Mirante: We need to show more desire

Here's what the Italian had to say about the loss...

How do you turn things around?

“I would love to have the recipe, to know how to change things. Clearly it’s not easy to play every three days and prepare well for the games, especially during a tough spell of form. We need to stand up and be counted, do the work with courage and professionalism. Courage, because in the tough moments you need to dig deeper to turn it around.”

Did you struggle with a lack of energy?

“We have the same as the other squads but right now we need to make sure we are doing more than the other teams. We need to approach the games better, today we did badly and we went behind early. The red card then made things even more complicated.

“With 10 men we did better than with 11. In the second half the team was pretty stretched and in the end they got the second goal.”

During the period where we didn’t know whether the season would resume – how much desire was there within the squad for a restart?

“It wasn’t easy to hear the opinion of so many not living in the dressing room. One day it seemed like we would restart, two days later the doubts were back. So that created so many opinions and debates, between teams that wanted to play and others that didn’t – but once the decision was made to restart then you can’t make any excuses. Everyone has had the same difficulties and issues to overcome. I don’t think it’s right to pursue this angle.

“Right now it is tough to analyse the games. It could be a physical thing – but I don’t want to make excuses, every side is in the same shape. We didn’t start well today, we didn’t have the required desire – especially for a team looking to bounce back from a defeat like we had in Milan.”

How can you turn it around, with a tough game against Napoli next?

“We need to pick up as many points as possible, with a hunger and desire to win them all. We need to rediscover the confidence that we should have with being part of a big club.

"In moments like this you can lose a bit of confidence, especially among the younger players, and us older ones have to help show the way. We need to be hungry and determined. With so many games so close together the tension can build and you have to try and ease that.”