Spalletti: We're on the right path - I back the players I have

The Giallorossi finished last season as the top goalscorers in Serie A - and are second in that category this time around - but Spalletti has long been trying to add a greater defensive resolve into the mix.

And the coach believes his team is finally beginning to realise that on the pitch, especially after a hard-fought 1-0 win at Genoa that saw the side keep a fourth clean sheet in six games in all competitions.

“We've always played great attacking football and scored lots of goals – the numbers tell you that much," Spalletti said. "There have been times when we haven't been quite so good, when we've needed a bit of strength and intensity, when we've had to win tackles and loose balls.

"Recently we've done a lot better in that respect. The lads have realised there are times when we need to be more pragmatic and think about the pretty stuff later.

“I've seen lots of positive signs: we beat Genoa and deservedly so. They made it hard for us, as they've made life hard for everyone at their place. Besides the goal we scored, which came about rather fortuitously, we fashioned plenty of chances and had lots of attacking play which could have scored from. Overall I think it was a fair result. We're on the right path.”

With the transfer window now open, Spalletti was asked for an update on the club's discussions in the market.

“I'm not interested in the transfer window," Spalletti said. "I'm focused on the players I have to work with because they are the hardcore of the team, they are the ones who need to produce the goods, they are our solution – not the transfer window.

“I'm backing [Radja] Nainggolan, [Kevin] Strootman, [Daniele] De Rossi, [Bruno] Peres and Emerson. They're the guys who will have to do twice as much running – because you always run more in midfield – to create an opening for [Edin] Dzeko to score.”