Serie A Tim - 25 Sep 2007 - 3:50 PM
Ranieri: “I want us to play like we did in Rome”
Three days after the excellent performance in Rome, Claudio Ranieri and all Juventus supporters have the chance to check the team's progress thanks to a mid-week fixture. Wednesday evening Ficcadenti's Reggina come to the Turin Olimpico, with fewer points than they would've deserved.
The Roma-born coach, who reaches 200 Serie A matches as a Manager with this game, knows what kind of match to expect: “It's another important test. I don't think Reggina will come here just to defend. I watched the video of their match against Roma, they did very well and they blew the match in one single minute, when Roma scored and they had a man sent off. They're a good team, they have their own style and excellent team play, and up front they can rely on a player like Amoruso. They're organized and they'll come here to put up a fight”.
The question about what kind of Juve to expect gets an easy answer. Ranieri wants to see a repeat performance of the one against the Giallorossi. “It's important that we play another excellent match, especially as we'll be at home and things didn't go well the last time we played here. We have to remain with our feet on the ground and play like we did in Rome. The strength of this team is its’ humble attitude, playing like a small team, fighting for every ball. Will I play three up front? I have three marvellous strikers and it's always a shame to keep one of them out. We will see them together again sooner or later, but the important thing is not to lose that attitude”.
The Manager however is not worrying about the attack so much, he’s thinking more about the defence, particularly regarding the search for Andrade's best possible substitute. In any case, Domenico Criscito still remains a player he counts on. “I found criticism against him excessive – concluded the Manager -, he played a good match: he was exceptional in breaking down attacks. He was a bit naive on the first goal, but these things happen when you face a great player like Totti. I still rely on him; he only needs to gather experience and when the team gets even tighter then he'll improve too. He's young and he needs time; besides, other much more renowned defenders made mistakes. Who'll take Andrade's place? I have different solutions to ponder over”.