Di Francesco: We know we have to be at our best

The game in Turin gets underway at 20:30 local time.

How are the injured players coming along?

“[Edin] Dzeko has the best chance of being involved. We'll see how he looks in training today then decide whether or not to have him on the bench. He's spent the last three weeks on the sidelines so it's impossible for him to play from the start, but he'll almost certainly make the squad. We're hopeful about [Daniele] De Rossi. We're assessing him on a daily basis. The others definitely won't be involved in this one.”

What kind of game do you need to play against a side like Juventus?

“They've shown they're the best team and not just this year. They've developed a really strong mentality over the years and have strengthened continuously. It won't be easy because Roma have never managed to get a result up there in recent years. Perhaps we'll produce a top performance despite the so-so period we're in. [Massimiliano] Allegri said this is a match where you have to be on the ball technically, physically and mentally, and he's right – we'll need all of those things if we're to put in a great performance.”

Who is more likely to start at centre forward, Nicolo Zaniolo or Patrik Schick?

“It's harder for Zaniolo. It's easy to write a team on the board and put players where you want but when you look at things on the pitch you understand how football works. I didn't get the answers I was looking for with Zaniolo in that position. It will be between Cengiz [Under], Schick and [Justin] Kluivert. Under had a minor problem the last few days so we need to assess him in training.”

Is playing Alessandro Florenzi further forward an option?

“I'd like to keep my line-up to myself. He could play in that position and it wouldn't be the first time. He has less difficulty adjusting to different positions than most players because he takes new ideas on board very quickly.”

Are you surprised to see Roma so many points behind Juve?

“I'm not surprised by them but we're lower than we should be, for various reasons. There have been games where we've thrown points away so it's mostly our own doing. Juventus switch their team around a lot because they have lots of top-quality players ready to step in. I'm not surprised by their league position but we know we must do much, much better ourselves.”

Roma have changed coaches frequently in recent seasons. Do you think that has affected results?

“I don't know. I do know the atmosphere at their stadium makes a big difference. When I went there with Sassuolo the first time I noticed they have all the trophies they've won on the walls of the dressing room. But Sassuolo is one thing and Roma is another. We must be clever enough to forget about all the negatives surrounding the team and focus on getting a result in this game, which would be a historic result.”

Do you feel reassured after Monchi and James Pallotta’s meeting in Boston?

“Every morning, when I wake up, I feel like I’m being questioned. When you see that things aren’t going as you’d like, you ask yourself questions and try to find the right answers. We need to look forward and try to do better. In football it’s always the manager that takes responsibility, ahead of everyone else.”

Will you play with three or four at the back tomorrow?

“There’s a logic behind either approach. In the last few days and during this recent period I’ve tried both options. This wouldn’t alter the approach or the concepts we want to implement, but perhaps certain movements and actions. We’re working on scenarios that we’ve experienced in the past. Generally speaking, my view is that Roma need to defend better, rather than thinking about whether we have three, four or five at the back. We have defensive issues this year; in attack perhaps we’re even better than we were. Our problem is the goals we are conceding. In this situation, what matters is how the whole team moves, as a collective, and seeks to defend. I’m trying to make tweaks so as to improve things, and you’ll see that tomorrow when the team takes to the field.”

Has there been any news from Boston on potential January transfers?

“Action will be needed from this team but I’ve not even spoken about the transfer market with Monchi. We’ve spoken about what we need to do now, which is getting to 29 December with the most points possible. Putting the transfer window aside, this team needs to act – we can’t afford not to.”

Your starting defence has remained more or less the same compared to last year. Have you worked out why the performances are as they are and how certain issues can be solved?

“The only way is on the pitch, putting the characteristics of individual players aside. In defence we’ve had more individual mistakes than collective errors, and they’ve changed the course of matches. We’ve been poor on set pieces. We’ve been punished at times when we’ve lacked consistency. Once again, though, it’s not just about the defensive line – it’s something that comes from the whole team and we’re working on it.”

Is there an aspect of Juventus you feel could serve as an example?

“In recent years Juve have built a great deal – they’ve shown great mentality. Winning breeds winning. They’re not just different to us but to every team in Italy and they show that on and off the pitch.”

Would you rather Cristiano Ronaldo played or was on the bench?

“He’s their number one danger. He has got world-class ability. His shots from outside the area are phenomenal – it’s hard to replace a player like that.”

James Pallotta has said that anyone who is not fully committed to Roma does not deserve to be part of the project. Daniele De Rossi has said that some player exits have been difficult to digest. Has this issue been sorted, emotionally speaking?

“The fact it’s been spoken about means it’s been smoothed out. We’ll leave the past behind us and try to focus on the here and now. It’s a mistake the group has made generally. The fact the team has digested these changes is a positive thing. As regards the commitment of Pallotta – it’s something we see all around us at Trigoria. It’s us, the ones who go out and produce the goods, who need to give more. Getting a Champions League spot is not that far away and we managed to get out of our group. We need to do better in the league to reach where we deserve to be.”

How are [Javier] Pastore and [Diego] Perotti?

“They’ve managed to train consistently and I’m glad about how they’ve improved but it’s unlikely that either of them will start the game tomorrow. I’m happy with the way they’ve trained. They’ve overcome those little issues, particularly in Diego’s case, that stop you training regularly. I’m pleased with how they’ve improved but it’s hard to see them playing 90 minutes.”

Does the team lack some aggression in the way they go after the opponent to get the ball back? Do you need more from your attackers?

“The first thing is not to lose the ball – you need to keep it and use it better. It saps more energy having to chase the ball. An example I’d use is a player like Mario Mandzukic, who was defending in the penalty area against Torino. We can use certain forwards as examples. It’s something you need to do at the top level.”