Kosta Runjaic spoke to the media on Saturday afternoon ahead of Udinese's trip to Pisa on Sunday. This is what he had to say.
The situation in the camp
“We're happy the transfer window is closed now and we can concentrate on our work. We've done some good deals. There's a great atmosphere in the camp and all the players are keen to improve. We've signed players with a good grounding who are eager to win. We have a good mix of experience and youth. Now the season can begin.
“We're happy with our victory in Milan. We've laid some good foundations and now we need to build on them in Pisa. We want to impose our game but it won't be easy.
“We've made the most of the two-week break and worked on some of the finer details with the players who weren't on international duty. Then the internationals started coming back and from Thursday we had the full group to work with. We had our final session today.
“You know than [Vakoun] Bayo won't be available for Pisa but [Matteo] Palma is back. I'm optimistic. We have a good, well-balanced squad, with lots of motivation. We want to keep picking up points, play well and improve.”
Zaniolo and other signings
“I'm pleased with the new signings. We've brought in a mix of experienced players and quality youngsters. The new guys need time to settle in.
“[Idrissa] Gueye is an exceptionally talented player and so is [Lennon] Miller. I can't wait to see how they develop. Everyone's working hard and they'll all get opportunities. [Nicolo] Bertola, [Razvan] Sava, and [Saba] Goglichidze are young too and I'm looking forward to seeing how they progress.
“We want to work in a positive atmosphere. Things are better than last year and everyone is pulling in the same direction. The path we want to follow is clear.
“[Alessandro] Zanoli and [Nicolo] Zaniolo are young but already have experience. They'll get their chance. We need to be a little bit patient with Zaniolo. We didn't sign him to see his magic instantly. He needs time as he hasn't had consistency over the last few months. We'll take it easy with him. He knows what he wants. He really wanted to come to Udine and I like working with him. He's got bundles of quality.
“We'll work intensely over the coming months and everyone will grow. The aim is to help them all become the players they have it in them to become. I think Zaniolo will find this is the right environment for him. He's shown how keen he is to improve and follow our suggestions. He's a quality Italian player and he's a great signing. I can't wait to see him in action, possibly in Pisa.”
Moving forward
“I'm the one who carries the responsibility of the entire project. There's a good atmosphere here. We have several young players and lots of new signings. We're obviously going to have some highs and lows as it will take a while for everything to settle down. Our goal is to play better and be more consistent. We accept that we'll go through difficult spells but we want to limit them. There's a good energy about the place. We have a well-balanced squad. Now we need to produce good performances like against Inter so that we can win.
“It will be tricky against Pisa. They're strong in one-on-ones and excellent in transition. They won lots of home games last season and so far this season they've performed well against Atalanta and Roma. We're ready for this challenge. It's going to be different to the Inter game but it's up to us produce a repeat performance. We must keep moving forward together on the path set out and keep growing together.”