It’s not hugely important for me to score but rather to help the team pick up points and hone in on our objective, giving our all constantly to avoid relegation.” This was what Parma captain Bruno Alves had to say after Saturday’s draw with Milan: “As a defender, my primary job is to avoid conceding, but I’m very pleased to have helped the team secure this draw. It’s an important point because Serie A is a difficult league, although this result pushes us towards our objective. The hug with the Coach after my goal? The relationship with the Coach is very important, especially in games like this. A Coach always deserves our commitment out on the pitch. There’s cohesion within this united group and we’re happy about this. Obviously, three points would’ve been better than just one. However, at this moment in time, we must focus on the performance. We put in a really important display – one that helps us become increasingly aware of our abilities and gives us confidence for the rest of the season.
“Cristiano Ronaldo is a great player but there aren’t any comparisons. I was disappointed to see Juventus go out of the Champions League because the whole world deserves to see Cristiano Ronaldo star. I’m only focused on improving myself. It’s true that we’ve been missing some players, such as Inglese, Gervinho and myself. However, the group has kept growing and this is very important at this stage of the season.”
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“If we hadn’t have scored the equaliser then it would’ve been an injustice to our performance. Despite the result, I think that we had that bit extra. I don’t remember any saves from Sepe during the first half, while Donnarumma made two or three. It’s a shame not to have secured all three points considering the lads’ perfect performance. However, we’re pleased to have rescued something from the game. It wasn’t always easy considering that you have to risk a few things and give space to your opponents to get back into it, however, we remained balanced and were confident of doing so. Milan brought on some important players like Cutrone and Castillejo, however, the lads did read the game well and found the right solutions. The team responded well today physically despite both the kick-off time and the heat.
“First of all, we thought of bringing balance back to this team. I have to say that the guys are approaching things in a determined fashion again like how we did when we did good things in the first half of the season. Often, individual episodes change how you think about performance. Drawing in Reggio Emilia against Sassuolo is discussed differently to the result today, I asked the guys to give everything and more in front of a big crowd today and I was happy with what they did. We need to be the first to believe and be proactive. Today, regardless of the opponent’s quality the guys went out with the aim to make things difficult for them. We all have the pride to show that we’re not inferior, the guys did well despite all the absences but we don’t make excuses. We’ll keep working towards our goal, what has been done so far is already extraordinary and not to be taken for granted. “Gazzola occupied a wider position because Kucka was in the middle and Gervinho was on the other side, with cover from Dimarco or Barillà. For quick breaks, it was better to go with Nino. We’re not discovering whatBruno Alves is worth this season. He’s had a great career, I also want to mention the performances from Barillà, Gagliolo, Iacoponi and Gazzola again who played less in the first half of the season and perhaps I took something out of him by not using him so much. This shows that in this group, players like Bruno are important but so are those like Gazzola who have played less. What has been done so far is thanks to how we’ve interpreted the different elements of the team. I was happy to see people like Gattuso, Leonardo and Maldini again who were important for me in my youth, at Milan the first thought was to help you to grow as people.” “It was a big effort, we made sacrifices because we were up against a side that had come here to try and win. We played the game in the right way and with the right spirit, getting a point while also trying to win it.” These were the words of Parma defender Simone Iacoponi after the 0-0 home draw against Torino today. “We weren’t able to win but the spirit was good and we’re on the right road. There was a good crowd and we have a great relationship with the fans and it has to stay that way until the end of the season. They gave us energy, it’s important and we wanted it. This draw was treated almost like a win because it came during a difficult spell. It’s a very important point for our morale and position in the table. The formation? We made some changes, I played in the middle but it’s a role I’ve occupied in the past. It’s a role that I like.”
“After the game, we all congratulated one another because it wasn’t easy against a strong team. It was difficult to end this run but we did it all together, and it’s vital that we did so as a team. We had the best chances to win through Dimarco and Gagliolo. It’s clear that they had some chances but it’s not easy to plug all the holes and keep different players quiet. “The team is in good shape apart for those guys who are injured and who will certainly come back as soon as possible. We had three games in a week and got through it in excellent shape. This is a strange moment, we got here after a difficult run and it wasn’t easy. Now, we’ve found some confidence and we need to continue with it until the end because we’re not there yet and we can keep getting points. I don’t know how far we are from being safe, when we’re mathematically safe we can all celebrate together.” “Today, the guys put in an excellent performance,“ he began by saying. “They went out there with the spirit of a side that wants to stay up at all costs. They had the impetus in the game but we had two chances to go ahead. Considering the morale we had after the Frosinone game, the guys played an excellent game. We’ve used a different system for some time but I can guarantee that we have used the 3-5-2 more times than this, then it obviously depends on who you have available. For those who I picked to start, it was better to use this system even if more depends on your attitude as you look to get a result. Today, with a lot of forwards missing, it was hard to select an attacking trident. I believe that it’s also important how the fans came to motivate us yesterday like they did before the derby with Reggiana. The tight-knit environment has led the guys to give something extra and this is important as we pursue our objective.”
“This game was one I was more motivated for than perhaps I needed to be. I read things about how it would have been different in the first half of the season that I didn’t agree with. We approached the game to get a result. Our objective is different from theirs and when two teams haven’t achieved their goals, it’s normal for there to be tension which is a part of sport and competition but when it’s over you go and shake hands with everyone. I don’t believe that I went beyond that. The defensive shape? We were playing in a 3-5-2 which meant that we had to play out with Kucka on one side and Sprocati on the other. The aim was to stick to our positions as usual when, with Gazzola covering a wider area and Kuco playing deeper on the left, building the play like with when we have a 4-3-3. “Ceravolo? He’s showing great attachment to the shirt, in Frosinone he played even though we first thought he couldn’t because of a physical issue. Today, he had a great game. He’s an important player, he contributed to promotion for us last year and he has a special sense of belonging here. When he believes in himself and plays like today, he can give us a big hand even if it’s in Serie A. I’m happy for him, he scored on Wednesday and he was lively today when there had been a lot of scepticism about him. It’s important to have a certain balance, today we had younger players like Sierralta, Dimarco and Sprocati who have featured less but they had more desire to get a result compared to the opponent who were technically superior today. Incidents like the one at the end against Frosinone can happen, we’re not going to cause controversies about the referee but think about improving ourselves. From here until the end of the season, the aim is to give as little up to the opposition while looking to score goals that get us results, not like against Spal or Frosinone.Those who are fighting to survive must make sacrifices to stop the opponent from scoring. “We were braver in the second half but we also allowed some dangerous counterattacks. We had players who had played for three games in a row before along with others who hadn’t played for a long while. If you’re low on numbers, you can’t make changes based on physical condition and you have to know how to read when it’s the time to be aggressive or when to wait.” “There’s always disappointment when a defeat comes about in the final few minutes. We had to reshuffle things going into the game and managed to get back into the match in the second half. I was expecting the team to be a bit more focused, but we made it difficult for our opponents despite all the injuries we have. In addition to Sportiello’s save in the second half, we had two or three other chances. We were unlucky, while they were slightly lucky to profit from our lack of focus. This should help us to try to get more points on board in our next few matches because no one is going to give us anything, as we have seen.
“As regards the relegation battle, this perhaps hasn’t helped us. We picked up a lot of points during the first half of the season but knew that it would remain a difficult task for us. We knew that there was a risk that it wouldn’t go as well as planned. We didn’t expect to pick up this many injuries, but at the same time Sprocati and Ceravolo both played tonight and did well. We need to stay focused and try to pick up as many points as possible.” “I’ve said sorry to my teammates. This defeat is all of my responsibility. I committed a serious mistake. Having seen the penalty that was awarded to Frosinone, there are three mistakes that I’ve committed. I am one of the most experienced players and I can’t allow myself to make these type of mistakes. It’s only right that I shoulder this responsibility. The lads gave everything that they had to give tonight, they battled from start to finish. However, because of my three mistakes, we threw it all away. I’m really sorry. We were on the brink of getting an important point. It was the kind of match that we expected, with Frosinone attacking right from the off. We did better in the second half, creating chances with some good counter-attacks. Unfortunately, we couldn’t finish them off. It’s a great shame and we’ve lost out on a good opportunity. It’s a really difficult moment for us, but with solidity, desire and motivation, we can overcome it.”
“Frosinone were the better side in the first half. We did well to get back into the game on two occasions. Meanwhile, we were on top in the second and we had a number of chances to take the lead. In the end, we could’ve done better in controlling the ball during the final three minutes. Especially given that this game has now cost us a point that could’ve been important in our league position. The penalty? There was a foul. I haven’t seen it again for a possible offside but there is technology for this and I don’t think there were any mistakes made. We must focus on where we can improve, it’s not down to me to assess the refereeing decisions made.
“I don’t like to mention absentees, instead we should be thinking about our mistakes. We had 11 players out on the pitch and in the second half, we did well to equalise. At that moment, our motivation should’ve been different. It was too important for us to get a result. We need to recover and focus on Saturday’s tough test against Torino. I can’t criticise the players tonight in terms of their commitment. Some of them played despite fitness issues. Ceravolo is an example, gritting his teeth to play and demonstrating his attachment to this shirt. Lately, we’ve committed too many minor mistakes and this has cost us. “Are players set to return? I hope so, yes. It’ll be down to the medical staff to decide. Each one of us must take care of our own responsibilities and ensure that these absentees don’t weigh us down. We have an objective to achieve. Our league position? We must consider where we started. Last year, we were both in the fight for promotion and now we’re higher up in the league standings. However, this mustn’t mean that we’ve achieved our goal. We know where we started and what is now our objective. And just like we couldn’t remain calm when we were in a better position, we now can’t be fearful because this can lead to mistakes. We try to get a result in every game and the lads tried to do so this evening. On one hand, I must praise the lads for their performance, but on the other, they can’t commit mistakes when there are so few matches remaining. We need to improve on this. “It’s a shame because we conceded from a free-kick and an avoidable penalty. As for Gervinho’s absence, if I had to choose my man of the match from tonight, then it would be his replacement – Sprocati.” |
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