Italy coach Roberto Donadoni on Tuesday took his licks from the Italian press after the Azzurris' unexpected 3-0 loss to Netherlands in their Group C opener - but insisted his players would come good.
''This defeat doesn't shake my certainty about the team,'' Donadoni told an aggressive press pack.
''Naturally, I'll be weighing things up,'' he said, implying that changes may be made for the must-win fixtures against Romania on Friday and France next Tuesday.
''We have to make a fresh start''.
The Azzurri manager said he hadn't been surprised by the wave of criticism that met Italy's worst European championship defeat - or the resurfaced rumours that the Italian Soccer Federation is itching to bring back World Cup-winning coach Marcello Lippi.
''Reading the banner headlines wasn't easy but I'd quite honestly been expecting the comparisons with Marcello,'' he said.
Donadoni Disaster (Corriere dello Sport); Donadoni Gets It All Wrong (Il Messaggero); and The Flop Of The Normal One (La Stampa) - a play on Jose' 'Special One' Mourinho's self-awarded nickname - were some of the headlines.
Several dailies accused the coach of picking the wrong team - in particular, leaving out in-form Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi - and not seeing the size of the defensive hole left by injured World Cup icon Fabio Cannavaro.
They also claimed he failed to make much-needed changes as quickly as Lippi might have.
Some even suggested Donadoni's ''hang-dog aura'' had rubbed off onto the team, sapping team spirit.
''That's why Donadoni always looks so sad - he can see into the future,'' jibed La Repubblica.
Speaking at the press conference, Donadoni accepted that Italy had their work cut out to emerge from the 'Group of Death'.
But the dogged former AC Milan and Italy wing great refused to accept the press's view that Holland outclassed Italy.
''We were dominated? That's just your opinion,'' he told a reporter.
As for player selection, he said: ''Saying the team was right or wrong is senseless. There's no way to prove it''.
''The argument that it was wrong because we lost is too simplistic. For me it wasn't wrong''.
Despite its unexpected setback, the team had what it takes to beat Romania and France, Donadoni insisted - especially after the poor display Italy's rivals put on in the goalless draw that preceded the Netherlands-Italy match.
The coach is widely expected to change the starting line-up against the defensive-minded Romanians, who are likely to be playing for another draw.
Pundits think the creative pair who came on late against the Dutch, Juventus's Alessandro Del Piero and Sampdoria's Antonio Cassano, could play a larger role.
Juve defender Giorgio Chiellini and Cannavaro's stand-in, Alessandro Gamberini of Fiorentina, are also in with a shout, experts think.
If Italy wins Group C it will have a June 21 quarter-final against the runners-up of Group D's line-up of Russia, Sweden, Spain and reigning champions Greece.
Should the Azzurri come second they'll face the top team out of Group D on June 22.
The semi-finals are on June 25-26 and the final on June 29.
