APPIANO GENTILE – In the news conference before Inter’s trip to Rome to face Lazio, Stefano Vecchi was asked for his thoughts on his Nerazzurri side’s preparations for the match.
"The team demonstrated during the week that they do not want to finish the season in this way. It was a better week than the previous one; the players have got used to our way of doing things," he said.
When asked about the potential involvement of Gabriel Barbosa and Andrea Pinamonti, he commented: "Gabriel needs to play; he’s found it hard going here because there are top players ahead of him in the pecking order. Eder, for example, has often been out but he’s a starter for the national team.
"It’s not always easy to find a spot; it’s natural to get a bit down, because he probably expected things to play out differently this season. However, we’re talking about a young player with quality.
"Andrea is an option for us. Had things been different, he probably would have played tomorrow. But when things are like this, I don’t want him to feel under too much pressure."
Vecchi highlighted that the team’s struggles have been more psychological in nature: "From a physical point of view, the team has done what’s been asked of them. Right now, the players are finding it hard from a mental standpoint, to get out of this run they’re on.
"It’s been a tricky season and we need to try and finish it well. Now it’s up to me to motivate this group of players and try to bring this season to a close in the best way possible.”
Commenting on tomorrow’s opponents, the coach said: "Lazio have had a good season all round. They’ve shown that they’ve got good players in their starting eleven and on the bench too. I congratulate Simone Inzaghi. We’ve looked at a few things we could do in the game, which may help us against this team, but we don’t know how they’ll set up."
With some hindsight, Vecchi was also able to go over the defeat against Sassuolo.
"In terms of character, I saw a team that pushed hard and tried until the end," he said.
"We missed opportunities to score, hit the post, and made a mistake to go 1-0 down. It wasn’t an easy atmosphere to deal with. I don’t think we played particularly badly, but it was a negative result.
"Of course, we have to produce more – we’re Inter. All our games are tough at the moment, even more so against a team like Lazio, who have nothing to lose and have real quality.
"The club’s management are aware of how difficult this situation is, they’re backing us. I know that my staff and I are valued, and we share in the responsibility for being in this situation. We want to give them something to be happy about," he concluded.
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