Paolo Vanoli was pleased with his players' show of consistency after they recorded a second consecutive win over Pisa in the Coppa Italia, but says he expects much more from his young team.

This is how he responded to journalists at his press conference following Tuesday's cup clash at the Stadio Franchi:

It was an important match for your season because this year the Coppa Italia is your only cup competition. It was also important – after the Venezia game – to continue your return to form after recent results.

“For me, 'recent results' are Venezia. I don't look back – I look forward. Venezia was the start of a new chapter. The team did well because they showed consistency in what we’re striving to become. We want to become a team in which everyone helps each other, a team with talent, but not talent as an end in itself – talent that's put to the good of the team. I think we continued in that vein tonight. There’s still a great deal of work to be done. but that's good because it means these lads have great potential."

What do you make of Christ Inao Oulai? Is he only a holding midfielder or can he play in a box-to-box role too? What qualities does he have? 

"Even before he joined the club, I said he looked like a mini [N'Golo] Kante. I’ve coached Kante and I see a lot of similarities. Kante was a bit more level-headed at times but it's great to see so much enthusiasm [from Oulai]. Sometimes you have to hold him back – he needs to learn to manage his energy – but he’s a player with huge room for improvement. He’s earned his place in his Ivory Coast team and he’s still young. In these two matches, he and Fagioli have both won man of the match so I’ve got two great midfielders.”

Fiorentina seems to be the perfect fit for you, in terms of the team and the squad. Last season you didn't have the same options on the bench, whereas this season the set-up, your substitutions and rotation options seem just right for you. Is that just my impression or is it true?

“You can’t really compare this team with last year’s. Last year’s team was put together differently and there were some problems. My intention was to reach our goal as quickly as possible, but if you look at the points we picked up in the second half of the season, the numbers are clear. 

“This is a very different team: they're young side, keen, they take on board everything you tell them. I think people are starting to see that now. That said, I know what Florence is like and we mustn’t get carried away. We must keep a level head as this team has a lot of work to do. With youngsters you need to use a carrot-and-stick approach because I want to see their youthful enthusiasm on the pitch.

“I’m also pleased because this was the first match in which we’ve kept a clean sheet – and as a former defender, that's important to me. Since the start, I've placed the emphasis on becoming a team because sometimes you don’t concede goals not just because you're well-organized in defense but also because you're a team unit. 

“It's a long road, a long process, but I agree with what [Fabio Paratici] said: sometimes it’s better to have a mid-table season if you can then go on to achieve something significant. I think I'm the right fit for this team because I believe in that.”