Lazio head coach Gennaro Gattuso believes his team can achieve a positive result against Juventus, but only with the right mindset.
Juventus Will Host Lazio on Sunday
The Biancocelesti remain undefeated in Serie A under the Calabrian manager, winning five games and drawing one. They’ll hope to extend their purple patch and stay atop the table when they take on Luciano Spalletti’s men away from home on Sunday evening.
Gennaro Gattuso Urges Lazio to Play Without Fear
Before making the trip to Turin, Gattuso held his pre-match press conference (via La Lazio Siamo Noi) on Saturday. The 48-year-old admits that Juventus have a stronger team on paper, but the Aquile can topple them if they play without fear.
There are still 31 matchdays to go after this one. We are playing against a great team that has reaped little of what it has sown. What matters to me is courage and approaching the game with the right mentality, without fear. On paper, they are stronger than us, but I want to see a team that goes toe-to-toe with them. If we go there and start getting nervous or feeling intimidated, none of that will get us anywhere. We are doing some good things and need to improve in many areas, but I do not want to see fear.
Gattuso Has Unhappy Memories Against Juventus
Gattuso recalled his personal poor record against the Old Lady, while identifying their main sources of danger.
I lost four finals against Juventus. I won one and lost four. The past remains part of history; you cannot go back. They can play in different ways and have changed a lot. If they play with two up front, they have two reference points. They have scored three or four goals from crosses, they flood the box and are extremely dangerous, as well as from set pieces. They rotate a lot. Tomorrow, we need courage. If we hide away and think, “May God help us,” we will get nowhere. We need maximum intensity. They are a great team.
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Why Lazio Must Attack Juventus
The Lazio boss reiterated the need to maintain the team’s ultra-attacking approach; otherwise, they will get suffocated.
We can and must play that way, although naturally there are moments when we need to approach things differently. When we attack, we must do so courageously. It also depends on the areas of the pitch. Given their style of play, they can cause us problems at certain moments, but we need the right mentality and desire.
Gattuso Pleased With Reda Belahyane
Gattuso lauded Reda Belahyane, who has taken his game up a notch after struggling to cope with the training intensity in pre-season. The Moroccan has made the most of the opportunity in the absence of Nicolo Rovella and Danilo Cataldi.
Everyone is doing what they are supposed to do. Modern football has changed. In 1997, at Glasgow Rangers, there were three players on the bench, sometimes not even a goalkeeper. That was 1997, not 50 years ago. I then played for a long time with only three substitutions available. Now there are five. That means the players who come on can win you matches. Players must be ready when called upon because they can make a difference at any moment. Everyone is doing well, and the credit belongs to them. Bela struggled during his first training sessions and kept apologising. Step by step, with passion and desire, you can do anything. Credit to him.
Gattuso Enjoying His Coaching Career Despite All The Criticism
The AC Milan legend insisted that he paid little attention to his detractors; otherwise, he would have quit coaching long ago.
If I had listened to everyone who has judged me over the past 17 years, I would have had only a quarter of the career I have had. I cannot please everyone. What matters is being honest. People have not been honest with me; that is a fact. The numbers are there. Only one team wins the league or the cup. You also have to look at the work being done. There is nothing I can do about it. I work, and I lack nothing. I work out of passion because I do not like sitting at home. Football gives me butterflies in my stomach. I love it, and it is my life. I enjoy it more now than I did when I was a player. I feel that this job belongs to me even more now. You have to prove yourself every day. There will also be difficult moments. There will be some hard blows, and you have to accept them, move forward and try to improve. I am different now from when I started 12 years ago. I have improved and have more knowledge. There is always something to learn. There are many fellow coaches who come up with new ideas and do different things every year, which is why you always have to keep up to date and study. Every year is different.
What Lazio Must Improve
Lazio have been suffering from lapses in concentration during the game over the past few weeks, and Gattuso believes this is a key aspect to improve.
We must eliminate those 15-to-20-minute blackouts. Against Monza, from the 56th minute onwards, we suffered very little. Before that, however, we conceded clear-cut chances. It was the same against Milan, although we managed to get back into the game. We had a similar 20-to-25-minute spell against Venezia. We have to improve in this regard, avoid being overwhelmed and manage games better. We absolutely must do so. Things have gone our way so far, and sometimes the goalkeeper has bailed us out. If we want to surprise people and get them talking about us, we have to improve in this area.
Kenneth Taylor’s Importance to Lazio
Finally, the Lazio head coach reserved some praise for Kenneth Taylor, who has been showing important signs of growth after a few underwhelming displays at the start of the season.
He makes the combination play down that flank work well. He drops deeper and helps us play good football. I congratulated him because he did not press like this before, whereas now he does so with real aggression. He is extremely important to us. I see what he does and what he brings to the team. His runs into space also give us plenty of options. Sometimes we have to decide whether to keep him or Nuno centrally. We need to make our combinations down the flank work well. He is doing very well.