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“Florenzi gives us something extra and I’m convinced he will do so in various roles, not just where he played today,” said the coach after the game.
After enduring two operations following the cruciate injury he sustained on 26 October 2016, the Giallorossi No.24 looked sharp as he returned to the starting line-up, drawing applause from the crowd and supplying the assist for Edin Dzeko to make it 2-0.
“I had already thought about using him against Sampdoria, but we didn’t play,” said Di Francesco. “It would have been riskier for him to be involved against Atletico, given who we were playing. I’ve seen a great deal of character in him – he’s always developing. He’s got that confidence back, which he lost following those injuries.”
Roma produced a convincing performance to dispatch Verona, with Radja Nainggolan finishing a slick move to open the scoring before Dzeko added two more as the Giallorossi completed a 3-0 win.
“We need to win these kinds of matches – they are crucial if you want to get going in this league,” said the coach. “We should have scored more but perhaps we’ve saved those goals for the next game. It’s a shame because some more goals would have also helped give confidence to other attackers, like [Stephan] El Shaarawy and Cengiz [Under]. They worked really hard for the team and deserved to score.”
Tonight, we saw the right approach from the start. How are your team physically?
“In terms of fitness we can only improve. I made changes today, bringing in five players who haven’t often played from the start in recent times. If you go ahead by two or three goals, it makes things easier as the rest of the game unfolds. This did not happen against Inter. I’m glad about how the team has improved, also in terms of our build up play. The team created a lot and that’s what I wanted right from the start.”
You don’t want any more breaks?
“We need to keep our minds focused – we have one game after another. I’m already looking towards the Benevento match. We need to pick up consistent results. The table doesn’t look great because of points we weren’t able to play for [Sampdoria v Roma, which was postponed].”
Did Edin Dzeko play for the team this evening?
“He played for the team. He could have scored a couple more goals – he had a great deal of opportunities. I’m very calm, though – we cleared things up straight away. It was an outburst after his performance on Tuesday. Sometimes you end up speaking about things that you don’t need to. In some games, you need to suffer – that grind is part of football. I’ve seen teams win against big sides when they’ve been penned into their penalty box. We played really well in the first half against Atletico Madrid – I’m pleased with what I saw from my players.”
Tonight, did we see your style of play?
“We’ve improved physically and I also included some players with different qualities. In several tough games, I’ve used Gregoire Defrel – in matches where it was hard to get in behind. But today the team managed to find the passing angles that I want in my style of play.”
Did this match help rid that sense of scepticism that was surrounding the team?
“It’s part of our job and that will always be there, as soon as you start picking up bad results. I just want to stay positive. We want to create excitement around the team. These games must be a means of attracting fans to the stadium, with our way of playing, the confidence to hurt our opponents and a desire to attack. These are the qualities that should set us apart. We can be successful with this style of play.”
Was Radja Nainggolan’s goal an on-the-field reply to what Dzeko said the other evening?
“[Radja] Nainggolan’s goal comes from a key concept: getting more men forward, playing the ball quickly. It’s something we’ve not done enough and we’re working on that. We managed to be more aggressive in this game, winning the ball higher up the pitch. When he’s played into those positions, Nainggolan is very capable – as are [Kevin] Strootman and [Lorenzo] Pellegrini.”
How important is Pellegrini in the two phases of play?
“He’s a player I really wanted here at Roma. He was important when he was here, then with me kept on developing and reached a high level. He’s got great potential but he needs to keep on working, with that humility that has set him apart until now.”
Could Patrik Schick start against Benevento?
“I don’t think he’s ready yet. He’s not trained enough with us.”
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