MILAN - Roberto Mancini spoke to Sky Sport 24 about Inter's current form.
He was first asked about the January transfer window and how he managed to convince the president to strengthen and persuade players to sign for the Nerazzurri despite big offers from elsewhere: "The president is the one who helps me, the coach, and the team, we couldn't do anything without him. So it was important that Thohir supported us. The new signings chose Inter because it's a big club with massive history.
"We've brought in players who will make a difference both now and going forward. As for how long it will take to go back to winning trophies, you need to do things the right way and sometimes unfortunately there's no short cut to success. Obviously we need to be patient because the side had been operating in a different system for two years and now we're changing things. The lads have done everything I've asked of them though and Sunday's win was very pleasing, for the fans as well. Either way, we've still got a lot of work to do because when you take over mid-season you have to improve a number of different things. The most important thing is reaching our targets come the end of the season.
"Kovacic is a very important player for us, he's an enormously gifted footballer. Inter will look to him now and in the future. Lest we forget, he's only 20 and a player that young can't grab a team by the scruff of the neck. It's not about where he plays, because someone like him can play wherever he wants. He needs time to grow and mature.
"Ranocchia has what it takes to lead our defence but naturally you need time to adapt to a back four. I've always believed in Guarin, he's a great player. He just had to find a bit of peace of mind and he's come on leaps and bounds in the last few months. Icardi's a great kid and is very easy to manage. He's a young centre forward and still has room for improvement but he's already got one major asset: he scores hatfuls of goals. He knows he has to improve certain areas of his game, but he's got all the time in the world to do so as he's only 22. Podolski is a big player and a real pro. Sadly, we couldn't include him in our list for the Europa League but he'll be very useful in Serie A. He needs a bit of time to regain match sharpness.
"Hernanes is a lovely bloke. He wasn't fit when I took over but he'll be a big player for us from now on. Brozovic was one of Ausilio's signings, he's someone the club were tracking for a while. We decided to go for him because he's young. Clearly he needs time to settle in but he's already shown he's got ability. Handanovic is one of the best goalkeepers in the world and there's no reason why we'll have to sell someone in the summer. I think Yaya Touré is one of the best players in the world. It's not easy because he's at Manchester City. It's up to him whether he wants to come and play in Serie A. He'd be a big signing not just for Inter but also for the league's prestige as a whole. As for Osvaldo, at times people's behaviour goes beyond the pale but we cleared the air. He's a good player and I wish him the best of luck at Boca.
"The Europa League is full of top sides and it won't be easy. The club's prestige though counts for a lot and Inter have won a trophy in Europe in recent times, claiming the Champions League. It's tough to set a target at this stage but we'll try to go as far as we can in the competition. Atalanta are an excellent team even though they're struggling in terms of their league position. It's a tough place to go and they've got an experienced coach in charge. We'll need to be on top form to win the match."
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LIVE! CONFERENZA STAMPA ROBERTO MANCINI PRIMA DI ATALANTA-INTER 14.2.2015 H:13:30CET
