“We must act as a single team both in attack and defense, following positions, movements and runs. We have to go into the penalty box, cover the zones, do a lot of things. We have to keep working, our players are gradually coming back. We have already waited for the return of Dybala, and Bailey will soon return. We have all the attacking footballers ready for action again, and we have to make positive changes in this area.
Loss of concentration? There can be several reasons. There are periods like this, sometimes we go ahead, but the fact remains: in Florence we were able to turn the tide of the game, and in the last two matches we conceded two unfortunate goals. Against “Inter” we showed the right reaction, but in the last match we had to give more, even if the team responded decently. We ended the match like against Inter on a positive note with a good second half. This shows that we are in good physical shape.
Ferguson played in nine out of ten official matches. The only one in which he did not perform was in Florence. His game speaks for him. Everything else is just words. He has always shown that he can provide answers on the field, even if those answers are not very positive right now. To be honest, yesterday was the first time this season I saw him train really well. He is 21 years old, he came from the leagues where he did not play much and not at a very high level, so you need to give him time. He is in a new league, in a new country, in a different reality. Young players can go through periods of poor performance. But you need to be ready to trust him. And even if he asks for an explanation, it is not always possible to explain everything. You have to wait, work, and the answers will come from the field.
As for playing with a central striker, I don’t think that a forward necessarily has to be tall and powerful. There are many ways to play. The main thing is efficiency. It is not necessary to have a nine with dimensions and physical strength. Other things are more important to me: technique, speed, the ability to pass, play in the wall. If you have an attacker who solves your problems, the path becomes much shorter.
You can talk a lot about this team, admit its limitations, and that’s fine. But from the point of view of behavior, this is a strong, healthy group. Defeats cannot be justified by a lack of attitude or commitment. We’re fine with that, otherwise it would really be a problem.
Dibala? He can play, he is physically ready. He performed well in the last match. Has good staying power as far as I can see. In good shape, like all top players. He just needs to start playing to his full potential again: scoring, providing assists is the main thing, because he is a striker, not a midfielder. He can help the team out of defense, but he is a forward by nature. This is a player who brings a huge benefit when he hits the goal, gives assists, creates danger. And now he is in excellent shape, which inspires optimism in me.
We are fighting. This is a very difficult championship. Did you see how the leader played against the rookie of the league yesterday? In this championship, you need to understand that stability of results is not easy. Every match is very difficult. I don’t have time to be upset about defeat, even if it is very annoying. I can’t dwell on this – we have to look at ourselves, work on ourselves and become better.
Currently, our main problem is the realization of moments, especially at home. We have to solve it. It’s not about the nine or the false nine – it’s important who plays, who enters the penalty area, who knows how to hit, stop the ball, combine and finish attacks. There are examples of teams that play with a classic forward, and there are those that succeed without him. If there is an opportunity to shorten the path – shorten it, if not – follow it to the end.
January transfer window? I don’t think it will bring anything fantastic – I know from experience. Important player characteristics, yes. But now it’s not about January – I don’t even think about it. I just want to improve a situation that hurts us and makes us look worse than we really are,” Gasperini said.
Source: sport.ua