Gattuso Tells Lazio to Hunt Juventus 'Without Fear' as Pellegrini Returns to Squad

Gattuso: 'They are stronger than us, but I want to see a team that trades blow for blow'

Gennaro Gattuso has conceded that Juventus are the stronger side ahead of Lazio's trip to Turin on Sunday, but the Biancocelesti coach insists his players will walk out at the Allianz Stadium without a trace of fear.

Lazio head into the seventh round of Serie A near the top of the table with 16 points from their opening six matches, chasing a third consecutive victory after beating Monza last weekend. Speaking at his pre-match press conference at Formello, and quoted via TuttoMercatoWeb, Gattuso played down the significance of the standings so early in the campaign.

"Tomorrow is the seventh round, so that's reductive, because there will still be 31 games to go," he said. "We have to go to Turin aware that we are facing a great team that has reaped less than it has sown. What interests me is courage. We have to play a game of mentality, without fear. They are stronger than us, but I want to see a team that takes them on and trades blow for blow. Being afraid gets us nothing. We are on a journey and we have to improve game by game. We are doing a lot of good things, but I want to see further improvement. No fear, no fright."

A Juventus side that can play with 'two, three or four attackers'

The Lazio boss expects a varied threat from a Juventus team that has reshaped its squad in recent seasons, warning his defenders they will have to cope with multiple attacking shapes on Sunday.

"We're playing a team that can play with two, three or four attackers," Gattuso explained. "They've changed a lot. They've scored three or four goals from crosses and they systematically get bodies back into the box. They are physical at set pieces and have pace out wide, which is why tomorrow we'll need a lot of courage. If we hide away in the shed, we won't get anywhere. We have to go hard, at very high intensity, and then we'll see. They are a great team."

Gattuso wants that intensity maintained from first whistle to last, but not at the expense of Lazio's defensive organisation. "It can and must be done, but then we'll also need to be good at forming a defensive block," he said. "It will depend on the different areas of the pitch. Even when we regroup and form a block, we must always look to nip forward. When there's no pressure on the ball, with their quality, they will always put you in difficulty. We'll need mentality and desire."

Pellegrini reinstated as Gattuso keeps his line-up under wraps

Gattuso confirmed that Luca Pellegrini has been brought back into the squad list and will make the trip to Turin, although he declined to reveal his starting XI.

"Pellegrini has been reinstated to the squad list and will travel with us. The club decided that, and he is fully available," he said. "I won't answer on the line-up, because I'd be giving the others an advantage. We'll put out our best team."

The coach also explained where he believes Lazio must sharpen up in possession, after a sloppy display in the opening exchanges against Monza. "We mustn't play line to line, making pointless one-metre passes. We lost a lot of balls playing out after Monza's goal. We need to occupy space better, both in and out of possession. We can improve, but it's not a physical issue, because you run far more chasing opponents than staying with your marking references. We need to be smart in understanding the game and occupying the pitch in the best way."

Blackouts, the goalkeeper, and a warning to his squad

Lazio's recurring lapses in concentration remain Gattuso's biggest concern, and he admitted his side has been fortunate not to be punished more severely this season.

"We mustn't have the 15 to 20-minute blackouts we keep having," he said. "Against Monza, from the 57th minute onwards, we suffered little, but in those minutes, if they had scored three goals they wouldn't have stolen anything, and against Milan it was a carbon copy. In Venice it was the same for 20 to 25 minutes, and that's where we need to improve. We mustn't get overrun. We need to hold the pitch better and read things better. We have to improve, because we've been lucky, and we have a goalkeeper with more than four goals prevented who is papering over the cracks. We have to improve if we want to keep going like this."

Praise for Belahyane and Taylor

Gattuso said his entire squad has impressed him this season, singling out Belahyane's resilience after a difficult start to life at the club.

"We have increased the minutes in training and revved up the engine, and the squad always works with great seriousness," he said. "We have a duty to grow. We also watch games like yesterday's, where it's played man-to-man, and if you get something slightly wrong they put you in difficulty. We need to read situations better."

He added: "All the players are surprising me. In '97, when I started, you took three players on the bench at Glasgow Rangers, and I'm not talking about 1950... Now there are five, which means you can change 50 per cent of your outfield players. Football has changed, and players have to be ready because they can always make an impact. The credit for all those who are doing well after finding little space last year goes to them, because they are pushing hard. At the start, Belahyane couldn't finish training sessions and would come to my office to apologise, but he doesn't need to apologise to me. He is pushing and playing a leading role, like others."

Gattuso reserved particular praise for Taylor's growing influence on Lazio's build-up play. "When we play through our chains on the flank, he makes them work well. He drops deep and helps us get out of the first press," he said. "I complimented him, because at the start he didn't press like this, whereas now he goes at it with real vehemence. He's a very important player for us, both in and out of possession, and I can see what he gives the team. His runs in behind when we work the chains also give us great solutions. Then we have to decide whether to keep him or Nuno in the central zone. It's a question of occupying space and developing play well through the chains. For me he's doing very, very well."

'Today I'm a different coach from when I started 12 years ago'

The former Milan midfielder also addressed the criticism he has faced across his coaching career, insisting he has learned not to let outside voices shape his thinking.

"If I had listened to everyone who commented on me over my 17-year career, I would have achieved a quarter of what I have," Gattuso said. "I think that, in these years as a coach, not everyone has been honest with me. I'm not a whinger. Only one team wins, and then you have to look at the work done over the years. Fortunately I don't lack anything. I love this job because football gives me butterflies in my stomach, and after two or three months at home I miss it.

"I enjoy this job more than when I was playing; I feel it's more mine. Then in life you always have to prove yourself. There will be negative moments and smacks in the face. You have to accept them and move on. Today I'm a different coach from when I started 12 years ago. I have more knowledge, but there's always something to learn and improve. There are many colleagues who come up with something different every year, so you always have to stay up to date and study to find different solutions."