PRESS ROOM | Mister Nicola speaks to the media
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This is how Davide Nicola commented during his analysis with the media after the 2-2 draw between Genoa and Cagliari at the “Luigi Ferraris” stadium
GOOD RESULT, SERIOUS PERFORMANCE
“Teams fighting for survival face the same basic problems we do: it’s clear that we concede too many goals, but it’s also true that recovering games like today or in other instances means a lot. We are analyzing with the players the too-easy way we concede goals: we made a mistake on the 2-1 in a physical duel, and we need to be more skillful in managing certain situations. We often had the chance to score, but playing here was complicated, and we knew that. However, this team has courage; we need to work and fix a few things, but we know the path we need to follow.”
CONFIDENCE AND WORK
“Having a calm season is tough for teams fighting for survival, but there are certainly moments when we can make better use of what we produce and make life more difficult for our opponents. We must never forget that we have a group of players with quality, players who need to and can grow because they don’t come from years of big-name performances. So, we need to be patient and build the right level of confidence. We’re happy with what we’re doing, but we must always keep improving.”
THE EPISODE AND TEAM CHEMISTRY
“Mina? One of his qualities is his ability and sensitivity to understand the moments. We have penalty takers like Marin, Viola, Gaetano, Piccoli, Mina, and maybe others. Today, Yerry realized he was a bit on the edge towards the end and let him take the ball. Roberto was very good, but we know that because he’s one of the penalty takers with great personality.”
GAME BY GAME TOWARDS THE GOAL
“I don’t like talking about mistakes; I prefer to focus on the choices made and not judge or punish for a mistake, as it can happen. What matters is to work, to have courage. Today, we came with the desire to make our mark, not just to sit back and absorb. It’s disappointing to miss a few chances when we could have taken the lead again, and there were some imperfections, but football is made of many things. Fighting for survival? I’ve been through it a lot, so I know a thing or two. You need to get a certain number of points, and you have to find them everywhere, regardless of the opponent. Direct confrontations definitely matter, but you can also pick up points against teams that, on paper, are stronger.”
BEYOND THE RESULT
“The result and the numbers say that the draw is fair. These games are often judged based on the outcome; I think of Lecce, where we lost despite having many chances. Today, we managed to equalize, and we’re happy because it rewards the effort we put in throughout the match, where we definitely could have broken the deadlock at various moments. We need to continue with this mindset, always striving for improvement.”.
CHESS MATCH
“Today, Genoa defended with a 4-5-1 formation and then transitioned to a 3-4-2-1 in the build-up phase, with Sabelli pushing up as an attacker while Matturro stayed deeper. We were good at managing it. I regret not having unlocked the game when we had the chance for the 2-1; it would have been interesting to see what could have happened.”
THE RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
“It’s nice to hear the President’s satisfied words. Personally, I’m not a slave to compliments or other people’s judgments, but it’s encouraging and motivates us to keep working and building our path. We need to look ahead to the bigger goal, improving in a way that helps us avoid those lapses that cost us during the game. From now on, it’s all about playing consistently, at a high pace, until March, so we need to be ready.”
THE INDIVIDUALS
“We need to build our own numbers. We have many young players who so far haven’t had great stats or aren’t at their best yet. I’m talking about Luvumbo, Piccoli, and many others, and even Gaetano isn’t exactly a proven striker after all these years. We need to create confidence around these players; only then can we work to improve, with the right self-esteem and self-criticism. I think Leali was very good against Gaetano in the first opportunity today, but Gianluca will keep growing and will score his goals.”
AMPIA SCELTA
“Sherri ha fatto bene, non era semplice oggi su questo campo, ho scelto lui oggi ma potrò alternare in futuro, è importante che chi va in campo abbia la giusta energia e sia al top. Non sono preoccupato della porta come di altri ruoli, oggi ha giocato Alen per una scelta dettata anche dalla gestione del possesso, altre volte potrà andare diversamente”.
LOOKING TO THE LONG TERM
“We haven’t won in five games, but it doesn’t feel that way, does it? True, but we need to consider that many teams like us are on a similar path in terms of points and results. It’s never easy to win in Serie A, especially when you have certain goals. We need to focus on the long term and where we want to end up. Now begins a tough stretch, and we’ll need the whole squad—18 to 20 players ready to contribute whenever needed, whether from the start or during the game.”
