Gian Piero Gasperini believes Atalanta and Josip Ilicic were simply “lacking confidence” ahead of this two-round winning streak.
The Slovenia international was out for months with a bacterial infection of the lymph nodes, spending the summer in and out of hospital.
Since his return to the starting XI, they have crushed Chievo 5-1 and got the better of Parma 3-0.
Gian Piero Gasperini believes Atalanta and Josip Ilicic were simply “lacking confidence” ahead of this two-round winning streak.
The Slovenia international was out for months with a bacterial infection of the lymph nodes, spending the summer in and out of hospital.
Since his return to the starting XI, they have crushed Chievo 5-1 and got the better of Parma 3-0.
“All games are difficult and in the balance, so it took some patience for us to break through,” Gasp told Sky Sport Italia.
“Goals have never been a problem for this team. Quite simply, after our Europa League elimination, we had a black-out period and needed to rely on some certainties like Ilicic when he recovered. This’ll help the newcomers to settle too.
“It was crucial that we keep on playing, regardless of results. We always had plenty of chances, but were struggling to finish them off, largely due to a lack of confidence.
“Ilicic is a great player and with him and Papu Gomez together, we’ll inevitably create scoring opportunities. Ilicic’s illness was very strange and created a lot of problems, as when he returned to training, he was a little timorous.
“It’s an experience that left its mark on him, but he has returned stronger than ever.”