Zbigniew Boniek believes Juventus and Roma players have more responsibility than José Mourinho and Massimiliano Allegri for their poor results this season and reveals what the Special One must do to avoid a ‘disastrous’ season.
Juventus and Roma meet at the Stadio Olimpico today. It kicks off at 17.30 UK time.
Both clubs are looking for consistency and are currently out of the top four.
Boniek refuses to blame José Mourinho or Massimiliano Allegri but reckons Roma must qualify for the top four or win the Conference League.
“Mourinho and Allegri are two good coaches. but they don’t go on the pitch,” the UEFA vice-president told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“I’ve never seen a great coach win without great players, but I’ve seen a group of great players without a top coach.
“Roma have lost heavy points against teams like Venezia, Verona and Bologna. If they fail to qualify for the Champions League or win the Conference League, the season would be disastrous.”
Boniek believes that the issues of Roma and Juventus lie in attack.
“Strikers must score, [Tammy] Abraham and [Alvaro] Morata are good players, but Roma and Juventus had better strikers in the past.
“I don’t think Abraham has the killer instinct. To me, Roma’s best player in front of goal is [Eldor] Shomurodov. Had he played the same games as Abraham, he would have scored more goals.”
Abraham is expected to start against the Bianconeri today, while Morata could be relegated to the bench with Moise Kean featuring in Juventus’ XI.
Probable line-ups: Roma vs. Juventus as Dybala and Kean start
What kind of game does Boniek expect at the Stadio Olimpico today?
“There isn’t a clear favourite, it will be an open game. Both Roma and Juventus have problems, the Bianconeri don’t have the same certainties as in the past.
“Henrikh Mkhitaryan is Roma’s most complete player, but [Lorenzo] Pellegrini and [Nicolò] Zaniolo are the strongest ones.
“As for Juventus, [Federico] Chiesa is one you can never lose sight of, while [Paulo] Dybala is a player that can score anytime.”
Gioca Boniek: "Roma, ultimo treno Champions. Dybala non si discute, però… " #RomaJuve https://t.co/sHn4AVlyHi
— La Gazzetta dello Sport (@Gazzetta_it) January 9, 2022
Why is anything this senile old clown says news???