Maurizio Sarri Napoli Tactics Discussion

[CaptiveBridge]

In normal setup I used deeplying forward, in strikerless I tried shadow striker.. problem is, he isn't scoring.. most goals are from midfield. I really don't know, which role to use..

He isn't scoring because he's not converting or because he's not getting into the right positions to score?

 

[Ghost77]

He isn't scoring because he's not converting or because he's not getting into the right positions to score?

I think the problem is with support role. He is combining with others, supporting, going deep - that's ok. But doesn't go for goal as he does in reality. IRL he is very sharp, he evaluates the situation and gives the ball to others OR suddenly turns and gets to the box and shoots. He also runs into box in great speed and is able to go through defenders himself. That's what I am missing in the game. I tried CF-A role, but as a lone forward he is getting isolated.

 

[CaptiveBridge]

I think the problem is with support role. He is combining with others, supporting, going deep - that's ok. But doesn't go for goal as he does in reality. IRL he is very sharp, he evaluates the situation and gives the ball to others OR suddenly turns and gets to the box and shoots. He also runs into box in great speed and is able to go through defenders himself. That's what I am missing in the game. I tried CF-A role, but as a lone forward he is getting isolated.

Having him as a lone striker requires either a support or Treq role, so now the issue is more of finding the right tweak within the system. You can try either by PPMs, which is a more long term and more permanent view. Ones that may get you some leverage are Gets Into Opposition Area, Tries First Time Shots, Runs With Ball Through Centre, etc. Anything that specifically alters the support role to something you envision he should be doing.

The next way is PIs. If you remember the days of sliders, you can think of each PI and TI as moving sliders to the left (less likely to do an action) or to the right (more likely). You could look for a good mix of the two to get him to mimic other roles while still primarily being a DLF-S/CF-S. Not all the TIs and PIs have to complement, for instance you could want the team to generally shoot less (Work Ball Into Box) but tell Higuain to Shoot More within that framework so he'll try shots more often than the rest of the team but still not as often as had the TI not been there. If that makes sense?

Since you've isolated his shot frequency and dribbling as areas you want to tweak, you can look at instructions to specifically alter those than changing his entire role.

 

[Ghost77]

Thanks for suggestions. I will try some of them. Maybe there is also problem with opposition defence. After a while they are all defending narrow, overcrowding the box and that restricts Higuaín from the individual attacks. When I try to open up the defence with overlapping fullbacks and flanks exploitng, it helps, but the goals come from midfielders on the near post/far post or rebounds.

Of course it's not a big deal, I am still scoring (also tried the tactic with Nottingham Forest in Championship and was promoted via playoff), but I thought striker would be the main threat..

 

[Ghost77]

If someone is interested, here is some very good stuff. All the roles and movements very well described.

https://tacticalcalcio.com/2016/04/18/an-analysis-of-maurizio-sarris-napoli/

 

[duca015]

In normal setup I used deeplying forward, in strikerless I tried shadow striker.. problem is, he isn't scoring.. most goals are from midfield. I really don't know, which role to use..

DLF can work, if you get him to move more, to be more aggressive, and to move into channels...
If he is on AMC position, I would avoid using SS role, as I do not like at all how it is working in match engine, I feel like Eiganache or AP-att are acting much more like SS then SS itself... He is often too deep and often late to come to finish movement.
AMC - att is your best bet, and then mode it until you get movement you want. From top of my head, I would give him move into chanels, roam more, shot more often and more direct passing.

 

[Jyuan83]

For callejon i would say WM on attack duty with run wide with ball, roam from position, sit narrower and cross less often to make him a more defensively responsible kind of raumdeuter while for insigne, i think Wm on attack duty with cut inside and dribble more with cross less often would suffice.

 

[jckstevens]

Hi Ghost, I found your post to be very helpful and I myself am trying to recreate a Sarri tactic. Ive found it quite hard to develop the kind of fluidity Sarri has down the left in real life, and in real life I have noticed the verticaality of their possession, in terms that they keep th ball but always looks to space ahead. Often my passes go astray and are intercepted. Another issue I find is creating the pace for Hamisk to run into. Ive observed Napoli can draw back to encourage the opponents press which then creates space for Insigne/Hamisk to exploit, but I'm not sure how to implement this in game.

and as for Higuain, I've tried every role possible but he just cannot score the guy can't hit the target!

How is your save going? and how has your tactic developed?