Fonseca: The players showed courage today

The Giallorossi arrested a worrying recent slump in domestic form with an emphatic display at the Stadio Olimpico, as Cengiz Under, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Edin Dzeko and Aleksandar Kolarov all got on the scoresheet.

“The team trained very well over the past few days and I was very optimistic going into this one," Fonseca said.

"Let’s not forget the form Lecce are in – they’d won three on the spin. We did very well indeed in the first 30 minutes and it was a different game compared to others. The players had more confidence and displayed more bravery. In a period like this, that was really important.”

Why did you take Lorenzo Pellegrini off after the first half?

“He’d played really well, but we had a chat during the interval and he had a slight niggle. I thought it better not to take the risk. He didn’t get injured – it was just a precaution.”

It seems your team’s displays depend on how the two central midfielders perform. Is that right?

“It’s true. The start of our build up is very important indeed. Everyone performed today, though. I was very pleased with Jordan [Veretout] and [Bryan] Cristante – they did very well for the team.”

When will [Amadou] Diawara be back?

“We’ll see. The signs are very positive but we’ll have to see. We need to assess the situation day by day.”

Does Henrikh Mkhitaryan help you be clinical in attack?

“He’s a fantastic player – he has the ability to be decisive in that phase of play. In our team, it’s important to make the right decisions – we attack a lot but we’ve often made poor decisions. He’s important in how he gives our attack consistency.”

The defence played a key role today too – this was the second straight game in which you didn’t concede. Are you getting some balance back?

“Yes – it’s very important not to concede. This is our second straight clean sheet and, for us, defensive solidity is fundamental. We turned in a good display today, particularly in the way our central defenders marked, often with the help of Veretout. That was key in the game and helped us keep the clean sheet. I must say, Lecce have a lot of quality in attack and come forward in numbers – I like the way they play.”

You’ve been on the receiving end of criticism lately. What do you think of that and how do you respond?

“I always need to keep balanced and understand the moment we’re in. When a team endures a run of poor form, the coach has to take responsibility and I take criticism when it comes. I’m not expecting flowers. I'm not struggling with this – I accept it.”