Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini insists that the three goals conceded in seven minutes against Real Madrid were an ‘anomaly’ but notes that he needs a ‘deeper squad’ to cope with three competitions.
Roma return to action on Saturday, hosting Daniele De Rossi’s Genoa at the Stadio Olimpico.
After José Mourinho, Roma fans will welcome another club legend back to the capital, but Gasperini is inevitably focused on different matters.
His Roma side will be without five regular starters, including Paulo Dybala and Manu Koné, who suffered injuries against Real Madrid on Wednesday.
Roma vs. Genoa – Gasperini’s press conference
After providing an injury update on the pair, Gasperini said (via Sky Sport): “Surely, given the emergency, Pellegrini can drop a little deeper. Hopefully, we’ll recover Cristante for the Napoli game or the following one. Castro is a valuable player; he’s already done well in our league, and tomorrow is a great opportunity for him.”
The Argentine striker will replace Donyell Malen, who will serve a one-game ban against Genoa tomorrow.
“Tomorrow we need strength, belief and energy. We are returning to the league as one of the leading teams. We will have the spirit, mentality and energy to try to win, because winning validates the players,” Gasp continued.
“De Roon is no longer very young, but he is a healthy athlete and has never had these types of problems [playing many consecutive games].
“This new experience is highly motivating for him, and his goal the other night was also a reward for a decision that was not at all easy to make. He is an extremely reliable player. Pellegrini is different because he underwent surgery and was out for months. He needs to play to regain his strength and fitness, but he is on the right track.”
Roma wasted a two-goal lead against Real Madrid on Wednesday, going from a 3-1 lead to a 4-3 loss, conceding three times in the final seven minutes.
“During the corner-kick situations, there was fear and a lack of reaction, which hadn’t happened before. As for the substitutes, they all came on and did well,” Gasperini noted.
“Unfortunately, we lost Koné early on, and perhaps we could have had one more substitution available. We conceded from those corner situations; it was unusual, but we need to examine it.
“The psychological blow came when the score became 3–2. We need to work on that and put it right. This team must not feel that it necessarily has to win the Champions League, the league title, or who knows what else,” he continued.
“This team needs to express itself. If you concede a goal, you cannot let your morale drop. In my opinion, performance always matters. We know that matches are often decided in the closing minutes, but we decided them ourselves against Parma and Atalanta. We probably suffered the opposite against Inter, Juventus and Real Madrid.”
Do Roma’s struggles begin when they start losing intensity?
“To me, that is a ‘false problem,’ especially with five substitutions,” Gasperini replied.
“This is modern football: you have to play for 90 minutes. We have turned around matches, and in others the opposition has come back against us. In the final 15 minutes, when the match is evenly balanced, substitutions and certain situations carry a lot of weight. But that’s not a problem, except that we play many matches and some players may experience a slight drop-off. There is no question that matches last 90 minutes. What happened against Real Madrid was an anomaly: three set-piece goals. Then everyone is free to interpret it however they like.
“It is understandable that some players may be feeling tired. We also need to broaden the squad, so players who will feature tomorrow, such as Castro and Mora, who will definitely play, need to gain confidence,” he added.
“Tomorrow will be our third match in seven days, and Tuesday will be our fourth in ten days. Football has changed: either we adapt, or we suffer the consequences. We need to raise everyone’s level, including that of the youngsters who will have to help us beat Genoa tomorrow. It will not be an easy match. What concerns me is that we have very few substitutions available; in some areas, a Primavera player may make their debut.”
Gasperini said the team must be broadened; does it mean they need new additions on the market?
“Yes, but we cannot do anything about that today. If I say it in August, people will say I am complaining. Nowadays, teams competing in Europe cannot have squads as big as they did a few years ago,” he replied.
“We will never be down to only ten players; we will bring players up from the academy. Given the current schedule, teams competing in Europe have to play so many matches that a deeper squad is essential.”