Rudi Garcia Press Conference Ahead Of Genoa Match

RAI – a few weeks ago you said that in close matches you would give some space to all the players in the squad. Could this happen as soon as tomorrow considering the Champions League and the tour de force, as you recall?
Garcia:  I will give space to those who deserve it and those who are ready, but most of all, yes, the team that starts tomorrow will not be the same as the one that started against Lazio.

Sport Italia – In place of Politano, I don’t know if you have seen the national team, certainly you would have seen Raspadori, the concept always comes back to you, that you see him in several parts of the pitch, midfielder, winger. Do you have a judgment on the Raspadori that you saw with the national team?
Garcia:  I wasn’t able to watch all the matches because I have too many players who play for their national teams. It’s not like I have 10 eyes to see all matches at the same time, but I know that Raspa played 70 minutes, focusing on the second match. He didn’t play the first one, he played a minute I think when he came in. But it is also part of the solutions for him, to play striker. When I talk about him, I have always said that he can play in all of the attacking positions. Of the attacking positions, there is the number 9, but he can also play as a midfielder because he has the qualities to do so. Let’s say that it would be better for him to not only be a central striker knowing that we have a player like Victor Osimhen in the squad. Then it becomes difficult to find space and playing time. He is good at playing everywhere and we will use him where there is space and where the team requires. A player who has already played a lot with us, from the beginning for the first two matches and as the first to enter the third, this tells you that he is a player important to me for our team.

Gazzetta dello Sport – I wanted to ask you a question starting from a fact: Napoli is first in ball possession and first in attempted shots. Are you satisfied with what you have seen so far?
Garcia:  we won the first two, it’s not that we made a mistake in the third, we had an excellent first half. Let’s say that one area we have to improve on managing the match is when you have the chance to score goals, we have to be effective and score goals, as was possible in the first half. Also, at the start of the second half, we started well. I remember Piotr’s shot at least hit the target, because the problem of the last two games, even if we scored two goals against Sassuolo, was that we didn’t hit the target very much. Therefore if we have to improve we obviously have to be able to manage the whole match with a quality game and defensive effectiveness. But if this isn’t the case, at least during our strong phases, [we have to score] and  be effective, and thus make the match a little easier for yourself, in case the first two shots from the opposing team find the back of the goal, which as was the case against Lazio for example.

Corriere dello Sport – When De Laurentiis says there is a lot to work on, after two months as the coach, how much is there to work on?
Garcia:  But the president said this to himself. He is obviously right that there is a lot to work on. Above all, we have a stretch of seven games in 23 days where we have to show that we have already done important work. But there are still things to do and improve on or to keep because as your colleague said earlier, having important ball possession and dribbling is one of the qualities of this team and we must make the most of it and above all, to finish our opportunities. And I return to the second statistic which, as I said, is fine. However, it is important to take the most important goal, and therefore there are parameters that we must cultivate when it is positive and improve upon when it is more negative. The whole season will require this team to improve knowing that, when you play every three days, you obviously have less time to make a difference. Let’s say I work with the team 100% on a physical level but yes it always needs to be improved on all points.

Corriere della Sera – Natan had the opportunity to work with those who remained here at Castel Volturno for about ten days, how valuable was the work he did and is he now ready to play as a starter?
Garcia:  He will be more ready because we have done specific work with him. The time that we did not have with him during the preparation retreats was also dedicated to him on some points. I remind you that he arrived 7/8 days before the Frosinone match so we focused, as you say, on making him work. He also arrived with a little discomfort in his knee that he had in Bragantino and this is going away a bit. So he, like the others, why are you fixated on Natan? But all the others, they are ready. I’m happy, for example, since you talk about the central defense, that Leo Ostigard played 90 minutes twice because you forget it, I don’t, for example, and the good thing about this national break that is that those who needed playing time, Kvara, Jens Cajuste, Ostigard, Elmas, all of them have at least played, were  involved and are ready for this tour de force, as I heard it, as you call it.

Il Mattino – Tomorrow evening in Genoa What game do you expect and what game do you think Napoli can play after the stop against Lazio and what Genoa expects
Garcia:  Thank you for talking about Genoa since tomorrow’s match is Genoa-Napoli. For the moment, let’s talk about the opponent of the match. Genoa has an excellent team, yes they are newly promoted, but they’re a great club. The important thing for us, apart from having studied this team which is clearly solid on a defensive level, I remember that they won 1-0 against Lazio, and then I will also be happy to meet a player like Kevin Strootman who will be my opponent tomorrow. They are a team that does not give you a lot, obviously they started badly at home against Fiorentina, playing with their usual game module, but then they changed formation and achieved, not two not two positive results given that they won 1-0 against Lazio but they lost at the last moment in Turin, but they recovered let’s say. It’s a team that we definitely have to play in a very serious way and above all respect this team in their stadium, where it’s always difficult to win.  But let’s go there for this reason knowing that the word to watch for us is to think 100% about the championship and this match. There is no other match after this, as if the championship ends in Genoa and there is nothing after that. I don’t want the team to already have other things in mind so our focus is 100% on this match to win.

Canale 8 – The difficulties of the match you will play tomorrow, you made a quick mention now of the fact that you need to be very concentrated only on the match against Genoa. And I imagine you were perhaps referring to the distraction that can come from the Champions League match which will be played only a few days later.  But beyond this mental problem, do you believe, you barely had them, practically a couple of days, that there was waste left in the heads of the players after the bad second half, in short, against Lazio, the difficulties, the goals conceded, the valid ones and the invalid ones, and so, is there a bit of anxiety on the part of the players for tomorrow?
Garcia:  I don’t think and I hope not. There is no reason for this. We have to be more effective in attack and it would be good, like against Sassuolo, to keep a clean sheet and not concede a goal, because it’s always easier to win a match if you are solid defensively. However, there must be the awareness that the team has excellent players and a quality collective game that must lead you to score at least one goal more than the opponent, so we are ready, let’s say.  The key, in my opinion, is to be ready on a physical level and get all the guys who left, who played every three days, from the beginning to the season, for some to recover.

Canale 21 – Players like Victor Osimhen and Kvicha Kvaratskhelia, also returning from their commitments, how do they motivate themselves? In particular, I am addressing Kvaratskhelia who hasn’t scored for some time. What kind of work has he done or will he do in his head?
Garcia:  Will do because I could do nothing. He came back yesterday, he played 90 minutes twice with his Georgia team, with difficulty in the first match for them. A lot of difficulty is a little better in the second. I’m not worried about Khvicha, about whether he will find the goal. If he missed it against Lazio, especially in the first half, he was a bit unlucky to have some shots blocked or deflected near the post. He will score some goals and some assists, as long as he’s fine. He wasn’t ready to play 90 minutes against Lazio, but the fact that he played the entire match twice with his Georgia is good news for us, so now at least physically he’s ready. There’s the rhythm of the match.

Radio Kiss Kiss – In the last two weeks, there has been a lot of talk about the positioning of Stanislav Lobotka, reference has also been made to a statistic: it is not true that this boy is playing fewer balls than last season but he simply occupies a slightly different position compared to the previous seasons. Are happy with how Stanislav is interpreting the 4-3-3 as Rudi Garcia intends it?
Garcia:  Above all, we saw a Lobotka who, let’s say, found himself again on a physical level, against Lazio. He was the best on the pitch and in midfield we found a healthy man, capable of making the others play to balance the team defensively. Like the others, Lazio’s two counterattack episodes between the 60th minute and the 75th minute, however, I see him well. He’s truly an important player and therefore, as you said, he will touch the ball as he has done in the past, knowing that we are not playing against three teams that don’t look at the qualities of Napoli and if there is a player who needs to be blocked. For example, tomorrow in Genoa, as usual we will find an opposing midfielder that will do individual marking, not only on Lobotka but perhaps also on the two other midfielders. We have to adapt. It doesn’t matter if Stan doesn’t touch 100 balls, as long as the others touch them and use them well. Then so be it if he stays in the best position, he touches many balls and lets the team play. Then it’s fine, but I’ve already explained to you that having a single plan is very dangerous. If you only have one center forward who scores 40 goals for you, and the others zero, the day you are missing the center forward is complicated. if you only have one player to get the ball out from the back and he isn’t there because he is injured, then you are in difficulty. So I want 11 players capable of building play. at least 7 behind the 3 attackers, and also the whole team capable of scoring goals so we will be more dangerous from all sides.  I don’t know if I answered ok but this is my idea

Info Napoli 24 – To be more concrete and effective in front of goal, as you said before, it might also be time to see Osimhen-Simeone together
Garcia:  We saw when we wanted to overturn the result, and therefore it could also be a solution.  I liked the fact that when Cholito came on we had two situations, even in extra time, with an overlap of Raspadori which almost resulted in a goal or a penalty. And then, it would have been this opportunity from a corner, from both Juan Jesus and Lindstrom, the boys know this. We have to be sure that we can score goals at any second of the match because we have strong players.  Cholito also gives us a chance. However, we have talked about Raspa as a number 9, so maybe I have to invent playing with three center forwards.