This week's guest on Udinese Tonight was not a player but technical director Gokhan Inler.
The former Udinese midfielder, who returned to the club last summer, chatted about his new role and his relationship with the players, the team's form, and recalled a few memories from his playing days.
The first topic of conversation was Saturday's 0-0 draw against Atalanta, when Udinese impressed without managing to find a breakthrough
“I had a good weekend after Saturday's game, although I'd have preferred to win. In football you need points as well but we're happy with the performance and we're already looking to the next one. This isn't the first match we've played well in. We've been on this path since the start of the season. We've worked hard and we still have lots of work to do but we showed against Atalanta that we can perform at a very high level.
“If we're able to produce this kind of performance, it's because the lads are in good shape. They work well and are fit and I must give credit to the coaching and fitness staff for that. We have to keep working with these lads because they need it and every match is important.
“We prepared well for Atalanta. We knew about their physical prowess and to produce the sort of performance we did you have to go into the game ready. It's just a shame about the result. The next match will be even more difficult.”
When asked how far the team can go this season, Inler was positive while warning that no one should be getting carried away.
“I have a winning mentality but we must keep our feet on the ground, build slowly and keep working hard if we want to go far. We're doing well at the moment but it's not enough. We'll take stock at the end. The points you drop work out over the course of the season. If you perform well, you always pick up a bit more.”
The technical director then commented on the impact of Oumar Solet and Alexis Sanchez, who were among the standout performers against Atalanta.
“Having experienced players like Sanchez, [Florian] Thauvin and Solet in the team makes a big difference. You need four or five players with international experience.
“The lads really listen to what Sanchez has to say and he couldn't wait to come back into the team – you could see how much he was enjoying himself against Atalanta and how much he spoke to the others. We need players like that. When they're on the pitch the team performs better. I congratulated him after the match. He put everything into recovering and showed what a leader he is on and off the pitch. He and I speak a lot, also about how to manage the younger lads who look up to him. You hear Sanchez in every training session, talking, joking and giving out advice. And everyone listens to him.
“Solet has plenty of room for improvement. He's trained really well the last few months and it wasn't easy for him having to sit out. In the last month we've got him ready and motivated him by joking with him, but he's not joking anymore – you can see he means business on the pitch. He made a real difference against Verona and Atalanta.”
Inler spent four seasons at Udinese between 2007 and 2011 and returned to Friuli having hung up his boots after spells at Napoli, Leicester and several clubs in Turkey - a wealth of experience he says serves him well in his current position.
“My role here is a modern one. You buy players but then who looks after them? That's much more important. Udinese sign talented youngsters and you have to set them on the right path. You have to be there for them. I think it's vital for me to be in the dugout during the game because from there I can see certain dynamics that I would miss if I were in the stands. I'm there for the players every second of the way. Every day I go round and say hello to each and every one of them. I look them in the eyes and I understand how they're doing. I'm alert and I'll always be there. I'm not the type who barks a lot but I get straight to the point. When you want to win, you have to give everything. Sometimes I use the carrot and stick with the players but I'm always around. I have individual meetings with them multiple times throughout the season and it helps to improve things because sometimes players might have thoughts they're reluctant to express and I want to remove any doubts so that they can focus on their football. That's part of the reason for our good performances. You can call it part-psychology, part-mental coaching, but these things come from my experience as a player.
“These lads have absolutely everything – more than I had when I was here – but we have to encourage them to be serious professionals. The president doesn't give anything away and you have to be aware of that.
“I thank the Pozzo family and especially Gino, who has helped me so much. We stayed in touch after I left the club. They've given me this opportunity mainly because of my mentality. The coach is new too and it wasn't easy for him but we've helped him a lot and worked on lots of things. After last season the players were angry, disappointed and sad – much like the fans and the local media. I wanted to change things from the start and so far we've seen the importance of being a family together. So far things are going well. The coach has shown his qualities too. I'm happy.”