Claudio Ranieri has warned Sampdoria that they “can’t relax” after the 5-1 win over Brescia and wants to see the “same spirit” against Lazio.
Sampdoria are 16th in Serie A after last weekend’s convincing triumph and the 68-year-old requests the same “motivation and mentality” when the Blucerchiati play third-placed Lazio on Saturday.
Claudio Ranieri has warned Sampdoria that they “can’t relax” after the 5-1 win over Brescia and wants to see the “same spirit” against Lazio.
Sampdoria are 16th in Serie A after last weekend’s convincing triumph and the 68-year-old requests the same “motivation and mentality” when the Blucerchiati play third-placed Lazio on Saturday.
“If we relax after the Brescia match, I will eat the lads alive,” Ranieri said at a press conference. “We can fail, but I don’t want to see them relaxed
“Our spirit remains the same. I want my team, regardless of the results, to always play with the same motivation and mentality.
“It will be a very difficult game against Lazio, they succeed in everything they do and have a [Ciro] Immobile who scores in every possible way.
“They are in no hurry to score, as they know that sooner or later, they will. We must give our all. We have found compactness; we must prove it in every game. We must always play like a team.”
Ranieri revealed he never decides who will play until the night before matchday and said he will “evaluate” on Friday.
“I don’t pick the team during the week, I do it the night before,” he added. “On Friday, we’ll have some shots on target and see how every player is doing. The path is set, but if I see a player drop and another raise his level, I will have to evaluate. There is no player who remains in his best condition for ten months.”
Gaston Ramirez will not make it back in time for the big game and the coach has claimed he needs new defenders at the Marassi this month.
“He [Ramirez] is improving day by day,” Ranieri said. “Any sort of contact, however, causes him a lot of pain. If he’s not back against Sassuolo, he will return against Napoli.
“We need one or two defenders. I know the dynamics of the transfer market; we must stay patient. I don’t like changing for the sake of it. Those who come must improve our side, otherwise we stay like this.”