Roberto Mancini held a press conference ahead of tomorrow’s Serie A fixture against away at Frosinone in a bid to keep the pressure on Fiorentina in the race for fourth spot. Below you can read the entire press conference in English.
Is there a risk after the defeat against Torino that the team may lack motivation these final matches?
“First of all I’d like to give compliments to Yuto, staying at Inter is a beautiful thing and it’s a demonstration of great affection for this club. With regards to us, there are still 21 points left and we have to fight until the end and even when things don’t go well.”
Do you have an explanation as to why Inter don’t win anymore away from home?
“Maybe we’ve made too many mistakes, we don’t have the continuity we had before. I think it’s time to get back to winning ways.”
How do you try to set new minor objectives?
“As long as there points to play for you can’t think like this, you have to think that it will be difficult because it’s tough to see Roma lose 8 points. But as long as there are points to play for, we have to think that we can do it even if there is little hope. Then we are professionals, and we have to be until the end always looking to give our all even if we don’t have any objectives.”
How angry are you about the lost points against Carpi, Sassuolo and Torino? Have you lacked concentration at times?
“There are moments during the season when things don’t go well. We have lost many points at home in matches were we didn’t deserve to even draw. But when you are rebuilding maybe sometimes you think you can do it in less time but we have paid for our costly mistakes. We are on a good path, maybe a bit too far but 21 points are a lot.”
Do you lack players with personality?
“We were leading the league for half of the season, it means that we have done something good. We need to have more power in the difficult times but this is attained through patience and hard work.”
Will there be a shirt for Mancini when you renew?
“There is no need, I am not a player…I understand Yuto, when you are in a team where you are happy and you are liked it is the right choice. For me coaches are tied to results, if things go well they stay and if not they leave. But I have a contract for one more year and the problem doesn’t arise.”
How is Jovetic doing? Will we see him again towards the end of this season?
“He’s doing well and is available for tomorrow. I hope that he can play now after having been absent for a long time.”
Has Thohir asked your consultation about the Premier League? Have you suggested it to him?
“I haven’t heard anything, if it were so he has staff who can advise him better than I can. But I don’t know anythign about this.”
Why have you lost 14 points these past few weeks?
“It’s not due to lack of concentration, maybe pressure. When we started to lose against Lazio and Sassuolo the team maybe got scared and stayed low givíng chances to the opponents. I think this was the problem.”
Would you like to have Touré?
“I think it’s premature to talk about this, we have to remain concentrated on this a month and a half that’s left. Then there is time for the transfer window.”
Are you worried about loosing any of your big players and starting from zero?
“No things can be done well even when you’re looking to save money. It takes a bit fo time, when you start a job you think that in little time you can get things back to how they should be and instead maybe a little more time is needed. in 2004 I spent 2 years before winning the league despite having a very strong team that had been winning for many years. In football you don’t have a lot fo patience, the results condition everything.”
Is Medel an option in defense?
“We have two options: him and Juan. I don’t know, he wasn’t feeling well one day and didn’t do much. We’ll see how he feels.”
Would you like to clarify your future?
“I can’t say the same thing every press conference, they can say what they want if they no more. A coach is tied to results, this one and a half month that’s left we have to conclude with wins. Then I have another year left on my contract.”
Is anyone unsellabe for next season?
“Nagatomo surely, he signed today [laughs].”
What grade or mark would you like to give Inter today?
“A pretty low mark, but not to the players because they have worked very well. I would give myself a low mark because I’m the coach. However, we did very well the first six months, then the low mark is for me.”
If you were to receive an offer from the Premier League as Nagatomo did, would you make the same choice?
“For the moment there is absolutely nothing. Then Yuto is happy here because in Italy yoy are happy for many reasons, if we manage to bring our football back to where it once was then it would be good.”
Nagatomo is frequently a starter now. What has changed?
“We have 8 defenders, in the beginning I played with others but he was there. Then he played well and he deserved to start.”
