Torino manager Paolo Vanoli addressed the media ahead of his team’s match against Como, emphasizing the need for points after four consecutive defeats across all competitions. The Granata will host Andrea Belotti’s Como tomorrow evening, aiming for their first victory since September 20th.
Vanoli began by discussing the team’s current state: “We’re doing very well, apart from the frustration in Cagliari. We’ve analyzed it, and now we’re thinking less about performances and more about points. We need the desire and determination to improve in what we’re conceding, so the desire not to concede goals, and to collect points to reverse the negative trend.”
When asked about Como’s manager Cesc Fabregas, Vanoli expressed admiration: “I faced him last year, and during the Chelsea period, I coached him, so to speak. He’s a player who taught me a lot, and I take him as an example: he’s a winning player. They’ve brought in many quality players, but we’re focusing on ourselves and moving forward on our path.”
Regarding potential lineup changes, Vanoli stated, “It depends on who’s available. We’re recovering many players, we’ll see one game at a time.”
The manager confirmed that Antonio Sanabria would play despite recent illness: “Yes, he had a fever yesterday but today he’s fine and training. Karamoh and Pedersen have also recovered from fever, we’re fortunate.”
Addressing the team’s defensive issues, Vanoli said: “We’ve conceded but also scored in the last 15 minutes, it’s not a matter of physical condition. It’s a question of attention and concentration, it needs to be trained every day: not on the field, but in the details. And we’re adjusting it.”
Vanoli also revealed that club president Urbano Cairo had visited the team: “He came to motivate the squad, it was important when things aren’t going well. It was a motivational speech.”
On the possibility of switching to a four-man defense, Vanoli remained open: “I’m not a fundamentalist, I’ve always said this could be an option, but you also have to look at midfielders and attackers to know what you can do. It’s a collective discussion, the goals conceded can be improved with a five-man or four-man defense.”
The manager praised Sanabria’s recent performances: “He’s made great performances, scored for the national team and in Cagliari. He’s a guy who takes his responsibilities, that’s what we were looking for from everyone.”
Vanoli concluded by discussing the team’s mentality: “It’s an individual job, the goals conceded are in many cases because we lose our man. And then there’s the aspect of the mind… I’m determined, I knew I would go through these moments, but if we pass them, we become stronger.”
