Maduka Okoye was this week's guest in the Udinese Tonight hotseat. The goalkeeper spoke about the team's form and the next match against Torino besides his return from an injury lay-off.
He began by looking back on Friday's defeat to Milan: “After four games without a win we're not happy but that's football for you: you win some, you lose some. It's part and parcel of the game. Now we're looking to the next match and the chance to finally get three points again.
He began by looking back on Friday's defeat to Milan: “After four games without a win we're not happy but that's football for you: you win some, you lose some. It's part and parcel of the game. Now we're looking to the next match and the chance to finally get three points again.
“We've definitely missed [Florian] Thauvin as he's our captain and a fantastic player but we need to be able to win even without him.
“I can see anger in the dressing room but there have been some positives in recent games too and we must take those things into the next match.
“Our target is to finish in the top half of the table but we must get back to winning ways.”
Udinese's current target is 50 points and tenth place but could Udinese have had bigger aspirations a few games ago?
“I think about each game as it comes. I've never really dreamt of us finishing in the European spots. I take one step at a time. I had that injury too, which slowed everything down.”
The goalkeeper's wrist injury kept him on the sidelines from the start of December to early March.
“It's not easy sitting out. As a player, you want to play all the time. Three months is a long time but I stayed focused on my football and came back in good shape. It's important to be strong mentally in football. It was easy to come back in – football is my life.”
Okoye then commented on some of the goals conceded recently, having had to pick the ball out of the net four times against Milan.
Okoye then commented on some of the goals conceded recently, having had to pick the ball out of the net four times against Milan.
“The second one was the most annoying. It may have been a foul but I have to come out for those. I could have done better. Those are my six yards."
Before then, Duda's free kick won the game for Hellas Verona and was voted as Serie A goal of the month.
“It was very difficult to get that one. The ball went between [Lorenzo] Lucca and [Iker] Bravo and I didn't see it till the last second. I did my best but he struck it really well. Perhaps I could have started from a different position but it wouldn't have changed much.
Maduka finished with a message for the fans ahead of the trip to Torino on Easter Monday: “We'll come back stronger and get three points on Monday.”
Maduka finished with a message for the fans ahead of the trip to Torino on Easter Monday: “We'll come back stronger and get three points on Monday.”