Gennaro Gattuso is thrilled with the Lazio players who produced a fabulous performance against Juventus on Sunday.
Lazio Shrug Juventus Aside in Turin
The Biancocelesti extended their superb start to the Serie A campaign by registering their sixth win in seven rounds. Oliver Provstgaard, Gustav Isaksen, and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru all got on the scoresheet as Lazio returned from Turin with a 3-0 victory. This was certainly the team’s best result of the season, especially considering the size of the opponent.
Gennaro Gattuso Mesmerised By High-Flying Lazio
In his post-match interviews (via La Lazio Siamo Noi), Gattuso expressed his delight with the team, taking great pleasure in their ability to overcome the odds after being tipped to fight for relegation by some observers at the start of the season.
We’re not looking at the league table. We have to keep working hard and maintain the right mentality. I’ve seen a lot in this game, and we have a clear path to follow: work. People were writing us off as dead and saying we would be fighting relegation. But our path was the right one, and the players believed in it. We’ll see where we end up. We like to press our opponents, get tight to our markers and play offensively. That brings benefits. We can’t sit back and manage games; we have to keep pressing forward aggressively. On a personal level, it’s a pleasure to work with these players, too.
Gattuso Almost Quit Coaching
The Calabrian admits that he almost gave up on coaching at one point during his career, but he has now found internal serenity.
I went through a process while coaching abroad. There was a time when I would come home angry every day, and I told myself I either had to quit or change. My experiences abroad helped me. I sought help, and today I get angry much less often. Players are more developed and sophisticated than they used to be. You have to listen to them and understand how they think. That’s the greatest satisfaction for me: when I speak to them, something stays with them.
Player Ratings: Juventus 0-3 Lazio – Oliver the Conqueror
How Lazio Improved on Previous Outings
Gattuso applauded the Lazio players who maintained their composure for the duration of the game, avoiding the lapses in concentration seen against AC Milan and Monza.
Congratulations to the lads. It’s been an incredible journey, and the credit belongs to them because they work seriously. I keep saying the same things, but that’s the truth. Today, I wanted to see the mentality we lacked against Monza and Milan. We needed to hold our shape and impose ourselves on the game, and we managed to do that. The team is progressing; it’s a question of mentality, and that’s the step we need to take.
Gattuso Enjoying Lazio Family
The AC Milan legend opened up on the family atmosphere at Lazio, explaining how they managed to form strong bonds during the few months they’ve been together.
It’s the first time I’ve won here since I started coaching. The credit goes to the lads, while praising the management for signing the right players in the summer. We work hard during the week, and a wonderful family has been created. The club also deserves credit. We had very little money to spend in the transfer market, but we brought in people who are, above all, good people. The credit belongs to these players. They’re easy for me to coach. “We’ll enjoy the victory, but now our focus has to shift to Parma. We’re used to being near the top, but perhaps we’re not ready for this position yet. We can pause for a moment and enjoy this win. Today was important. We were fortunate against Milan and Monza because we took some big risks. Now we have to think about the next game
How Gattuso Became More Tolerant
Gattuso admits he made the necessary adjustments in his coaching style over the years, becoming more tolerant of footballers’ modern lifestyles.
A few years ago, I didn’t want to coach anymore because certain attitudes bothered me. I went through a process and worked on myself. Nowadays, there are two or three things that are non-negotiable, and they have to be done. On everything else, I listen to the players. I get less angry about their lifestyles, but the few things I ask them to do are not up for discussion. I think that’s the secret. Coaching abroad helped me a great deal. Every player has their own way of doing things, and managing them takes a lot out of me during the week. You have to put them in a position where they can express themselves to the best of their abilities. They have a great deal of knowledge, but they give up at the first sign of difficulty. Getting them to understand that they must not give up and must keep working is the important thing.
Watch: Juventus Stunned as Lazio Score Three at Allianz Stadium – The Highlights
Reda Belahyane’s Key Role for Lazio
The former midfielder explained the roles of some of his Lazio players, including Reda Belahyane, who often drops deep to allow the full-backs to push forward.
Nuno and Zac have quality. Tavares has tremendous physical power. When his legs get going, he flies and causes damage. That combination works well. We could have done better in the first half, too. Romano could have hurt them. Belahyane often didn’t drop deep to provide width for our full-backs. This is a team that isn’t afraid to take opponents on one against one. We have pace. My biggest concern is that we still don’t know how to manage our mentality consistently. We must always press forward aggressively, because that’s the approach that has brought us success.
Gattuso Hails Oliver Provstgaard
Finally, Gattuso praised Provstgaard for swiftly adjusting to his aggressive playing style, which is drastically different to Maurizio Sarri’s zonal marking.
When I say we’re doing different things, Sarri is a master of the 4-3-3 and positional play. I think Oliver’s ability to adapt has been important. It wasn’t easy at the beginning, but he (Provstgaard) and I developed a good understanding, as I have with all the players. They’ve done well to change their playing style radically. They deserve the praise and everything they’re achieving. Without their willingness and cooperation, it would be difficult to do this. He’s an Iron Man. He’s strong and always wants to work more. You have to tell him to go home and work there instead!