Rudi Garcia hit back at Roma fans and media ahead of their trip to Napoli. “People act as if we’re lambs to the slaughter.”
It kicks off at the Stadio San Paolo on Sunday at 17.00 GMT, click here for a match preview.
“Mohamed Salah is fine and he could start. Gervinho will be ready too. He had a fitness test before the BATE Borisov game and did not feel 100 per cent, so we decided not to risk him,” explained the Coach in a Press conference.
Rudi Garcia hit back at Roma fans and media ahead of their trip to Napoli. “People act as if we’re lambs to the slaughter.”
It kicks off at the Stadio San Paolo on Sunday at 17.00 GMT, click here for a match preview.
“Mohamed Salah is fine and he could start. Gervinho will be ready too. He had a fitness test before the BATE Borisov game and did not feel 100 per cent, so we decided not to risk him,” explained the Coach in a Press conference.
“Who wins tomorrow won’t necessarily win the Scudetto and the loser won’t be eliminated from the title race. We want a positive result against a team with a lot of quality.
“Gonzalo Higuain is a great champion, just as our forwards are. We mustn’t just have an anti-Higuain plan, as Napoli have many weapons at their disposal. At this moment we aren’t as sharp as usual, but we are still the most prolific side in Serie A this season.
“Maurizio Sarri is a good Coach with a dangerous style of football that scores a lot of goals. There is a very unusual style of defending, as they play vertical lines and with many training ground routines.
“The way people are talking it’s as if the worst side in Italy is going to visit the best. I don’t read or listen to the media, but this vibe is reaching my ears anyway.
“People act as if we’ve already lost. We can overturn expectations and have done before. It feels like the day before the Rome Derby, when we were tired and Lazio rotated the squad. It’s also similar to before we won in Florence, when we weren’t in great shape.
“We are not like lambs to the slaughter, we are going in order to get a positive result. Not everything is going well, but it’s not going that badly either.
“With a win at Torino instead of the 1-1 draw, we’d be talking in a different way. Since the start of the season we have also suffered with the Olimpico not being full. The Curva Sud strike is hurting us a lot.”
Despite qualifying for the Last 16 of the Champions League, the Giallorossi were jeered off the field by fans after their 0-0 draw with BATE Borisov.
Qualification was sealed thanks to Barcelona holding out for a 1-1 draw at Bayer Leverkusen with a last-gasp Marc-Andre Ter Stegen save.
“Qualifying is very important and obviously in February it will be a different Roma without the same pressure. We’ll see from Monday what the draw holds for us and we are very happy to be in the next stage.
“It’s true we struggled, but we also played some great games and for example lost when playing well against Inter and Sampdoria.
“We wanted to win and score on Wednesday, but the most important thing was to not concede, because a draw would be enough to qualify. We had a lot to lose.
“I prefer to be jeered by 70,000 fans because at least then the lads would see a full stadium. The fans put pressure on the opponents, the referee, we know how much home atmosphere can swing a game. I hope the Olimpico will get back to being full, then it’s up to us to get positive results so the fans are on our side.”
There was even a row after the final whistle between Kostas Manolas and Miralem Pjanic.
“That was a positive sign, as it means the team is alive and not happy when it doesn’t win. They cleared the air and are important men both on the field and in the locker room. Anyone who has played football knows these things can happen.”
Edin Dzeko is struggling for form and admits he has not delivered what he could’ve done.
“It’s the same as Higuain at the start, he needs to settle in. Every forward goes through a period where he struggles to find the net, even the best in the world.
“I just think he shouldn’t be obsessed with the goal. As long as he works for the team, the goal will come by itself.”