Kosta Runjaic shared his thoughts with the media ahead of Udinese's trip to the capital, where they will play Roma at 18:00 on Sunday.
This is what he had to say:
This season and last season
“We had lots of challenges last season but we dealt with them well despite a few difficult periods. We started the season well but got our first point against Bologna with some difficulty, then we beat Como with them missing a penalty. We had more points than we should have had based on our performances. This year we've improved our play and we're more consistent – but not consistent enough yet because we've lost some games deservedly. We put in a solid performance against Atalanta and winning is good for us – it boosts confidence. Now we need more consistency. That's important. We work every day to find consistency over the season and within each match. In this initial phase of the season we've had a few challenges but no really difficult moments. We've always managed to reproduce what we've prepared in training during the match – sometimes it's worked and sometimes it hasn't.
“Against Atalanta we performed particularly well in the second half, when they put us under pressure. We dealt with it better than we have at other times and we deserved to win. That game shows we're growing and we can cause problems for anyone.
Dealing with Roma
“Now we're playing Roma – a difficult match against a team and a coach with a lot of experience. They play man to man, they're aggressive, good in possession, they have top players and they're in good form. They're close to the top of the table and yesterday they won away in the Europa League. That tells us what we should expect. We'll need to be focused, defend well and perform well in attack too. We must play as a team. It will be a similar game to the one against Atalanta and that experience will help us. It would be great if we could take an early lead but they're an excellent side and I have a lot of respect for them. It's going to be an interesting match, a big challenge, but we'll do everything we can to make it tough for them and pick up some points.
“We're going to need more than just a repeat of the performance against Atalanta because Roma are a notch above. They have some great players, they press well, they're strong in the challenge and they're playing at home. They lost their last away game but they didn't play badly. They deserved to score at the start but football's like that sometimes. We have to focus on ourselves, perform well and if we play as a team we'll get chances. It's a big challenge against a great team. These are the games that help you grow and we're determined to give it our all. We must get our approach right. We've analysed our opponents and we know what they can do. We're not favourites but we'll see how it goes.”
Davis
“If all goes well in the final training session, [Keinan] Davis will be with us on Sunday. I don't think he'll start because he hasn't trained much with the team but having him with us is a good thing and he could play half an hour at least. If needed, he'll be able to help us against Roma, then he'll have the international break to get back to full fitness. He scored in training yesterday and showed how dangerous he can be. He's motivated and wants to help the team.”
Treatment room
“[Lennon] Miller won't be available for Roma. He picked up a knock in training. And [Thomas] Kristensen, as you know, won't be with us. All the others are available.”
Zemura and Kamara
“Everyone got to play in pre-season. [Jordan] Zemura worked well, earned an advantage and played the first few games of the season. [Hassane] Kamara never gives up and always wants to contribute. He's shown that in training. He waited for his chance and he took it. We have good competition on the left. Kamara is ahead at the moment and I expect Zemura to respond: he needs to keep working hard and wait for his chance. It's good that we have both of them. Kamara made the most of the last international break to work while Zemura was away. Now Jordan will go away on international duty again and that sometimes means it takes a bit longer than for those who stay in Udine. Kamara will play against Roma. He's looked very sharp recently and has got the right balance between defence and attack. I hope we'll see the best of him against Roma. Our success depends on him too. Roma are strong down the right flank and we'll need to work well. He's ready. The assist against Atalanta was very good for him. We want not just energy and running from our wing-backs but assists and goals too. We're on the right track to improve on both flanks.”
Zaniolo
“[Nicolo] Zaniolo is improving. We want him to be a key player for us. He gives us experience, quality, energy, he never slacks off and he's a joy to watch, although he can improve in some areas. If he does that, he'll become even more important for us. He's working very well and running a lot. If he keeps it up, he can become a complete player. He can score, set up team-mates and cause havoc for opposition defences, but he can also be useful when we don't have the ball. He's reached a crucial stage of his career. He's been through some tough spells and now he needs to find consistency. He's doing a fantastic job at the moment: he's scoring goals, he's always on the ball mentally and he's motivated. It'll be the same against Roma, which is a special opponent for him. Not everyone there is fond of him and he knows that but that's part of the game. Nicolo will be 100% focused on Udinese. His aim is to keep scoring and I hope he can build on his goal against Atalanta.”
Palma, Bertola and Goglichidze
“[Matteo] Palma is growing. He did well in the Coppa Italia, then less well against Sassuolo, but let's not forget he's very young. I'm happy with his contribution against Atalanta – he got his reward for all his hard work. I see how he trains and he'll get opportunities. I don't know if he'll start against Roma but he, [Nicolo] Bertola and [Saba] Goglichidze all have a chance. They're three youngsters with not a lot of Serie A experience – the opposite to what Roma have – and they need time to grow. They're interesting players and good lads. They'll get chances to show what they can do. That's exactly the sort of player we look for in Udine. They've done quite well so far. They need to improve in certain areas but it's a matter of time.
“We also have [Oumar] Solet, who's young himself because he's only 25 and doesn't have a lot of Serie A experience either, then there's [Christian] Kabasele, who's important for us us with his experience and leadership.
“When I heard about [Thomas] Kristensen's injury, I was sure we could replace him well. There's no reason why we can't play with three youngsters in defence if they develop well. Games like the one against Atalanta are important for them to develop while earning points. Now we need a good performance against Roma. We'll have to work well defensively but also in possession. They've scored a lot of goals on the counter after winning the ball. We must use the ball well and limit our mistakes. We need everyone to help, from the attack through to defence.”
Ekkelenkamp
“[Jurgen] Ekkelenkamp has been through a not-so-easy spell. He worked really well in pre-season then he got injured and that knocked him out of his stride but we know what he can offer. He always gives his all and works well. He needs to be bolder on the pitch. He played well against Atalanta. He was switched on and put in the yards for the team too. I hope he can continue in that vein, become more consistent and perform even better.”