Donadoni: “We need initiative and a real willingness to compete against every opponent”

Head coach Roberto Donadoni spoke ahead of Frosinone–Spezia: “I never see matches as impossible missions, and if you want to grow and improve, I believe it’s important to measure yourself against stronger opponents. The standings currently say that Frosinone are ahead of us, so it will take quality and initiative to show what we’re capable of, with the awareness that we can make things difficult for our opponents. They’ve been on an impressive run, but they’ll still have to earn it against us.

Yellow cards and red cards are often linked to lapses in concentration and poor decision-making. If we look at Fellipe Jack’s two yellow cards, for example, they were avoidable bookings, the result of mistakes caused by a lack of clarity in reading the situations.

Hristov is a player who always needs to be managed carefully, but he has a strong desire to be back in the spotlight and to make his contribution. On the left flank, Aurelio will still be unavailable and Fellipe Jack will also miss out; both will work toward being ready for Pescara. We’ll also have to assess Comotto, who’s been dealing with a bout of flu in recent days.

My process of getting to know the squad is now well defined. Of course, those who have played less have had fewer chances to show themselves, but we’re close to completing the picture from that point of view as well.

Out wide, we have players who rely more on running than on direct duels, perhaps more effective at delivering crosses than taking on their man one-on-one. Still, I want to see more initiative from them, a willingness to try something extra. Otherwise, we become predictable and make life easier for the opposition.

Having two or three players in the squad who can read the flow of the game and understand how to approach the opponent is clearly crucial, and that’s something I’m insisting on a lot. If the points come, that’s fine regardless, but we don’t want to settle for anything. I like the idea of giving everything to put the opponent under pressure, and we need to become increasingly good at understanding this concept, because the better we do it, the more satisfaction and positive results we’ll achieve.

Lapadula has returned to training almost fully with the rest of the group. He’s not yet at 100 percent, but he’s training consistently and, even if he may not have 90 minutes in his legs, he has the right attitude to help his teammates.

An coach’s career is like a roller coaster and is heavily tied to results. Seeing Frosinone, who not long ago were at risk of relegation, now at the top with a very similar squad shows that the coach has done a great job and that the team has developed the right mentality after going through an extremely difficult period. The same must apply to us. There’s time, but we can’t waste it, otherwise the path becomes much steeper.

Esposito is improving from a fitness standpoint. He’s a player universally recognized for his high-level qualities; he has great technical ability, and we need to make the most of it. For a player like him, managing moments and being productive in attack is important, but so is his defensive contribution and his work for the team. He has all the potential to become a top-class player, and I’ve told him that myself.

The sense of belonging? Anyone who chooses to wear this shirt must give everything and do everything possible for the good of the Club.

As for the January transfer window, the goal must be to speed things up as much as possible, while still acting sensibly and without reckless haste, which can be counterproductive. Dragging the market out for too long doesn’t help anyone, neither those who stay nor those who are uncertain about their future. A full month for the January window is far too long; half that time would be more than enough".