D’Aversa: “We mustn’t lower our guard”

Roberto D’Aversa asked for consistency after last week’s win at Salernitana and consistency is what he got – with another good performance and another win, against Hellas Verona. Not that it was all plain sailing, as the coach himself explained after the final whistle.

“We conceded against the run of play but the lads responded well and got the better of both Verona and our misfortune. When we go out there and play with that conviction we’re capable of turning bad situations in our favour. Besides anything else, we were up against the league’s form team.”

Second-half goals by Antonio Candreva and Albin Ekdal completed the turnaround before Nicola Murru netted a late third just four minutes after coming off the bench – Sampdoria’s first substitute goal of 2021/22.

“Murru and the others did a great job when they came on: they made the difference and helped us wrap up the win.

“When you play well and pick up results, it boosts morale in the camp but we mustn’t get carried away or lower our guard just because we’ve won a couple. We’re still smarting from that run when we couldn’t win games. These two victories are the result of the hard work everyone has put in: those who start, those who come off the bench and even those who remain on the bench.”

Next on the horizon is a trip to Florence on Tuesday.

“There’s no time to celebrate,” D’Aversa concluded. “We have to recover well and prepare for our trip to Fiorentina. We must go there and play as a team.”