Gasperini’s comments ahead of Roma v Lille

Here’s what the coach had to say.

What are Lille like as a team?

They’re of course a great team: they’re dynamic, well-organised, and attack-minded. Their results at the start of the season weren’t very good, but their performance levels have always been very positive. We’ll have to be very careful and prepared, as we’re playing against an excellent team.”

[Artem] Dovbyk has grown a lot. Are you seeing the same signs with [Evan] Ferguson? And can he play tomorrow?

“Ferguson is a young player: he’s 21 years old. He had a very good season two years ago. Last year he struggled because of an injury. He joined another team in January and didn’t play much. We’re trying to get him back to the level he was at, as at that point there were great expectations. He’s working hard, he’s doing well, we’ve been alternating between him and Dovbyk. What matters is that both of them grow from a physical point of view, first and foremost. We’ll work on the rest later on.”

How’s this process of getting out of your comfort zone going, as you yourself said a few days ago?

“To me comfort zone means habits that have been developed over the years. However, you might end up having to deal with unusual situations. Just to be clear, I’m not used to finishing matches with two midfielders playing as forwards, as was the case in the derby and against Nice, but it’s a situation that forces you to do this too, so you need to think about it.”

We have two back-to-back matches coming up on Thursday and Sunday. Can this push you to opt for a more significant rotation?

“The fatigue of the past few matches is not physical, but it can affect the players’ mental energy. It’s not easy to go on after a derby, which is very tiring. The first Europa League match and then Verona. Verona were more proactive than we were. And scoring early on may have had an impact. But I never thought it was a physical problem. Between the match in Nice and Sunday there was also an extra day of rest. We also need to think about our opponent. You may think that out of the three matches Verona would be the least tricky, but then the match turned out to be very complex. These are the habits we need to pick up. In today’s football world, you always play three games. It needs to become the norm, rather than the exception.”

Can [Jan] Ziolkowski and [Daniele] Ghilardi play tomorrow?

“We’re doing very well defensively and many players are getting a chance to play. 19 players in the squad have already played three times and we’ve played a total of six matches, including the Coppa Italia game. [Mario] Hermoso, [Evan] Ndicka, [Gianluca] Mancini and [Zeki] Celik are the ones who have played the most. Ziolkowski made his debut on Sunday, Ghilardi will too in the future. They’re both promising players. They’ll do well. The defense’s results are very good; all the players will get their chance.”

On a question about Ndicka, on his position on the pitch, Gasperini said: “I want to see you play on the right… Hermoso played there, you can too. You need to run, running is not a problem (laughs, editor’s note).”

To what extent has Wesley settled in?

“We are talking about a 22-year-old who played 30 consecutive matches for Flamengo. His season should be ending now, but instead it’s starting again for him. He's a player who had never left Brazil; now he is in Italy, and the Italian league is different; he needs to settle in. What he immediately showed is that he has good stamina and that he can make very good penetrating runs. Then, of course, there is room for improvement in his understanding of runs with the team and the timing. It seems as though we have been here a long time, but we have actually played very few matches. He had some problems, first with travel, then with a stomach flu. Given his age and stamina, he can grow and become a major player.”

"How is [Matias] Soule? Are you planning on having him again in the starting XI tomorrow?"

“As I said earlier, to me, there is no physical problem. The only issue we could have with playing so frequently could be injuries, but fortunately that hasn't happened to us yet. We are also playing in different temperatures now; in our previous matches it was very hot. Players might suffer from some cramps, but they recover. Perhaps we have fewer alternatives upfront with [Leon] Bailey and [Paulo] Dybala out. And that forces us to use the same players, whether from the start or during the game.”

"Could we see an extra midfielder tomorrow?"

“It’s one of the options. We will prepare for the match today. As always, we have at least a couple of options t from the start or during the game when facing our opponents. This is especially true when we play against opponents with whom we have never had direct comparative data. Therefore, we will prepare more than one approach to try to do well.”

"[Manu] Kone said in an interview that when you coach a team, it seems as though you are actually on the pitch. What do you feel during those 90 minutes? And are you happy that Kone stayed?"

“Kone is undoubtedly a very good player, and he is showing it. He is also playing with the French national team, which is a great achievement. How do I experience the matches? I feel as though I am a part of the team, as though I am one of the players, because every game has its own story. They are all balanced, difficult matches. We have achieved very positive results, but we’ve had to fight until the very end. It is typical of me to be so heavily involved in the matches.”

"Do you have a tactical plan to contain [Olivier] Giroud?"

“The important thing is that we do not let him into the penalty box, because he is a player who moves well everywhere. Two or three years ago, he did something extraordinary when he was playing for Milan; he was decisive for that Scudetto. There are a number of players who are still competitive at that age. Certain players are very good and competitive thanks to their ability to train and the quality of their training, even though until a few years ago, it was much more complicated to stay at high levels.”

"How far along are the team in terms of taking in your principles?"

“I already see that the players understand what I want and are committed. I have found players who are at an advanced stage from a footballing point of view, so it hasn’t been difficult in that respect. Now we have to work on the details, the attitude and the small things. We already have a good understanding of how to position ourselves on the pitch and how to approach matches. After that, it’s the details, the experience, and the matches we play that will allow us to put more resources into the game.”

"What’s more important, the Coppa Italia or the Scudetto?"

“To me everything is important. We must never dismiss any competition. The league is crucial, Europe is equally important, as is the Coppa Italia. We have three competitions; we must take them on effectively to be more competitive everywhere and progress as far as possible.”