earning a penalty, converted by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

“It is a game we wanted to win, but when I warn about these things, it’s not like I do it to protect myself,” Conte told DAZN.

“Empoli are one of the form teams in Serie A right now, nobody had scored here, so there were many dangers awaiting us.

“I did not like the first half, it was not our usual approach, we were timid. Perhaps it’s because Napoli have a poor record in Empoli.

“I changed a few things in the second half and it was totally different, so we deserved to take the lead in a balanced game, but if Empoli had scored, we could not have complained.

“We have a few different options to make the most of the characteristics that our players have.”

Conte unhappy with first half

Alessandro Buongiorno was named Man of the Match by the Lega Serie A and Conte was asked if the former Torino defender reminded him of Giorgio Chiellini.

“The whole defence moved in a positive way today, let us also not forget the work that Matteo Politano did to help us be more solid,” replied the former Juventus coach.

EMPOLI, ITALY – OCTOBER 20: Billy Gilmour of SSC Napoli in action during the Serie A match between Empoli and Napoli at Stadio Carlo Castellani on October 20, 2024 in Empoli, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)

This was the first Napoli match without Stanislav Lobotka since April 2022, as Billy Gilmour got his first start in midfield for the injured Slovakia international.

“Gilmour can give us a great deal, but he was a bit too timid in the first half. The whole team wasn’t having the right approach, but the lads realised I wasn’t happy and did better. Empoli and Roberto D’Aversa also deserve credit, as they are doing very well.”

While Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis is talking about challenging the ‘super power’ of the northern clubs, Conte continues to dampen down enthusiasm.

“I know we are building solid foundations so that we can become ambitious, so every win must be a celebration, because it was hard-earned,” said the coach.

“The fans must have this attitude, I realise the Neapolitan people are in love with this team and nobody will take that away from them. However, during the collective excitement, we must recognise that there will be tough moments too.

“I took on the responsibility of building something that can last over time and not just be a flash in the pan, because these fans deserve that satisfaction.”

This result means that Napoli remain Serie A leaders for another week and have the added advantage of not being distracted by the European commitments that other Scudetto contenders are dealing with.