Parma, 27 October 2021 – On the eve of Parma’s matchday ten clash away to Cittadella in Serie B, Crociati Coach Enzo Maresca had the following to say to the press:
“After a defeat, there’s a desire to make up for it straight away; playing immediately is a good thing. Before the game against Reggina, I said that I was expecting us to be at this point from a general point of view, in terms of our game and also as regards problems to address. However, I was expecting our points tally to be better. I think we’ve deserved more, and with 3-4 more points we’d be talking about something else, but we need to win them back as soon as possible. At this current time, we must analyse what isn’t working well and find the right solution. Right now, the team, staff and Club are aware that something is missing, especially when it comes to the league table. We’re trying to understand what is required and adapt accordingly. We’ve been doing this from the beginning of the season: we started with an idea and then modified it for the sake of finding solutions. Even after our last match, I have no doubt that we’ll overcome this situation; it’s just a matter of time. However, I understand that the sooner this happens, the sooner we can all relax.
“A coach needs to be aware that they must also deal with the consequences; it’s normal to be questioned when results don’t arrive – it’s part of my job. Cittadella have been working in the same manner for years and have a really good understanding, even if they’ve changed coach. They’re really intense off the ball and have clear ideas when in possession. We’ll have to play differently to what we did in the opening 20 minutes in Reggio Calabria. This had a big impact on the way the match went: if you fall behind and have to chase, it isn’t easy on certain pitches. For the remainder of the match, the team created opportunities and didn’t give anything away apart from the counter-attack that led to the penalty. We must start well.
“It’s understandable that the fans aren’t happy, especially with the league table – something which everyone is looking at. However, the team deserved more in most of the matches we’ve played. All I can ask of our supporters is to accompany us like they did against Monza; we found it great to have them alongside us. The hope is we’ll pick up a few more wins.
“Schiattarella is an important player, but whoever replaces him is just as important. We’re about 30% of the way there in terms of the idea I have for us; a step forward was made in the second half in Reggio Calabria and that is the path we’re looking to go down. Traorè is feeling better, we’ll see. Inglese is feeling fine; we need to be patient with him. I understand that everyone is a bit anxious because he’s an important player, but so far he’s essentially played as many minutes as he did last year, so it’s normal for him to not be in the best shape physically. The only thing we can ask of him is to work hard; there are no doubts about him.
“Man is part of the group of players who should make the difference and, above all, take such a responsibility on their shoulders. This also applies to important players like Vazquez, Danilo and Osorio. It’s not about saying it; it’s about doing it.”
