Gian Piero Gasperini insists Atalanta must ‘look forward’ after a disappointing defeat to Fiorentina, admitting ‘it was an off day’ for all his players at the Stadio Franchi.
A couple of weeks ago, Atalanta were talking about Scudetto ambitions, but back-to-back losses mean they now have to look over their shoulders to keep hold of third place.
The battle for a top four finish and Champions League qualification is tighter than ever, especially as La Dea still have to go head-to-head with Lazio and Bologna this season.
“We must always look forward in life, looking behind you is of no use. We have eight games to play, five of them at home, and are still competitive, ahead of many teams despite today’s defeat,” Gasperini told DAZN.
“Clearly, it is also true that we need to change gears.”
Atalanta disappointed Gasperini today
Gasperini was forced to watch from the stands of the Stadio Artemio Franchi, as he was given a touchline ban following the red card for dissent in the 2-0 defeat to Inter.
His team was beaten again without finding the net or even getting a shot on target, this time 1-0 by Fiorentina when Moise Kean pounced on an Isak Hien error in the centre-circle.
“There were only four players in training the first week, which was then reduced to three when Ederson got called by Brazil,” added Gasperini.
“I know everyone is dealing with international duty, but we lacked the dynamism and fitness levels to cause problems for Fiorentina. We didn’t have the energy today, we just have to put it behind us and look forward.
“I actually think we did better than Fiorentina in the first half, but complicated life for ourselves with that error for the goal right before half-time.
“Now we have to rediscover the focus and energy we had in the previous matches. When you have these days, you must have the strength to shelve it and get beyond that.”
Atalanta have been stuttering in particular with their home form, but this was their first Serie A away defeat for seven months.
“I thought we had a strong performance against Inter, while the week before that we beat Juventus 4-0. It’s true we dropped points at home against teams who on paper were easier, but when you lack dynamism and your legs aren’t responding, it becomes difficult to take men on,” continued Gasperini.
“The situation is that there are many teams crammed together in a few points, we are among them, and there are still a lot of head-to-head clashes coming up. That means the others too will inevitably ...
