Kosta Runjaic has urged Udinese to build on the creditable draw earned against Bologna last Monday and make a strong finish to the season.
“A good result always helps but more importantly we played well against an in-form team and deserved the point,” the coach told the media at a press conference on Friday afternoon ahead of Saturday's trip to Cagliari.
“It hasn't changed the way we work – I don't do things differently based on the results. Obviously we made a few adjustments. Against Bologna our consistency was important. Now we have to go to Cagliari, where there will be a full stadium and a great atmosphere. We must keep going and keep picking up points.
“Our approach has been to hold a high line and press our opponents all season – it wasn't something new we introduced for Bologna. On that occasion we were more compact in midfield and generally we defended more as a unit, which is what we needed to do because Bologna are one of the best teams in possession. I expect a similar game against Cagliari: we'll need to be compact and implement our playing philosophy.
“We'll see how the match pans out but we may end up having more of the ball. In any case, we're more focused on going out there with the right attitude to get a result than on how we want to play.
“It wouldn't be right to be thinking about next season at the moment. We've done a good job up till now and tomorrow we have to play Cagliari. There are another 12 points to play for and we want to make a good impression – as we have at various times this season – and finish the season on a high. That helps you start the new season with a good feeling. At the end of the year you take stock and build accordingly. But for now I'm focused on our day-today work and on preparing for our coming games.
“It's been a short week and we haven't had many training sessions but we've worked well. [Keinan] Davis is ready for Cagliari. He played well against Bologna and was important for us. I hope he can do even better and, why not, score too.
“[Kingsley] Ehizibue is suspended for tomorrow's game and we don't yet know if [Jurgen] Ekkelenkamp will be available. These things happen in football. Cagliari will be really up for it tomorrow and we must be ready to give our all.
“[Alexis] Sanchez sent out a positive message and that's important. I assure you that I see everything. Even those who are playing less are watched closely in training. He's training well and tomorrow we'll see to what extent he's involved depending on how the game goes. I'm the one who makes the decisions and against Bologna certain choices were made for tactical reasons because we had less possession than usual. It will be a different match tomorrow. Sanchez is ready to play and he could get his chance.”