Alvarez: “Great response after Milan – we’ll hang in there until the end”

Ricky Alvarez will no doubt have appreciated the rapturous applause from the fans, having been thrown into the middle of Samp’s hard-earned win over Udinese.

“It was a tough game today. But we managed to break the deadlock and did well to hang on at the start of the second half. We put in a good team performance,” he said after the match.

With Gaston Ramirez potentially missing, the Argentinian may have opportunities to start in the coming games.

“I always need to try and contribute. When I’m called upon I do my best to help, whether I’m a starter or not,” he added.

“It was tough today, and we knew it would be. We needed everyone – including those who entered the fray. We gave a response after the Milan defeat and picked up three points.

“Know we have a third six-pointer on the horizon. We’ll keep on pushing until the end.”