Runjaic: “A chance to improve”

Kosta Runjaic met with journalists on Friday to discuss Udinese's next match, at home to Napoli on Sunday afternoon. Here's what he had to say.

 

 

“No one likes to lose at home. It wasn't the result we wanted but that's football. We can do better. We can start the game better and play with more intensity and determination – things that were lacking against Genoa. We spoke together this week and now we have a big chance against a great team. We can and we want to do well for ourselves and for our fans. We'll give it our all. For a team like ours, it's important to be strong at home. We're aware of the difficulties Udinese have had at home in recent years and we're working on it. We want to show our fans that we go out there with the right courage and energy. We can do that starting with Napoli.”

 

 

“Playing against the big teams is different to playing against other teams but it's essential to go into the game with the right intensity regardless of the opposition. It's easier playing on the counter. There have been matches where we had less of the ball but we worked well as a team and took our chances. Against Genoa we had more possession but we didn't gain much from it and once again we made mistakes. We have highs and lows because this is our level. We have lots of youngsters who need time but I'm relaxed and focused on our target, which is to become more consistent. We all need to take responsibility. My job is to get the team running like clockwork, to lay the right foundations and create the conditions for them to express themselves fully. In training my players seem to have fire in their bellies and they make very few mistakes – that's how it should be in matches too. It's normal to have ups and downs but we're working to reduce them. Our performance wasn't good enough against Genoa, especially looking at the avoidable goals we conceded. In Serie A you have to sweat for every point. We were convinced we could get three and we ended up with none. We want to do well playing with our style and if everything goes well we can get a result against Napoli.”

 

 

“[Jurgen] Ekkelenkamp is not a wing-back. He's an important midfielder for us. Injuries happen and now we're without both our left wing-backs. Rui Modesto has been training mostly on the left the last few months so I picked him against Genoa, but it wasn't easy because he hadn't played for a long time, although he could have done better. We need our wide players to cover defensively and get forward and at the moment we're not getting a lot from our wing-backs attacking-wise but it's something we're working on. Modesto gave his all on Monday. Against Napoli, he could play or it could be [Kingsley] Ehizibue or someone else.”

 

 

“I'm a pragmatic person and I'm aware of our numbers. Last year we put in lots of crosses but didn't do a lot with them. Generally we're not making the most of the chances we're creating, as we saw against Genoa. Every aspect is important in football but right now we need to focus on the defensive side because we've given away too many penalties and conceded too many goals. We've created opportunities against every opponent and we shouldn't be too negative. We have a point more than we did at this stage last season, despite having changed lots of players, having lots of youngsters and having started the season without our first-choice keeper. There are lots of factors to consider. I understand the fans are disappointed but we have to look at what Udinese have done in recent seasons. We're working to improve in the medium to long term. Teams like Udinese have certain qualities and a certain level. We could have had a few points more but we don't for a series of reasons. You can be positive or negative but being pessimistic doesn't help much. The disappointment should motivate us. Udinese have changed a lot from one season to the next but this club has been in Serie A for 30 years. I and everyone who works at this club give our all, just as everyone else who worked here before us did to keep this club in the top flight. When things are difficult you have to look at the past of this team. Our aim is to become a team that are tough to play at home. I want to build a clear identity especially at our home ground. We must be united and we need our fans' support – they are our strength. We're aware of our situation, we know what we need to do and there's a lot to be done. Highs and lows are part of growing. We always work intensely and I hope to we'll reap the rewards for our work.”

 

 

“We're happy that [Maduka] Okoye is not going to the Africa Cup of Nations. He needs consistency here so that he can grow and become the player he can become. He has the quality, now he just needs consistency. The Africa Cup would have been a great experience for him but it's a good thing that he can stay here and work with us to get back to his former level and then improve further.”

 

 

"There's a chance we might see an all-Danish clash between [Thomas] Kristensen and [Rasmus] Hojlund, but I can't tell you about the Napoli team.”

 

 

“[Lorenzo] Lucca left without saying goodbye to me. I don't see why I should have expected a call to thank me. Sometimes that happens in football. I wish him the best and I'm sure he'll be motivated on Monday but so will we. We'll have the right resolve after losing to Genoa.”