Sinisa Mihajlovic admits Bologna were ‘absolutely dreadful’ in the first half with Crotone, but his half-time team talk transformed them for a 3-2 victory.

The Rossoblu were 2-0 down at the break, but got it back on level terms with two goals in eight minutes, before the late Andreas Skov Olsen winner.

“We were absolutely dreadful in the first half,” Mihajlovic told Sky Sport Italia, who at one point was so furious that he threw his cap on the ground.

Sinisa Mihajlovic admits Bologna were ‘absolutely dreadful’ in the first half with Crotone, but his half-time team talk transformed them for a 3-2 victory.

The Rossoblu were 2-0 down at the break, but got it back on level terms with two goals in eight minutes, before the late Andreas Skov Olsen winner.

“We were absolutely dreadful in the first half,” Mihajlovic told Sky Sport Italia, who at one point was so furious that he threw his cap on the ground.

“We changed system in the second half, put different players on, and I told the lads that if we managed to score a goal and not conceded another, we’d not only not lose this game, we could go on to win. I was proved right.

“Just as awful as we were in the first half, we did brilliantly after the break. We even had three or four chances to win by a bigger margin.

“It is a concern that we have these ups and downs, because it’s an issue of mentality. During the week I constantly told them about their attitude and what I expected to see here. Instead there was no determination or sense of responsibility.”

Did Mihajlovic give Bologna players the hairdryer treatment during the half-time break?

“In the old days, I would’ve smashed up the entire locker room. Today I decided to be more reflective, focus on their pride and their dignity, because it’s not possible that a team like ours fails to create a single opportunity and is 2-0 down against Crotone, with all due respect.

“I tried to show my faith in them, saying a goal would change the game. It’s so strange, we beat Lazio 2-0, three days later the same players lost to Cagliari without creating a single chance. We beat Sampdoria deservedly, then played this first half with very few changes.”

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