In yesterday's amazing victory of Cagliari over Lecce, with the comeback from 0-1 to 4-1, the choices of Davide Nicola had a great influence. Today, in the aftermath of the decisive success in the salvation clash , he does not want to take responsibility for the triumph. "A match is never just the mechanical application of what was prepared during the week", is the message he sends from his LinkedIn account. "It requires continuous learning, minute after minute, based on the real dynamics that develop on the field. The map is not the territory. In football, as in many aspects of life, success depends on the ability to adapt".
Yesterday , the three simultaneous substitutions at 54' were fundamental, with the entry of Deiola (assist for 1-1), Gaetano (goal of the tie) and Marin (assist for 2-1 and 4-1). In addition to that of Augello, who provided the cross for Zortea's 3-1 . But Nicola does not want to reduce everything to this: «Talking about "successful substitutions" risks reducing a collective effort to a simplified vision», underlines the coach.
Yesterday, Nicola repeatedly pointed out that Cagliari needs 18-20 players . And he explains why: « Every element of the team, regardless of the minute they enter the field, is crucial to the final result . Those who start from the first minute face the challenge in real time, adapting strategy and tactics quickly. Those who come in, on the other hand, have the advantage of observing from the bench, analyzing the developments before coming on».
For Nicola, the real strength is "a shared mentality and a system that allows everyone to be ready and incisive". And it was precisely on the attitude that he focused yesterday between the first and second half, as Sebastiano Luperto (one of the scorers) revealed in the post-match . With the results that were seen in the second half, with a comeback that brought Cagliari not only out of the relegation zone, but from third-last to thirteenth place .