Gattuso: ‘Too easy to talk now, Italy need to keep enthusiasm going’

Gennaro Gattuso reiterates the importance of attitude for Italy against Israel and beyond in World Cup qualifying. ‘It’s too easy to talk now, we are only in the first week.’

It kicks off at the Nagyerdei Stadion in Debrecen on Monday at 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT).

The new coach made his debut with a 5-0 victory over Estonia on Friday, a vast improvement on the last performances under his predecessor Luciano Spalletti.

Gattuso lifts pressure off stuttering Italy

“Before signing for the Nazionale, I had a clear idea on what I wanted to do. I can’t say now if it was the right path or not,” said Gattuso in his press conference.

“For me, what we need to create is enthusiasm, letting the players train with a smile on their faces, without weighing them down with pressure. They stepped up and proved themselves ready, now we have to reap what we have sown.

“It’s good to have this atmosphere around us, but we’ve got to keep it going until next summer. It’s too easy to talk now, we are only in the first week. If it lasts, that will mean we have done well.”

Gattuso started with a 4-2-3-1 formation against Estonia, but was clear at the time that it would not always be possible to maintain that all-attack approach in every game.

With this away fixture against an Israel side that plays 5-4-1, focusing on the counter-attacks, he is ready to adapt.

“It is a match where we need to be very wary of their transitions, as they’ve got players with pep, pace and quality. We worked with having two centre-forwards, but that’s not the issue, it’s how to play the ball in their own half and control the match,” added Gattuso.

There are reports that Giacomo Raspadori and Manuel Locatelli could step into the starting XI for a move to the 4-3-3 system.

“The two strikers can work, but we must always seek balance. These are two players who work hard to connect and give the team depth. It will be a totally different match to the one we had on Friday, as the characteristics of Israel and Estonia are totally different,” continued Gattuso.

“I want to congratulate Cambiaso, Raspadori and the others who came off the bench on Friday, as they had the right attitude and brought vivacity to the side. If you are able to change 45 per cent of the starting XI and maintain that level, it’s a big advantage.”