De Rossi delivers press conference ahead of Genoa

Here’s what our boss had to say...

Roma have got a huge game, but we also have to talk about first of all, let’s get an update on the latest news. Reports suggest that Nicola Zalewski is training away from the first team. Is that the case? Do you agree with this decision? What’s the thinking behind this?

“I don’t think it’s definitive. I don’t believe that to be the case – it’s all related to the fact that his contract is running down. People above me at the club took this decision – they told me about it a few days ago. It’s all contract-related. Nothing is set in stone in football. If both parties agree to extend his deal, then he’ll come back into the fold. I don’t know, you’re asking me a question I can’t answer. I’ve always stepped up to the plate when it has come to explaining footballing choices or decisions regarding a player’s conduct. This is a matter that goes beyond me. You need to talk about it with Nicola, with his agent and with the club. He’s in the last year of his contract, but if he renews, I think we’ll be back to normal. At least that’s what I make of it - you’re asking this question to the wrong person.”

The away day in Genoa at the Marassi is a tough one. There are two uncertainties in Genoa's starting eleven. What are you expecting from Alberto Gilardino’s team?

"I take such news with a pinch of salt. There are so many other unknowns when that depend on it comes to a player’s fitness. We’re preparing for what Genoa are like when they face a big team, and based on how Gila has set his team up in recent seasons and how they’ve played we’re expecting a tough and organised side. We also saw this in evidence in their home game against Inter – Genoa caused them a lot of issues, beyond the fact that they managed to draw level at the end with that spot kick. They’ve got a top team. They may have lost some quality players but they have other top personnel such as [Junior] Messias, [Ruslan] Malinovsky and Vitinha. They’ve also got [Andrea] Pinamonti, a player who’s always ready to make an impact – we’re fully aware of his qualities. Their midfield is talented and energetic. We’ll be playing in a thrilling venue, one of the most pulsating in Italy, but I’m no fan of the kick-off time. That being said, we’ll go there and play our game. We’re ready tactically and mentally.”

What’s the latest on Mario Hermoso and Mats Hummels? Are they in contention to play? Were they to feature, would Roma’s tactical approach change?

“They certainly give us more strings to our bow, more options. Their experience bolsters the team – they’ve played in the Champions League, at the highest level. I watched them and liked their football. Before they signed they told me that they were in good shape and that’s proved to be the case from what I’ve seen of them here. This always counts for a lot.

“Obviously they need some time to get to the top of their game, and we’ll evaluate this with every passing matchday. They’re ready to play but we’ll see how many minutes they’re capable of, and whether they can start, play the full 90, or feature here and there.

“From next week onwards we’ll be playing every three days. We’ll need to be able to call upon everyone in the squad. That’s what I’m telling the players and that’s what I firmly believe. We’ll need plenty of hands on deck – it won’t be a case of thinking about who’s getting how many minutes. We’ll need to call on everyone and we’ll be doing so as soon as possible.”

I’d like you to clarify the Zalewski situation. You said that his exclusion from the first team was related to his contract impasse. When you were a footballer you once played with a contract that was running down, and there were no issues. As a football man, do you think it's fair?

“I’ll say it again, you’re asking the wrong person. I’ve also made my own footballing choices regarding Nicola’s situation. In May I said that he could leave because I hadn’t seen the things I wanted from him. However, pre-season was totally different in that regard. Not just in terms of his football, but also his mentality. He was more ready to take on his responsibilities. I let him play, I saw him as one of our important players.

“As for whether the decision is fair or not, as it’s nothing to do with me I mustn’t stick my neck out. The same was the case for me – I was just a player and no limits were placed on my involvement in the team, so I continued to play. I think he did the same. Let’s wait and see how this situation pans out.”

How’s Artem Dovbyk doing? Is he ready to play?

“He’s ready to play and he will play – he’s a very important player for us. He’s our striker and we’ve placed a lot of trust in him. All we can do is analyse his performances and the team’s. We played well in Turin, but there’s a difference between saying we’re happy to have played well and really celebrating that fact. I said the same thing in Leverkusen last season. For me, big games are another matter entirely. In that game we basically didn’t give the opposition a sniff, and we posed more of a threat than in that Turin game. It’s certainly not all down to Dovbyk.

“If a player is marked by two defenders for the whole game, it means that someone else can be freer to score in his place or draw markers away. We have to help him in this regard, so that he’s less hounded and isn’t having to deal with two defenders so often. Once he finds his feet there will be no stopping him.”
 With the three defenders building up the play from the back, how much more need do we have for a deep-lying playmaker? Can a player like Manu Kone be deployed up front?

“We chose to sign Kone based on his characteristics, not just his position. He played both as a right-sided and left-sided midfielder and in front of the defence for his national team at the Olympics - I watched him in every game. He’s got the skillset that we were looking for. He’s the kind of player who frees up the others. He frees us to play with even more attack-minded players in midfield, and for me that’s important. Bear in mind that without Kone last season we won many games. [Leandro] Paredes, [Bryan] Cristante and [Lorenzo] Pellegrini sometimes get less respect in this city than they deserve.

“In the last six months we’ve been averaging two points a game in Serie A. That’s not what we dreamed of but it’s what we aimed for in that moment in time, with a team of Paredes, Cristante and Pellegrini, as well as [Edoardo] Bove, [Houssem] Aouar, Renato [Sanches] and the rest. Paredes, Cristante and Pellegrini are important players and will contribute a lot to this team.

“I was really keen to sign Kone and he’ll be a huge player for us, but in the meantime we respect those who’ve been here toiling away for many seasons. They’ve had some off days but they’ve performed really well on many occasions. Then there’s the matter that everyone has their favourites and tastes. Let's make our players feel loved. As for the stats, they point to the fact that as a team we’ve done little in recent seasons as we’ve always ended up sixth, but we’ve always performed well in terms of goals and distances covered on the pitch. There are numbers that not everyone knows about. People will say ‘this guy doesn't run, that guy is slow', but you should check out the GPS data to find out who really runs and who doesn't run.”

Roma haven't produced an awful lot in attack in the first three games. Are you working on any particular tactics, perhaps to get Dovbyk into the box more?

“We've been trying even harder to do something we tried before but weren't able to do well. I don't think it depends on Dovbyk, the formation or our playing system. For a start, we have several players who have only just joined and need to gel. They have to get to know each other, know when and how their team-mates like to receive the ball. It takes a few games to bed in.

“We did a lot of work on defence in pre-season, on trying to be a bit more compact, trying to defend more as a unit and be ready to defend a bit more as a team when we lose the ball while building moves. The data told us we were conceding shots to opponents moments after we lost the ball and that mustn't happen.
“I don't think that had an impact on us not scoring much. Sometimes you don't score many despite hitting the woodwork four or five times in two games. Sometimes it can be a matter of centimetres, and when those centimetres start going our way, we'll still be just as compact but we'll also be scoring more.

“As for Dovbyk, it comes back to what I was saying earlier: we need to get more people into the box so that our opponents are caught in two minds instead of just marking him. That's what we asked the lads to do against Juve. But it's not easy to do certain things and to fill the box. We'll get there.”

Will Roma go to Genoa looking to take control of the game or will you let your opponents have the ball? When Genoa had more than 50% possession, they lost at home to Verona.  When they had just over 30% possession, they took four points from two games. Is playing the same formation as them, 3-5-2, an option?

“Playing the same way as a side that's weaker on paper is not always an option. Because sometimes teams that are weaker on paper have stronger motivation. And the more you copy them, the more it comes down to a straight battle in face-to-face duels. You can play the same formation and mix it up though, to make it hard for your direct opponent.

“As for possession, we know that Genoa are not a team who obsess about keeping the ball, but nor do we. The equalised at the death against Inter after Inter had dominated and had most of the ball. Every team prepares for the match in the way they believe is best for that moment. We need to try and be a bit more clinical in attack and help our centre forward as he was a bit too isolated. I think we can do that better if we have the ball

 “We often ask the team to play the ball forward quickly. After 10 minutes against Empoli Artem had been played through twice – and that’s because we’re trying to get the ball forward more quickly.

“I don’t think it comes down to how much of the ball you have but what you do with it when you get it. I've always asked my teams to take control of games and I always will. But taking control can also mean letting your opponents have the ball and choosing to play on the counter, with direct running and forward passes. There's nothing wrong with the way Genoa play. Sometimes it can be very useful. You just have to choose what you want to do, what kind of game you want to play and how you want to score against your opponents.”