Y ou may have noticed that Napoli swept to their first Scudetto in 33 years this month with five matches remaining. You may not have noticed that the newly crowned champions lost 2-0 at promoted Monza last weekend.
With the title secured, no European campaign to worry about and no record points tally to chase or international manager to impress for this summer, could Napoli’s players (and staff) be accused of being ‘on the beach’?
Defined loosely as downing tools, the theory is not confined to football – as any teacher with a VHS in their hand at the end of term will attest – but with a few vital and not-so-vital matches left of the season, this is the area of most interest.
Despite the arguments of some fans grumbling on the way to this week’s penultimate round of Premier League fixtures, the reality is that being ‘on the beach’ is a myth.