Papers focus on boos and January exits after Napoli's 1-1 with Lazio

The main story in the papers on Monday 9 November is the gap between what this Napoli side says about itself and what the Maradona saw on Sunday 8 November. The press does not treat the 1-1 draw with Lazio as a point worth defending. It reads it as another sign of a deeper malaise. The coverage covers the supporters, the booing, the January transfer window and the referee's marks.

Allegri spoke to the same broadcaster after the final whistle. He said the supporters had stood by the team, insisted he has always managed to bring the ship into port and talked about a table that needs climbing. Those are the words of a coach asking for time, in a city that feels time has run out. DAZN also carried Gattuso's view. He spoke of a Napoli without ten players and of a Lazio dressing room that felt like a morgue before kick-off.

Mixed messages

At this point the coverage contradicts itself. Sky Sport quotes Rrahmani: "Right result: a response from the group, we care about each other and the international break will help."

For the centre-back, the 1-1 was a response. For DAZN's reporter it was a disappointment, and in Gattuso's account the opposition was down to the bare bones. The supporter who booed would not call the result "right". After a home draw against a Lazio side top of the table, that word needs handling with care.

Corriere dello Sport describes Lucca being booed by the Maradona as he came on, and Allegri turning to the crowd: "No, don't boo him." The same paper says Lang and Lucca are all but certain to leave in January, and that Aurelio De Laurentiis has given the go-ahead for reinforcements.

The real news is that January is being presented as a correction that has already been decided. On the departures, though, the club has not said a word on the record.

Corriere dello Sport and Gazzetta dello Sport also disagree on the referee, Pairetto. The first gives him 6.5, the second 5.5, and both list the error involving Rrahmani among the key incidents. For a game Napoli did not win, it is the least useful debate of the day.

Il Mattino carries two stories from inside the club. The first concerns De Bruyne, who left Salerno for Belgium with his family three hours after the final whistle. He will play two Nations League games for Belgium, the second against Italy on Sunday 15 November. The second is a headline about everyone at Napoli being unhappy at spending an extra day in the ritiro (the pre-match team retreat). We only have the headline of that piece, so we will leave it there.

Our view

The papers have the main point right. The supporters' disappointment was the story of Sunday, ahead of anything the referee did. Making Lucca and Lang the theme of the weekend is the wrong angle: two January sales do not explain a team sitting tenth in the table.

What is missing is the question of responsibility. Who built this squad, who coaches it, and why does a group that calls itself united and close to its fans not turn that closeness into wins at the Maradona? When Torino visit on Saturday 21 November, words will no longer be enough.