An upset loss! Conte: We dominated the game but allowed the opponent to score due to accidental circumstances

After Naples lost 0-1 away to Turin, head coach Conte attended the press conference. He explained the reasons for the absence of Hoylen and McTominay and criticized the team's "gaudy" performance.

Can you explain the reasons for Hoylen and McTominay's absence?

If they are here, it means we intend to play them. The problem is that McTominay, who needed six stitches above his ankle during a confrontation on Thursday, tried training but chose to sit out. Hoylen came back from the national team tired, he had not played much before, but after Naples he played in all our games and the same with the national team. He has some minor discomfort in his quadriceps. We have a game every three days and even fatigue can be a problem. There was no point in taking the risk and we had a replacement, after all a healthy horse was better than a lame one. Now let's take a look. I'm not forcing anyone, that needs to be clear. We had a squad and we made signings.

What is your evaluation of this game?

We were kind of... like we were wearing ballet slippers, we looked good, and the opponent couldn't catch us. We created one or two chances, but we didn't have the energy to do damage. Then there was the surprise that led to Torino's goal... We improved our tempo in the second half, but we must improve in the final third and become more efficient and ruthless. We are the team in Italy with the most possession of the ball and the most time in the opponent's half, but in terms of final kick data, we are ranked 14th. You can't have 70% possession and not score a single goal.

Is the problem just due to player absence?

I never talk about players who are out, I don’t like it and it’s not fair to the players who are on the field. The lads gave everything. What can we say about the goal conceded today? It was an accidental rebound and we sent Simeone in front of the goal. It was not a lack of concentration or a diagonal defensive error. We are playing a more aggressive and proactive football and we want to dominate the game. To get to the next level, we have to get into shape and dominate the game. And other teams, like Torino, will fight on the counterattack. Inevitably there will be some space left and we need to improve when we are pressing and in duels.

In what areas does Luka need to improve?

I don’t really like talking about individual players. He is one of the new signings and he has to improve. Our performance this season will be determined by the development of the new players, they join a group that has won the league, which means you have quality. One needs to be patient and let them work hard. Nothing new, just hard work.

Is this kind of performance but ultimately a loss also part of the growth process?

We must look at performance and results separately. The performance against Milan was also positive, but the result was negative. Today, except for the first half where we played really well, we dominated the game. You give your opponent a goal because of an accidental situation, the result is negative, but the performance... We played well in the first half, but it felt like we were dancing on tiptoe.

We raised the tempo in the second half and even a draw felt a bit inadequate, but congratulations to Torino for taking advantage of the opportunities they had to take advantage of. We moved on, knowing we had to go our own way. We need to remain serious and calm and understand that we have a ways to go.