Pallotta: I have complete faith in the system we are putting in place

Currently in Rome for a number of meetings about the club, on Thursday afternoon AS Roma president Jim Pallotta called into Roma Radio to answer some questions about the current status of the side.

Read everything Pallotta had to say about the new coach, Monchi and how he feels the squad is progressing well.

Roma Radio: Are you unhappy about some of the things that have been written about the team in recent days?

Jim Pallotta: “There just seems to be a tendency in Rome, almost exclusively from the media or certain people in the media, who feel like they have to print something and so make up something. I woke up this morning and read the paper and was fairly shocked at one reporter specifically and what he wrote. And so, I’ll go into some details, but first and foremost I want to challenge him to meet me, face-to-face, and to prove what he said.

"And if he can prove it I’ll buy him dinner and give him 50,000 dollars on top of it. Because I’m just extremely tired of people making stuff up.

“I was reading some stuff this morning. So when we finished the game against Atletico I came out of the coaches' room and either shook hands or hugged players as they came through. Manolas I gave a hug because he made a great stop, Alisson I had to give multiple hugs because he made a number of great saves … and I congratulated all the players on playing a hard-fought game. I also did the same with Di Francesco a couple of times, and with Monchi. There was not one negative word said by me at all to any player, any coach, anybody at all.

“The only thing I had complained about is that I thought, when I watched it on replay on TV downstairs, I thought there was a good shout we should have had a penalty kick in the first half – and perhaps one in the second half too. Other than that, all I had to say was good things.

"I think Di Francesco is getting his feet steady. The team goes through great spurts, but we haven’t played much together yet. We have a new system, a number of players coming back, a number of new players too, but I am very pleased with Di Francesco. You can see in his practices how the players are, and how they work at it. And I’m unbelievably happy with what Monchi has done these last four months.

“So, as I said, if that particularly reporter wants to get face-to-face and prove it to me he has his chance. But it’s extremely tiring and all the fans, all the fans in Rome and worldwide, should start to understand that there are certain aspects in the media, and people in the media, that are trying to tear down this team and tear down this coach. And I won’t stand for it any more. And if I have to come out daily, I will come out daily. But I have had it up to here with material that is being written like this.”

Stuff takes time with new systems. But I like the way the team is playing. I think when we have some of our other players are back, when we can make more changes in and out. Then I think we have a stronger and more deep team and group than we have ever had since I’ve been here.”

- Jim Pallotta

You are happy with what is being done at Trigoria…

“I have zero issues with what is going on in Trigoria. I think we are working incredibly hard in Trigoria. We have a new coach, some new systems, we have an unbelievably great staff with Di Francesco – and we have one of the best in the world, if not the best, in Monchi.

"We won in Atalanta, which is a very difficult place to play for everybody, and with Inter in our next game we completely out-played them for 60-65 minutes – and I thought we could have had a penalty, if we had looked at the VAR - and we hit the post three times. It could have been 3-0 or 4-0 before Inter Milan scored. And then, it all got a little deflated after playing so great and it’s 1-1, and Inter end up winning that one. But I loved the way the team played.

"Atletico Madrid were in the Champions League final two of the last three seasons. That is not easy to do. So everyone knows they are a very difficult team to face home or away. And I thought the team did well. We controlled things for much of the first half, we looked good, we had their goalkeeper and ours make some saves and 0-0 - while I would have loved to win - 0-0 in the Champions League is a good result.

“Look at the results for some of the other teams this week, unfortunately from Italy. But I feel good about it. Stuff takes time with new systems. But I like the way the team is playing. I think when we have some of our other players are back, when we can make more changes in and out. Then I think we have a stronger and more deep team and group than we have ever had since I’ve been here.”

The next month is a big one for the club…

“I don’t look at it as, like, ‘the next month’. This is a long-term project that we are trying to build something sustainable in Rome.

“We have been lucky and good enough to be in the Champions League three of the last four years. We qualified for it in one of the others. I feel really good about what we have been doing on the pitch. We have got more depth this year, which is important for us. The stadium – there should be some great news, some final news in the next couple of week. I think we have a great coach. I think we have people as good as anyone in the world in football operations, and our staff, our training, and our management, so the next month is not something I get excited about or not excited about in terms of the team.

“We have a good team. I’m not worried about that part of it. There’s always a little bit of luck, or a lot of luck, in football. Things go your way or they don’t. If we have all wins in the next month, great; if we get unlucky and have a loss or a few ties – that’s one month. I’m not going to lose my mind over what is happening over the next month – I have faith in the system we are putting in place. That’s what is important."