NAPOLI DYNAMITE: How McTominay is taking Serie A by storm after grabbing another crucial goal for league leaders
Walking the streets of Naples, it quickly becomes clear why so many tourists feel like they’ve fallen asleep and woken up in the center of Buenos Aires.
In the most deprived areas of the city, entire apartment buildings are painted light blue. Jerseys hang from every corner, with the number 10 on the back.
Giant murals dot the walls depicting the man whose legacy defined not just a football club, but an entire city.
A city that lives and breathes football at its most fanatical level, the Neapolitans worship no higher being. They worship Diego Armando Maradona. In these parts Maradona is God.
Maradona’s exploits in Naples are of course legendary. Rarely has a player had such an influence on a team as when he led Napoli to two Scudettos in 1987 and 1990.
Napoli is a club where cult heroes are revered. Even in the days since Maradona, there have been several players who have achieved iconic status.
McTominay scored his fourth goal of the season as Napoli moved four points clear at the top
The midfielder unleashed a shot in the 31st minute with a bet from the edge of the penalty area
The super Scot is roaring with joy at full-time after his goal proved the difference against Torino
In 2013, Dries Mertens was signed for PSV Eindhoven with little fanfare. After nine seasons and 148 goals, the small Belgian attacker left Napoli as Napoli’s all-time top scorer.
With his unmistakable mohawk hairstyle, Slovakian midfielder Marek Hamsik also spent twelve seasons in Naples and scored more than 100 goals. Another that was adored by supporters.
Scott McTominay hasn’t quite reached that same level of admiration yet, but the Scottish midfielder is quickly emerging as Napoli’s new cult hero.
McTominay scored the only goal of the match last weekend as Antonio Conte’s side beat Torino 1-0 to maintain their position at the top of Serie A.
The Scottish midfielder also scored at the San Siro last month as Napoli claimed a valuable 1-1 draw against reigning champions Inter Milan.
All told, he has provided four goals and two assists in 12 games for Napoli this season. With a takeover of Manchester United for £30 million in the summer, he looks like a shrewd entrepreneur.
There are already suggestions in Italy that McTominay could be Serie A’s signing of the season as Conte’s side remain high at the top of the league.
Speaking after the win over Torino last weekend, McTominay said: ‘I’ve scored two important goals in the last three games but the whole team deserves praise.
McTominay celebrates a goal against Como in spectacular fashion earlier this season
‘We are improving and we have to keep that up. The great results we are achieving are proof that we are doing well.’
After taking charge in the summer, Conte has quickly whipped Napoli into shape. Their credentials as title contenders are now undeniable.
Conte is known for his preference of playing with three players at the back and has changed his system to a 4-3-3 this season.
The arrival of McTominay was key to this adjustment. The favored midfield was three of McTominay’s quartet, Stanislav Lobotka, Frank Anguissa and Billy Gilmour.
Given the freedom to bomb forward and score goals, McTominay is emerging as the dynamic box-to-box midfielder that Scotland supporters have seen in recent years.
His form has also left many Manchester United fans regretting the club’s decision to bring him back this summer after he fell out of favor with the now-fired Erik ten Hag.
Maradona is treated like a god in Naples, and since then many cult heroes have felt the love too
For Conte, he sees a player who operated from the shadows at Old Trafford to become Napoli’s main man.
Conte said this weekend: ‘We quietly signed McTominay. The club and sporting director Giovanni Manna did a great job in understanding what he could bring to Napoli.
‘But the same goes for any new recruit. We are a team on the rise and the growth of a team happens through the steps each individual player must take each week.
‘However, it is inevitable that when they ask me to strengthen the squad, I try to choose the best players. We did well with Scott because he wasn’t a starter at Manchester United, but I already knew him very well and we worked under the radar to bring him here.
“Of course everyone wants to prove themselves and I am happy that we made the right choice for McTominay.
McTominay even managed to impress the supporters after the match with his knowledge of Italian
‘I have a group of guys who really understand when I ask them to improve. This is the aspect that appeals to me the most, apart from the result and the ranking. We grow as individuals and as a team.
‘Scott could have seen Napoli as a relegation after playing for a club like Manchester United. But that’s not how it is. Instead, he came here as the protagonist.”
There are no murals of McTominay yet. But his rise as a new cult hero in Naples is growing stronger by the week.
If he can lead the club to the Scudetto, he would take himself to a whole new level. One in which he would cooperate with God himself.