Live TMW
12.00. Soon the Cagliari coach, Davide Nicola, will illustrate tomorrow evening’s match against Hellas Verona to the press. The Scala team are experiencing a moment of great difficulty, while the rossoblù haven’t won for 5 days.
12.20. The conference begins.
How is the squad doing and what pitfalls does the match against Verona hide?
“I have everyone at my disposal. Verona is a tough team, despite the difficulties. Each opponent has its own qualities and components. Great determination must be a strong point.”
How much pressure from a direct confrontation?
“Pressure is a privilege. We need to feel it. It is often used in a negative sense, but for me it isn’t like that. Personally, I always want to feel it, otherwise I wouldn’t be doing my job. Playing after 5 days? The team has recovered. The problem arises when you play every three days. I’m also making different evaluations on the game strategies and in the future we will be able to put them into practice.”
In Genoa why Marin instead of Makoumbou?
“I never discard anyone. Marin has important characteristics, and who knows he might be able to be deployed further forward. I have many midfielders and I have to make evaluations match after match. Everyone is performing well, and it’s good to have many choices in this regard. I will almost always change the midfielders, even during the match. These two players have international experience compared to the others. We would also like to enhance Prati, but at this moment I have to make certain choices.”
In what sense was Genoa important in improving some game strategies?
“We have to be better at transition. Quicker at reading the action. We concede goals because we are often late on these readings.”
Jankto is back: is he working on his inclusion?
“It’s difficult to get everyone moving forward on the same line. He’s a winger on both flanks, but he’s born as a midfielder. It’s not possible for everyone to be at the center of the project, but he does well not to slow down his work process. When it’s his turn he will have to take advantage of the opportunity. Sooner or later it will come.”
What stage is Zortea in his work?
“He has to improve his non-possession phase. He’s a skilled player with both feet, sometimes he can’t control his frenzy. He wants to assert himself and I’m happy with him. He’s fit into the context well.”
When will the performance be accompanied by victory?
“I would like to always win, it’s obvious. There are moments in which even a draw satisfies you, because you also have the performance on your side. Every point is important for achieving the objective. No match at the moment will be decisive, there are some , however, which allow you to gain momentum, like tomorrow’s victory. Victory is important, but so is knowing how to stay within the context of the race itself and the determination to want to obtain the result.”
Tomorrow is a race in which on paper you are favourites: will it be interesting to see how it is managed?
“I always want to control the match. We always start with the intention of hitting the opponent. The concept of favorites is funny: what does it mean to start as favourites? Verona has achieved 4 victories, we haven’t. We have to aim for the performance and the approach decisive on the match itself. Management? It’s a term I don’t like. We have to know how to read the match, not manage it. We have to be good at medium or low intensity moments , I want the team to be aware of being able to bring home the match. The mental and physical level is fundamental.”
12.41. End of the conference.