Victory is the thing that is most missing, the most evident and worrying absence for a team that has nevertheless been renewed and is still looking for a well-defined identity. However, so far an equally important, albeit less visible, aspect has been missing. An attitude and a way of being that has nothing to do with tactics and technique, but when it’s there it’s noticeable and it also enriches the tactical approach and technical qualities: it’s the competitive malice, the anger that doesn’t let go of a ball and even allows some gaps to be filled. It’s not about going hard on an opponent or reacting to a mistake, but it means being ready and convinced in what you do. Gather around the group. If a team has “anger”, is “bad”, its fans – and those of the opponents – notice it immediately.
It cannot be said that the Catanzaro seen so far has had it. It was probably also this that Alberto Aquilani was referring to, after the defeat in Monza, underlining that “you cannot mark an opponent in the penalty area from two meters away”. If Catanzaro conceded two goals from as many crosses in the small area, the blame is to be shared between the players – who have to defend attached to the opponent in their own area – and the coach who has to prepare them for certain situations, but beyond this it is undeniable that the “mental” aspect, i.e. that of malice, was not there. Even and especially in such circumstances. Among other things, it’s something we can work on, maybe they’ve already talked about it to Giovino these days or will do so in the next few days. It’s not about becoming a team of hitters: in the previous two seasons Catanzaro was among the least fouled. But it means not making it easier for those in front of you.
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