Kosta Runjaic has called on his team to bounce back from their defeat to Como and go 'beyond their limits' to get a result when they host Roma at Bluenergy Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Speaking to the media ahead of the game, the coach began by dissecting Monday's reverse at the Stadio Sinigaglia.
“A team like ours can lose away from home sometimes but it's how the defeat materialises that's important. We're disappointed with our performance in Como. Our worst game of the season was when we played Roma away. In Como we had some poor spells and some better spells but at the end of the day it's the result that matters and it was a heavy defeat. We have to digest the loss and concentrate on tomorrow's match. We need a reaction, especially in front of our fans.
“We've had a short week. On Tuesday we did recovery work after the game, then we had three training sessions to prepare for Roma. The players are very focused on performing better than on Monday and getting a better result.
“Roma was the first game we lost this season. They've changed a lot since then but they played really well in that game. We didn't play well. We gave them too much space, lost too many duels and let in some cheap goals. You can't give space to a team with quality players like [Lorenzo] Pellegrini, [Paulo] Dybala and [Artem] Dovbyk, who is a top striker.
“They have a new coach now and quality in all areas of the pitch. Their players know what to do with the ball and they've shown lots of times how dangerous they can be. They have more quality than us so we must be really switched on from the get-go. We'll need to push beyond our limits and pull out all the stops if we want to win. It will be hard to get anything if we're any less than 100% focused.
“I don't like talking about the line-up before the game and I haven't made all my decisions yet as we still have time. We need to replace [Oumar] Solet as he's suspended but that's no secret. [Hassane] Kamara didn't play well against Como and he won't start. Things like that can happen and he's performed well in other games. In any case, it's not a decision based purely on the Como match; I think Jordan Zemura is better suited for this game. I can't tell you any more about the formation or who will play.
“[Alexis] Sanchez doesn't need to be taught anything about the game – he knows how things work. He needs time to adapt to our playing style. We're on a different level to Barcelona, Arsenal and Inter. Unfortunately the injury he had prevented him from training properly with the team and he needs to improve his condition but he's a smart lad – off the pitch but also on it, where he reads situations better than others. He needs to adapt to the team and the team needs to adapt to him after playing the first half of the season without him.
“We ask our forwards to play with intensity when we don't have the ball and he knows the level of intensity you need in Serie A. He played really well against Atalanta then had a difficult first half against Como. He didn't play the way he hoped but he didn't see much of the ball, although there were times when he could have done better. I don't judge players on their age – if anything, his experience is an advantage. You need players who can win games for you. The team has to create the conditions for him to show what he can do, then it's up to him to display his ability when he gets the chance.
“We're continuing our work, trying to progress, become more consistent and improve, but it obviously depends on our opponents too. The aim as a team is to create our own way of playing and put it into practice in every match. We have feedback from the stats: we've improved our possession play, we're pressing quite high and doing it well. The goals we're conceding are mainly down to individual errors or other factors that can't always be explained. We're working to improve together – both the players and myself and my staff.
“As for whether I'm taking risks, I don't think about that when I make decisions. I decide based on putting out the best team possible, thinking about improvements in the medium and long term too.
“Results are important. In the second half of the season we played well in the first game, badly in the second and now we have the third, where we have the chance to show what we can do against a difficult team like Roma. We must implement the things we've prepared and try to win because we want to win every game.
“I don't see why [Razvan] Sava should lose his place at the moment. I'm happy to have [Egil] Selvik because it creates competition, which is important to improve the team. Sava had another good game against Como and he's getting better by the game. He's increasingly confident in his ability and he's doing well with his feet too. He'll only get better.
“[Rui] Modesto hasn't played much till now but he's produced some solid performances in the Coppa Italia and in Como, displaying stamina and sprints. He had a chance to equalise in the second half on Monday but he wasn't composed enough, possibly because he'd used up lots of energy. Lots of players needs time to adapt in Serie A. We expect to see improvement from him but he's already improving.
“[Kingsley] Ehizibue is a player who, physically, is ready for Serie A. Modesto has good fundamentals. He's fast and good in front of goal but he needs to adapt to the league. Training is different to playing in a match but the more you play the more experience you build up and the more you improve.
“We lost to Como because we fell asleep at times. We were slow to the second balls and slipped up. It wasn't a good performance and Como took advantage. I expect more focus tomorrow, regardless of who plays. We need to show a reaction.
“Ehizibue needs a bit more time to recover. [Keinan] Davis is training separately and could rejoin the group next week. The same goes for [Oier] Zarraga. As for [Lautaro] Giannetti, we need to wait a bit longer but he's getting there. They're all on track and within the next two weeks we should have them all back in full training.
“We talk about and talk to our youngsters all the time. I can't give you details of those conversations but it's possible that some of the might go out on loan. It's a good thing that [Damian] Pizarro is getting playing time for his national team. Like lots of youngsters, he needs time but he's shown a lot of improvement in training. He needs to improve physically and bulk up a bit.
“These lads need the right mindset too. They have to be patient, train hard, be mentally on the ball and wait for their chance. Serie A is not a league for experiments. When you get the call, you have to be ready to help the team immediately. Damian has great potential and can contribute a lot. He needs to wait and his time will come.
“Iker Bravo is another interesting youngster, then we have [Simone] Pafundi, who can't wait to play.
“Udinese's trademark is signing young players and giving them time to develop before they make the step up. But that happens step by step, by being committed in training and then getting the chance to play.
“It's good that we have lots of forwards to choose from. There's competition for places. The issue is not how I deal with this situation but how the players deal with it.”