Coach Ranieri before Cagliari-Lecce
“Our fans have always been on our side: on Sunday they will have to give us their usual boost, transmit their desire to fight to win. Against Lecce we will have to sweat the proverbial seven shirts: a difficult, hard-fought game awaits us, we will have to fight on every ball. We will also have to be patient, it won’t be easy: we will have to know how to conquer every inch of the pitch”: coach Ranieri met the media at the CRAI Sport Center in Assemini to present the match at Unipol Domus.
REACTING NOW
‘Certainly the defeat against Genoa was a cold shower. Perhaps it was needed, because after having had such an important series of games, this time our opponents ‘ate’ us. It’s OK to lose a game, but I told the team that the important thing is to get back on the ball immediately, to show we know how to react. We have done it several times, but here we are on the final straight, we have to do our best’.
CHOICES
‘The formation choices in Genoa also depended on the physical condition of the lads, between those who weren’t well before and those who had problems during the game. Now, after the contusion suffered in the match, Oristanio is better, as is Dossena. Nandez is recovering from the flu. Mina, on the other hand, has not yet recovered, we know how important he is for us: just think that when he was missing, against Monza and Genoa, we lost. Since his arrival the team has changed its face, he has given tranquillity and security. However, let’s not feel sorry for ourselves, those who will play will give their all to make Cagliari play a positive match’.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MATCH
‘We will meet a team that is practically safe, it is among the top teams in Serie A with Verona for duels played and won per game. It will be a match that will present us with difficulties similar to those we faced against Hellas: a very hard-fought and difficult match. Gotti has given tranquillity, awareness to his players; among the teams fighting for salvation, his team is one of those that has scored the most points in recent games. Lecce is a compact, determined team, they help each other, they all know what they have to do. They are very enterprising, they play with two forwards who move around a lot. They will try to win, as will we: on Sunday it will be important to get a result, it can be a decisive step towards achieving our goal’.
INDIVIDUALS
“Lapadula? He’s getting better and better, as is Petagna, who had an excellent training session today, I’m pleased. I saw Pavoletti back on the pitch, Mancosu has also started running again: these are positive flashes. Everyone is important: I’d like to have everyone available to choose the first eleven and then the other five, who always do very well when they come in. The good coach is the one who makes the fewest mistakes and if everyone is well I may make mistakes in my choices, but undoubtedly the margin for error is reduced.”
TOWARDS THE GOAL
“ Gaining salvation with Cagliari would mean for me having done well in my five championships here in Sardinia. It is important to have brought so many people back to the stadium, I always hope that our fans are proud of us, of their team. I am happy when I see our fans happy.”
