Scott McTominay still has a long way to go before he can fully understand the lavish praise heaped on him by the Italian media. But if the former Manchester United man has been following the sports pages in recent days, he will have noticed a familiar word: “Jolly”. Italian journalists have described Napoli’s new signing as Antonio Conte’s “Jolly”.
However, “Jolly” here is not talking about McTominay’s cheerful personality. In an interview when he first debuted for Napoli, McTominay shared: “My biggest dream is to be happy. Happiness is the best thing in life and that is the only thing I focus on in my daily activities and when I play. If you are in a good mood, you play better football.”
In Italian, “Jolly” is actually the word for the Joker card in a deck of cards, symbolizing versatility and the ability to create surprises. For Napoli, Scott McTominay is considered the “Joker”, a versatile player who can change the team’s situation.
There’s no denying McTominay made a big impression from his early games. Signed from Manchester United for €30.5m at the end of the transfer window, the 27-year-old midfielder quickly proved his worth. He made his debut in a 0-0 draw with Juventus and scored his first goal for Napoli just days later, coming on as a substitute in a Coppa Italia win over Palermo.
Since then, McTominay has played the full 90 minutes in both Serie A games, helping Napoli beat Monza and Como. Notably, in the 3-1 win over Como, the former Man United player opened the scoring after just 25 seconds of play.
Scott McTominay celebrated with the fans in the Curva - who he described as the best fans he had ever seen. On the coaching bench, Conte could not hide his joy at the joy of his players. Previously, the Italian strategist commented that McTominay is a player with goals in his DNA.
Unsurprisingly, Conte has made signing Romelu Lukaku a top priority in the summer transfer window, but McTominay is also high on his list. The Napoli boss has complained that the club's failure to sell Victor Osimhen has hampered his recruitment plans, and McTominay is one of those key targets.
Napoli have adapted their tactics to suit McTominay’s style of play. Gli Azzurri switched from their usual 3-5-2 to a back four against Juventus and have continued to do so. Napoli’s tactical flexibility allows McTominay to roam freely on the left flank, occasionally dropping back to help defend but mostly operating on the offensive front.
The Scot's rapid integration into the squad has been encouraging, with both goals coming from a fine partnership with Lukaku, with the Belgian dropping deep to open up space for McTominay to advance.
Despite only just starting out, McTominay's contributions have helped Napoli make an impressive start to Serie A, topping the standings. However, the real test awaits them, with Antonio Conte's side facing strong opponents such as Milan, Atalanta, Inter and Roma in the coming weeks.
Of course, not everything is perfect. In the match against Como, although Napoli won, they still exposed some weaknesses when the team allowed their opponents to create many dangerous chances. Napoli will need to improve if they want to aim for the Scudetto this season.
Scott McTominay may only be starting his Serie A journey, but there’s no denying that the 1996-born midfielder is an important player in Antonio Conte’s squad. From his fighting spirit to his versatility, plus his quick integration, if he can maintain these qualities, McTominay will continue to be Napoli’s “fun”.
