Kosta Runjaic sat down with the media on Saturday afternoon to discuss Udinese's home match against Sassuolo. Read what the boss had to say below.
Sassuolo
“We remember the reverse fixture against Sassuolo. We started the game badly and conceded two goals. We got back into it and had several chances to equalise but we didn't take them, then we conceded a goal that we could have avoided. We deserved to lose. We're playing a team with a similar potential to us and they're close to us in the table. They have a clear structure, an interesting playing style and good players. They're rather like us. We want to do everything we can to win this one. We must start the game well, play with intensity and use the ball better – all things we didn't do in Lecce.”
Attack
“Strikers live off the balls they receive from their team-mates. [Vakoun] Bayo couldn't do much with the balls he got in the last game. You can learn from defeats. We've analysed the Lecce match very carefully. We had opportunities to be threaten but we made the wrong decisions, and that's something we need to improve.
“Tomorrow we're playing at home against a dangerous opponent and we'll need the right energy and determination to cause problems for them. I'm not going to say who will play up front. [Nicolo] Zaniolo is available again but he still needs to reach full fitness. He trained well this week and he's in better shape than he was before Lecce. I don't expect miracles from him. I expect him to find his form and be clear-headed. He's a player who can win matches for you and we're happy to have him back with us. We've learnt from Lecce and we want a good performance to earn the points.”
Buksa
“[Adam] Buksa is a player who always pushes himself beyond his limits. He's never short of fitness. He has a lot to offer the team with his qualities but we have to consider several factors. He hasn't had many opportunities in the starting line-up. He came here from a different league, then he had that nose injury – and showed his determination in wanting to get straight back on the pitch. Afterwards, [Keinan] Davis and Zaniolo played and we didn't change much in attack. Then Adam got injured and spent a while on the sidelines. He's back now and I hope he can improve and play more. I'm pleased he's with us again. He couldn't play much more in the last game. This week he's trained more.”
Solet
“I see Oumar in training every day. He's a defender the qualities we all know. He likes to run with the ball. On Lecce's first goal, he underestimated the position he was in, lost the ball and our opponents got a chance from it. Especially at the start of the game, he needs to give confidence to the team. It wasn't worth the risk in that situation. Overall though I see more positives than negatives in his performances. He's been consistent in the last two months. He always plays with passion and focus and helps going forward. He's a top-quality centre-back. He knows he needs to make fewer mistakes and that's the difference between a good level and an excellent level. He's an important player for us. Together with [Jesper] Karlstrom he's played the most minutes and that tells you how much confidence we have in him. We don't have a real alternative to Oumar and we don't need one. He's having a good season but you can always do better. Last year he made more simple mistakes; he's making fewer now.”
Tactics
“I like the way Sassuolo play. Their wingers are good in 1-v-1s and they have full-backs who come inside. They can build play but they're dangerous on the break too. They know how to cause problems for opponents.
“We want to play better in possession. We need quality passes. That was lacking in Lecce, when they had more of the ball, but the main problem was we didn't take enough responsibility when we had it. We have strategies and we must implement them and try not to make mistakes in attack. Sassuolo will have opportunities but we're well prepared and I'm optimistic about tomorrow.”
Kamara and Piotrowski
“If everything goes well, [Hassane] Kamara should resume training with the team next week. He's getting better. I don't know exactly when he'll be available but we hope to have him back for Bologna.
“We decided it was safer not to take [Jakub] Piotrowski to Lecce with us. Now he's ready. He's trained with the team and he'll be in the squad. We have more options with him.”
VAR
“VAR is a big topic in Germany too. There's a lot of debate and it's only natural that some people aren't happy. I don't want to get involved in the matter. I can't influence how VAR works and I concentrate only on the things I can have an impact on. People talk about VAR a lot and we do need to talk about it, listen to all the opinions and try to find the best solution for everyone. Sometimes you're happy with the VAR decisions and sometimes you're not. It's never easy to make everyone happy. Referees don't have an easy job. They should be helped by the VAR in the most difficult situations but I can't say much more about the relationship between referee and VAR. It's important to talk about VAR but it's impossible for everyone to be happy. There was controversy before VAR and it's part of the game. VAR is a good support tool but it has to be an aid for the referee, who is the one who takes responsibility. The referee could speak to the media after the match to explain their decisions – they're part of the match after all. There could be lots of ideas, but to be honest I don't spend all that much time thinking about it.”
Penalty pecking order
“We've spoken about penalties and the penalty taker is decided. We'll see if we get one. I hope the match is not decided by a penalty but if it has to be then let's hope it's for us at least. The referee is the same one who was in charge for my first match in Italy. I hope we can play better than we did in that game against Bologna.”