GATTUSO RUES LACK OF CHARACTER IN MILAN DEFEAT
“I’m left with a bitter taste because I didn't see the right mentality from the team,” Gennaro Gattuso couldn’t hide his disappointment after Napoli’s loss to Milan at the San Paolo on Sunday.
He added: “I'd like to say that I'm the one who takes responsibility but today I wasn’t pleased with the team, especially from a mental point of view. I didn't see character and ruthlessness at the crucial moment of the match. When we needed to show character, we weren’t up to the task.
“From a technical point of view we did what we had to do and I don't think there is this gap between Milan and Napoli. However, when big games come around, we always fall short.
“This has been going on for a long time and obviously it's my fault too because I've been here for a year now.
“Sadly, I’m seeing some attitudes that I don't like. We need to be more clinical and decisive, and instead sometimes sloppiness creeps in. I don’t see the team with the bit between their teeth.
“As a coach, I want to see good technique and football, but without character we are going nowhere. It's time to think as a team – it's not about individuals. The good of the team must come before all else.
“I don't believe that Milan are better than us, but today they had the mentality that we lacked.”
(Photo Getty Images)
