MILAN - "As Boskov used to say, 'It's a penalty when the ref blows for one', that's my answer," said Claudio Ranieri after the match when he was asked to comment on the penalty that wasn't given for the foul on Andrea Poli.
The coach added: "We can say we're not getting any luck in these episodes. We're destined to have a "no" season. We knew we were up against a team that would close down their defence and then attack on the break. We tried to stay cool and find a way through but we didn't manage to. We started the match with one striker because Pazzini didn't feel well. Milito did a good job but I was missing a second striker, so I brought Giampaolo on, but Caracciolo punished us on the counterattack. We must have had something like 20 shots on goal and hit the woodwork. We came up against a brick wall, we did everything we could to knock it down but didn't succeed. We'll take responsibility for our faults and move on. We have to stick by these lads and keep working hard.
"In the dressing room president Moratti said the team did everything possible to win, that there was nothing to blame them for, that the lads gave 100%. The club and the president are supportive and I can feel they are 100% behind me. The fans have always got behind us, today too, right up to the end, then of course after we lost they expressed their disappointment and that's understandable.
"This is a moment when things aren't going for us, even if the players are working hard in training. The match against Roma was the only time when we haven't been in the game. Today it didn't go right for us, that's different."
The
Nerazzurri coach was asked about Wesley Sneijder: "He's a
champion, he just has to find his rhythm again and we have to work
out again how to keep him supplied with the ball, just as he has to
work out how to feed our strikers. We threw everything at them but
unfortunately the goal just didn't come. Could he be on his way to
Anzhi? As far as I'm concerned," he said [smiling, Ed], "and I
hope for the player too, no. I asked him yesterday: 'Do you feel you are
important for this team? Because you are important for us,' and he
replied: 'Yes, I'm happy here.' Then we coaches are like the husbands - we're the last ones to know - but he told me he feels involved. Am I calm? In Rome Mr Calm came to a sorry end. I must say that Sneijder gave his all on the pitch."
"We really can't blame these lads on account of their approach to the game and the effort they put into it. We have to keep calm, not give up and keep on working. There's no way we're giving up; we're here and we're going ahead. There's a lot of regret. We'd got so close and now we've slipped away again but we mustn't give up; we must get on with it again with even more determination and pride. When I arrived here everything seemed so far away and lost, but we showed that this is a mad championship and anything can happen. I'm the spokesman for the team but of course we then have to prove we can do it on the pitch," added Ranieri as he talked about the defeat.
The coach was also asked about Diego Forlan's role: "I know that Forlan is a first or a second striker but I put him wide on the right to try and stretch Novara's defence."
Finally, a question on the transfer window that closed on 31 January: "Did we need a wide attacking player? The transfer window is closed."
