Lazio coach Maurizio Sarri underlined his doubts ahead of the Lecce clash and suggested that things would be quiet in the transfer market this month.
The Biancocelesti coach had been hoping to see both a new left back and backup centre forward arrive in the winter transfer window, but it’s already become clear that the liquidity index will again block any serious investments. One more player would need to leave the club should Lazio want to pick up a reinforcement, with Mohamed Fares currently seeming the likely candidate.
Speaking in a press conference (via La Lazio Siamo Noi), Sarri first discussed his expectations for the second half of this season.
We are facing something that has never happened, except for the lockdown. The situation is strange, the reactions to the lockdown are unpredictable. We have also seen it abroad.
PSG conceding three, Tottenham losing, Chelsea struggling with Nottingham Forest, Barcelona drawing with Espanyol. A whole series of results that give us a glimpse of the difficulties that can be found on the comeback.
He touched on the threats of Lecce.
A team with good aggression, but which nevertheless remains tidy. They also have good dribbling, you can see there is a lot of work on them, they have high-level counter attacks.
Lecce have stayed in the game against all the top teams. Some they’ve won, some they’ve drawn and when they’ve lost, they’ve done so in the 96th minute like with Inter. They must be held in high regard.
The 63-year-old Italian coach provided an update on the state of his squad.
Some players are feeling good physically and mentally. Others have different stories and are searching for condition, hopefully the approach will be good.
Our limit has always been non-consistency at a mental level, if you are passive you get into trouble physically and tactically.
A limitation that we have contained in recent times, but not eliminated. A minimum of concern may arise from this, then there are a few players who are very well.
Sarri gave his thoughts on Lazio’s work in the January transfer window.
I don’t know if it’s open for us or not, the president has been busy with something more important in recent times, then at the end of December he took some time off.
When he comes back, we will talk about it, I don’t think there is much chance of improving the team. We can make the squad more organic.
He commented on if the transfer market noise surrounding some of his players could prove detrimental.
If you talk every other day about Milinkovic-Savic and Luis Alberto it is clear that you are damaging the harmony, but that is your problem. If I don’t make some threatening phone calls, but that’s not my thing!
You have to go on the intelligence of the players, not be influenced by rumours from outside. I read about Luis Alberto, who wants to leave because he doesn’t get on with the coach, I arrived in July 2021 and he didn’t come to the training camp because he wanted a transfer.
I inherited the situation, I certainly didn’t create it. It may be understandable that he wanted to return to Spain in every window, then he always stayed and gave us his contribution.
He spoke about the World Cup break and the difficulties he encountered.
Not having competitions for more than 50 days, everything you try to simulate is always worthless as there are no points up for grabs. Whoever comes back from the World Cup can have positive or negative repercussions.
There are mental and nervous energies that are spent in a World Cup, you go out on the pitch for a national team. Then those who won can be galvanised, the others are a bit disappointed. Our two have a lot of emotional fatigue and a bit of disappointment to get over.
Milinkovic-Savic also came back a little bruised. They both seem to be developing positively, but they are not 100% for sure.
He touched on the condition of star striker Ciro Immobile.
He didn’t go to the World Cup, he solved his physical problems, he seems to be growing in condition. Not at the top, but growing.
Sarri gave his thoughts on the World Cup as a whole.
On 13th November everyone was playing in national competitions, on the 18th there was the World Cup opener. The teams did not work.
I saw very little, a pile of good players in teams that were not very good teams. That’s normal. The World Cup leaves nothing but great publicity for Qatar. From a footballing point of view, it leaves little.
The 63-year-old was asked if he was happy with the team’s 30-point mark at this stage of the season.
Two points per game on average is a lot. Obviously for the moment they leave time for what they are, we need to continue at these levels, in the end they could guarantee us an important ranking.
The second half will be more difficult as in every season, more points are left on the road because the matches have a different specific weight. We must try in every way to maintain the high averages.
How the team is doing is difficult to assess now, on a mental level they are fine. I think it’s impossible to separate motivation from condition. I think it’s more important to return to the league with the head working at 100% than with the legs working at 100%.
He commented on where the defence can go next.
That we could go from the 58 goals conceded to the average of the beginning of the season was a given, it would turn out to be 18 goals conceded all season. The numbers are settling down to normal levels.
Losing solidity would put us in trouble, you can score 150 goals but if you concede 60 it will never be a great season. We have to reflect and apply ourselves, if we lose solidity we are finished in terms of ambition.
The Italian coach spoke about which players he expects to find more confidence in the second half of the season.
All the new guys pay something in the first few months, especially those who come from abroad. It has always happened, I saw Platini’s difficulties when he arrived in Italy.
Everyone can give more on an individual level, those who are very young can grow exponentially, those who come from outside can speed up their acclimatisation and return to performances similar to those they had before. We have several of these situations.
Finally, Sarri discussed the overhaul work on the Stadio Olimpico pitch and his thoughts on the playing surface at Lecce.
No, I haven’t had a chance to see the progress at the Olimpico. They gave me a substantial report this morning, I will read it shortly, but I believe very little in reports. If you read the reports on the synthetic pitches they are amazing.
Too bad they are always commissioned by the synthetic turf manufacturers. I want to see for myself. I don’t know about the Via del Mare pitch, it doesn’t look very good.
But that’s something we must always expect in Italy. We were the top of the world, now we are the third world. In 20 years, it’s quite a feat.
