APPIANO GENTILE - Frank de Boer held a news conference earlier today to discuss Sunday's trip to Sampdoria in Week 11 of Serie A 2016/17 (kick-off 20:45).
"The club's backing is always very important for a project, it allows you to relax a touch. It's not only important for the coaching staff but the players too. It's great to work in an environment like this when you feel the owners' support.
"We have to play with the same approach against Sampdoria. Tomorrow I want to see the same discipline that we showed against Southampton and Torino. It's important to play as a compact unit and we want to show the fans that we're all pulling in the same direction. When we work like that, we come away with points. It's important that the players grasp that. I want to see the same intensity in every match. I was a bit angry because our approach at Atalanta was all wrong and then we responded against Torino. We must produce more consistent performances but, based on what I saw on Wednesday night, we're not far off what I'm looking for - my footballing philosophy. Sure, we can improve a lot over time but I was delighted with what I witnessed in our most recent fixture."
Frank de Boer then discussed whether he could manage Kondogbia in the same he has handled Brozovic in recent weeks: "I treat everyone the same and all of the players have equal chances of playing. Brozovic reacted brilliantly and gave the best possible response. He knows he made a mistake, apologised and is now meeting our expectations. He worked hard, came back into the side and is playing well. Kondogbia has had a bit of knock but he's improving and can still develop."
Team selection was the next item on the agenda for the Nerazzurri coach: "Playing in front of the back four is not Joao Mario's favourite position because normally he operates higher up the pitch. That said, I think he played very well there. He's a great professional and knows that he can help out the team at this moment in time. I congratulated him, Brozovic and Banega for their performances against Torino but in order to play well with this midfield three, they all need to reproduce that display. Either way, Medel is an important player because he always gives 100%."
De Boer also agreed that Eder, Candreva and Perisic are essentially vying for two spots in the team: "We consider every possible criteria when picking the team, be it a player's fitness level or their tactical discipline. Plus we have a lot of matches and we must avoid injuries by striking the right balance in every area. They are three top-quality players in any case."
Finally, the coach gave his take on the job he's done so far: "I'd give myself 7/10 because I can look everyone in the eye. We've come a long way already and we've made great progress. Clearly they have been ups and downs but we've made great strides forward and know where we want to get to. We're heading in the right direction and want to go all the way. Obviously there are times when we have to get back on track but we are very clear with where we're going and what we want to achieve."
Versión Española 日本語版 Versi Bahasa Indonesia Versione Italiana
