Roberto Mancini has spoken to the microphones after tonight’s 2-1 win against 9 man Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico.
Here is what the tactician had to say to SkySport:
Painful victory?
“We had many chances to score but missed too much. When a team has nine players they play deep and it’s hard to find spaces. We also missed a penalty but the important thing is to win. We had to move the ball quicker and wait for the right moment to then get through one on one. We have done better than in Udine but Lazio are a good team and they defended well.”
Kovacic?
“He is one of those players who can make the difference with his dribbling. Even in the first 20 minutes the game was very open with chances for both teams. There were times early on when Mauri got too much space to play but otherwise everything went pretty well.”
Icardi?
“Mauro is improving with every game. Today he could have scored 2 or 3 goals but the important thing is the win. Today he had a good game and he playing well.”
Handanovic is essential or could he be sacrificed?
“Handanovic was once again a safe pair of hands. He’s an incredible goalkeeper, one of the best around. We’ll see what happens at head office with regards to his contract situation. I can understand if he wants to play in the Champions League and I know that we can’t guarantee him that next season, so we’ll see if we manage to hang onto him. I respect his wishes, we’ll see what happens.”
Why so much trouble even when 11 against 9?
“Lazio played with a very high line at the end. We have to improve a lot in the way we manage certain situations. It’s very common that sides defend well in Italy. Lazio defended very well indeed.”
Source: FcInterNews.it