Vincenzo Montella was furious with Fiorentina after Europa League defeat. “I expect much more from many players” against Cesena.
It kicks off at the Stadio Manuzzi on Sunday at 17.00 GMT, click here for a match preview.
Vincenzo Montella was furious with Fiorentina after Europa League defeat. “I expect much more from many players” against Cesena.
It kicks off at the Stadio Manuzzi on Sunday at 17.00 GMT, click here for a match preview.
“This team is made up of intelligent and professional players, so at times it is right for me to say things and the squad understood what I meant,” noted Montella after a 2-1 home defeat to Dinamo Minsk.
“This side has a strong sense of duty. At times they lose sight of the overall picture as individuals, but the job of a Coach is to give new input so they can all give their best.”
Montella even went so far as to substitute Juan Guillermo Cuadrado after 24 minutes of that Europa League match, as his head was not in the game.
“He understood why he was substituted. If he hadn’t been suspended, would I have picked him to start in Cesena? I would’ve evaluated the situation and then decided.
“We are going to Cesena, which will not be easy, especially after a change of Coach. We will certainly have the chance to improve our standing, but must remember there are no easy games in Serie A. Don’t forget what happened against Sassuolo and Genoa. Those should’ve been points in the bag, but it didn’t happen.”
Mario Gomez scored his first goal in eight months against Cagliari, but hasn’t made the expected step up since that breakthrough.
“It’s difficult to judge. After his goal, we now expect more in terms of his overall performance,” continued Montella.
“In Germany he has more freedom to play and less marking than in Italy. He’s a player who can be devastating in the final third. Gomez and Marin both need to improve, as it’s a negative trend we cannot afford.
“I don’t know if Micah Richards and Marin are fully fit, but I certainly expect more from them both on and off the ball. Considering how much the club invested in them, I do expect more.”