Spalletti: "We lost too many balls cheaply"

FLORENCE - 2018 started with a draw for Luciano Spalletti’s Inter as a Mauro Icardi goal wasn’t enough to leave the Stadio Franchi with three points. "This week, there were different difficult situations," said Luciano Spalletti after the final whistle. "Nagatomo wasn’t well, Ranocchia was affected by an issue in the Lazio match but he gritted his teeth and made a contribution in a stoic way. The difficulties were clear but we’ll take this point."

“We lost too many balls cheaply and this created problems for us in terms of our build-up play and with counter-attacks,” Spalletti added. “We lacked spirit and character during duels and at certain points of the match. It was a tough game. We managed to take the lead through Mauro (Icardi), but they pressed hard in the final stages. We lost out in the melee and they deservedly got the equaliser. We didn’t manage to finish off our chances on the counter-attack, where we should have made it 2-0. With some better balls we would've managed to secure the result. 

“We must make the effort to give something more on an individual basis, especially considering the quality that we have,” he concluded. “I would like the lads involved to help contribute to the collective value of the team.”