Pjanic: We all need to get our confidence back

“We all need to get our confidence back,” declared the Bosnian midfielder after Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Hellas Verona. “We’ve got into a bit of negative spiral and we need to get out of it. It’s up to the whole squad to work hard and focus so we can perform well in the second half of the season.”

Despite the result, Pjanic stressed that he had enjoyed his role in the team in Luciano Spalletti’s first match in charge: “I felt good. Midfield is an important area for the team and I will make sure I do exactly what the boss asks of me. We need to improve our link-up play between the midfielders and the forwards. Even though we managed to find them in good positions a few times today, we need to do better both individually and collectively.”

Is there a fitness problem at Roma?

“You can ask any player how well we prepare and they’ll all say we work really hard with great intensity. Fitness isn’t a worry for me – I don’t think we were lacking in that regard today as we kept looking to create chances and score until the last minute.”

What do you think about Edin Dzeko’s current form?

“Unfortunately in football there are times when you’re unable to show what you’re really worth. I feel for him and so does the rest of the team. Edin is creating chances for himself and working very hard in training and during matches. He’s lacking that slice of luck but he’s a great striker and I’m sure he’ll be back in the goals soon. He will always have our complete faith and support as he’s a very important player for us.”

Next up is a trip to Juventus. What kind of match are you expecting?

“We’re expecting a tough match against a team that’ll be very confident after a great fightback. It’s not for nothing that they’ve won four Scudetto titles in a row. As of Tuesday we will work hard to prepare for the game and we’ll do everything we can to win it.”