From Cagliari to Roma. After a week of work Inter will return to the pitch and will do it at the San Siro. There they will receive Rudi Garcia’s Roma who won their first six games. That’s a row that Mazzarri is intending to break and also reduce the distance to the club from the capital, who are now four points ahead. Tonight, Inter’s coach held a press conference and here are the questions he received and the answers he gave.
Are Campagnaro and Jonathan out? Why is that?
“They didn’t make it. There not two serious injuries, but I need people who are in top form. The correct diagnosis will be given by the doctor, Campagnaro seemed to feel better but still feels the pain. Jonathan, on the other hand, has a problem with a muscle.”
Are there similarities between you and Rudi Garcia?
“I don’t know, I honestly don’t know him but his influence seems to be positive. It feels like he knows how to put the team onto the pitch and the dressing room talk about him. I’ve never talked to him, it’s just a feeling.”
Who has surprised you the most, Inter or Roma?
“I haven’t taken notice, I ‘m just thinking about Inter. Roma have a good team and I expected them to do well. I don’t know what to say, we have done well, Garcia also does well. Then a good tactical basis is needed in order to play well.”
This summer, Roma wanted you. Were you close to going there?
“What counts is what I decided. When I decided to leave Napoli, I had several options, including Inter, and I chose Inter. The negotiations are generally private.”
Are Roma similar to any other team in this league?
“Well, they play with three strikers like Catania and Sassuolo do. However they perform both phases of the game well, in attack and defense, they are very strong.”
Can Campagnaros absence mean changes in terms of the men?
“I have clear ideas, then there are players who are better suited than others to deal with the tasks I give them. Campagnaro was a good fit for tomorrow’s match purely tactical, other than the fact that he has known me for years. The others, however, did good job against Cagliari and they have looked good this week. I hope we can play a good match.”
Do you have any doubts about the midfield?
“If you were inside the locker room you would know that these guys know what they’re doing. Everybody knows their phases of the game, then, of course, it varies from player to player. Not having Campagnaro doesn’t mean that I change my midfield, I make choices based on what I see.”
Guarin said he was not satisfied with their performance. How he works with you?
“It’s important to be self-critical, I’m content. He just needs to have a continuity, he must keep up the intensity in both phases. We are working on this during training sessions, he must not reduce the intensity. If he makes mistakes, he must stop it directly because his qualities are important and must be important for the team.”
Can you add anything to this team offensively?
“The numbers, if you want to read them, are important. Only Roma have done better than us. Inter have the second best attack, it means that the team has produced a lot. And if we score, it means that the players who play are scoring. And we allow very little. If we had done better than Roma, we would have been in first place. but we have to continue like this. Roma have the best offense, but how many pure strikers do they play with? Gervinho isn’t one, only Totti. You must have a feeling, against Juventus I put a striker on because I felt that we were suffering and we solved it. As far as a second striker, we have it, it’s Alvarez. Even Guarin was a playmaker, I play him as mezz’ala. Instead, we always talk about other things. Then it’s true that I like to play with an even more pure striker, but we have to do well physically.”
Do you lose your balance with another striker?
“Between the first and second half against Juventus we corrected some things and then played better and that’s where I put on a second striker. I saw that the players up high were doing some things so I put Icardi on. Tomorrow, there’s Roma who have won six games and has obvious qualities, but there are not enough pure striker to play in the attack. But they have the best offense, it is the trend that has developed in today’s football.”
Is this game a sort of final exam?
“Yes, it’s an important final exam to evaluate how we have evolved compared to this summer and in those six games. After tomorrow , we have already met three top teams, while others haven’t yet met them.”
What do you think about Totti ?
“He’s a legacy for our football and now he has even found gold vein . His class, I will not judge, the movements nowadays are floating.”
You talked about numbers, tomorrow’s match between Inter and Roma promises much.
“Yes, that’s true. And right now both us and them play well.”
Can this game be a turning point in the event of a positive result?
“When I trained Reggina, and I don’t want to make the comparison, the values were significantly lower. We have to play at the same level as everyone else, with everyone and not underestimate anyone because after Juventus we met Sassuolo who played draws against Napoli and Lazio.”
Roma send many players towards the goal, Inter have conceded two goals from midfielders. Could this be a problem?
“Yes, it worries me, but if we are organized and work in a precise manner in both phases of the game, we will not have problems. Then , however, the goals we conceded have been a bit unfortunate, like what happened against Cagliari. We have allowed relatively little against everyone.”
Our partner fcinternews.it asked the coach if Pereira and Rolando will be the natural substitutions for Jonathan and Campagnaro.
“It could be, against Caglari they played well. They could play tomorrow, I also look at the contrasts. Maybe I could consider a different situation, but if I’m going to do it I don’t know. Samuel? No, he will only play if Juan Jesus doesn’t feel good.”
In midfield, on the other hand, everything’s confirmed?
“If I have made certain choices, it is because I have guarantees, but I don’t ever rule out anything from the beginning.”
What would you like to have in Roma?
“I don’t care, I look at my players, who to me are the best in the world. The winning mentality can be seen from here, I will protect them, I’ll take care of them and try to get them to develop. If the guys will be significant seen to continuity and movement, they can make the difference. From them, I see individualism rather than a team game. These games are that way, they are great to play, fascinating because anything can happen. The teams have significant tactical ideas and qualities, and anything can happen.”
Before the match against Juventus there was talk of the need to defend with intensity. Now there is talk instead about evoking something else?
“No, that’s fiction. A team’s defensive play is important. Regaining the ball as Milan under Sacchi was a way to defend well. You’re not only defending from the lines of the penalty area. Against Fiorentina, who are forcing back the opponent and play well, we allowed three shots on goal after we lost the ball in midfield. We have shown that we don’t allow a lot and we can do damage. This, to me, is to play well.”
Are you more excited now than before Juve?
“The beauty of football is the adrenaline. I had it against Juventus, against Sassuolo and I have it now against Roma. You can never take down your guard in football, but he who says he won from start is losing. And if I lose this characteristic I have, I will get another job… It’s an exciting championship, it could be different from the last championships. I have a feeling that more teams will be able to be fighting.”
Is it correct to say that Pereira gives less than Nagatomo in the defensive phase?
“Naga plays very well in the two phases, Alvaro has played less. Against Cagliari he did his, and can also do well even if he were in shape. The important thing is that he is well integrated into the team, I never talk about the individual but of the collective. Florenzi has certain qualities, Gervinho has others. The contrasts should not be forgotten, they are important.”
Source: fcinternews.it