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Aston Villa and England defender Tyrone Mings says his mental health "plummeted" at the Euros as he opened up about his struggles this summer as well as his experiences with racism.

Mings admitted that he felt singled out at this summer's tournament for his lack of England experience, leading many to doubt him ahead of his starts in place of the injured Harry Maguire in the first two matches of the competition.

During that time, Mings admitted that it took a lot of work with his psychologist to get him into a mental state that allowed him to take the field for his country.

What did Mings say?

 "I did have a tough time in the lead-up to the opening game against Croatia," he said in an interview with The Sun.

"I think I'm a lot more hardened to outside influences now, but my mental health did plummet. And I have no shame in admitting that because there were so many unknowns about me going to that game.

"I was probably the only name on the team sheet that people thought, 'not sure about him'. And that was something I had to overcome.

"So I did a lot of work on that with my psychologist. I was given a lot of coping mechanisms - whether it was breathing, meditation, or just learning how to bring yourself into the present moment. To stop letting your subconscious take over.

"It was hard. I didn't really sleep very well before that first game."

One person who named Mings as a potential weak link was former England star Rio Ferdinand, who had his pre-tournament concerns about the Aston Villa star due to his lack of Champions League experience.

But Mings ended up winning over Ferdinand before all was said and done, with the defender revealing the former Manchester United star personally reached out to admit he was wrong.

“Rio DM’d me after the tournament. He’d said I was the weak link, and that Croatia should be targeting me," he said

“He messaged me saying something like, ‘Top-class response — matched your performances on the pitch.’ What a lovely guy.

“It’s just great that we are playing in a time now when you can speak about mental health, and how you are feeling.”

Mings' experience with racism

Mings has been outspoken regarding his fight with racism, as he recently criticised UK home secretary Priti Patel's lack of support for the players taking the knee in protest.

Following England's loss to Italy in the final this summer, Mings saw team-mates Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka racially abused after missing their penalties in the tournament-deciding shootout.

And Mings says that, unfortunately, he wasn't surprised to hear that some on social media had turned against his team-mates after the tournament ended in heartbreak.

“It’s always upsetting. It’s awful to say this, but it’s nothing new," he said. "It’s not surprising. But it’s not, and should never be, accepted. I think we all spoke to those players after the game because we had just lost the tournament and they were devastated about the penalties.

“We weren’t even aware of the racist abuse at this point. We could just see how upset they were, how they felt they had let people down. But that’s never the case when you step up and take a penalty. When you put yourself in that situation, you should never be abused for the outcome.”

Mings went on to detail his own experiences with racism, including an incident that saw him stopped by police near his hometown. 

“I’ve been stopped by police in my car a few times," he said.

“I was in Chippenham — which is where I grew up so you’d think they’d know better — but they pulled me over and said something about my car not being registered around here, and wanted to know why I was in the area. I mean, I was in a Range Rover which I’m pretty sure isn’t illegal.

"I’ve had some subtle stuff as well, like being in the shops and getting funny looks, things like that. But I don’t think we are in a time when it’s as bad as it once was. And we’re so fortunate to live in a world where we’re not put in prison for our beliefs, or for the colour of our skin.”

Further reading

Tigres boss Miguel Herrera walked away from a 3-1 defeat to Toluca on Sunday feeling "calm" given his belief that attacking stars Andre-Pierre Gignac and Florian Thauvin would be available for the next Apertura game.

Herrera had blasted his squad last weekend despite a winning display against Tijuana, but he was not overly annoyed with his side's effort this time, as he claimed Tigres were the better team until Guido Pizarro was sent off in the 65th minute. From the dismissal, things unraveled, with Alexis Canelo's decisive strike from outside the box 19 minutes later the result of sustained Toluca pressure.

The defeat was Herrera's first since taking over for Ricardo 'Tuca' Ferretti, whom he has criticized for instilling an overly conservative defensive mindset in his players.

What has been said?

"It leaves me calm, the team played a great game," said Herrera via TUDN. "The truth is that when we played better [the referees made things more difficult] - a penalty, two cautions, they took us out very quickly.

"I think the team handled the ball well ... while we were eleven against eleven. We had better possession, better attacks, unfortunately all that mess came, moments later they scored the second goal."

On Gignac and Thauvin, Herrera added: "The two will be ready for the next game."

Guzman's penalty block

Tigres goalkeeper Nahuel Guzman, who recently surpassed Juninho to set the Liga MX club appearance record for foreign players, stopped a second-half penalty that had been controversially awarded to Toluca.

Pizarro was shown a second yellow for a clumsy midfield challenge just two minutes later, though, and Toluca took control from there.

Up next

Tigres will meet Clausura runners-up Santos Laguna on Saturday in their third Apertura match, and Gignac and Thauvin will be expected to make their season debuts after their returns from Olympic duty with France.

Further reading

New signing Albert Sambi Lokonga said Arsenal are ready for the 2021-22 Premier League season after their 2-1 defeat to Chelsea in a pre-season friendly match on Sunday.

The 21-year-old who joined the Gunners from Anderlecht last month, came off the bench in the 70th minute to make a good first impression with his performance in the middle of the park.

Granit Xhaka's equaliser was not enough as goals from Kai Havertz and Tammy Abraham helped the Blues come out on top at the Emirates Stadium.

Despite the loss, Lokonga believes Arsenal are prepared to take on newly-promoted Brentford for their opening fixture on August 13 and he is also eager to make his Premier League debut. 

“Yeah, everybody is ready, I am ready, I can't want to start the league,” Lokonga told the club’s website.

“It was really good, a little bit sad because we didn't get the three points. But yeah, my first time at the Emirates, I think it's a good thing for me, a good start. So I hope the future will be better.

“If I have to speak about the team, we had a really good performance, but we gave away the ball and then they scored. But yeah for the next time we have to be careful because I think this kind of goal we can avoid.”

Lokonga's signing is expected to provide competition for places in Arsenal's midfield, which has Egypt’s Mohamed Elneny, Ghana’s Thomas Partey in the set-up.

He described how he is coping in London in the first few weeks and his relationship with his new teammates.

“Really good, really good. I think we have a really nice group," he added. "Everybody is together, (there's) a good relationship between each other and I think that's good for the team and for the season.

“Yeah, really I already have some good relationships with the other midfielders. The game is different because the pace is higher, the intensity is higher so it's good for me.”

The 21-year-old developed through Anderlecht's academy before making his professional debut in December 2017 and he played in 69 First Division A matches with three goals to his name.

Hearts of Oak are through to the final of the Ghana FA Cup following a 3-0 victory over Medeama on Sunday.

Benjamin Afutu, Isaac Mensah and Daniel Afriyie Barnieh found the back of the net to seal victory for the Phobians in one of two semi-final fixtures played at the Cape Coast Stadium.

The Accra-based fold are set for a final showdown with Medeama next Sunday, where a win will seal a double following their earlier Ghana Premier League title triumph.

The most successful club in the history of the cup competition, Hearts, who last won the title 21 years ago, will be hoping to secure victory in what will be their second successive appearance in the final following a 3-1 defeat to arch-rivals Asante Kotoko in the 2017 climax.

Samuel Boadu’s men already have 10 titles in the cup competition, which is set for its first final in four years following disruption of the domestic match calendar, first by a bribery and match-fixing scandal and second by the Covid-19 pandemic.

On Sunday, Afutu headed home to put Hearts in the lead in the 12th minute before Mensah rounded the goalkeeper to put the ball at the back of the net in the 58th minute.

Nine minutes later, Afriyie completed the scoring for the Phobians with a penalty in the 53rd minute to put the side on their way to a possible 11th title.

In the other semi-final game, AshGold booked their place in the final by a 4-1 win over Chelsea after extra-time. 

The match ended 1-1 in regulation time after Stephen Sarfo scored for Chelsea in the 51st minute to cancel out Eric Esso's free-kick goal on the stroke of half-time. 

In extra-time, Amos Nkrumah gave AshGold the lead with a long-range effort in just the second minute, two minutes before Chelsea's day changed from bad to worse by the sending off of Stephen Abaidoo for a second bookable offence. 

Addai registered his second goal of the night in the 105th minute, rounding off the goalkeeper and calmly slotting into the net to make it 3-1 for the Miners before half-time of extra time.

After the break, Seth Osei sealed the win with a goal three minutes to full-time to make it 4-1 to his side. 

The Obuasi-based outfit, who lost the 2012 final to New Edubiase United, are on course to clinch their first FA Cup title since 1993 when they won their only gold. 

Orlando Pirates head coach Josef Zinnbauer believes Thembinkosi Lorch should have killed off their match against Kaizer Chiefs in the Carling Black Label Cup on Sunday.

The Buccaneers succumbed to a 4-3 defeat to Amakhosi on penalties following a 0-0 draw in a game that took place at Orlando Stadium.

Pirates' best chance fell for Lorch, who was unmarked in the box, but the Bafana Bafana international was superbly denied by Chiefs goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune in the second half.

Zinnbauer reflected on the match which saw his goalkeeper Richard Ofori make a fine save to deny Kgaogelo Sekgota just after the restart. 

"It was a good game from both teams. We got good information. I think we had good opportunities to score, especially in the second half," Zinnbauer told SuperSport TV.

"He [Lorch] has to score and then I think the game is done. But then we had a good save from Ofori.

"To lose in penalties is always difficult. It's a final. You have to win the final but I think the performance was good for this moment. It was a good performance from both teams."

Chiefs were awarded a penalty after Ntsikelelo Nyauza was adjudged to have handled the ball in the box, but Ofori denied Daniel Cardoso from the spot-kick.

Zinnbauer refused to criticize Nyauza with Siphesihle Ndlovu having lost possession in midfield in the build-up to the Pirates defender conceding the penalty.

"Nyauza did not make a mistake. It was in the midfield we made a mistake. It was too easy, we lost the ball and we got overloaded and then our transition to defend was too slow," the German tactician continued. 

"The mistake started in the midfield not in the box. We had good build-up. We had better chances than Chiefs. It was a good performance. We needed the goal. This is always the problem in football.

"At the moment we have a good mood in the team. We are finding more and more structure. It was good to see us with the ball. Not our best, but it's normal for this time."

Kaizer Chiefs grabbed the bragging rights after claiming a 4-3 win over their arch-rivals Orlando Pirates on penalties in the 2021 Carling Black Label Cup match on Sunday.

The win saw Amakhosi clinch the high-profile pre-season trophy for the first time since 2017 after the entertaining match which ended in a 0-0 draw at Orlando Stadium.

New Chiefs goalkeeper Brandon Petersen impressed with his penalty-saving skills as he denied Ntsekelelo Nyauza and Wayde Jooste during the penalty shootout.

Many supporters took to social media to react to the match with Chiefs fans expressing their happiness, while the Pirates faithful discussed what went wrong for their team.

Check out how Twitter reacted to the Soweto Derby clash:

Kaizer Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter was pleased all around following his team's victory over Orlando Pirates in the 2021 Carling Black Label Cup, played at the Orlando Stadium on Sunday night.

The match had ended 0-0 after 90 minutes and there had been little to separate the sides while chances were few and far between.

Chiefs could have wrapped the game up in regulation time, but had to do it via the shoot-out after Daniel Cardoso's second-half penalty had been saved by Richard Ofori.

Baxter was satisfied with the performance his team gave and had praise for Brandon Petersen, who made his debut as a late, second-half substitute, replacing Itumeleng Khune, before going on to shine in the spot kicks.

"I thought the second-half performance warranted it, it was an even first half," Baxter told SuperSport TV after the match when asked if his side were deserved winners.

"I think we stepped up in the second half, our movement around the box was much better, we looked more dangerous.

"And I think when it comes to penalties, just happy that you come out on top because it can go either way. Brandon was magnificent."

For Baxter, the value of seeing some of the new signings in action was nearly as valuable as the win itself.

The debutants included Petersen as well as Kgaogelo Sekgota, Phathutshedzo Nange, Cole Alexander and Sifiso Hlanti. Youngsters Lebohang Lesako and Sabelo Radebe also got some rare game-time.

"This game was information for me it really was. Yes for the supporters we have got to win it, we get that,"  the 67-year-old Baxter explained.

"And it's the old enemy so we always want to win. This was about information moving forward.

"None of the new players disappointed me. Some of the players who we know can play, they staked a claim.

"So I was happy with the evening's work and I think there are enough subtle shoots of green grass growing through."

Thomas Tuchel explained the decision to start Christian Pulisic at wing-back in Sunday's pre-season friendly against Arsenal, saying that now is the time to experiment with several players still not back with the team.

Pulisic started as a right wing-back with Callum Hudson-Odoi starting on the left as Chelsea sealed a 2-1 win behind goals from Tammy Abraham and Kai Havertz.

The Blues were without the likes of Marcos Alonso, Cesar Azpilicueta and Reece James for the friendly, giving Tuchel the chance to try something new with two of his attackers.

What did Tuchel say?

"He played there with me at Dortmund and we played many times like this with Callum," Tuchel said. "Marcos wasn't able to play today so we put Callum on the left side, which I wanted to see from a long time. Callum can maybe be more dangerous from this position coming inside which he loves, and which he did today. So you know our situation.

"We have Azpi and Reece for this position [right wing-back] but Azpi only started two days ago and Reece hasn't even started yet. So we need solutions because we start on the 11th against Villarreal and on the 14th is the season. We can't try things then so now is the time to see.

"It was the possibility to give him some minutes and from here we go on."

Pulisic's time at Chelsea so far

Pulisic has played mostly as a left midfielder during his time at Chelsea, although he has also been deployed on the right and centrally since joining the Blues in 2019.

In total, he's scored 17 goals in 77 appearances for the club while helping guide the team to a Champions League triumph last season.

Speaking ahead of this weekend's friendly, Pulisic said his biggest goal this season was to stay healthy after battling several injuries last season.

He also opened up on his struggles with mental health, crediting his therapist and his team-mates for helping him through some difficult times.

Further reading

Yanga SC and Nyasa Big Bullets shared the points after registering a 1-1 draw in the opening game of the Cecafa Kagame Cup on Sunday at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium.

Yanga took an early lead when Tanzanian international Waziri Junior struck in the eighth minute before Chiukepo Msowoya equalised for the Malawian side in the 36th minute through a penalty.
 
Yanga's head coach, Nasreddine Nabi, opted to play the majority of the players who did not feature prominently in the Mainland Premier League and in the Shield Cup games throughout the 2020/21 season.

The new signing from Dodoma Jiji FC, Dickson Ambundo, was also given a starting role as Yanga took part in the pre-season tournament meant to prepare the teams for future Caf Champions League duties.
 
Big Bullets, who were invited to the regional tournament, would be satisfied with the opening point as they joined the competition a little bit late after winning their domestic league title.
 
On Monday, three games will be played, with Uganda’s Express FC facing Altabara FC of South Sudan in a Group A match at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium.

Le Messager Ngozi of Burundi will play Zanzibar's KMKM SC, while KCCA FC will take on Azam FC, who are the other Tanzanian representatives, and the two games will be played at the Azam Complex in Chamazi.

The best two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-final stage.
 
Kenya did not send a representative as Tusker withdrew late to concentrate on the Premier League campaign that will end in later this month.

On August 4, Yanga will engage in their second matchday action against Atlabara, while Big Bullets will be up against Uganda's champions Express.
 
Yanga SC XI: Ramadhan Kabwili, Paul Godfrey, Adeyum Saleh, Dickson Job, Abdallah Shaibu, Rashid Chibada, Dickson Ambudo, Best Kahemela, Waziri Junior, Juma Mahadhi, Jimmy Ukonde.
 
Subs: Magangwa, Manyama, Mashoto, Kwangala, Kiondo, Yunus, Msenda.
 
Nyasa Big Bullets XI: Rabson Chiyenda, Sankhani Mkandawire, Yamikani Fodya, Miracle Gabeya, NGomezgani Chirwa, Ben Manyozo, Chimwemwe Idana (C), Bright Munthali, MacFarlane Mgwira, Adepoju Babatunde, Chiukepo Msowoya,

Subs: Kakhobwe, Nyasulu, Mpokera, Kayira, Kansungwi, Mfune, Kajoke.
 

Tijuana boss Robert Siboldi said that his entire team has been hurt by their results to start the season, although he sees some "rebellion" in his team that gives him hope that they'll break out of their early-season struggles.

Siboldi's first two games in charge of Xolos have ended in defeat, as his tenure has begun with a 2-1 loss to Tigres and a 2-1 loss to Leon.

The defeat at the hands of Leon saw Xolos miss a penalty, and Siboldi says that he believes his side has the strength to start building positive results soon.

What was said?

"[The dressing room is] hurt because it is not the start of the tournament that we expected, but I am sure and positive," he said at a press conference. "I know that we are going to turn it around, the next game we are going to leave everything on the field and start adding.

"I'm without a doubt with the group They are very hurt, but with that anger, that rebellion and wanting to get ahead, that encourages me because I see that there is a reaction on their part."

Speaking on the game itself, he added: "Time is up, but the reality is that we stopped doing things in the first half. We doubted, we were very imprecise in passing, we lost the ball easily. We gave our opponents a lot of time to take the initiative."

What's next?

Following Saturday's defeat, Siboldi's side will now look ahead to a match against Toluca on Friday.

Toluca have begun the campaign with two consecutive wins as they currently sit atop the table after taking down Juarez and Tigres by identical 2-1 scorelines.

Further reading

The U.S. men's national team and Mexico renew their long-running rivalry on Sunday when they go head to head in the Gold Cup 2021 final in Las Vegas.

Watch USMNT vs Mexico on fuboTV (free 7-day trial)

El Tri is the defending champion and chasing a 12th Gold Cup crown, while the USMNT can lift the trophy for the seventh time in their history, having last got a hand on the title in 2017.

The game is a re-run of the 2019 final and Gregg Berhalter's side will be eager to exact revenge after narrowly losing 1-0 on that occasion.

Ahead of the decider, Goal has the details of how to watch on TV, stream online, team news and more.

TV channel, live stream & how to watch

In the United States (US), this year's Gold Cup final can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (watch with a 7-day free trial).

New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.

Team news & rosters

Gyasi Zardes has been an impactful player from the bench, but could earn a starting place in the team ahead of Daryl Dike after scoring the winner in the semi-final against Qatar.

Gianluca Busio started the last game ahead of Cristian Roldan, so Berhalter has a decision to make in midfield as well.

The defense has conceded just one goal all tournament, and as the USMNT aims for another shutout on Sunday, there are unlikely to be any changes in that respect.

Predicted USMNT starting XI: Turner, Vines, Robinson, Sands, Moore, Acosta, Lletget, Busio, Arriola, Hoppe, Zardes. 

Jonathan dos Santos scored the winner against the USMNT when Mexico won the 2019 Gold Cup final and the LA Galaxy midfielder is in line to feature again.

Rogelio Funes Mori and Orbelin Pineda have three goals each under their belts and El Tri will be looking to them once more for firepower in the final.

Predicted Mexico starting XI: Talavera, L. Rodriguez, Salcedo, Moreno, Gallardo, J. dos Santos, Edson Alvarez, Herrera, Corona, Pineda, Funes Mori.

Recent results & head-to-head

Last five results

Head-to-head

Arsenal fans have been left reeling after Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey walked off the pitch injured in the first half of Sunday's 2-1 pre-season defeat to Chelsea. 

With a fine start to the game at Emirates Stadium, the 28-year-old's day ended in disappointment as he suffered what looked like an ankle injury following a challenge from Chelsea winger Hakim Ziyech. 

He was promptly replaced by Switzerland midfielder Granit Xhaka, amid fears of missing the opening Premier League fixture against Brentford in two weeks' time. 

It is another disappointing episode for the Ghanaian, whose first season at Arsenal, following a big move from Atletico Madrid last summer, was marred by injuries. 

Below are some of the best reactions to Sunday's incident:

Akwa United have won the 2020-21 Nigeria Professional Football League title after they defeated MFM FC 5-2 in their penultimate fixture of the season on Sunday.

Charles Atshimene stood out for the hosts at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium as his hat-trick of goals helped crush the Olukoya Boys, who are winless in their last eight matches on the road.

Atshimene opened the scoring in the 24th minute followed by Alimi Adebayo's own goal on the stroke of half-time which gave Kennedy Boboye's side a two-goal lead at the half-time break.

Akwa United continued their goal-fest after the restart with Mfon Udoh making it 3-0 in the 62nd minute.

Six minutes later, MFM reduced the deficit through Michael Mbonu's strike from the penalty spot, but it was not enough as Atshimene scored his second in the 87th minute.

The Olukoya Boys responded immediately with their second goal in the encounter courtesy of Dennis Obasi in the 91st minute to make it 4-2.

The scoring did not end there as Atshimene restored the three-goal lead and got his hat-trick to complete the rout for the Promise Keepers in the 97th minute.

The thrilling encounter sealed Akwa United's position at the top of the NPFL table with 71 points after 37 matches - nine points ahead of second-placed Nasarawa United, who are scheduled to play Enugu Rangers on Monday.

The triumph secured the Promise Keepers’ first-ever top-flight crown in their 25-year history and it is added to their trophy cabinet which has two FA Cups (2015 and 2017) and the Nigeria Super Cup (2016).

On a personal note, Sunday's heroics stretched Atshimene’s tally to 18 league goals this season and he is tied with Nasarawa United's Silas Nwankwo for the Golden Boot prize.

Boboye, who moved to Akwa United in December 2019, has now won two NPFL titles after his maiden glory with Plateau United in the 2016-17 season.

Akwa United will be hoping to stretch their nine-game unbeaten run and also end the 2020-21 campaign on a winning note when they visit Lobi Stars on Thursday.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Granit Xhaka’s proposed move to Roma is off - and that he expects the midfielder to be a "key member" of the team this year.

Earlier in the summer, the defensive midfielder seemed destined to link up with Jose Mourinho at the Serie A club, though last week reports started to circulate that Xhaka would remain with the Gunners.

Xhaka recently returned to training before scoring in Arsenal's 2-1 friendly defeat to Chelsea on Sunday, with Arteta's comments coming after the match.

What has been said?

“Granit [Xhaka] is going to stay with us. He is a key member of our squad,” Arteta confirmed.

Xhaka briefly had the home side on terms as he headed home from a Nicolas Pepe corner – the high point of the match for Arteta’s side.

Thomas Partey injury update

Meanwhile, the manager also confirmed that an injury suffered by fellow midfielder Thomas Partey during that fixture is causing the Gunners significant concern.

“At the moment, it’s not looking good because he was in pain and he could not continue,” he said of the former Atletico Madrid star, who was forced off five minutes before the break in the clash at the Emirates.

The Gunners presently have Mohamed Elneny and new signing Albert Sambi to fill the void left by Partey, yet the knock is a worrying one given the Gunners start their Premier League campaign against Brentford on Aug 13.

Before then, meanwhile, they have one final friendly against Tottenham to negotiate next Sunday.

Further Reading

If Saturday's swift brace in the 3-0 friendly win over Bayern Munich did anything, it drove home the sense of something truly monumental looming for Victor Osimhen. 

The 2021/22 Serie A season will see the centre-forward enter the most important phase of his fledgling career, and that in more ways than one.

His decision to join Napoli last summer, off the back of an impressive debut season with French side LOSC Lille, for an eye-watering outlay believed to be a record for an African transfer was greeted with an initial wave of optimism.

It is a mark of modern football’s obsession with transfers that status is bestowed on the basis of the size of the fee paid; for many, a move of that magnitude immediately shot the 22-year-old into a higher tier.

What followed in the first year – a rash of injuries, inconsistency and a bout with Covid – brought to light just how much rarefied the air is at a higher level.

The season-long uncertainty around Gennaro Gattuso did little to help, and the shot-happy nature of the rest of the Napoli attack also meant he struggled for service. Beyond his own adaptation to Italian football, his team also needed to adapt to him.

Enter Luciano Spalletti, a coach who throughout his career has made a habit of bringing the best out of strikers.

While his profile – he has managed Internazionale and AS Roma, two of the biggest sides in Italy – made him an attractive hire anyway for club president Aurelio De Laurentiis, his work with the likes of Edin Dzeko and Mauro Icardi will almost certainly have been a factor in his favour.

Napoli’s European ambitions may be well-established by this point, but taking punts on expensive targets is not the club’s modus operandi – when they spend big, it has to come good.

It would not be farfetched then to consider the blossoming of Osimhen one of Spalletti’s KPIs at San Paolo, and already the 62-year-old has knuckled down to the responsibility.

So far in preseason, the Nigeria international has been prolific, hitting seven in three matches to signal his intent ahead of the new season. However, the biggest indication of what is around the corner came in the wake of Spalletti’s comments following the slim friendly victory over Pro Vercelli.

After the former Lille marksman scored the game’s only goal, his manager told Napoli’s official website: “Osimhen is a striker who has the ability to transform every ball that comes his way into chances.

“He is a generous player who runs a lot and every now and then this intense running can cause him [to make] some mistakes, but he is an important player, complete, and we aim a lot on him.”

Aside from revealing Spalletti subscribes to the ‘compliment sandwich’ system of feedback, that brief (but nevertheless insight-laden) statement pinpointed perhaps the single biggest alteration the Italian manager intends to make to Osimhen’s game.

For elite-level strikers, a vital factor in front of goal is calmness.

This breeds clarity: that ability to quickly – almost subconsciously – cycle through an infinite number of solutions and emerge with the right one separates the good from the great, and will often prove the difference in tight situations.

While a fine finisher in his own right, Osimhen does get through his fair share of misses. Every striker does, of course; the argument is not that Napoli’s n.9 misses more than everyone else. The nature of a lot of those misses, though, is suggestive – they are often instances of his technique letting him down in a split second, a phenomenon Spalletti has linked to the player’s all-action, bustling style.

Osimhen’s work rate and willingness to chase every lost cause is arguably part of his appeal, and is part of what makes him such an exemplary attacking spearhead.

Take that away completely, and he would not be anywhere near as effective leading the line. However, the trade-off is sometimes that, by the time he arrives in goalscoring areas, he is too frantic to reap the reward of his selfless running. It is necessary then to find a balance.

In his previous jobs, Spalletti built systems that de-emphasized the need for the attackers to drop all the way back in defensive scenarios.

Not only did it allow the difference-makers to remain in prime positions following turnovers, it also reduced the amount of running they had to do in order to make up ground to the final third in attacking transition.

It may seem counterintuitive to suggest a footballer can improve by running less.

However, players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Lionel Messi have made careers out of conserving energy by picking their moments, and while they represent extremes, there is a lesson there for Osimhen.

Letting a player do all they can is, contrary to popular belief, not the best way to improve their base level; the key to truly inhabiting the stratum his transfer fee has placed him may lie in streamlining his game.

Against Bayern, he was noticeably less gung-ho in his exertions, but his pair of finishes were an ode to the economy of movement that his manager advocates.

In the end, Spalletti’s sage observation could prove the making of Osimhen.