Last week Scott McTominay posted a photo on Instagram. In it he and Billy Gilmour -arm in arm, sunglasses, waves roll in to meet the Campanian coastline behind them while Mount Vesuvius peaks through the clouds.
“A beautiful lunch with Maestro,” wrote McTominay. We can only imagine that he has received a good recommendation in one of the world's culinary hotspots. “Fratello,” Gilmour replied. It means 'brother'.
La Dolce Vita seems to fit the brothers of Scotland. Dine in the sun during the week, take Napoli tantalizing close to the Serie A title at the weekend. It's not a bad life.
But the tranquility of this pastel -colored scene lies the pressure of the season that is on hold as soon as the international break ends.
The Napoli season is at a crossroads. For a large part of 2024/25, the side of Antonio Conte led the road in the Serie A, which indicates what would be an amazing debut-seasoncudetto for the Firebrand coach.
The stars of the title of Napoli two years ago, Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, were sold in the last two transfer toys. Napoli should be rebuilt, started again under Conte after a disastrous 10th place last year.
The manager wants to emphasize that point on every occasion and repeated after the recent victory over Fiorentina that 'the team makes this look normal if it is not'.
But now that the finish line is crawling in sight, Conte has changed its number. A 1-1 draw with Inter, where Napoli surpassed the champions, strengthened it morally before that 2-1 victory over Fiorentina created a glorious opportunity.
Napoli went to the game from Sunday to Venezia, knowing that a victory would set them two points at the top before Inter Feat Atalanta was confronted with Atalanta later in the day. Conte did not shy away from the importance of the moment and described the journey to the lagoon as a 'World Cup final'.
It didn't look. Napoli was refused by the post and former inter-bug Ionut Radu, who made seven Saves and denied McTominay twice while the relegation fighters held up for a 0-0 draw.
It was a joyful moment for Radu, which was held responsible on a large scale for Interbeen who surrenders the title to Rivals Milan in 2021/22 after making an expensive error in the run-in. This time, the heroics of the Romanian Interte closer to the Scudetto, with the 2-0 win from the Nerazzurri to Atalanta later that night to bring them three points from Napoli at the top.
Conte said the draw felt like a 'half-anesthesia'. It was not only a demoralizing missed opportunity, but it meant that the positivity that had begun to build after the Inter- and Fiorentina games had forgotten in the light of a few cold, hard facts.
Napoli has only achieved one victory in their last seven games, five signs and losses there. The resulting return of eight points provides the worst run in seven games that Conte has had for 15 years. In the last five games, Napoli is 11th in the Serie A form table. The pressure is to find some answers.
With nine more rounds, however, the men of Conte have the advantage that they can fully concentrate on their title push, while self-proclaimed Treble-hunters inter. Have a quarterfinals of the Champions League with Bayern Munich and Coppa Italia Semi-Final against Rivals AC Milan around the corner.
The Nerazzurri also has a slightly harder run-in on paper, with matches against three of the top seven to be gained: Bologna Getaway and then Roma and Lazio at home.
In the meantime, Napoli has a few major games after the break, at home with Milan and road to Bologna, but then only has half of half on their luminaire card until the end of the season.
An extra boost for Napoli is the rise of the reducing playmaker Gilmour of Scotland, who finally felt his presence after a run in the starting side on the most crucial part of the season.
For a long time it seemed that the former midfielder of Brighton would have difficulty in making his way to Conte's planning. In the 4-3-3 formation of the Napoli boss, the role of Gilmour Even Study was for the cultivated Slovak playmaker Stanislav Lobotka.
An injury to Lobotka in October Gilmour gave a few starts, but once he returned, the shot was born again and found it harder and harder to force his way back in the fight.
Between November 10 and March 1, Gilmour made only six replacement performances for a combined 20 minutes of playing time in the Serie A. Conte had his team, and he didn't look like he was changing it.
However, crisis can often bring opportunities to football, and Gilmour has shown that this has been the case in recent weeks.
Injuries to Franck Anguisissa, the box-to-box midfield powerhouse of Napoli, and difficult wing player David Neres forced a recasting of conte's tactics and selection.
He returned to the tried and tested 3-5-2, that was the foundation of his success with Juventus and Inter, with Giacomo Raspadori, another almost completely overlooked squadron player, who addressed Romelu Lukaku and Gilmour replaces Anguisissa in midfield.
It didn't seem like a clear fit, where Gilmour played to the right of Lobotka instead of in his natural central position, with McTominay on the left. But it worked, with the Scot and Raspadori – and earned widespread praise for their versions against Inter.
The technical ability of Gilmour stood out, just like his hunger for the ball, where the shot was given 80 touches, including 17 important passes, in a dynamic display that spoke volumes about his desire to grab this rare opportunity.
After the game, Conte said: 'Gilmour had a huge chance against Inter and I was clear with the players; In the last 11 games, those who earn it will play.
'There are no fixed places because they will be 11 fights, 11 finals, there is no credit in the couch. Gilmour did very well against Inter, so he will play against Fiorentina. Will he do well again? Will he play the next? Those who stand on the couch must let me change his mind. '
Gilmour played the full 90 minutes in another impressive display against Fiorentina and convinced Conte all over again in a 2-1 win.
The nickname 'Maestro' soon did the rounds while Calcio luminaires stood in line to praise this new talent from Ayrshire.
Former Napoli coach Walter Novellino told Gazzetta Dello Sport that he was' won 'by Gilmour after his two striking versions alongside Lobotka, those two central midfielders that alternate, they think'.
“From now on it will be 3-5-2,” said Novellino. “I'm sorry for Anguisissa, who is an extraordinary player, but how can you give up Gilmour now?”
While Gilmour continues to fight for his right to a starting point, there has never been any doubt about Mctominay.
The former Manchester United -Manman walked into the team from the first day and has never left since then, with the last 27 Series A matches in a row under Conte and only being replaced three times in that run.
The nickname 'Mctomadona' of the tongue in the cheek that came forward in the first months of the season was far from a burden for the midfielder, despite the life in a city where it is difficult to turn a corner without seeing the face of Diego staring at you from a flag, poster or mural.
Mctominay is the second scorer from Napoli, with Romelu Lukaku (10 goals) the only player who scores more than are seven in all competitions.
In addition to his target contributions, which have included crucial strikes in large competitions against Inter, Fiorentina and Atalanta, MCTominay four assists is incised, the third best in the team behind Lukaku (9) and Neres (8).
There has been just as much joy about the coup of Napoli as a bewilderment about how United let him go – including from former Scotland, Milan and Verona striker Joe Jordan.
“Napoli did very well to sign him, but Manchester United let him go very badly,” Jordan said. “It is a mistake that can only be explained by the confusion that has been ruled in that club in recent years.”
In October, a local news reporter made a video in which the Napolitan locals were asked how he could pronounce 'Mctominay', with the answers ranging from 'Macdonald' to 'Mactoni' to confused silence. They know the name now.
When ex-Napoli attacker Gianfranco Zola was asked which Napoli player he liked the most this season, he didn't have to think long.
“Scott McTominay,” said Zola. “He is one of those players that you emphasize with a red circle, such as (Italian journalist) Rino Tommasi always said.”
Former Italy boss Gianpiero Ventura undoubtedly described him 'the key to this Napoli team', while the SCOT teammates clearly keep him to a large extent.
“McTominay had a big impact,” said skipper Giovanni di Lorenzo last month. “We knew he was good, to be with United, you must have real quality, but what made an impression on me is the impact he had on the situation in Naples.”
With the recent change in the system, MCTominay and Gilmour are now united on the field and thereof.
As soon as they return from Scotland obligation, their task will be to prove that the Venezia result was a stumble and not a sign of a malaise.
If they do that, MCTomadona and the Maestro get every chance to end their first sun -drenched season in the Bay of Naples as Italian champions. They may never have to pay for lunch in the city if they get it.
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