PRESS ROOM | Nicola after Cagliari-Inter
Thus spoke Davide Nicola to the media at the Unipol Domus after Cagliari-Inter 0-3. Below are the words of the Rossoblù coach.
THE MATCH ANALYSIS
“In the first half, we gave everything we had, with a certain level of organization and order. We conceded the first goal in a chaotic way, and after the 0-2, it was objectively difficult to push forward, try to raise the defensive line, and accept the one-on-one situations. Inter is incredibly strong, and we did the best we could against this opponent.
The absence of Mina in the second half? Individuals are part of a team, so everyone is important. For professional honesty and for my own conviction, it’s not right to focus on whether a particular player is present or absent. We’ve been without Luvumbo for two games, for example, who has certain characteristics. Yerry is a player with physical and mental presence, but everyone is important and capable. Today, it wasn’t easy, objectively. These are the types of matches where, if you manage to hold on for as long as possible, you might find that decisive moment, but it’s certainly not easy.”
A DIFFICULT MOMENT
“We come from tough matches, whether against high-level opponents or because of direct confrontations that were played well but in which the result was missing. This is a league that doesn’t end today; it’s balanced. Today, getting a result meant being practically perfect. The team showed character and organization, but we weren’t effective until the very end. Against Inter, we accept it, and we’ll work as always from now on to do better. These games become a real challenge because the opponent is extremely strong. We had the support of a crowd that always pushes us, and we want to make them happy, but we weren’t able to do that today, just like in recent games, from a results perspective. We stayed in the game, but after it was 0-2, it became objectively difficult. Inter is not an easy team to face, to put it mildly. For us, this should be an opportunity for growth and a starting point for our work.
The absence of Mina? Everyone is important and capable, and I never focus on the absence of any player. We need to be aware that these opponents require absolute perfection, and when you don’t achieve that, it’s very difficult to get a result.”
THE STANDINGS
I don’t dwell on it; we won’t give up. We’re all ambitious and eager to give satisfaction to our fans. We have to keep working because the season is long, and for teams with goals like ours, there’s great balance, in a journey where surprises are a daily occurrence. We’re 3-4 points behind where we deserve to be, and that’s an area we need to work on, as we need to improve our numbers to stay competitive. I believe we can grow, and we’ve shown that. In the last few games, we’ve only played against one team within our reach — Venezia — and we lost an important match, a direct clash. We need to believe in what we’re doing. We have a very important game ahead, after which the first half of the season will be over, and we’ll be able to take stock.
It’s disappointing that we couldn’t keep the game in balance today. We tried to give everything we had, but the disadvantage forced us to push forward earlier than we should have. Today was not the match that was supposed to define what Cagliari is all about.”
TOWARDS MONZA
“After Monza, we will make the right evaluations. It’s not the right time now, not immediately after the game, to assess things. We need to focus on the next match, and then we’ll see. It will be important to take a step forward and show ourselves what we can give and achieve in a very significant challenge, after which we can take stock. Then, we must maintain balance and be aware of the reality of our league. Today, some might feel more at ease and happy, but that’s certainly not the case, and I say this from experience. We are aware of both the difficulties and the potential. I’m convinced that the path is the right one, and we must persevere. Regardless of the public’s criticism or the appreciation we might have, or have had, at other times. The criticism doesn’t hurt me, just as it doesn’t hurt the players, but it’s disappointing not to make our people happy, and that is the main mission of any professional. We are always seeking new energy to improve and make the people happy. We need to keep trying and retrying the things that we still haven’t mastered.”
PLAYERS
“Scuffet? He came back with the right energy, with the right approach to the game, and I’m happy with him. I liked what I saw. It was a very challenging test for the players. We conceded the first goal from a particular situation that caught us all a bit by surprise. After the 0-2, it was hard to decide whether to push forward or hold our position, because they could really hurt you if you left too much space.
Mina? It was the right decision not to force it after the first half, especially with Wieteska available, who gives you guarantees. We’re also missing Luvumbo, who has different characteristics compared to others. I think he’ll miss the Monza game as well, and we’ll see about Milan. It’s important to search for and find resources from all available players.
It’s not easy to maintain high intensity for 95 minutes against teams like this. You have to realize that Inter is a very strong team, and it’s very difficult for us to play on equal terms with them.”
