Tribal Football

Inter Milan coach Inzaghi calm facing Red Star; plays down inconsistent form

Inter Milan coach Inzaghi calm facing Red Star; plays down inconsistent form
Inter Milan coach Inzaghi calm facing Red Star; plays down inconsistent formAction Plus
Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi says there'll be no underestimating Red Star Belgrade in tomorrow's Champions League clash.

Inzaghi insists the new format means there can be no games where the team can relax.

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This year everyone is waiting for you at the pass. What has changed for your work?

"I talked about it, in the press conference on the day of the meeting. Winning is difficult, repeating yourself is even more so. As for the lads, they are working with great commitment. We still lack that continuity, which we had last year: it needs to be trained. At the start of this season all the teams have had difficulties and are trying to improve, we are working on it too.

"On Saturday the lads played a great game, today we are talking about the two goals conceded: this morning they were a reason for analysis, we must always try to improve and we cannot only talk about the defenders, but about the whole of Inter. I am confident."

 

What kind of match do you expect tomorrow, also in light of the new Champions League format?

"Last year you could imagine how the group would go, now it's a bit of everyone against everyone. It's an exciting format, with many difficulties: we know them, the calendar is not easy but we will have to be good at facing every match of this new format."

 

Inter were seen again on Saturday. Defensively, Davide Frattesi said that the positions remained too wide from them. How do you fix it?

"Concentration is a very important element, we know that we have our principles to carry forward for some time: I think that Inter had already seen themselves with City or Atalanta. Inter must give continuity to their performances at this moment, without conceding anything. If the two chances conceded on Sunday had not gone in, we would be talking about something else: at this moment we need to pay more attention because when they shoot, finding valuable opponents, more attention is needed."

 

How do you manage the turnover? Tomorrow Lautaro from the 1st minute?

"I still have to decide between Lautaro, Thuram, Arnautovic and Taremi as forwards. All four will have a good chance of playing, we will have to evaluate the training data. I understand the turnover as we need everyone: this year is a more difficult season than the previous year, I don't think in terms of relays but I base myself on what I see. Sometimes the choices are easy, other times less so.

"The Champions League formula is different, in the last three years we have passed the groups with greater ease: this year you can't do calculations because it's an all against all. We have to be careful with Red Star, they are a very well trained team that has done very well in the league: it will be a game with pitfalls, we will have to manage them in the best way possible."

 

How do you comment on the news about wiretaps?

"There is an ongoing investigation, the company asked us not to say anything."

 

Can Frattesi play three games in a row?

"I'm evaluating tomorrow if he'll start or later. We'll try to evaluate."

 

Is last season unrepeatable or do you need to raise the bar higher?

"We are third in the standings, there are six different leaders and we are looking for the continuity that can make the difference. I really liked Bisseck on Sunday."

 

Tomorrow Zielinski and Mkhitaryan with Calhanoglu?

"Zielinski will definitely play, I'm deciding the other two places. I'm deciding the other two places."

 

Have you analysed the two goals conceded in Udine?

"Yes, and there is a concurrence of blame for both goals. On the first one Thuram goes up and the team has to go up, they have to clean the area: there mustn't be a player who puts in the cross, they have to position themselves better. On the second goal, which is very difficult but I read that a certain player is to blame: there is a concomitance of errors.

"I read about Bisseck, Darmian, Acerbi, De Vrij: it is the fault of all five if we conceded, you can't say it is the fault of one individual. It was the fault of all Inter, starting with the forwards. Everyone has to do better, in all the things they did: it was a reason for analysis."

 

Denzel Dumfries from the first minute? Has he renewed?

"I think it hasn't been announced yet, Denzel is an important player and tomorrow, like Zielinski, he is a player who I can say with certainty will play."