Aldair: Roma have to believe they are good enough to win it all

The legendary former centre-back - a member of the club's Hall of Fame - is impressed with what he is seeing from the current crop of Giallorossi players, acknowledging that there are similarities with the 2000-01 squad that he was a part of.

See what he had to say in the interview below.

Are you liking what you’re seeing from the Roma defence?

“Yes – it’s a very strong back three. I’ve seen them play a few times this season and they’ve always done well. In recent months, Roma have been doing a great job at the back – they’ve really come on. I think lots of factors have played a part in them keeping the goals out, one of which is the return of [Toni] Rudiger. I didn’t see the win over Cagliari, but I’ve watched lots of games this season and been to the Olimpico and I think the team is getting better and better.”

Fabio Capello’s Roma side also had a great defence – that team’s success was built on a solid backline.

“We were all very technically gifted at the back. We had strong players like [Walter] Samuel and [Antonio] Zago, while myself and [Jonathan] Zebina had slightly different characteristics. We also had [Amedeo] Mangone, who was only there for two seasons but really helped us a lot. Generally speaking, our defence was a mix of physical strength and technical ability, and I think that’s the case for [Luciano] Spalletti’s side too.”

Can Roma’s defensive solidity help them challenge Juventus for the Scudetto?

“I said it at the start of the season – the stats this Roma side are generating are good enough to win the Scudetto. What they need to improve on, and I do think they have already started to do so, is their mentality – they need to keep believing. Juventus have won five Scudetti in a row, but they’re not in the best form. They’re not unbeatable like they have been in recent years. Roma need to keep playing the way they have been. I think the team is in good shape – they have some great players. They have everything they need to stay in the race until the very end.”

The last coaches to win silverware at Roma were Capello and Spalletti. Do you see any similarities between the two managers?

“It’s difficult to say from outside, but I’ve always thought Spalletti to be quite different to Capello. Spalletti prefers his players to pass it around and try to create chances, while Capello was good at setting his teams out well and using Cafu and [Vincent] Candela to push forward. Back then Roma kept it very tight – we tried not to give our opponents any space. That’s the difference.”

Do you see yourself in any of Roma’s current crop of defenders?

“No, I don’t think so. These defenders have different styles – they have a different way of playing. But they’re great defenders.”