Mancini: I'm learning a lot from Fonseca

How do you assess your time at the club so far?

“I started quite slowly. I needed and I still need to really grasp what the boss wants of me and get used to playing with my team-mates. I'm happy to be a part of this squad and I'm learning lots from the coach.”

How has the injury situation affected you in the dressing room? Does it change the way you go into tackles?

“No, it doesn't affect us in that sense because we always go out to win and give our all. As the boss said, we've been very unlucky with injuries – some of them have been the result of knocks and tackles that are just part of the game. We just have to hope we can get through this spell quickly.”

So you don't find yourself pulling out of challenges?

“No, and I can say the same for my team-mates. We train at a high intensity and we tackle the right way in training to ensure we don't injure each other but we always play openly. If we take a knock and bones get broken we can't do anything about that – it's just bad luck. Hopefully our luck will turn soon.”

Do you think switching to a three-man defence would be better for you given your experience at Atalanta?

“I played in a three-man system for two years at Atalanta and learnt lots of new things. Here I'm learning lots with the coach playing four at the back and I'm enjoying it. The main thing is we put everything into it to try and win this game.”

The defence seems to be working better now than in pre-season. Is that down to the tactical work you've been doing or are you growing in confidence as a unit?

“There were lots of new players at the start. The boss was explaining ideas to us that we weren't used to and we struggled a little. By watching the videos and working on the pitch, we've improved. However, it's not just the defenders but the whole team: all 11 players drop back and stick tight together. The same goes for the forwards: if they score a lot, it's also because we're good at playing out from the back.”

How are Gasperini and Fonseca different?

“Gasperini's brand of football is something of a rarity in Italy. He employs man-marking with very specific switches and you only focus on certain opponents. With Fonseca I've learnt to play a zonal system but he wants us to be very aggressive. Before, I wanted to win every duel and sometimes mistimed my challenge but that's wrong – you can't play man-to-man for the whole 90 minutes. I've improved in one-on-ones and learned to hold off. If I keep doing what the boss wants and learning from my more experienced team-mates, I'll become an even better player.”

You seem to do a lot of talking on the pitch. Is that something the coaching staff have told you to do or just the way you play?

“I've always done a lot of talking on the pitch and prodded my team-mates. The coach helps me in that too. He's made me realise that a defender should help the others because from our position we can see the whole pitch. He's asked me to do it and I want to do it because it helps me to improve and I'm also lending the team a hand.”