Spalletti: We need to be hungry and make winning a habit

The Giallorossi have stepped up their performances in recent weeks and have scored goals with abandon - but the campaign has already been notable for a few moments of inconsistency that have occasionally threatened to hold the group back.

In recent weeks a corner appears to have been turned, however, and Spalletti wants his players to make the leap that all great sides do and forge a winning habit.

Having commented earlier in the season that his side were only playing at 60%, the coach was asked how he would rate the group now - after four wins on the spin in the league.

“It's not easy to answer that," Spalletti said. "Sometimes we get these ups and downs when we're not expecting it. As [Italian singer-songwriter Antonello] Venditti said, 'just when you think you're over it, you start going uphill'. We're in pretty good shape at the moment, we want to make brave choices and we want to achieve big things.

"We must keep on at this pace over an extended period of time. That's something we haven't been too good at doing up to now. We're playing well at the moment and hopefully we can keep playing with the same intensity. We need to be alive, determined, hungry and brave.

"The players have realised that if we keep doing the same things that brought us nothing then we need to change and do things differently. I think they want to do things differently now and we have to show that tomorrow against a difficult opponent.”

Spalletti revealed his admiration and respect for Empoli, and their coach Giovanni Martuscello, despite a difficult start to the current campaign.

Roma are overwhelming favourites for the match but Spalletti is not taking anything for granted.

“I think Martuscello is the best coach Empoli could have got," Spalletti said. "I'll be pitting my wits against a very good coach. I know what he's like as a coach and he's a great person with his head screwed on.

"He's been at Empoli for years in a period when they've been able to ease some of the pressure you usually get at a club like that by securing their top-flight status well in advance; in other years they've only beaten the drop right at the end of the season.

"They've been unlucky in their last few games too. They played well against Napoli and the match was in the balance until the 82nd minute. They're going to be very difficult opponents for us and with each game their players will add a bit more because they'll be doing everything possible to keep themselves in Serie A.

"It's an extremely tricky match for us.”