APPIANO GENTILE – Andrea Stramaccioni continued his analysis of Inter's recent performances in his press conference the day before Inter v Parma. "This team showed against Atalanta, Cagliari and Roma that they are playing with a lot heart and have the right mental approach. In none of those three games did Inter play badly in a global sense. Even though we head into a fourth match with the same group of players, we have the chance to do our talking by winning in front of our fans. We need to let the pitch do the talking for us.
"I understand that on the outside people want to find culprits to point the finger at, that's how football works, but this season has been like two distinct periods, even though the coach and backroom staff are the same as when things were going well, before we lost consistency because of injuries. When we had a full – or almost full – squad to choose from we were able to beat anyone. When Inter was Inter, we were a top team. There's no doubt that we're in a state of emergency now, also because injuries keep happening in the same area. Nobody has ever backed away, we've made mistakes, but up until Christmas Inter were up there among the top spots. Having said that, our future now is Inter v Parma, and I'm fully focused on Parma."
The coach was then asked specifically about the January transfer window. "I think January is a period when you make purchases in accordance with what's available, and we made an absolutely top-class signing. Inter have made lots of changes this season. Some players haven't been able to show the best of themselves yet, while others have done exceptionally well. For those who haven't, I'm sure it's only a matter of time before they prove how good they are.
"If you come to me and say the president is protecting the coach and the team, I think he knows what he's doing. I certainly don't feel as if I'm on my own. The club's directors are always here at La Pinetina, we're all in this ship together. Obviously you see my face all the time, so it's right that I should take the flak. After the Napoli match I was the 'Special Two' whereas now I'm hardly good enough to stay in Serie A. Those are your judgements, I'm just trying to give everything I have for Inter. When all is said and done, on 20 May you'll know what Inter's future holds."
