Following the defeat against Sassuolo, Inter travel to Atlanta to try get back on track in the Stadio Atleti Azzurri D’Italia in Bergamo. Roberto Mancini held a press conference to answer questions from the gathered media including FCInterNews.
What do you want to see tomorrow?
“The same fighting spirit I saw last Sunday but with a different result, we know that these matches are similar. We didn’t deserve to lose but this is football and we have to accept it and think about the second half of the season where we try to improve.”
Will selling Guarin be a loss?
“I don’t know about these things, so much is written but in this moment everyone is staying. January is an annoying month.”
Do the team have the mentality to remain in the top?
“It’s no coincidence that we are there, Juventus have come back, I said they would, they are very strong and have recovered. The top of he league can change every week, now there are 19 matches left and we have to be concentrated to do as wel as we have done so far.”
Have you figured out why Jovetic and Icardi can’t seem to connect on the pitch?
“They have different qualities, they are both centre forwards. They have done well together often, I think all of a sudden they will find the feeling on the pitch and they can coexist, However, we expect more from them.”
You’re in the top despite having made many mistakes, does this give you hope?
“We’re sorry for the lost points in the last minutes against Lazio and Sassuolo. We never suffered, we have to pay more attention and score more goals.”
If Inter were music, what kind of music do you think Inter would be?
“I’ve never thought about this, I hope that Inter can repeat the great results of the first half of the season. We will add the music at the end of the season.”
Will you continue to play Jovetic in the future?
“Inter is a club with an important history, not inferior to Man City where I saw him. Inter is amongst the top clubs in the world and whoever arrives has to give his all. We believe in Jovetic’s quality, I always think that he can do more and could be decisive in this second half of the season. He and Icardi are our main attackers.”
What about Kondogbia?
“He will be a great midfielder, he’s young and he needs time but he will become a great. He mixes good things with less good things but he has to get accustomed to our football. In Italy, players like Van Basten and Platini never touched the ball the first few months when they arrived. You have to be patient with Geoffrey.”
How will you face Atalanta and Napoli in two difficult away fixtures?
“We have to first think about Atalanta, a difficult ground and a difficult team who plays well at home. We hope to get back to winning ways in Bergamo if possible, then we will think about the TIM Cup.”
Aren’t Inter lacking someone to tie it all together?
“We suffered in the beginning and the end, maybe due to our midfielders physical condition. Now we are doing better and when we find the best condition this will happen less and less.”
When will you renew your contract which expires in 2017?
“I have no problem starting the season with a contract that’s expiring. Our thoughts are to do the best we can this year, the rest doesn’t change anything.”
Will Jovetic play tomorrow?
“There are 24 hours left, we will see. There best team will play to achieve the desired result. The idea is to play with at least two attackers but balance is required, the team can’t be too long in it’s shape, we need players that push.”
Did you play the same line-up last Sunday because they gave you the required guarantees?
“I don’t think that I made a mistake to play them again, they created a lot of goalscoring opportunities. I didn’t even think it was the same when I made the decision.”
If Guarin leaves will Soriano be useful?
“We hope that Guarin stays, when he is fit he is very important. Soriano is a great player, different from Guarin and has improved a lot.”
FcIN: If Ranocchia leaves, will the defense remain as it is?
“If he decided to consider the offers we will have to sign a central defender. One with his characteristics.”
FcIN: Can you say anything abut tomorrow’s formation?
“We have one more training session left, I can only say that Samir will play.”
What kind of a match are you expecting tomorrow?
“When a team comes from a defeat it needs to comecback. Bergamo is a difficult pitch and in order to win we have to produce a great performance. We will try to do this.”
If you were a player in his thirties and an offer of €8 million from China arrived, what would you do?
“Depends on where I’m playing, on the objectives, I don’t know…”
In which part of the pitch do you think that this team needs to be strengthened?
“We have to improve the pitch on our training grounds that aren’t great [laughs]. I think that we can remain like this until the end of the season, there are teams that are better equipped but if we’re always first or second in the standings it means that we have the quality. Maybe a team that begins to win without knowing why can achieve their important objectives. We have to remain calm, it’s enough to remain concentrated.”
Does Lavezzi allow you to take a leap in terms of quality?
“Why would Lavezzi leave PSG where he is winning the league and is playing in the Champions League? In June his contract will expire and could be a possibility, but for now it seems very difficult.”
Source: FCInternews.it
