Gattuso speaks on Higuain, Caldara and Bakayoko
“We are playing against a very difficult opponent in a very difficult arena.
“They can cause us a lot of problems, so we must improve the things that we still don’t do to our best. It takes time to try out new tactics and players, and if you don’t test them out in training, it becomes improvisation on the field.
“Leonardo Pavoletti is one of the best in Serie A when it comes to headers, so we mustn’t give them the opportunity to put crosses in. We’ve got to soak up the pressure when the situation calls for it.
“We could play with a False 9 too, I am not worried. We made choices on the transfer market to fit in also with Financial Fair Play. Higuain allows the wingers to come in and take part in the attack.
“In last week’s friendly, Higuain looked like the angriest man in the world. When he struggles to score goals, he becomes really irritated and that shows what a champion he really is. He’s a player who is giving his all and sends an important signal to his teammates.
“I make my decisions based on what I see in training. The tactical movements have to be perfect in order to play the way I want. You in the media are in fact hurting Caldara, as you can’t destroy a player after one game. He is coming from a very different level and it’s not right to throw him in the garbage dispenser. The club has faith in Caldara and I have no problem giving him time to develop.
“When it comes to Biglia’s role we have Jose Mauri and Andrea Bertolacci. I think it’ll take a while to get Bakayoko up to speed as a playmaker. When you come from a completely different league, you need to learn the cross-field passing, to double up on marking and not to just chase the ball. If you’re not organised, the whole team can struggle.
“He can do it with some hard work, although he needs to learn Italian faster, as it’s not helping him in the locker room.”