Monza’s head coach Alessandro Nesta addressed the media in a press conference ahead of their crucial home match against Udinese on Monday. With the team struggling in the league and coming off a heavy Coppa Italia defeat, Nesta faced questions about the team’s performance, potential reinforcements, and his approach moving forward.
Nesta acknowledged the team’s current shortcomings but remained optimistic: “We’re missing a piece. We still need to recover players. It always seems like we’re missing just a little, but it’s a little of something big. The team has shown it has possibilities, but we need to bring the matches home.”
Addressing the possibility of seeking excuses, Nesta was firm: “I’ve never looked for excuses and I’ve never given them to the team. I know the next matches are difficult, but personally, I’m going my own way. I’m not looking for excuses, I’m not looking for anything.”
When asked about potential reinforcements in the January transfer window, Nesta admitted: “We can improve, we’ll have to do something. We’re talking about it. When serious injuries happen like the one to Gagliardini, we have to think. Monza has some gaps, but so do all teams.”
Reflecting on the heavy Coppa Italia defeat to Bologna, Nesta explained his risky selection choices: “I made very risky choices because I need as many players as possible available. The 4-0 result hurts everyone, we thought Bologna would rotate more. This defeat bothered everyone.”
Nesta identified areas for improvement: “Our strength is our quality and our defense. We need to improve up front, especially since we’ve made a lot of mistakes in recent matches. We’ve improved, but we need to be more confident in that area of the field. I have to convince my players to be more decisive and to have the taste for hurting the opponent.”
On the injury front, Nesta provided updates on several players, including positive news about Ciurria’s recovery.
Looking at the team’s evolution since he took charge, Nesta offered an optimistic view: “We started a bit scared, but slowly we’ve reached our identity. We’ve been through a lot: peace, arguments. The most beautiful image is the smile even after defeats. My image of the team is positive.”
Nesta concluded by praising Petagna’s contract renewal as “a great gesture, not everyone does it,” and emphasized that players should focus on securing safety before thinking about contract renewals.
