Spalletti: Dzeko could play in any team

Roma were made to work for it, but in the end they secured an important 5-3 victory over Chievo Verona on Saturday.

See what coach Luciano Spalletti had to say about the game...

Roma may swerve about a bit but you always manage to stay on the road...

“It would be better if we didn't swerve at all. We could have conceded more goals when were behind today because we left ourselves open. When the pressure is on and you have everything to lose like today, it's easy to get carried away and then you're no longer able to play the way you want. Chievo came into the game with no pressure and played to their strengths, getting the ball up to their front two quickly – and they're both very good at playing for each other. We didn't deal with that particularly well today.”

You're just a point behind Juve now. Was there a moment when you could have stepped up a gear and gone head to head with them?

“Probably but it would mean winning them all, which is virtually impossible. There are key moments over the course of a season but when you've worked so hard to create those opportunities it can then be difficult to take them. We can't have any regrets this year. We wanted to bring the smiles back today and we succeeded in doing that. Now it's up to us and with the Olimpico packed and everyone there to give us a big send-off I think it's going to be very hard indeed for our opponents.”

Roma didn't panic out there today. All sorts of things could have happened when Chievo broke forward.

“Absolutely. When we were trailing, those two goals we needed to turn it around seemed like a very tough ask indeed. We pushed forward and tried a bit harder and it upset our balance – we ended up handing them the advantage on a couple of occasions.”

Could the Genoa game be important for your own future? You seem to be more open to staying that you were a while ago.

“It depends on when you're talking about. How would you like to interpret what I said yesterday? All I spoke about was today's game. One result can change everything. In Rome one goal can change everything – suddenly the team become world-beaters, then the next game they're useless. Roma are a team of professionals who have done their jobs well. We lost a few hard-fought games and that added a bit of extra weight to our shoulders, but little by little we got ourselves organised again. Today's win could mean a lot for our season. Shall I remind you of all the teams that won't finish second this year? We could start in England with City and United. Second place doesn't mean you've failed. But right now we need to stay focused. This week has been all about Chievo and their diamond formation. Next week it will be all about Genoa's 3-5-2.”

Edin Dzeko is very close to claiming Roma's all-time scoring record. Was it your prodding that worked on him?

“Dzeko has scored goals because he's a nice person and a great striker, not because of anything I said to him. I see my players once a day. He suffered when he wasn't scoring: he came to me and said he couldn't fathom why people were attacking him gratuitously; he couldn't get his head round it. But then he showed everyone what a great footballer he is and he's been superb for us. He's shown what a fantastic all-round striker he is: strong in the air, strong on the deck, good at holding the ball up. He's hard to match because he's nippy too for a No.9. He could play in any team.”

Would you leave out Stephan El Shaarawy next season after the form he's shown recently?

“He's had an excellent season. Only on a very few occasions has he failed to produce the goods when he's been called upon. Of course I might have used him a bit more looking at his end-of-season form. Some people say a good coach doesn't do any damage; well, I do a touch more damage than a good coach. I'm completely in love with my players. We've had a wonderful season and we've been frank with each other.”