Maurizio Sarri felt that Lazio played a decent match in their loss to Genoa but ‘need more quality’ after starting the season with back-to-back losses.
The Biancocelesti disappointed in their 2023-24 season opener against Lecce, dropping points from a winning position in a 2-1 loss, and Sarri hoped to see a response in their first home match of the campaign.
Lazio failed to hit the mark against Genoa, suffering a frustrating 1-0 loss despite dominating play for the majority of the 90 minutes, failing to convert any of their 16 shots, and they’ve now secured zero points after the opening two games.
Speaking in a press conference (via La Lazio Siamo Noi), Sarri first reacted to Lazio’s loss to Genoa.
Two completely different matches. The one in Lecce was a game of apathy, this evening we approached it badly because of repercussions that the previous game left us. In the end we played a good match, we didn’t give up, we lacked a bit of focus, of quality.
We never allowed Genoa to counter, in some respects it’s a huge step forward compared to Lecce. Now we have to find the quality of our quality players.
He touched on the mental and physical attitude of the players.
I saw a period of mental apathy that culminated in the Lecce match. Mental and physical fatigue and you go underwater with your brains, the guys must give them to the collective, as individuals we are not competitive, we are as a group.
Today the players were at the service of the team, we need more quality, now we struggle to jump the man.
The Lazio coach was asked what Matteo Guendouzi could bring to the Biancocelesti.
Guendouzi can definitely bring energy to Lazio. When I saw him play in England, he was energetic, with a great mental and physical charge, a player with characteristics that we don’t have in our midfield now.
Big names almost never make an impact in the locker room, let’s see if this guy has this ability to transmit his competitive drive.
Sarri spoke about what Lazio need to improve.
We have to be a team and we have to find more quality than we are expressing at the moment. In the first 15 minutes we gave away 15 balls to the opponents. We need to grow in quality and focus.
He was asked about his decision to bring on Valentin Castellanos.
When I saw balls flying in the air, I put Castellanos in, but if I went back in time, I wouldn’t do it again because we distorted ourselves and we’re not suited to playing with two forwards.
The Lazio coach commented on the team’s work drawing up new contracts for the squad.
You talk to me about topics from which I stay away as much as possible. If I were to think about this, I would no longer be a coach.
Do I see Felipe upset? No, it may just be a physical aspect that he’s not yet at the top of his game and that leads to a small decline in his technical qualities.
Sarri weighed in on the new Lazio signings.
We signed Pellegrini who was out of the squad at Juventus, Rovella who came from an injury and only did three training sessions, Kamada played his last game in May.
Sepe was out of the squad, Isaksen had arrived in good condition but then the heat boiled him down completely.
There are objective conditions. As far as tactics are concerned, as a team organiser I am one of the strongest in Italy, as someone who deploys players I have the slowest times in Italy.
These are my characteristics, right now I’m like a defender playing as a centre forward, I’m struggling.
We have signed boys from other leagues, from other continents. The problem becomes language, nutrition, the answers are very individual.
He was asked if there was any frustration with the officials.
We have to start again with less negativity. The steps forward are there but if we get caught up in negative talk, we are dead, we have to isolate ourselves and evaluate where we can improve and where we are going wrong.
Penalty? On Immobile I didn’t see it well, the one on Zaccagni even from the images it looked like a penalty to me. The absurdity is that they didn’t even call it for review.
Finally, Sarri discussed the work of Daichi Kamada.
He has very important dribbling qualities, time to fit in, but he can’t be assessed now. Kamada has only eleven days of training, it’s pretentious to evaluate him. I’m waiting for him with curiosity because I think he’s a very good player.
