Lazio beat Parma 2-1 on 24 October. Gennaro Gattuso said his side needed to take it one game at a time and said Lazio “don’t really belong up there”.
Match and table position
Football Italia said Lazio were, for at least a night, alone at the top of the table while waiting for Inter's match against Fiorentina on Sunday.
Football Italia said Christos Mandas made three big saves on dangerous Parma counter-attacks before Lazio broke through in the second half.
Football Italia said Kenneth Taylor scored after running onto a Reda Belahyane pass that ricocheted off Diego Carlos. The same outlet said Diego Carlos then accidentally put a Nuno Tavares cross into his own net.
Football Italia said Simone Lontani's cross bounced in off the inside of the far post during added time.
Gattuso on Lazio's form
Gattuso told Sky Sport Italia: “I appreciated the mentality of the team. We got a bit worried with their counter-attacks in the first half and were naïve at times, but then we raised the tempo and took control of the situation.”
Gattuso said: “The way this team trains, approaches the match, I can only be pleased. We improved in the last couple of games, we didn’t take our foot off the gas the way we did against Milan and Monza, so that is a step in the right direction.”
Gattuso said: “Every match has its difficulties, but the side is in good shape, we can hurt our opponents, but only if we play at the right tempo. If we play with a sluggish tempo, we’re not effective.”
Continued Gattuso: “It depends on us, I feel at this moment we need to take it one game at a time.”
Gattuso said: “We frankly don’t really belong up there, it’s not something that touches us, but we are still writing a nice page in the history books of this club. Every match, another 200-300 people enter the stadium, so we’ve got to keep going.”
Curva Nord and the scene outside
Gattuso said: “I want to thank the Curva Nord, as they waited for the lads when we entered the gates of the Stadio Olimpico. We’ve got to keep our feet on the ground, keep going with this enthusiasm, and then see where we end up.”
Football Italia said Lazio's ultras gathered in the streets earlier on 24 October to protest against President Claudio Lotito and have refused to step into the Stadio Olimpico for months.
Training, rest and Pellegrini
Asked if the lack of European commitments is a benefit for the Biancocelesti rather than a hindrance, Gattuso said: “It does give us some benefits, because we can work hard in training, then rest the players, a bit like they do in England. In the last three months, we’ve given 20 days off to the players.”
Gattuso said: “It’s because we can work with great intensity for two days, then give a full day off, they are refreshed then both physically and mentally. That’s what I call invisible recovery work, and it is certainly giving us an advantage.”
Gattuso replied: “He’ll be a free agent in a few months, so the club quite rightly made its decision to exclude both Pellegrini and Patric. I am the coach, if the club decides that, then I have to accept it.”
Gattuso said: “Once the summer transfer session was over, we could add two more players and some names were mentioned, but honestly I said no because I know the atmosphere in the locker room.”
Gattuso said: “Patric was sold, Pellegrini remained, and as he was behaving well in training, we let him play some friendly matches. That is where the decision was made.”
Gattuso said: “We know his contract is running down, but as long as he behaves the right way, we should give him a chance. I spoke to the club, they agreed, and he is part of the squad for now.”