1-0 wins for the rest of the season.
Inter returned to winning ways as Mauro Icardi scored the
only goal of the game at Empoli on Wednesday, chalking up
a 12th victory of the season for Mancini's men and a ninth
by a 1-0 margin.
This has added to perceptions of the San Siro outfit
employing an overly conservative style, but, with his team
holding a slender advantage over Fiorentina and Napoli at
the Serie A summit, Mancini was happy to gently goad his
critics ahead of Sunday's match against Sassuolo.
"I love a 1-0 win and if we win the next 15 matches by that
scoreline then that would be perfect," he told a pre-match
news conference.
"There is so much chatter but we like hearing other people
talk about us."
Victory over Sassuolo would guarantee top spot for Inter at
the halfway stage of Serie A, despite few tipping the team
for major honours at the start of the season.
During his coaching career, Mancini has often been accused
of harbouring confrontation with his players, but he believes
the harmony and intelligence within this Inter squad is a key
to their success.
"You need good, intelligent lads in any dressing room," he
said. "They have a great relationship.
"Sometimes in a family there are disagreements – it can
happen between parents and their children so just imagine
having 30 people from different countries.
"This is the best squad I've ever had in that regard and I've
barely ever heard them have any problems."
Nevertheless, the 51-year-old offered a word of caution that
concentration and performance levels must not drop this
weekend or during the forthcoming trip to Atalanta after a
close shave at Empoli.
"I hope the side has realised how important it is to maintain
their concentration," he added.
"Empoli, Sassuolo and Atalanta are all quite similar games
– they all have good managers who prepare for matches
well.
"We had to dig in at Empoli but we knew that would happen.
We'll need to be 100 per cent alert against Sassuolo."
No comments:
Post a Comment