Kosta Runjaic held a press conference on Friday to talk about Udinese's next match, away to Parma on Saturday afternoon.
This is what he had to say:
Bologna and current form
“This season we've made several mistakes, given goals away and conceded penalties. Mistakes are part of the game but you have to keep them at a bare minimum. Against Bologna, we made mistakes with our decision-making and got punished, and we didn't take the chances we had. So far in the league we've scored fewer goals and conceded more than we should have. We've lost five games and we can do better but we should also remember that some of the top teams have already lost three or four games – that shows you how tough this league is. You have to be really focused against every opponent.
“We threw the last match away but now we have a chance to bounce back and make up for it – to ourselves and to our fans. We have the Coppa Italia to play next week but we're only thinking about Parma. They're the youngest team in Serie A with quality players and they deserved to beat Verona. They'll be playing at home tomorrow so they'll adopt a different approach. They're bold and never let up. We'll need to be very careful and use our experience. They're dangerous in transition and their forwards are in good form and a threat from set-pieces and throw-ins. We're ready. We must show our maturity, avoid mistakes, understand the different game situations and create openings. We know we're better than last year, although our results don't always show it. We have to show what we can do and see what happens on the pitch.”
Zanoli
“[Alessandro] Zanoli joined in September. He had a different pre-season to us and you can tell but he's working hard and being consistent. He wants to become a key player for us. He's had some good performances but he can and he must do better. We're working with him and it's a process. The only way for him to improve is to train hard and manage his fitness when needed. He's a fast player who likes taking on his man and we need players like that. He shows us in training what he's capable of and I'm optimistic.
"We have confidence in all the players in our squad. They all have to train well and then show what they can do during matches. We're honest with each other. There were things I didn't like against Bologna and we spoke about them with the players. The aim is to work on our mistakes and not repeat them. We have some new players, some young players, and some who have played less. Small details can be decisive. For example, [Maduka] Okoye didn't play for weeks. Against Bologna he took an unnecessary risk and we conceded a second goal which ended the game.
"We're working very hard but it takes time – growth is a process. It takes time for players to express their full potential. At a club like Udinese, you have to be able to deal with the less positive moments. I'm not in a hurry. We'll keep the good things we've done and work on the rest.”
Davis and Zaniolo substitutions against Bologna
“I heard the boos after the substitutions but it comes with the job. I have to make decisions. It wasn't easy for those coming on against a team like Bologna when we were 2-0 down, but it's also true that we didn't produce a big reaction. We must learn from this game and quickly move on. We should have done better after the first goal. We should have kept playing and taken our chances: [Jurgen] Ekkelenkamp had the chance to get us back in the game, as [Nicolo] Zaniolo did against Roma. I made those changes because I expect more from [Keinan] Davis and Zaniolo. They've scored a few goals so far, our attack has scored, but we must do even better.”
Midfielders and wide players
“Of course we could do with more goals from our midfielders – and from our wide players too. Last year we didn't get a lot of goals and assists from our wide players but they're very important in a 3-5-2. That's why we brought in Zanoli. Our wing-backs know they have to defend and contribute going forward too. We must improve defensively and then do well in attack. I hope our work will pay off.”
Kristensen
“[Thomas] Kristensen has been out for quite a long time with this injury. He got injured in training and he's been working hard to return since then. He trained with the team twice this week but didn't do the full session. He won't be available for this game or the one against Juventus. I can see improvement and if he continues to make progress we'd like to have him with us for Genoa, but we'll see. We have to be careful and make sure it's the right time for him to return to avoid the risk of a relapse.”
Prospects for the season
“We're growing and it's hard to put a timeframe on it. We laid the foundations last year and now we have a good mix of players. We're working hard and we'll reap the rewards of our work. The psychological aspect is crucial and getting points and seeing the results of your work helps a lot. We have five more matches before the end of the year and we want to pick up a lot of points, especially in our three home games. Before then, though, we have Parma and we must focus on this. We must focus on improving from one game to the next and do better than last season. We'll see in May if we've been able to finish in the top half. The league table doesn't always reflect the performances but if we want to achieve our goals we must all grow together. If individuals improve, the team improves as well, then we earn points, we climb the table and the fans are happy.”
Treatment room
“Everyone is available for this match except [Hassane] Kamara and Kristensen.”