APPIANO GENTILE - In Catania he played a crucial role in helping Inter clinch the win. Today Cristian Chivu took on the responsibility of talking about the team's problems with Sky Italia's Massimiliano Nebuloni. The Romanian defender began by explaining that he understands the way president Massimo Moratti feels "He's right to be angry, just as we are. And it's right that our fans should be angry. The worry at the moment is that we're not playing good football, so that's what we're working on, mentally and physically."
Chivu then spoke about the reasons why Inter are struggling to play the football they want to. "We're paying the price for all the problems we've had, the fact that we've been playing three games a week and because of all the changes made in August. There are lots of reasons, it would takes hours to go into it all properly. Now we have to improve and start doing better than we have done until now."
When it was put to Chivu that it's the senators who pull the team through in moments like this, Chivu replied: "I don't get why people call some of us 'senators'. We're not in Parliament here, we're a football team. It's not about senators, it's about Inter and what this team and this club stand for. Are Inter a captive of the past? No, we're captive of all the changes that have been made. It's not easy to start over again, not even for those of us who have been here for years. We all have to give more and be bolder – every last one of us."
The Nerazzurri defender also spoke about Andrea Stramaccioni: "I think his main concern is getting on with the job. I'm sure everyone realises that he's done everything possible, but we all know that the coach is the first one to take the fall, followed by the players and so on. There's only one way out of this and that's through hard graft. As I said, we're paying for lots of things: the changes, the injuries, people playing so many games. There's a bit of confusion at the moment, but I think what we're lacking most is courage and having confidence in what you're doing is the most important thing in football."
Asked about the difficult spells that Inter have been through in the past, Chivu revealed that, "You get those when you're winning as well, only that people perhaps don't realise. Of course it's easier to get over a bad day when you've won because you have the wind in your sails. It's tougher when you win."
Third place is still within reach but Chivu had this to say about the race for that last Champions League berth: "What I see and what I hear is that every time Inter lose a game it gets made out to be a catastrophe, but when teams above us lose the same thing doesn't happen. I think there should be consistency across the board. Why does it happen? Because some teams are protected and others aren't."
The veteran defender was also asked about the recent mistakes made by his younger team-mate Juan Jesus. "You can't single players out when things aren't going well. He's obviously not getting enough support from the rest of the team, sometimes we're not set out well and the ones who pay most for that are the defenders and the goalkeeper. Yes, Juan has made mistakes but he's always been strong-willed enough to pick himself up during the game. It happens to all of us, he's still young and has a long way to go yet."
Are Inter going into the Tottenham match with a foot and a half already out of the competition? One foot out, not one and a half. We have this game to play and we'll go into it with nothing to lose. It'll be tough but we'll give it our best shot by building up our self-confidence and courage, which have been lacking. We're all going to pull in the same direction and that goes for everyone: players, coaching staff, directors and fans."
