Roberto D’Aversa spoke to the press this afternoon ahead of tomorrow’s clash with Cagliari, here’s what the coach had to say......
We are full of enthusiasm having done something important in our last match, but tomorrow will be a difficult game: Cagliari are a good team. We have to approach the match with the same attitude that we’ve shown in our previous games. We have to be proactive and go onto the pitch with a great deal of hunger and unity: this should be in our DNA if we want to avoid going down. “The injury situation? Grassi trained yesterday with the team but didn’t feel quite right when warming up today. As a precaution, he won’t be part of the matchday squad. Gobbi has recovered from his problem last Saturday, Ciciretti is back, while Stulac trained both yesterday and today with the team. “Cagliari? We’ve watched lots of videos of them: like all Maran’s teams they are well-organised, put pressure on you and give you little time to think. It will be important to win personal battles and try to be first to second balls. They get the ball forward quickly, so when they play direct it’s important to try and win the first ball and pick up the second. “We got an important result in our last match but we can’t allow ourselves to think that our next game will be easy. We have to go on the pitch aware that it will be a very difficult game and we will have to try to get the three points because points picked up against these types of teams are doubly important. We need to consider Cagliari as a mid-table team. I wouldn’t put them in the group of teams that will be fighting relegation: they have invested a lot and managed to retain the services of Pavoletti and Barella. Bradaric and Srna also arrived, and these players have excellent qualities. We have to give everything to get the three points and go onto the pitch with a determined attitude. “How will tomorrow’s match be tactically? Our preparations depend on the characteristics of our opponent. Inter like to keep possession, while Cagliari have a different style of play and utilise their attacking potential. They have the physicality of Pavoletti and the pace of Farias and Sau, while they also have Joao Pedro who can threaten between the lines. “They play less on the floor, with a more direct style of play that can keep you pinned back. We need to do well on the second ball and remain solid despite their play. Individual duels will be key. They are a physical team that fight for every ball. “A larger presence in midfield? It is not a question of our playing system but more of distance. We have to stay tight on long balls, but this is something we’ve done well in all of our matches so far. However, this time we have to take into account that they have a player in Pavoletti who is strong on crosses, therefore, we should try to stop them coming in. “Three matches in a week? I don’t like the term turnover, because all of these lads deserve to play when you look at how they train. I choose 11 players dependent on how to get the best out of each game. For now, I am only thinking about Cagliari, then I will assess injuries and fitness, but for now, I am not thinking about our other games. The biggest difficulty is that of thinking positive. Considering our last two games were against important opposition, there is now the risk of thinking that this game will be more simple, however, it’s not like that. We must head out onto the pitch knowing there are some hidden pitfalls and we must try to avoid them. “Doubts on who to play up front? Having more players can give you different playing options, but the most important thing is to make sure that all players are in the best physical shape. What is shown in a match comes from what you put in on a day-to-day basis. Everyone benefits when you work with more quality players. The only problems we have are in midfield, but I don’t like to make excuses. Those who play on Saturday will 100 percent be able to get a result.”
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