APPIANO GENTILE – What's gone is gone, it's time to move on. Andrea Stramaccioni is convinced of that but he's also happy to analyse the team's previous performances in reply to specific questions from the journalists, starting with the Parma game: "I don't think Inter really suffered defensively, nor did I get the impression that the opposition battened down the hatches. As I've said, it might well have turned out to be your typical 0-0, where a big team that's not in great form has a bad game, and that would have been acceptable. Obviously we shouldn't have made that mistake, it changed everything, and obviously if we want to win tomorrow we must attack. The secret is in trying to maintain the right balance."
Asked what Inter's recent below-par performances have in common, the coach replied: "I think our game probably lacked something when we weren't in possession, maybe a little bit of determination and aggressiveness. When that happens sometimes the opponent gets to the ball before you. I'm talking about fouls as well, there are occasions when you have to resort to more strong-handed tactics. In the other games we've won, especially away from home, that didn't happen. At Parma I saw us struggling for the first time, I didn't see that against Cagliari or in Bergamo. We can't deny that we've paid a small price after the most tiring weeks in terms of away trips for the Europa League. To be honest, I've noticed that in the players themselves. In weeks like that you find it harder to work consistently. Earlier in the season I was able to freshen up the side with greater success, but I must admit that in this case we paid for it."
It was then put to the coach that Inter might have subconsciously eased up a little after so many wins. This was his reply: "The two games we played against top teams, Juventus and Fiorentina, gave us the belief – earlier in the season that we'd expected – that we're in the mix, because beating the side that's top of the league and doing it convincingly can only encourage you. Paradoxically, we then dropped points against smaller teams and tomorrow's match is now a testing ground for us: we'll find out if we really have gone backwards in terms of the quality of our football or we'll see – as I'm sure we will – Inter respond on the pitch and get back to winning ways. We'll see if it was merely a blip. I'll ask my players to get back to doing the things that got us here, which is attacking while maintaining our balance."
