The Cremonese coach Giovanni Stroppa spoke at a press conference on the eve of Brescia-Cremonese, a match valid for the 7th day of the BKT Series scheduled for Monday 30 September at 8.30pm. Here are his statements.
Tomorrow’s is a race that could be worth second place…
“A beautiful match awaits us, to be played against a strong opponent.”
Brescia lost against Pisa in the last round, but started the championship on the right foot…
“Yes, I think there is continuity and the advantage of having a different classification. There is enthusiasm and awareness, they have brought in some players to complete the quality of the team. They are compact, square, with good legs and character: it will be a difficult but good match to face, and we have weapons available to put them in difficulty.”
In this first part of the season, Cremo is struggling to materialize the opportunities created…
“The team works to create opportunities and get in front of the goal: we must bring in more quality not only on a technical level, but also in terms of incisiveness and determination in wanting to materialize what we do.”
Do you think this race comes at the right time?
“We are up there and we would like to be even more so, perhaps 2-3 consecutive full results would have given us a different enthusiasm. However, the enthusiasm is there, the team is training well and we will try to make the most of tomorrow’s opportunity.”
How can you use the episodes to your advantage?
“In Cagliari we were timid, it’s the character aspect that makes the difference: winning duels, being present and protagonists in the play. It can’t just be the common idea that gives you this personality, but it also needs to have an impact on individual plays. It applies to when you attack the goal and it applies to the defensive phase: we happen to chase the opponent, while we are usually more aggressive and want to dominate the match. We did it in the first minutes of the second half and in fact important opportunities arrived because we were good at dribbling and going vertical. We must know how to manage the moments and the speed of the match, learning to be more concrete.”
Are you thinking of re-proposing a formation similar to the one seen with Catanzaro?
“Ceccherini returns to defense, while Ravanelli and Lochoshvili will not be there. At the back I don’t have many choices, while in the middle of the field and in front I have alternatives but I have to understand how to start and then bring in fresh people while the race is underway. There is a possibility in some roles, we’ll see how to manage it tomorrow.”
Do you expect a tactically tricky challenge that could be decided by the details?
“In all matches the details make the difference, Brescia is a team that attacks in one way and defends in another. We have studied them, we have to recognize how they will come to get us and, as I said before, understand how to manage the moments. The match will be tricky in all areas of the pitch.”
The climate in the stands promises to be very hot. How do you emotionally deal with a race like this?
“With serenity and awareness. I repeat that it is wonderful to play this match, there must be the determination to play a high-level match. It’s a derby, second place is up for grabs… There are many situations within a single match.”
Against Cagliari Zanimacchia remained in the stands. How are you?
“He had taken a blow and we wanted to manage him, but he is fine now.”
Do absences affect weekly work?
“There could be opportunities like there was for Moretti, who was a good discovery: he was ready for the absences of others and I was pleased because he represents a valid alternative and an important choice for the future. Training is more difficult, because you need to call up players from the Primavera team or adapt players from other roles. These are normal things, but it can give us the opportunity to find different solutions.”
Cremo struggles to beat the man in the strait. How important is this fundamental in races like this?
“I think it’s the first rule of football. We certainly have players who can highlight these characteristics and I would also like to have defenders who skip the man available, but it’s not possible. Equally fundamental is managing the ball, doing things at the right time. We have found Buonaiuto again, but there are also Johnsen, Vandeputte, Zanimacchia and then Barbieri, Quagliata and Sernicola from whom I expect even more, because when they get to the back they are additional attackers.”
Pisa is already ahead of its competitors. Do you think it’s a question of courage? To keep up, Cremo must increase its pace…
“Inzaghi is doing an extraordinary job and started off strong, as often happens to him. I don’t know if it’s a question of courage or quality, but it’s a fact. If we want to stay up there we must have continuity of results, as at the beginning of the second half of last season, otherwise there is always the risk of having to catch up. We are working well and we must continue like this.”