Lazio winger Pedro reflected on the team’s attacking woes this term and came to the defence of Maurizio Sarri ahead of the Champions League duel with Celtic.
The Italian coach has come under fire after the Biancocelesti’s baffling 2-1 loss to Salernitana, giving the Serie A strugglers their first win of the season. The team have not found their footing this campaign and inconsistency is causing belief in Sarri’s project to wane.
Lazio must shake off their frustrations as they prepare to host Celtic in the Champions League. Beating the Scots, and seeing Atletico Madrid beat Feyenoord, would take them to the Round of 16 of the competition.
Speaking in a press conference (via TMW), Pedro first spoke about his expectations for Lazio’s clash with Celtic.
It will be difficult, like every match is in the Champions League. They are a good team, physical, strong, they also play well with the ball.
It’s also a good opportunity for us to bounce back in front of our fans, we hope to put in a great performance and get a win.
He tried to explain the team’s drop in results this season.
I don’t know, we’re working well but something isn’t working. We can’t play a good match against the less renowned teams, I’m not talking about victory, but about performance.
We have to do self-criticism and go back to the origin, to the basic things, running more and showing the desire.
When the results don’t arrive, pressure increases, and you can’t stay calm. We shouldn’t look at the table, even if the margin of error in the league is now low.
The Spaniard spoke about the importance of the Biancocelesti faithful.
They are always with us and help us every match. We also spoke with them after Salerno. If they are at their best, for us it’s as if we had an extra player. I expect this tomorrow.
The 2010 World Cup winner reflected on his recent meeting with Celtic.
They are very physical and tactical. Tomorrow will be no different, it will be long and tough. My goal in the first leg was special, in that beautiful stadium and under the section of the Lazio fans. In the Champions League it’s always nice to score goals, especially in the last minute.
Pedro commented on the integration of the new Lazio signings.
I’m seeing everyone doing good, they’re very strong. The first year is always complicated when you arrive from another country, from another idea of the game. They have the right attitude, they want to win and for us this is very important.
He came to the defence of Sarri.
He is a special person, he is a perfectionist. Obviously when the work doesn’t go well there is a bit of frustration. I hope he stays here for many years, I think he can help us make the leap.
Unfortunately, in football it works like this, if you lose two games it becomes a drama. Sarri is not the problem at the moment, we are saying it too, we are convinced of it.
A hug to Sarri in case of a goal? Yes of course, we are all with him, he is a special coach.
The Spanish winger refused to give any confirmations regarding his future.
I feel very comfortable here, but obviously my family is in Barcelona, my children are there. At the end of my contract, we’ll talk and see what happens, but I’m not thinking about it now. We want to finish the season well here.
Finally, Pedro was asked about Lazio’s attacking woes this term.
I don’t know, we all have to improve as strikers. We talk about it, we are aware, and we don’t hide, we need to self-criticise.
Maybe it’s also a question of play, if you have the game in hand, you create more chances. Last year we were strong, we always got the target on every occasion, now it’s different. We need to find confidence again.
