It’s the day before game day, and Walter Mazzarri meets the media to discuss the latest Inter-related news, obviously also including tomorrow’s important game against Cagliari where the team will try to take their third consecutive win. Our colleagues from FcInterNews.it are present to learn what the head coach has to say.
The physical condition of Hernanes:
“After every game he is exhausted and he is not able to train regularly. I have to find out how he feels and I want to know if he will have to rest after every game. I have to think through if he will start the game tomorrow or not”.
Do you feel a new sense of enthusiasm in the club?
“I am quite consistent on the pitch. I am satisfied with the latest positive results, especially the one against Fiorentina, against a well-playing team on a difficult ground. I would like us to improve even more, always with the same hunger and winning mentality”.
How important is the presence of Thohir?
“Very important, it makes a big difference for us when he is here. All the components are united, and it is a positive signal for the supporters aswell. The enthusiasm is born from the results, everything begins with the results”.
How is the team?
“In the last few weeks, the team has understood what I want. I quote Ferguson who said that Saturdays are very important. I have told the players that I want even more respect than against Fiorentina. We need to get our heads down and play well for the entire game”.
Are the three top teams unreachable?
“There are still a lot of points to play for, 42 to be exact. As I have said before, the most important is always the next one. In Florence we won with a small margin, but we proved that we are as strong as any other team. This is a way of saying that we have to aim as high as possible. We need to have this winning mentality, and the players who arrive need to think in the same way. The third place? I think I said it already, it also depends on the other teams, but we focus on ourselves”.
As you are aiming for the third straight win, how important is Samuel?
“Walter has given us a lot, he has the type of play and attitude that I would like to see from others in this team. He always gives a little extra to succeed and I hope everyone follows his example. His return to the side has helped us and I hope he continues like this. About the possibility of winning again, I can say that I can”t wait for tomorrow and I hope we will win. To say that we have a lot of desire to win is an would be an understatement”.
What signals does the arrival of Vidic send?
“I want to talk about the players I have here. Vidic is not yet certain, in June we can talk about him. To talk about this now seems unnecessary. Let’s try to finish this sesason strongly and then we will see”.
Was the game against Fiorentina the turning point of the season?
“I hope it was, I can’t wait to get on the pitch again. I am looking for the team to be cynically competitive and, if it is possible, to perform convincingly at the same time. If we enter the pitch in this way, our destiny is in our own hands”.
Icardi?
“I don’t know, but surely a player who trains regularly can only improve. I have tried to make him understand how to improve his performance and his physical condition. We will se how it turns out now when he trains and plays more. It’s a shame how the last months have been for him. If a player reaches top condition, the body doesn’t need a lot of rest before being ready to perform at a maximal level again”.
How has Milito looked in training this week?
“He looks great, he runs more than before. He only needs to find more explosivity, he can only improve”.
Can Alvarez replace Hernanes on the pitch? Can Icardi and Milito play together?
“There is a lot of competition, I have several players for every position and I believe that in a squad like Inter, competition like this is very positive and important. Alvarez is a different player than Hernanes, but he is very adaptable. The players need to feel good, and I want to see that from him as well”.
Can the fact that the other teams play in Europe help Inter? What do you think of the current situation at Cagliari?
“Lopez is appreciated by the players, he has made the group even more tight on a psychological level and this will be to ther advantage. Regarding the Europa League, I think it depends on the squads that the different teams have available. With a super-competitive squad, you lose few points”.
Has the team recovered properly?
“The weather has not been on our side, the pitches have been bad and especially Palacio has been very tired. We are a team with clear routines and the winter has affected us. We have been forced to practice inside a lot, but I hope that we have returned to top condition”.
Thohir talked about Guarin, do you agree that he has recovered?
“I am the first to say it, if I have let him play that means that I think he has recovered”.
Could Alvarez and Cambiasso play from the first minute?
“Ricky has always played, he felt well so he was already with the team in Florence. We took it carefully to not risk anything, but now he has trained with the team since Tuesday. Tomorrow he might feel something in the heat of the game, but he is okay. To play Cambiasso against Fiorentina would have been a bit of a risk. Now he is available”.
What happened with Zanetti after the game against Udinese? Can Icardi be left on the bench after his goal?
“The team is what counts, if we do not run the team will suffer. The others do not stand and look and we need to be behind the ball. I have a brilliant relationship with Zanetti, he is extremely important in the dressing room and in everything he does. But I have to make my decisions. In Udinese he needed to play and for me that was the right decision”.
Could D’Ambrosio play from the first minute?
“My players know how I make decisions. If I see that everyone did extremely well in Florence, I will base my next startin eleven on this. For this reason it is hard to see changes, new tactical experiments and things like that. Danilo has already improved, he will become useful in the near future”.
FcInterNews asks: When will Ranocchia get his opportunity? Could he risk missing the World Cup?
“I think of what is best for Inter. Not of who is going to the World Cup or not. I have always been like this. If a player is doing well in practice he should be able to make the most of the chance when it arrives. As long as Samuel is playing well it is hard to make changes. He needs to to the same thing that Walter did”.
Source: FcInterNews.it
