Scott McTominay, Napoli's 29-year-old Scottish midfielder, was one of the more visible figures in a 4-1 win away at Monza on 28 October — rated among the match's standout performers — only to go largely unnoticed four days later as Juventus beat Napoli 2-0 in Turin, a result that left Allegri's side eighth in Serie A with 14 points from ten matches.
The contrast between those two performances captures the inconsistency that has defined Napoli's autumn. McTominay carries two goals and an average rating of 7.04 across seven league appearances this season, an AI overall of 77 out of 100 — numbers that suggest a player capable of influencing matches, but not yet doing so with the regularity a top-half club requires. Against Monza, he dominated. Against Juventus, he was present without being felt.
The Roma draw on 24 October illustrated both ends of his range. McTominay scored at 48 minutes to double Napoli's lead, then struck again at 83 minutes to restore a lead that Roma's Leonardo Balerdi Rosa had cancelled out — only for Balerdi Rosa to equalise a second time in the 89th minute and deny Napoli all three points. Two goals, no win. That has been the recurring motif: McTominay contributing, Napoli not converting contribution into results.
The backdrop now is grimmer still. Massimiliano Allegri, speaking ahead of a Champions League trip to face Porto, acknowledged the squad is stretched to the point where basic training sessions are compromised. Matteo Politano echoed the concern, admitting the team is defensively fragile and has been conceding too easily — a reading the numbers support, with Napoli having shipped 13 goals in ten league matches. Allegri was clear that the league takes priority, but with Napoli sitting eighth, neither competition offers comfortable ground.
For McTominay, the coming weeks are a test of whether his early-season form — rebuilt after heart surgery and announced with braces in Europe and the league — can hold under the weight of a thinning squad. The goals are there. The influence needs to be more consistent.