Daniele De Rossi highlights a very different treatment of the Roma players compared to Jose Mourinho. ‘This is a strong team and they have to believe in themselves.’
The Giallorossi icon could not have asked for a better start to his coaching career at the Stadio Olimpico, securing three wins out of three against Verona, Salernitana and now Cagliari.
This was by far the most convincing victory, a 4-0 result thanks to a Paulo Dybala brace, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Dean Huijsen goals.
“The lads were great from the start, controlling the ball, but also understanding when to attack the space and hurt the opposition. It was a great performance,” De Rossi told Sky Sport Italia.
The last time a Roma coach won his first three games when taking over mid-season was Herbert Burgess in 1929.
The result puts Roma only one point behind fourth-placed Atalanta, but La Dea have a game in hand to be played against Inter on February 28.
“I will look at the points we earned and the good things I see on the pitch from my lads, but it’s too early for the table. We faced three teams that were inferior on paper, so while it was by no means to be taken for granted or easy, we are Roma and we are supposed to beat Cagliari, Verona and Salernitana.”
The next test is going to be considerably more difficult, as it is against leaders Inter this weekend. It is a fixture where Mourinho earlier this season focused only on defending, so will he take a different approach?
“I don’t like comparisons, it’s not right or fair, and Mourinho’s Roma had some performances like tonight. As for us, we will see from tomorrow, as while my staff had it in the back of their minds and have already been working on studying Inter, they did well to leave me and the players focused on this game.
“The players deserve a coach who like them is 100 per cent focused on the next match.”
Dybala said that De Rossi helped the Roma squad to ‘understand’ things about themselves, so what did he reveal to them?
“Just that we need to get out of negative situations together, without passing the buck, without seeking the easy way out, just with hard work. I talked to them like the former player and the little old man of the squad that I was. I always had negative moments and the only way we got out of them was together.
“I also told these players that they are really good, genuinely very talented, and they have to believe in themselves more. This is a strong team.”
This is certainly a different approach to Mourinho, who repeatedly complained that Roma had limited resources and suggested without Dybala there was no creativity in the group.
“I was a good player, I had good and bad moments, but they must never stop believing or acknowledging how strong they are.”
The second goal was particularly impressive, including Dybala and Romelu Lukaku dummies, plus a Pellegrini back-heel flick. Was it straight off the training ground?
“This is part of what great players do, I didn’t tell them to give it to Lukaku, do a dummy and then let Dybala score! These are quality players and when it comes to getting out of tight spaces, they can find a way. My main suggestion was to get bodies into the box.
“They have so much quality that I don’t need to waste too much time on working on the quick passing moves, I can focus more on the areas where we need to improve.”
De Rossi: "Siamo forti e dobbiamo credere in noi. Presto per guardare la classifica" https://t.co/HBrXHjWqgd
— TUTTOmercatoWEB (@TuttoMercatoWeb) February 5, 2024
He has played all bottom of the log teams wait till he plays Inter then we can start talking