Nerazzurri coach Alberto Aquilani previews the topics of tomorrow’s match against Catanzaro from the “Renzo Passaponti” press room of the Arena Garibaldi. Below are his statements.
How is the condition of the team?
“Good condition, we worked well during the week.”
Can Torregrossa recover? Hermannsson and Veloso?
“Torregrossa is in the recovery phase, today we hope he can do full training. Hermannsson also appears to have nothing that serious. Miguel, on the other hand, has to wait a few more days.”
What match do you expect from Catanzaro?
“I expect a complicated match, it’s a team that plays good football and has had a continuity of important results. We focus on what we have done to improve some problems we have analyzed. We have the chance to play an important match knowing that we are facing a strong and concrete team. We have to take it with a grain of salt.”
Mlakar and Piccinini have fallen off the radar a bit. How are they?
“For Mlakar, maybe it’s the game system, but he returned from the national team with a tendon problem. His exclusion is part of the ballot I talk about every week, he has confidence and I am convinced he will give us a big hand. There are no other reasons. When there are many players it is normal for there to be competition and choices. The same goes for Piccinini, he has given us a lot this year and has shown that he is ready and strong. A serious guy, he pulled the cart several times. At this moment he was more out of his game, but I know I can count on him.”
Catanzaro is very strong on the counterattack.
“Obviously, in the analysis we do, we recognize the values of the opponent. The counterattack is something they implement, but it is also true that lowering ourselves would make us vulnerable from other points of view. In transitions they have quick plays that make a very precise and correct movement. They have important transition values in the plays between them. We will have to be good and careful.”
Considering the ranking of Catanzaro and Pisa, can we say that Pisa will compete in the playoffs?
“The ranking says this. Tomorrow Pisa will compete against an important team that has scored several points. Every week we compete against teams that help us understand who we are. However, little changes in how we interpret the match.”
On the last day, given the results, the fear of losing prevailed over the desire to win. How do you instill in players the desire to win right now?
“I don’t think our game came from anything that gave us a fear of losing. We knew we were playing on a difficult pitch in a complicated environment. We went to Bari to win, there are opponents who have raised the pace. With the same mentality of wanting to bring home the victory we can change some things without distorting ourselves. I don’t perceive the fear of losing, but if this were the case even on an unconscious level we must get rid of it as soon as possible. However, we must try to win, but if we cannot do so we must not lose.”
Is it correct to say that we lack the killer instinct to close games?
“We certainly had the perception of arriving in the top three in Bari and of being able to win, but we weren’t able to close out the match. We have some faults because the pressure in the second half was different from that of the first half. It’s not just Bari’s merit, but it’s also our fault. We had to understand that the game was changing.”
More three or four at the back?
“We can play with either three or four. We’ll see how they move and we’ll adjust accordingly, trying to do the best thing.”
Also given the three close games, is there a possibility of seeing Matteo Tramoni from the start? Arena and Valoti?
“He is a strong player with well-defined characteristics. However, you have to be careful because when you have such a long convalescence, the rhythm, continuity and changes make it difficult to understand whether you give him an advantage by having him play from the start or during the match in progress. He doesn’t have the ninety minutes, but he can play from the start. Ballot which also applies to Arena and Valoti. I have a lot of choice ahead of me.”
Is it true that coaches always prefer abundance?
“Yes, but not too much, otherwise you have the opposite problem”
