Parma, 11 September 2021 – After today’s training session and before leaving for Lignano, where tomorrow the match against Pordenone will be played, Coach Enzo Maresca had the following words to say in his press conference:
“For us, it must be a game just like any other, there are three points up for grabs, so we’ll go out on the pitch with our goal being to bring home the win. Not only in Pordenone, but everywhere they are waiting for us to compete against. The team is doing well, we’ve been working well. The two-week period gave us the chance to strengthen some tactical concepts, as well as giving us the time for some players to recover. Inglese is fine, he’s improving, it’s so important for him to recover those feelings of playing without rushing it. He needs time and we’re here to help him, we all know how valuable he is”.
“Victories are always important, the one with Benevento was also important for how it came about, everyone was waiting for this moment. The boys deserved it, they came from a long and complicated journey. It must be just the beginning though, and this doesn’t mean that there won’t be difficulties. We began about two months ago, logically with the hope that the difficulties will become less frequent. I expect an angry Pordenone, when you change your head coach there is always a reaction, they are a fairly direct team, so we must be ready to play a determined game, even without the ball”.
“We have some big players, history and ability will tell you there are always some who are better than others, but a big team knows how to step up to the plate, even with absentees, so this is what we’ll try to be. If certain guys are here it’s because they deserve to be here. It’s been two months since we first met, and these last two weeks have helped to better understand some concepts, while the players’ condition has also improved. It’s true that we had some problems with Tutino, or Man and Sohm who didn’t train with us, but these two weeks will serve us well”.
“Sohm, in my opinion, is very important for us and for the club, having been born in 2001. If there are expectations over him I don’t know why, but he is good and strong, both as a full-back who comes inside and in front of the defence which is his role. I hear a lot of things about Sohm, he’s among the youngest of the guys we have, I don’t know the reason for these expectations about him, but I can say that he is strong, young, and he needs to grow; he’s doing a job for us that he hasn’t ever done in his career before. It’s already difficult to find players who do one role well, but if you find that they do two well it’s really great. Against Benevento, at times we played better because Simon is beginning to understand when it’s time to drop in or to stay out wide, it’s a process for him too, he hasn’t ever done it. Then Delprato can also play in his role, but that isn’t to say that his arrival means Sohm doesn’t play, it also depends on the issue of the national team, but regardless of who plays we’re up for it”.
