Rolando Maran does not believe Cagliari deserved defeat to Udinese, but admits they “need to improve holding the ball late on with more wisdom.”
The Sardinians went unbeaten for 13 games in a row, but have ended 2019 with two consecutive 2-1 defeats to Lazio and Udinese.
Joao Pedro had equalised, only for Seko Fofana to score the winner moments later.
“We had many more scoring opportunities than Udinese, then when we finally did get back on level terms, they won with a long ball punted into the box,” Maran told Sky Sport Italia.
“It was very difficult to play our style of football on such a muddy pitch, but we tried to take the initiative and were less sharp than usual.
“We had also wanted to make up for last week’s defeat and did everything we could, but it just wasn’t our day.
“This group of lads is working so hard, we finish the calendar year either fifth or sixth, and that is a huge improvement from last season.
“I saw a constant growth in terms of mentality. The two defeats are disappointing, but the growth remains tangible and I can assure you every week they work really hard to get better.”
What more can Cagliari do to improve and will the January transfer window see developments?
“Obviously, we haven’t been smart enough to control the tempo and the ball in the final minutes over the last couple of games and that shows a lack of experience. We are working on what we can do to improve and that wisdom in holding the ball late on is one of them, as we're too naive in those situations.”