Coach Conte vows to bring the whip as holders Napoli face Inter test

Antonio Conte is looking to whip his players into shape like a ‘tiger tamer’ for Napoli’s Serie A match against his former team Inter Milan on Saturday.

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Napoli are facing Inter at the worst possible moment for the defending champion, who are reeling from Tuesday's 6-2 defeat at PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League - the first time one of coach Conte’s team have conceded six goals in a single match.

Conte appeared unusually calm on the sidelines during the game and was not his usual vociferous, strident self.

“I always try to help my players,” Conte said. “Certainly it was my fault that I was less aggressive on the bench and we lost 6-2. Next time I'll bring the whip and a stool like a tiger tamer.”

It was Napoli’s second successive defeat - after last weekend's loss at Torino in Serie A - as it struggles to cope with an injury crisis and incorporating new faces.

“We added nine players in the summer, that has cost us in terms of chemistry,” Conte said. “The old guys, including me, need to rediscover their spirit, the new guys need to learn to fit in and be humble and silent.”