Gattuso: “Now we have to keep going”

Gennaro Gattuso reacted to Valencia CF’s 5-1 win over Getafe CF in his post-match press conference, reviewing an impressive showing at Mestalla on LaLiga Matchday 4.

To what extent is today a day in which you don't have to analyse and should just enjoy it?

I'm a little angry. I think that with the way we played, the goal that we conceded was avoidable. Then we made several bad passes and had the red card for Ilaix. We always have to play with concentration for 100 minutes. I lost a final against Liverpool. You have to respect football and give it your all. My team always trains to the fullest and I'm very happy with how we played. Now we are going to rest and then we are going to prepare for the match against Rayo, in which we will have to run a lot because it will be a difficult game.

How are Diakhaby and Marcos André?

Marcos has a problem with his nose. He has gone to the hospital. I don't know if it’s a fracture or not. With Diakhaby, I don’t think he has any injury. He was tired. Tomorrow we have training and then the medical staff will make a medical report.

In the first half you hit Samu Castillejo. Why was that?

That's me. In football you have to have respect and you have to play seriously, and I think there was a time when he was playing for show. I look at football in this way, because for me it is something that is very serious.

To what extent is victory important to reinforce the team's style?

Yesterday you all said that the team had only scored one goal. When I look at my team and I see that we are the team with the fourth highest possession, who always play in the final metres, it seems to me that it is very important data. We have to play with quality and I think we just have to improve. I am not worried. You and I have to talk to help the team. I see a lot of negativity. When we lose: Negativity. This is a young team that have to improve day after day. If they hear all day that they are not good, that they can't play at Mestalla, then we're not going to help these players. I know this is a historic club, but now it's another era. We have to work with young players. When you lose, it is not necessary to say that nothing works. We all have to help. Together we can do something big.

What can this team fight to achieve?

The objective of this team is to go game-by-game. I would like to get to eighth place, to seventh place… but the team are not there yet. Now, week after week, the mentality and quality of play will improve. Afterwards, when you lose a game, everything is not a disaster. I think this is a young team with quality. It was impossible for me to think that in 2 months we could play like this. I'm very happy. We are not handsome -we are ugly- but we have to work the same way.

How do you rate the support of the stands?

The fans are incredible. Playing here is tough for the opposition. The fans push a lot. We are always looking forward, putting pressure on the opponents. I think the fans like this and we have to keep it up. When we play at Mestalla we always have to play with the same intensity.

How important is it for you that players like Lato, Nico, Lino and Castillejo scored?

If we are going to look at the data from Napoli and Milan, I always had a lot of players who scored. I like total football, with four or five players attacking. It's normal for me. Here you are a nation that for many years has understood that the striker is not the most important thing. When you have quality and a good pass, we can all score.

What did Valencia CF do differently to score five goals?

I don’t know. I was calm because when we played the match against Athletic and Atletico, the team looked dangerous. You have to score, but the team have always played to score goals. I wasn't worried. Lato's first goal helped a lot. Now we have to keep going.

Lato has always been in the shadow of Gayà, but today he had a great match. How do you rate his performance?

I am lucky to have a player like Toni, and many more. He is incredible. I have talked a lot with Toni because when I saw his data he was always injured. I have worked with him and he has listened to me. He has a problem because in all the training sessions he goes all-out, and you can’t do that. He doesn't know how to control himself and it's normal for him to get injured. It’s important to explain the importance of workload. He is an amazing and humble guy. He is the ideal man for my daughter, but she is very young - only 18 years old.

Castillejo said that he had found a team that was afraid of having the ball. How do you see the mentality of the team now?

When we lose a game, it's my fault, I'm a bad coach and I don't understand anything. It's my style. I want to protect my team. When I see that my team don’t train and are not professional, don’t worry, because I will speak differently to them. But when I see how they work, with players who have been around for a long time and always speak positively, it is impossible for me to speak negatively. It’s normal. You can lose. When I see them like this, because of how they are in the dressing room and the Ciudad Deportiva, I'm committed to them.

There was a time when the average age of the team was 22 years old. Do you see youth as something positive or negative?

I say it’s positive. Italy have missed two World Cups. In Italy they say all day that young players do not play in Serie A. I am fortunate to coach young players. I’m not afraid to coach young players. If they are intelligent, they can always learn, if they come wanting to work and have quality. Look at Musah, look at Diakhaby, look at everyone. They have football intelligence.

How do you work on stopping negativity?

Before the game I told the players that everything here always seems to be a disaster. We have to play. Playing here is difficult. Today all the players look at the internet and read what is written about them. When I was 25 years old I stopped reading about myself. Before, I saw that they criticised me and it killed me. Then I stopped looking. Now I don't look either, but the kids look all day. A player knows if he plays well or badly. The players need us to be united with you.