Cremonese head coach Davide Nicola remains unwavering in his trust in "fighter" Jamie Vardy as the striker prepares for his first start since joining the Serie A club in the summer. He came off the bench as Inter claimed a dominant 4-1 victory last week, but his coach was positive about his impact and feels he makes the team more threatening even though he is yet to find the net across two substitute appearances.
Inter run riot as Vardy adapts to Serie A
Inter dominated Cremonese with a convincing win at San Siro, displaying relentless attacking intent and fluidity throughout. Vardy was introduced just before the hour mark in an effort to spark a comeback, but despite his earnest movement and brief flashes of urgency in link-up play, he once again finished the match without either a goal or an assist, extending his frustrating search for a breakthrough in Serie A.
Coach Nicola, however, remains optimistic about the English striker, describing Vardy as "a fighter" and expressing hope that a turnaround is near. The Italian manager was quick to praise Vardy for his contribution to the team's only goal against Inter, despite the striker's ongoing personal drought. Nicola emphasised that Vardy's presence and constant pressure in the penalty area were instrumental in creating the space needed for the goal.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportCoach Davide Nicola optimistic about Vardy's resurgence
Cremonese had enjoyed a surprisingly positive start to the season, making the defeat to Inter their only loss so far. In a post-match interview, Nicola reflected on his team's six-game run in the league while reassuring supporters that it's only a matter of time before Vardy returns to his goal-scoring form.
"I don't need to look at the result of a match to be more or less confident. I analyse it every time I start working with a team and I focus on the final objective. This start is thanks to both the players and the moments in which we met certain teams, as well as the situations we were able to exploit," he said. "I'm certainly not the one discovering Vardy; he's shown he's a fighter, and it's no coincidence that by filling the penalty area more, we managed to score. The break will allow us to further improve our physical condition until we can get everyone up to the same level."
Vardy chose Serie A adventure after Leicester exit
Vardy joined the Italian side on a free transfer after his long period at Leicester ended last season. While the Foxes were relegated from the Premier League, Vardy departed as a club legend with 200 goals in 500 matches before being snapped up by the newly-promoted Serie A side. He featured in the third league game of the season, coming off the bench for the last 30 minutes as Cremonese drew 0-0 with Hellas. The 38-year-old missed out on the next two games before his substitute role against Inter.
Getty Images SportCremonese's challenging path forward
Cremonese arrived this season as newly promoted and have shown flashes of resilience, but their defeat to Inter exposed gaps in depth and consistency. Vardy remains a focal point despite his goal drought, and Nicola believes continued trust in him and the squad will pay off over time. With the international break providing time to regroup, Cremonese must stabilise defensively before their next fixture against Udinese on October 20.
