Spalletti: We needed this win

Goals from Mohamed Salah and Stephan El Shaarawy, followed by a second-half brace from Edin Dzeko, secured a comfortable victory for the Giallorossi - and ensured they bounced back at the first attempt after Sunday's defeat to Fiorentina.

“We needed it," Spalletti said of the result. "We were disappointed with the Fiorentina result because we performed well.

"It was a great win tonight because it came courtesy of a top performance.”

Were you pleased to see Edin Dzeko looking so lethal in front of goal?

“Yes, tonight you could see that he was much more clinical when it came to finishing a move off.”

Roma did live a little dangerously at times tonight…

“There was a bit of that at 0-0 because we were forcing our play and running the risk of getting caught. It happened again when the result was assured. We let them have ten minutes when they were giving everything they had physically. We need to do better in managing those situations, because at times we leave too much space and lose a bit of balance.

“Teams like Crotone run and run and are good at turning defence into attack. We chanced our hand a bit at the end of the match, letting the space open up because we were already sure of the result, but that’s not OK. As I’ve said, we produced a good performance tonight, but we need to keep it tighter.”

Why did you decide to start with Francesco Totti tonight?

“I started him because I was expecting a difficult game with Crotone sitting back, defending and looking to play on the counter. I needed a player that could break them down with that killer pass. Totti can make something out of nothing. I want the team to learn from him – the way he always plays the ball early, when his team-mates are in the best positions.”

What’s the most important factor in determining how long you stay at Roma? Results or consistency?

“Results, nothing else. No matter what job you have, if you don’t produce results you go home. It’s the same for me. It’s unacceptable for Roma to finish sixth or seventh. Go big or go home, all of us!

"The fans here are used to seeing great players, so it’s important to play attractive football too.”