Allegri on Villarreal defeat: 'There was time to level it, we need balance'

Massimiliano Allegri did not use technical errors as an excuse for the 3-1 defeat at Villarreal. "Technical errors happen, I'm not angry, there was all the time in the world to manage a setback and come back," he said. It is a reading that does not let the team off the hook, but shifts the issue from the moment itself to Napoli's ability to respond once a game gets difficult.

Then came his most direct point, close to a warning to the squad. "When it happens against mid-to-small sides, nobody notices. Against the big teams, and in Europe, it's not just obvious, you can lose matches because of it. We need to get them thinking this way, and little by little we'll get there." It was his way of saying that lapses in concentration, tolerated until now, cost points in the Champions League: Napoli sit on zero points after games against Arsenal and Villarreal.

On individuals, Allegri praised the substitutes ("they still gave everything") and singled out Badiashile for "another great game". He was more guarded on McTominay, "who wasn't feeling great", and on the physical toll on Lang and Neres after Saturday's match against Frosinone. On the recovery of Olivera, Alisson and Anguissa, all out for some time, he said only that patience is needed.

What stands out is that the coach spoke of balance rather than individual mistakes: it is the team as a whole that must "grit its teeth and do better defensively, as a unit". The question supporters have been asking since Tuesday evening remains: if the problem is mental and recurring — already seen against Arsenal and Como — is a call for balance enough, or does something need to actually change on the pitch?

An answer starts to take shape on Saturday 17 October at 15:00 CET, at the Penzo in Venice: that is where it will become clear whether Allegri's words stay a post-match statement or turn into a different way of playing.