Di Francesco: I keep telling the players not to be content

Read everything he had to say about his tactical ideas, man-management approach and more...

ROMA RADIO: In your opinion, where are Roma in their development process right now?

DI FRANCESCO: “I don’t really like looking back at what we have done. I’m always looking forward. We have created a good atmosphere around us, and this is very important to our work. I was very happy to beginning into Trigoria this morning. When you come in in good spirits, saying hello to everyone… when the work is fun the results are always better.”

Other than the results, did you imagine your return to Roma would be like this?

“I try to always remain the same, sticking to my methods and my principles without worrying about other things like the position we are in. I think everyone is starting to understand that this is the sort of person I am, one who wants to build rather than destroy. At times we will get where we want to go quickly, at other times it will take a bit longer.

“I think this sort of approach is starting to reach the players and the fans – even now at Trigoria people smile at me around the place and I hope this doesn’t change if we have a few bad games. Wins and defeats need to be taken in the same way, although I have to say obviously I hope we lose as few games as possible.

"But at times a defeat must be accepted, some games can be turning points - like what happened to us against Napoli in the second half. From a mental perspective we gained a lot from that game.”

Sassuolo is a bit different to Roma: with different players and a different environment. Is what you say to the players now different?

“For me the important thing is how we operate; players need clarity and coherence, but at the same time it’s important they take a certain personal responsibility. Today players want to know more, they have more information available to them too. I think that it is wrong to judge a coach just on what happens during Sunday’s game – you need to look at all the work done during the week, of which the game is just the final part.”

You rotate a lot: all the players feel involved. Is this your first achievement in building the group?

“Well, the coach always knows his preferred formation and which of the players are ahead in the hierarchy. But there is a development path for all of them. What the guys understand is not that there is rotation, but that the important thing is the team rather than any one individual. Of course, a bit of individualism is good. But for me, reducing that individualism just a bit is important."

The rotation is also possible because of the strength of the squad: we are talking about great players in every position…

“We have built a precise roster, with two starters for every role – also with different strengths among them. We didn’t want too many new players together, I had to look at different things, assessing the characters of all the players and their leadership qualities.

"The pre-season defeat against Celta Vigo is an example: perhaps it was too soon to put so many new players out on the pitch, we got hammered as a result - but it was a particular moment and maybe we were judged too soon because of it. And now we are in much better form.”

The phrase you have used a lot is 'don’t be content'...

“More so today than ever - I will tell my players it again. This is Roma, with its good points and its issues. We can get over-excited after a single moment. Of course it’s good to celebrate things, but we can’t get carried away. I demand the maximum from my players, and we need to show our ability every day, every game.”

Today is Thursday, on Sunday we face Chievo Verona. Do you have a line-up in mind days before the game? How do you approach it?

“Usually yes, but we always have to consider the physical condition of the guys – I have got a great rapport with the players and they tell me how they are, if they feel they’ve got 90 minutes in their legs or they are not in top condition.

"Sometimes I chose a line-up that changes things in the wide areas, because maybe one of the players has told me he isn’t quite 100%. And at times another player might not be at his best, but I chose him for a particular game because I need his qualities. But, for me, it’s important to assess the dressing room.”

Did you watch the Champions League games yesterday?

“No, yesterday I was at the Vatican – it was a nice day. Then I went to dinner with family and friends. I didn’t watch anything. I like to cut off myself from work sometimes; it’s about the quality of work more than the quality. For me it is very important to not only think about football.”

What comes into studying the opponents for you?

“The abilities of the opponent are important – the guys need to know what they are coming up against. For example Qarabag had Ismayilov, who was a surprise selection before the game and [video analyst] Simone Beccaccioli was able to show Kolarov the sort of player he was coming up against.

“The players need to know who they have in front of them, but that doesn’t change the main thing: what we do is more important than what they do, we do not change our mentality because of the opposition – but we do want to know the opponents’ tendencies and the details that can make the difference. That means sharing insight. With Kolarov we asked him: ‘Do you want to watch him?’ Not only did he say yes, but he watched even more than we had initially prepared.”

Is there a particular characteristic you have in mind that Roma still doesn’t have, which could help them make another important step?

“No, in my opinion we can improve in all areas, even where we have already shown progress. We can force the play a bit more, we can score more goals. In two games we have had about 60 shots, so we can do better.”