Speaking after the match, Luciano Spalletti sounded both happy and unimpressed with his side’s performance against Albania: “We thought we were better than we were in too many situations. We need to be meaner, neat and tidy in the build-up. You need to go and hurt the opposition. We thought we were brilliant at keeping possession.
“We played the game the right way. It’s true. The scoreline doesn’t reflect the difference between the two teams. We risked an equaliser late on, one ball over the top into the penalty area.
“We were never short of breath, never struggling, we tried to play that throw-in in the first minute, an attempt to do what we’ve been saying in the last few days. Managing four midfielders, who are able to play neat and tidy football, helps you. Short passes in tight areas, they seem useless but they create space in another area of the pitch.”
