Napoli staying in the moment amid tense title race
Antonio Conte acknowledged Napoli is in a tough patch of form but is not letting his team get bogged down by thinking too far ahead.
After Inter Milan's win on Sunday (AEDT), Napoli sits second in Serie A, trailing the Nerazzurri by one point.
It is five points clear of third-placed Atalanta, but heads to Como on Monday (AEDT) on the back of three successive draws.
Conte, though, insists the solution is to focus on the moment and not get too far ahead considering what may or may not happen.
"We try to convey from day one to focus on the present, a difficult match in Como, tough, we will have to overcome ourselves in a moment that is not easy because of so many situations," Conte said.
"We have to be very careful about Como, it's three important points, it's an important match for us and for them.
"At the same time, we are working in the right way to face all competitions to win."
While Napoli has conceded at least one goal in its past five matches, Conte is not concerned about any defensive issues.
"Scoring one more goal than the opposition is my preferred approach, but we always work on balance between both phases," he said.
"It happens, you can go on a run of clean sheets or concede regularly. What matters is consistency in results."
Como coach Cesc Fabregas hailed Conte as an ideal candidate to fix struggling teams.
"That has been my story, but in the future, I'd like to start in pole position for once," Conte said.
"It would be interesting to see what it's like to begin a project from a position of strength."
