Three games to close the season in the best possible way and prepare to face the playoffs in an optimal way. This is the objective that Cremonese has set itself for the matches against Pisa, Parma and Cittadella which will close the championship. First of all, victory must be found, especially in front of your own audience. The reference is to today’s match against Pisa, in a Zini which will once again have a full house of spectators.
After the long chase for second place, the grey-reds lost their way. The crisis arrived at the worst moment, when we had to defend a position that was worth direct promotion after having chased it for a long time. The four points obtained in the last six days have dropped Cremo to fourth place, with Catanzaro who are just three points behind and are breathing down the neck of the grey-reds. Now it is essential to defend the position that would avoid the preliminary round of the playoffs and the only way to do so is to return to success.
It won’t be easy against a Pisa team fresh from a good comeback draw against Catanzaro and in full fight to secure a place in the playoffs. The Tuscans currently have only one point to recover compared to the eighth place occupied by Sampdoria and they believe it, as do their fans, who will be 1,384 in the Curva Nord. Stroppa warned his players in the press conference which, as always, precedes the match, speaking of an unpredictable team, with short, agile and fast players up front who are difficult to keep at bay.
In recent days, the coach has also earned the trust of the club, which came through the words of the general director of Armenia. An important signal, which arrived at probably the most delicate moment of the season.
Bianchetti and his teammates must not allow themselves to be overcome by the anxiety of having to win at all costs. The match against Pisa must be approached in the right way, with the serenity of those who are aware of being one of the strongest teams in the championship and of having demonstrated this at great lengths during the season.
There will certainly be changes in the starting eleven, because the close matches force us to send out those who are best in condition. Johnsen’s return from disqualification will be important and with his play he can really make the difference and break the balance. The former Venezia player could start as a midfielder or as a second striker. Stroppa said in this regard that he wanted to keep the doubt until the end.
Another doubt concerns the role of goalkeeper, with Jungdal now recovered, but with Saro who has been appreciated in these last outings by the coach for his interventions, but also for his skill with his feet, which often it allowed us to evade the pressing of the opposing strikers by restarting the action from the bottom.
As said at Zini, there will be a crowd for great occasions for a match that must mark the restart of Cremonese. It’s time to leave the darkest period behind us and start scoring points again. There will be a packed Zini to help the Stroppa boys in this mission.
Mauro Maffezzoni
© All rights reserved
