24 September 2015
Mario Lemina has stressed that the Bianconeri need to learn from and respond quickly to the recent setback of conceding an injury time equaliser to Frosinone.
The Frenchman, a summer signing from Marseille, followed up his impressive performance last weekend at Genoa with his first full 90 minutes for his new club in Wednesday’s draw, in which he played his part in a dominant display from the home side, completing more passes (77) than anyone else on the pitch.
However, the 22-year-old is under no illusions of the need to put right the recent mistakes in order to get back on track to achieving this season’s targets.
Speaking to Jtv, he began: “We’re aware of the fact that we’ve dropped a lot of points so far this season. It’s true, there are many new players, but we need to learn from the recent incidents and avoid conceding last-minute goals.
“Everyone needs to stand up and be counted. I’m always looking to get on the ball, speed up the play and impose myself physically in games, especially in terms of regaining possession and stopping opposition forwards in their tracks.”
Lemina has adapted quickly to his new surroundings since arriving on transfer deadline day with two Serie A starts already under his belt.
The midfielder has been grateful for having compatriots Patrice Evra and Paul Pogba at hand to help him, especially in picking up aspects of the language, which he acknowledged forms an integral part of his development in such a crucial position in the side.
And the former France Under 21 international reiterated his delight at teaming up with the Old Lady this summer, underlining his ambition to make a success of the current campaign, both personally and collectively.
“Patrice and Paul have helped me a lot to settle in. They pass on good advice and translate things for me that I don’t understand. The manager wants me to integrate as quickly as possible into the group, as I’m playing in a very important role, just in front of the defence, where I need to be extremely alert and concentrated. He speaks to me a lot because he doesn’t want me to “go missing” in a team of this size.
“This summer, after facing Juventus in a friendly, I never imagined that I would be here now and I hope to stay here for the long-term. When I arrived, I was very impressed with what I saw: this is the biggest club in Italy and there are several players that have won a number of titles down the years. I’m focused on working hard to achieve important goals with this side.”
