Kosta Runjaic said he was disappointed to leave the Stadio Bentegodi with just a point after seeing his side held to a 0-0 stalemate by Hellas Verona.
“I'm not happy with the result today as I felt we could win it,” he began.
“We had a big advantage with the extra man, although it's never easy to score against teams who shut up shop. Ultimately we weren't quite determined enough.”
The coach then commented on a solid debut performance by Oumar Solet before reflecting on the first half of the season.
“I was pleased with Solet. He's a top-quality player and today was an excellent start for him.
“After 19 games we can say that we're happy with some things and less so with others. We must do a lot better in all areas of the game. We have eight points more than at this stage last season but we've dropped points by the wayside. We must keep taking steps forward.
“Europe is a long-term target, not for this season. We can't talk about Europe at the moment, after a season when we had a very low points total.
“[Alexis] Sanchez is working towards a full recovery. He needs a bit of time. He's a top player and when he's in his best shape he'll be a great help.”