Napoli's 1-0 Champions League defeat to Arsenal at the Maradona was their third loss in a row, and with a day to reflect on the performance, Massimiliano Allegri urged patience while captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo insisted the dressing room's spirit remained intact despite a difficult run.
Speaking to Sky Sport after the match, Allegri felt the margins had been fine.
"The first half was much more balanced because we had more legs, and with players in their first match, we came away with good quality even under pressure.
"We got the last pass wrong, some crosses when there was nobody in the box, all the crosses were cleared. After their goal we had two or three good situations where we made the wrong choice of pass, and against these teams you risk being punished.
"There are good things — with that spirit at 2-0 in Milan, you couldn't have conceded the goals we did," he said, referencing Napoli's earlier defeat to Inter.
Asked whether three straight defeats was cause for genuine concern, Allegri counselled calm.
"You have to be very balanced in these moments, there are players in their first matches, we are growing, there are moments in a season, the team hasn't lost value. The moment is certainly negative, we definitely need to do more. We have to think about Bologna and win, if we can, then we can see things differently — right now we risk seeing things blacker than they are," he said, praising debutants Elia Favasuli, on loan from Catanzaro last season, and Vergara.
"In judgements you need a lot of calm. It's normal for the result to affect judgement, but the team did what it needed to do."
In his official press conference, Allegri was more pointed about his frustration.
"I'm very angry, because it's the third in a row, and the result counts. Looking at the negative things from tonight, they're certainly the choice on the last pass and some other decisions. We'll recover, I'm sure of that, then we'll think about the Champions League again," he said, also confirming fresh fitness concerns. "Lang is simple, he behaved in a way that wasn't appropriate to take part in the match. We're unlikely to see Meret or Alisson again before the international break."
Di Lorenzo, speaking to Sky Sport, felt Napoli had competed well against a superior side.
"We knew we were up against a great team with great quality, we defended well even if sometimes a bit too deep. They're excellent in tight spaces and we could have done better with the last pass. It's a shame about the result, now we have seven matches to go through," he said. Asked how the squad would handle a third straight loss psychologically, the captain acknowledged morale had taken a hit but insisted the group's attitude was not in question.
"After three defeats morale isn't at its highest, but we have to keep working and follow what the manager asks of us. Here the details make the difference, and to improve we have to eliminate these mistakes," he said.
"Heads are held high. The three defeats don't leave us happy, but we're working to do better — that's the objective. This group has always responded in terms of attitude and spirit. We were up against an important team, but we defended together as a group throughout, and that's an important aspect."