APPIANO GENTILE – Walter Mazzarri was asked about his first impressions of Nerazzurri president Erick Thohir during a media conference the day before Inter's Serie A match away at Bologna. He explained: "My impression has been excellent. He knew everything about me and hearing certain praise can only make you happy. But myself and all the staff that the club has provided me with are isolated and concentrating on the pitch, which is what we'll do again tomorrow."
The coach went on to speak about the similarities between his own ideas and those expressed by the president, particularly in relation to working with a group: "One of the things I was really pleased to hear Thohir say was about how he likes to manage his team, giving directions to those who are already here and to those who come in. An individual can improve if the team is doing well, not the opposite. Everything must be done according to the needs of the team. The new owner thinks exactly the same way I do."
The coach was quizzed about the fitness of a number of players. Starting with Hugo Campagnaro. "I have to see how much he has in him. In a real game situation, you play at a different pace than you do in training. We'll see how he gets on later this afternoon when we have a practice match. It will be quite intense so I'll be able to get a better idea. Milito has improved but it's best not to put a date on his comeback. He's ok but not yet working with the group again, so it will be a while yet. Samuel has had this muscle strain and we're taking it a day at a time but I don't think it's a long-term problem. Icardi has to recover from an operation. He's moving along with his rehabilitation but I don't know how long it will take."
Mazzarri was then asked if it's more of a problem that Campagnaro hasn't played for two months or the fact that Andreolli has played just 10 minutes this season. "I'll keep both things in mind because if I start with one of those two I'll probably need to make a change at some point because neither of them has got 90 minutes in him."
Answering a question about whether Guarin is the right man to play in the hole behind Palacio, Mazzarri continued: "Kovacic is coming along well. You play with 11 men. We're playing a type of football that gives the opposition few reference points and we're improving. Alvarez can play in the hole or in central midfield, and the same goes for Kovacic although with different attributes. I'll also consider who they'll be facing on the other team. The main thing is that the lads know what they have to do – that's what it's all about. I can change things around. We'll see tomorrow what the best solution is based on how training goes today as well."
Mazzarri was asked for his thoughts on the president's comments about targeting the 2016 Champions League final. "I know how things work in this world. It's the relationship between what the club wants to do and what is said. If the investments made are in line with what's said then why not? You need to be able to make the signings that will help you reach those targets, or at least be competitive enough to be in the hunt for them.
"What does the team need? For a start I think you need your own playing style and clear ideas, and it's important for me to know the squad inside out. Then, assessing everything with the management, you have to look to improve constantly. Obviously with an appropriate squad size according to the number of games we have to play. I have the experience, and the club has the experience, to bring in the important players who fit with our needs when the occasion calls for it. That's how you improve."
"Have I spoken to Branca and Ausilio about raising the bar in the transfer market bearing in mind the 2016 Champions League final objective? You know, I've spoken to Thohir and we said that from now on it will be even more important that each person sticks to their job. That's the secret of success in any company. From here on in, it will be even more necessary to put that sort of question exclusively to Branca and Ausilio, but yes, we have exchanged views. The budget and everything else gets decided by the club. I just hand over my wish list [smiling]. We have our set-up and I have two or three scouts constantly monitoring the most appropriate players who can improve us. We give our suggestions to the management, who then assess whether or not to make a move considering the resources available and other factors."
Does Juventus' win over Napoli change the balance of things in the league? "You draw your conclusions at the end of the season. But I think both teams have the quality to be able to challenge until the end."
Will it be possible to draw some partial conclusions at least after playing Napoli and AC Milan before Christmas? "It won't be an accurate or decisive conclusion but yes, it will certainly be more indicative than at the moment. I think when you reach the midway point in the season you have a fair idea of how far you've come. We'll be able to understand a lot from those two games, but after Bologna we have two home matches and we can't get those wrong if we want to be challenging at a certain level. You need to be consistent against the small teams and the big teams alike."
