Spalletti's pre-Udinese press conference in full

As usual, the boss began with a medical update on the status of his squad.

“[Diego] Perotti has a calf problem so he won't be involved tomorrow," Spalletti said. "Other than that there's just [Alessandro] Florenzi unavailable, and we can't wait to have him back. It will be a huge boost for us when he returns. Otherwise we have no injury concerns.”

You go to Udine with the second best attack and just two goals conceded in the last five games. If that's where you're at now, how can you improve the team further?

“We've always played great attacking football and scored lots of goals – the numbers tell you that much. 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 we could have scored from. Overall I think it was a fair result. We're on the right path.”

Have you prepared for these two games against Genoa and Udinese differently? Do they pose different threats?

“We've prepared for them the same way. They're both very tricky games that require us to show the attributes we were just talking about, and which we've occasionally lacked. The difference is the atmosphere at Genoa that makes it hard for you to play the way you want. The passion they have for their team limits you somewhat. It will be easier in Udine but they have strong players full of running and an excellent coach. It's easier for players to express themselves in Udine than in places like AC Milan, Inter and Napoli where you have to assess performances based on results.”

Giampiero Pinzi has said you're a raving lunatic, in your own brilliant way.

“Pinzi helped me out during the time we spent together in Udine. We understood each other in an instant. Pinzi was a consummate professional. I see a lot of the team I had then in my current squad here at Roma. I had a fantastic relationship with Giampiero. I played him in all sorts of positions and no matter where I put him he always did exactly what I expected. There are lots of similarities between that team and this one. It was a wonderful team: they always set out to do everything possible to get a result for Udinese. Just like here: these players will fight to obtain a result for Roma and they'll go to extraordinary lengths to achieve it.”

You and Delneri will both be facing your former sides tomorrow. What do you have anything in common? And how are you different?

“I always find it hard to talk about myself but I can tell you about Delneri: he's a great coach who has always favoured physical players and pace, without overdoing the tactical side. He likes to play with a high line, even if it means taking risks. And he sticks to his tactical choices. He's still the same now: his teams swarm all over you. They get at you from the off and try to overpower you. He wants an aggressive team. We played against his Verona side here in my first game last year. We drew and they caused big problems for us. He's one of the best Italian coaches and we've all learnt a lot from him.”

Did you want Sofiane Feghouli for this game? What are your thoughts on Charly Musonda?

“The transfer window is a hot topic, as it should be. It’s easy for me to talk about it. I think we could easily not have a January transfer window. I chose this team and I think it’s a strong one. The important thing is to let them express themselves. I brought along [Davide] Frattesi and [Marco] Tumminello to train with us regularly this week. Alberto De Rossi is a very good coach and he gets players ready for the first team. When Emerson [Palmieri] plays, people say to him: ‘You must be the new Candela.’ But he's not Candela. He’ll get to that level and I’ll show you. There are times when you need to look at what your team can offer. I’m not asking for anything from the club. I’m wedded to this team. I’ve thrown myself into this wholeheartedly, with the utmost dedication to these colours. I will focus on what I have available to me. I hope I can help Gerson develop, because he’s a player with character, but you have to bear the context in mind. If we can manage things from an emotional standpoint, it becomes easier. There will be times when it gets really difficult, but with the tough players we have here there shouldn’t be any more issues than you'd expect. We have ten games in 40 days and there will be players who can't recover in time, meaning they’re unable to put in their absolute best performances. But I have great faith in the way each player looks after himself. We have great players who go about things in the right way. It’ll be tough for any team we go up against.

“I have to make sure we work the right way. I have to tell my players that I trust them and that I don't need to replace anyone. I need them to pull out all the stops when we require that extra something. There's been talk of [Kostas] Manolas possibly leaving too. I can tell you this: if my club does things to scrape a few coins together and then hides it all under the pillow, I'd step in and say something. But if I know that my club is doing and giving everything it can, and looking for solutions so that we can deal with the difficulties when they come around, then I'm behind them 100% of the way. We're working as hard as always.

"Our players are the solution when we run into difficulties. Of course the fans have their hopes and expectations, and I don't know whether they're right or not, but personally I like to be open and honest. I don't expect a player like Musonda to come in here and win games for us. I prefer to back my own men – they're the ones who will need to be magnificent when we come to those difficult moments. I know how much they love this club and it's their hard work which will take us higher.”

Wojciech Szczesny said his future depends on Arsenal. Do you think you might ask the club to make an extra effort for the Polish keeper?

“I saw the Szczesny interview too. The most important thing he said was his praise of Alisson [Becker], where he said clearly what kind of potential he has. Until recently there would have been a bit of confusion over the two keepers, but now it’s clear to see for everyone. We’ve got two goalkeepers. With Szczesny we have different options and qualities and if he’s not available we have someone who is able to provide cover and show his ability. We need both of them. Then of course we need to think about what happens next year. The players need to be integral parts of the club, as we build its future. Our training games could end 0-0, given how good they both are.”

Do you perhaps need a few more players to make up the numbers?

“Roma are on a different level to other teams. At Roma it’s about continuously striving for victory. In other teams, you may be able to accept a different result. If we manage to get a player who can give us something extra, with our objectives in mind, then it’s a different story. We need to do a good job of this. If we’re talking about numbers, the work Alberto De Rossi is doing is important. His young players often join up with the first team and they help us train at a high level. They get involved in the games and they play in a way which resembles the way we want to play. Roma Primavera have often done our job for us by showing their quality up and down the country.”