Gattuso Proud of ‘Disappointed’ Lazio Players, Reveals Why Frattesi Was Frustrated
Lazio head coach Gennaro Gattuso was pleased with the draw against his former club Napoli, even though his players weren’t fully satisfied.
Lazio Earn a Point at Napoli
The Biancocelesti arrived at the Stadio Maradona with an almost perfect record. They had only dropped points once this season (drawing 2-2 with AC Milan on matchday 4) and were riding a six-match winning streak.
Lazio Remain Top of the Table
Davide Frattesi’s opener suggested that the capital club was set to make it seven victories in a row, but Alfonso Pedraza placed the ball in his own net to gift the Partenopei an equaliser. The hosts then had the more dangerous chances, but Christos Mandas did well to preserve a point for the Aquile, who remain top of the table, although Inter Milan and Roma have cut down the deficit to one and two points respectively.
Gennaro Gattuso Insists Lazio Could Have Beaten Napoli
In his post-match interviews and press conference (via La Lazio Siamo Noi), Gattuso rued some of the chances his team had to kill off the game in the first half, including one for Matteo Cancellieri, who played in an unusual role as a left winger following his introduction in the second half.
We were under siege at times. We could have won or lost the game. We should have scored more goals in the first half, while their reaction in the second half was understandable. We suffered for a while, but then managed to get back into the game. We could have made different decisions. I still have Noslin’s chance in mind, when he shot despite Isaksen being completely unmarked. Then there was Cancellieri’s ball shortly after coming on. It was a perfect ball for Zaccagni, who likes those situations, but we could have done better with the finish.
Gattuso Lauds ‘Disappointed’ Lazio Players
Despite the regrets, Gattuso was proud of the fact that his players weren’t satisfied with the draw, based on their reaction in the locker room.
Towards the end, we were still in the game, but we could have attacked the space in behind better. We became too flat. However, I like the fact that the players were disappointed at the end of the match, even though there shouldn’t be any disappointment. They showed tremendous courage and mentality. We were excellent in the first half, then we held firm, weathered the storm and managed to get back into the game. Napoli have some very good players who have won league titles and the Champions League. We did well, and we’ll gladly take this point, but what I liked most was the mentality. We’ve played 11 games, and there are still plenty more to come. We have to prove ourselves one match at a time.
Gattuso Delighted with Reda Belahyane
The Lazio boss reserved special praise for Reda Belahyane for another top-notch display and his teammate Kenneth Taylor, who had to grit his teeth until the very end.
Credit goes to Belahyane. He made the switch. When you understand what the priority is in this profession, it’s about putting in passion, desire and a sense of belonging. We worked on that, and he delivered, just like several of his teammates. Taylor played while practically limping. There were plenty of positive attitudes today, and we have a lot to be satisfied with. We’ll see where we end up, but there are plenty of positive things, and the credit belongs to these lads.” I’ll take the performance because today we needed courage. It was a potential banana skin, especially after spending several days in training camp.
Player Ratings: Napoli 1-1 Lazio – Belahyane Shines, Pedraza Sinks
Lazio Injury Updates
Lazio lost Josip Sutalo to injury in the first half, while Nuno Tavares, who was doubtful for the game, only lasted 45 minutes before being replaced at the interval. Gattuso provided some updates on the players’ conditions.
There’s certainly something wrong with Sutalo’s hamstring. As for Nuno, we knew there was a risk involved. That was part of the plan. He deserves credit for the commitment and professionalism he showed by making himself available. We eventually decided to take him off because he wasn’t feeling particularly well. As for Gudmundsson, he needs to train first. We’ll do everything we can to get him involved in next Saturday’s friendly, and then we’ll see. Training and doing individual fitness work is one thing; playing and operating at high intensity is another. We hope to reintegrate him into the group, just as we did with Rovella and Marusic. He can play in several positions, including in Zaccagni’s place. We’re also waiting for Zaccagni’s MRI scan to determine whether the swelling resulted from a knock or a muscle tear. We’re convinced it was an old injury that has flared up.
Noslin Did Well in Napoli, Cancellieri Less So
Gattuso has once again lauded the performance of Tijjani Noslin, who provided the assist for Frattesi while playing as a left winger in the first half, before switching to the striker role following Andrea Pinamonti’s exit. The Italian bomber also received some praise from his coach, who, on the other hand, expected more from Cancellieri.
Noslin providing insurance on the left wing? Yes, absolutely He’s very aggressive, and whenever he presses, he does so with tremendous intensity. He’s in good physical condition, and I also liked him in that position. He’s become more disciplined compared to the pre-season friendlies this summer. I’m not disappointed with Pinamonti. He had a great game, especially in the first half, and did particularly well in the combinations down his flank. He worked hard and covered a lot of ground. Perhaps Cancellieri could have done more, but he isn’t accustomed to playing in that position. He usually plays on the opposite flank, cutting inside onto his stronger foot, and I think that affected him.
Gattuso Happy With Provstgaard’s Development
The Calabrian tactician was also satisfied with Oliver Provstgaard, although he had a difficult duel against his Danish countryman, Rasmus Hojlund.
He’s a very good young player who is eager to improve. He has the right mentality, and sometimes we have to rein him in because he wants to do too much all at once. He’s a real workhorse. Judging by his physical data, he could take up any sport. He’s an Iron Man. He has an outstanding work ethic. He can still improve, and we try to challenge him by putting him in one-on-one situations. Today he had a difficult opponent in Hojlund, who is very hard to stop once he gets going. His greatest quality is his ability to remain switched on, stay focused and maintain his desire to improve. That will certainly help him.
Watch: Lazio Held at Maradona as Pedraza Gifts a Goal to Napoli – The Highlights
Davide Frattesi Wants More of the Ball
Gattuso also said Frattesi has been frustrated by his lack of involvement in the buildup, but urged him to focus on making runs to the box, where he excels.
Frattesi is a stubborn lad. He gets frustrated and starts going crazy when he feels he’s not involved in the game. He wants to get on the ball and touch it. There are very few players in Europe who make runs into the box like he does. We work on his explosive pace to produce these kinds of movements. He should make more of those runs, but he gets fixated on wanting to receive the ball. Even in the first half today, with those movements and runs into space, we could have scored a few more goals. We’ll take the performance, and I’m satisfied.
Gattuso Regrets How His Napoli Tenure Ended
Finally, Gattuso looked back on the 18 months he spent as Napoli head coach, recalling the joys, disappointments and regrets after missing out on a Champions League spot on the final day of the 2020/21 season.
The pain is still the same. It had been an incredible season, but we dropped points against Verona, and I deserved to be sacked. That was a peculiar day, and several strange things happened. The match was important, but we discussed everything except the game itself. The president came into the dressing room, and we talked about bonuses… But in the end, nothing came of it. That is my biggest regret. We arrived at that game lacking energy, with the feeling that everything had already been settled. It would have been an incredible achievement. At that particular moment, it would have been like winning the Scudetto for us. I left a piece of my heart here. The people have always shown me affection, and I was genuinely happy here. That is my biggest regret. I was jealous today because when I was here, there were no supporters in the stadium because of Covid. It’s always a spectacle to return here.
