I’m really sorry for how this match went because we had chances in the first half and at the start of the second,” he began. “We stayed in it despite the fact that Atalanta were pushing hard as they do at their stadium. I’m also disappointed because we conceded due to a lack of focus at dead balls. After the first goal, we looked to push on. It’s a shame. It needs to teach us a lesson because we can’t lose focus in any stages of a match. Now, we need to prepare well for a match at our stadium with a week to train in the right way. Today, we would have brought something home had we not lost focus. I think you need to have a sense of balance. It’s not as though we needed to fight for the Scudetto before and now we’re completely useless. With hunger and humility, we need to go again because it will be a hugely important match on Sunday.”
“We’re commenting about a match where the result doesn’t reflect how the game went,” he started. “For around 65 minutes we kept up with a side that is physically strong and one that has good quality. When you have chances but don’t take them and concede from set pieces it all becomes more difficult against a strong and well-organised team. There was then more space and they made the most of that with quality players who do well in between the lines. The main regret is that we conceded a naive goal during our best moment of the match, we’re still annoyed about this after Sunday but I can’t say anything to the guys about their commitment.”
“From a mental perspective, we conceded a goal after starting better in the second half than the first. It’s true that we worked well in defence while looking to hit them on the break but we also created chances from our own work. They’re good at attacking you high up so it becomes hard to attack them from deep but this doesn’t mean it was just counterattacks. We created different chances. I can think of the ball for Rigoni in the first half and the Gervinhoand Siligardi chances in the second above all. In Serie A you need to be clinical, we’re now commenting on a game where they did better to show the desire to bring home the result because the first goal came from a situation where we lost focus and the other two were dead balls. That was disappointing. “Gervinho? At 2-0 we thought of taking him off to protect him but he told me that we felt fine and thought he could continue. I thought it could do him good to play with more consistency ahead of a game which is very important for our pre-season objectives. Cicirettialso needs to play with consistency. In addition to regaining confidence, it’ll help him to show who he is as a player. “The last two games? We’ve faced two strong teams, today we did better at creating chances compared to Sunday when we made too many mistakes when we could have played on the break and with the Inglese and Di Gaudiochances. The regret from today is that we didn’t take our chances, someone who didn’t see the game would think that there was only one team in it but it was tight for over an hour. I can’t say anything about the team’s attitude, the team gave a lot, a positive is that we have a player such as Scozzarella back.” “The condition of the pitch? It didn’t have an impact on technical players like Stulac, perhaps it’s more of an issue for the lighter players and those who count on their pace like Di Gaudio. “Today wasn’t a question of good or bad fortune, we gave the first goal away when they did well to attack a loose pass to the midfield that we need to avoid making and then the rest followed on from there. In these days, we need to reflect on the last games and go again with more energy than before, Sunday will be a vital game for us.” Here's what the coach had to say ahead of tomorrow afternoon's clash with Atalanta:
"Atalanta are a very good side, they're coached well by Gasperini who I believe is one of the best. We'll look to make life difficult for them also." "Gervinho is available for tomorrow, however Inglese won't be. Atalanta are a very strong side, physically and technically, we'll need to show maximum respect, their place in the table doesn't reflect who they are." "Gervinho will probably play from the start tomorrow, he's fine and will stay on for as long as possible, he's working well at the moment, we preferred not to take a risk with him last week." "So far Gagliolo has had an excellent season, what we've been doing so far is thanks to guys like Riccardo, Bruno Alves and all the rest." "Ceravolo will start up front tomorrow, than after that I have some doubts about who i'll pick tomorrow, Gobbi trained normally with the group, I still need to make some evaluations on him, however I think Bastoni can cover that role." "We're aware about how difficult this game will be, they're brilliant at pressing high, it's on us to look to make life difficult for them, we need look to bring home points that will be useful in staying up." "We took on a very a strong side on Sunday, there were two defensive mistakes, had we done well and taken the lead it would have been a different game," "Since I've been here I've always felt the presence of the Italian owners, we're fortunate with this, we've always worked with a sense of calm." @Solo_Parma @giovannid86 Atalanta – Parma
Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia 14:00 (UK) Parma travel to Bergamo on Saturday afternoon to kick off this weekend’s round of Serie A fixtures as they take on Gian Piero Gasperini’s rejuvenated Atalanta side. Parma lost out to Lazio last time out as Simone Inzaghi’s side won 2-0 at the Trdini thanks to two late goals from Ciro Immobile and Joaquin Correa. Roberto D’Aversa should have Gervinho available again, the Ivorian sat out the Lazio clash with injury, but having trained all week Parma’s talisman should be available for selection again. Despite Jacopo Dezi and Gianni Munari taking part in some light training this week the duo will miss out yet again along with Alberto Grassi, Federico Di Marco and Francisco Sierralta. Despite a poor start to the season from Atalanta, they stopped a run of nine games without a win in Serie A and the Europa League last week as the demolished Chievo 5-1, Gasperini will hope they can build on this impressive victory and secure all three points on Saturday and start climbing the league table, once again Saturday's hosts will have to do without Andrea Masiello and Marco Tumminello, Gasperini is tipped to give Duvan Zapata a starting place over Musa Barrow in attack to play along side Papu Gomez. The last time Parma travelled to Bergamo for Serie A the Ducali were on a huge slump back in October 2014 having won only one of their opening six games, Richmond Boakye made that seven defeats in eight as his last minute goal was enough to secure all three points for the home side. @Solo_Parma Luigi Sepe was infront of the microphones today at Collecchio, here’s what Parma’s number one had to say:
“This is a great moment for everyone and we’ve picked up plenty of points. We must continue on this path, working well and getting as much as we possibly can. I knew D’Aversa from our time together at Lanciano, while I also got to know his staff who were excellent. It helps a lot to make it a relaxed environment. The positive results also help. Hard work always pays off and over the past few years I haven’t played much, but I kept working. Things could’ve been a bit tricky at the start but I settled well with my teammates and I know what the Coach wants. Difficulties can arise but the important thing to tackle them with a calm attitude. During tough times, we must work even harder to come out the other side. “Things I can improve? I am always working on my characteristics, from coming out to catching. Some days you make more mistakes than others, but I must work hard to make sure I am always ready on all fronts. Playing the ball out to the wingers? This is something that Coach asked us to do. We try it a lot in training and we then aim to bring it into a match. However, every game is different. “My best save so far? I prefer to come out and claim the ball rather than making a save. Doing this well is worth just as much as a save, like the one against Empoli and the one with Piatek. Luck was involved in the latter, but there are many situations where you need luck on your side just as much as doing well. The international break? It was needed. We have many injuries and almost everyone is recovering. Differences to here and Napoli? There aren’t any. A player must work hard week in week out and be prepared to pick up points every Sunday. We know that Lazio are a really tough side, therefore, we must remain humble, aware that there are obstacles in every match. However, we must also capitalise on the few chances that we have. Immobile is a top player, but it’s not all about him. We’re playing a strong side that is high up in the league standings.” Heres what Luca Rigoni had to say on this afternoons 3-1 victory over Genoa:
My decision not to celebrate? I believe it was the right thing to do. These fans always supported me. It was an important goal on a strange day after three years here. We must praise the guys. We were missing Gervinho and Inglese but those who played today proved their worth. “Parma as workers? We also have quality in the team. Obviously, we need to get all three points and our midfield work is essential, but players like Barillà and Stulac have also demonstrated quality. We’ll rest a bit during the break, then we’ll refocus on the league. We have the right attitude. We have a lot of points but we can’t dwell on our good performances. In Serie A you can lose in an instant. Points are what count in the league, but we also look to create chances in attack. We can defend but we also have quality. “I needed two or three games to get going but now I’m doing well. I joined Parma at the end of July and I’m thinking of getting on in the best way possible. We’ve changed a lot of players and it’s never easy, but we also need to understand the Coach’s methods. “Our reaction today? We haven’t dropped off in any other matches. The game against Napoli was needed to help us understand that we are a great team. However, you need to play with character. It’s ever easy, but today we did well to come back. There are some really top players here and we sacrifice ourselves for one another. Our main aim is to avoid relegation. My condition? I was a bit tired in the second half, and considering the time, I hadn’t eaten enough.” After his first start in Serie A this season, here’s what Fabio Ceravolo had to say after today’s victory over Genoa:
“I feel good, I was substituted because I had cramp. We showed our strength by not caving in when we went behind. It wasn’t easy here in this stadium and with this crowd. It’s never easy here. We showed character in equalising immediately through Rigoni and then to take the lead and build on it through the goals scored by myself and Siligardi. We therefore proved to ourselves that we’re a good team. “I’m extremely happy to get off the mark this season and I hope that I’ll be able to convert many more chances this season. Scoring in Serie A at the Marassi and winning is something quite special, and I still don’t quite believe it. Maybe it will take a while for what we’ve done today to sink in. Our strength is that we are aware of the qualities that we have. We are a team that doesn’t give a lot away. After scoring our third goal today, we wanted to keep the score intact, defend well and look to hit them on the counter. Now we’ll rest for a few days, recharge our batteries and get ready to go to battle again.We’re certainly still looking to avoid those relegation spots. “We will experience more difficult times and right now we just have to think about getting as many points as possible. I really needed to score a goal to turn around my season. This was my best chance to do so. We continue to push forward on our path and we’re currently enjoying the moment. Serie A is difficult, it isn’t like Serie B. You have to make sacrifices in this league. In Serie B you might have three or four chances to score, while in Serie A you might just get the one. And once you take the lead, you need to sacrifice yourself for the team. We know that the first defenders are us attackers. The Coach is very good at knowing how to organise us in this respect. “I haven’t paid attention to the criticism that has been directed towards me. I block it out and work hard both in training and on the pitch. I stayed at Parma because the club believes in me. When I get the chance to play, like today, I’ve got to make the most of it. I would like to dedicate my goal to my family, who are always there for me. They’re my strength. At the end of the season we’ll see where we are and if I have proved myself in this league. Today I made a start in doing so, and I hope this continues.“ |
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