Udinese coach Luca Gotti spoke to us on the eve of the game against Sampdoria in Genoa.
How have you faced the week after three defeats on the trot?
“We are really disappointed not to have got any points, but we have worked hard, with clear ideas for tomorrow’s game. We have looked at what we have to do better and taken overall stock of these first six games.”
During the week, have you been working on anything in particular, for example attacking options?
“Often, missed goals are the result of key moments where we must do better to turn them to our advantage in both penalty areas. We have improved some plays and tried to look at some particular elements for the Sampdoria game.”
A lot has been said about the change in tactics with the 4-2-3-1 system in the second half of the game against Fiorentina. With time, could this become Udinese’s preferred formation?
“Certainly, it's an alternative to the system we've used for the most part so far, and it lets us use the players’ skills in a different way. It is something to consider either from the start or during the game, so why not tomorrow? As we try it out more, we begin to see certain moves coming naturally which make our game flow better.”
Nehuen Perez got injured during the week. How is he overall, will there be changes compared to the Fiorentina game?
“Perez has a slight muscle strain and will be back without any problems after the international break. Certainly, there will be changes compared to the last game, as was the case in previous games, too.”
What type of game do you expect in Genoa, and how can you cause difficulties for Sampdoria?
“Sampdoria is a pet hate for Udinese and for me. Since I've been coach, we have always lost against them, and they are the only team where this has happened. Of these four defeats, one was deserved and the other three were, to say the least, a bit crazy. We didn’t play badly, but some refereeing decisions had a big impact on the game. I expect Sampdoria to be just as determined as us and eager to get the points. They have had a similar fixture list to us so far and have not made as many points as the intrinsic strength of the team would suggest. [Roberto] D’Aversa has tried to keep all the things that he felt were good under the previous coach and added some of his own, very valid ideas.”
Is it the front three – Candreva, Caputo and Quagliarella - who will cause most problems?
“To these three, I would also add [Mikkel] Damsgaard. They are all high-quality players who put in a lot of work.”