Conte: "We lacked quality in the final third"

UDINE - Inter were unable to break down the Udinese defence on Saturday, as the game finished 0-0 at the Dacia Arena. This is what Antonio Conte had to say to Sky after the match: 

What was the reason behind your protest to the referee?

“I think that more time could have been added on. I made the point to the referee and he sent me off after first showing me a yellow card. We were in disagreement over the time added. It seemed too little to me given how much was played in the second half. A chunk of time was missing but the referee makes the decisions and we must accept them, even when we disagree.”

Is there disappointment about not capitalising on Milan’s defeat?

“We must focus on our journey, without thinking about others. We must look to improve as there are margins for growth, today we should have been more precise. We were lacking quality in the final third and it is fundamental to score. Without scoring chances become wasted. We need to improve significantly in this department if we want to fight for something important.”

You made plenty of crosses. Is there a need for an increased presence in the box or is it just a question of precision?

“When we cross the ball we always look to fill the area with four players. However, inevitably a cross must also be accurate. This happened against Juventus and we managed to score. It takes precision in the final third, not just in the area.”

You’ll soon be playing Milan in the Coppa Italia and then in the league. How will you approach these two games?

“We know that the league is important, including for the Club as a whole. Winning the Scudetto and qualifying for the Champions League would be significant for Inter, but, as we showed in Florence, the Coppa Italia is a trophy that we respect. We’ll obviously assess things and see who recovers better and who deserves some playing time. We won’t be taking it lightly and will try to win, as we always do. We don’t set ourselves any limits, but we will have to make some calculations as we look to find the right balance.”

What’s your assessment of Inter’s league season so far?

“I prefer it when others make these assessments. We work hard and always try to do our best. Despite the difficulties this year, I believe that we’re having our say in the league and playing a leading role. Given its history, this is what the Club deserves, but there’s still half a season to play. Despite the obstacles, we’ve been doing significant things since last season.”