Giampaolo: “We must be smart against Bologna”

A point in the derby halted Sampdoria’s three-game losing streak but Marco Giampaolo now expects the team to get back to winning ways – starting with three points against Bologna on Saturday.

“We need a big performance tomorrow so we can get going again with a win in front of our fans,” the coach said at a press conference on the eve of the game.

“You can have bad spells over the course of the season but you must keep working away and honour the shirt you wear with your performances.”

Giampaolo called on his men to use their intelligence against Filippo Inzaghi’s side before setting out what he expects from his side.

“Bologna play a specific brand of football. They get numbers around the ball and they’re good from set pieces. It’s going to be a tough game and we’ll need to play smart.

“I try to get my team to play their way into goalscoring opportunities but you have to be able to roll your sleeves up and scrap too.

“Last week Genoa used long balls and tried to play off rebounds and second balls but we have to be ready for that sort of approach and adapt. You need to be calm and clear-headed to play football well. The derby restored some of that but I expect further improvement tomorrow.”

Finally, the coach insisted the squad have not been distracted by off-field matters involving president Massimo Ferrero this week.

“The players are focused on working hard on the pitch and on honouring the shirt. The directors deals with bureaucratic matters; we have our own jobs to do and we’re just getting on with them.”