Walter Mazzarri asks for balance in assessing an Inter he hopes can bounce back and learn from defeat to Cagliari” data-scaytid=”2″>Cagliari, as he explains the reluctance for a back-four.
Walter Mazzarri asks for balance in assessing an Inter he hopes can bounce back and learn from defeat to Cagliari, as he explains the reluctance for a back-four.
The Nerazzurri are at home to Qarabag in the Europa League tomorrow evening looking for a response to Sunday’s shock 4-1 reverse against Cagliari.
On the eve of the latest test at San Siro, the team’s Coach has reflected on the fallout from the weekend.
“One tries to be balanced. The result against Cagliari was not Inter, I do not believe we are like that, nor perhaps like the side that won against Sassuolo,” Mazzarri has commented to reporters.
“If you have followed me from day one, I have always reacted in a certain way.
“The guys are as disappointed as me in the Cagliari defeat and we have tried to figure out what went wrong. I have made some mistakes in evaluating the intensity of the matches.
“Tomorrow we face a different game, from the competitive point of view and we will see that we can play football.
“We are a group under construction, we must show as a group that this was a hiccup.
“When you encounter certain difficulties you try to limit the damage. Sunday was a bad game from every point of view.
“We will try to figure out what went wrong and perhaps if the guys can understand it then it will serve as something we can grow from.”
Mazzarri was asked if he had worked with the players since the weekend at a psychological level.
“Of course, we also analysed some aspects of the game noting how some players in the space of three days had changed pace.
“There were some misunderstandings, some guys confirmed that they were tired, whilst usually when there are problems we discuss them.
“I expected some to be corrected on Sunday by telling me, but they were dazed and did not do so – I would have been able to limit the damage.”
Again the topic of switching to a back-four was brought up.
“How long does a Coach have for these things? At Pinzolo [in pre-season], everything was open and I said that we would work on a four-man defence in the first week, then I had to change for contingencies due to the World Cup and I was also thinking of working with Vidic.
“In the United States, with a game every three days, there was no time to work tactically on the differences between the two defences.
“It is also true, though, that we have mechanisms in place that allow us to defend with four by imposing our game.
“My history highlights that my teams know how to change, but I have had little time to try out new mechanisms.
“I also have a group with many international players, and when I am missing a lot of players I do not do certain things with the remaining eight.
“To switch to a back four we need to work, not for something to go wrong.”
Attention eventually switched to tomorrow night’s game.
“Qarabag are unknown but are good and have important players, it’s a game not to be taken lightly. We have ot show that we are different to the side that played on Sunday.
“I will not try to talk about the weekend’s League match [at Fiorentina] on the eve of the Europa League. I am focused on tomorrow and we all need to be.”