Jose Mourinho took ‘responsibility’ for the 6-1 defeat to Bodo/Glimt, but also made it crystal clear he considers Roma to have 13 players and the others are ‘on a different level.’
The Giallorossi had gone into the game with a 100 per cent record in the Conference League, including the preliminary rounds.
They rotated the squad in the cold of Norway, but even then, nobody could’ve predicted an astonishing 6-1 defeat.
Conference League | Bodo/Glimt 6-1 Roma: Mourinho humiliated
It is the first time in his entire career, at the 1,008th match, that a Mourinho team has conceded six goals.
“I decided to play with this line-up, so the responsibility is mine,” the coach told Sky Sport Italia.
“I did it with good intentions, to give an opportunity to those who work hard and to rotate the squad on a synthetic pitch in cold weather. I decided to rest many players.
“We lost against a team that showed more quality on the night. It’s that simple.”
Director Tiago Pinto said before the game that it was the media trying to stir up tension between Mourinho and the club over the lack of strength in depth, but the coach required absolutely no help to broach the subject.
“If I could always play with the same XI, then I would. It’s risky, because we have a huge gap in quality between the two groups of players. I knew the limits of this squad, it is not new to me, but I still expected a better response. As I said, it’s my choice to play them, so my responsibility.”
Will this heavy defeat damage Roma’s confidence going forward this season?
“Every defeat does damage. I spoke to the players and was honest. I was honest with them, I cannot be honest with you.
“I never disguised the fact we were a squad with real limitations. We have 13 players who represent one team, the others are on a different level.
“At least the positive thing from now on is that nobody will ask me why I always use the same players.”
It was the first start of the season for Borja Mayoral and Bryan Reynolds, who are now almost guaranteed to leave in January, as Mourinho has no trust in them.
Looking ahead to this weekend in Serie A, the coach again hammered on the issue of the thin squad.
“Our main team is playing well, deserved more points this season and has the right mentality. We will play with that mentality on Sunday.
“We had already said some things in private before the 6-1 defeat. This result won’t make me say that in public. I will continue to say it in private, without advertising our internal issues.”
Roma, Mourinho: “La responsabilità è solo mia. Troppa differenza tra 12-13 giocatori e gli altri” https://t.co/FIfS57UPXt
— TUTTOmercatoWEB (@TuttoMercatoWeb) October 21, 2021
Mourinho excuses in order:
1. Blame the league,
2. Blame the referees
3. Blame the journalists
4. Blame the opposition
5. Blame own players
6. Start talking about what he achieved in the past
Sacking
i think you will see he blamed himself
rosario – get some education and read some books. Most importantly, mind your own club.
He is clearly exaggerating. Villar, Mayoral played decently with Fonseca last year. Kumbella and Diawara are squad players at best. But I agree that Reynolds is not up to Serie A standards (or any European League) and needs to go back to MLS. Mourinho’s problem was starting with a completely second 11. But being top of the group, playing in cold, synthetic turf (he did not want to injury a key player) he did what he had to do. Can’t blame him for playing players who are being paid to play. I mean, what else are they being paid to do?
@rosario or he might blame Juve or the ref who gave penalty against Juve, or Juve fans. I always said Mourinho is a joke. He has not won much in recently apart from a silly EPL and silly europe cup. He has no quality, only relies on creating thugs, rough play and controversies that satisfy his ego.
The players do have to take some accountability as well like what Donato states these are still players…a start in a game is an opportunitt regardless of you’ve played alot or not. Losing is one thing, losing like this wreaks of no players who are capable of being leaders. Where are the experienced winners since they sold Dzeko for a ham sandwhich?
Rosario and JuveIndia – sounds like you’re 7 years old!
@JuveIndia, silly is the club that brought in Christiano Ronaldo at wages they couldn’t afford to win the CL and performed worse in that competition than when they didn’t have him. 😜
Honestly, I think he’s being generous. Our squad is dreadful. That Cristante, for example is considered one of our best players is damning. He’s about as good as Michael Bradley was and isn’t fit to lace the boots of players like Strootman and Radja he was brought in to replace.
orsato done did it again!!
Gi-Al-LOrossi is the honest Roma tiffoso here.
Reminds me of the most dreadful days as an Interista in the years after the Treble; and that was after Mourinho left and full decompression + squad dismantling took place.
If Roma doesn’t strive to invest in a broader quality injection in the mid-season, then no wizard or average decent coach is going to get the team where they deserve to be. And we need all top clubs to take Serie A to a better level.
Unfortunately he has a point. There is no depth in Serie A because there is no money. It is that simple. He gambled in this game and lost – spectacularly and embarrassingly. There would have been a risk of injury to one of the ‘13’ on a synthetic and cold pitch. And now there isn’t. Roma should still qualify. The problem is how to increase revenue / investment. And it comes back to the same thing – stadiums. Improve the infrastructure and it will attract money. It’s still incredible that nothing has started on the ‘new’ Roma stadium. Hopefully with a new council administration in Rome things may start to move forward. It’s an absolute pity that things take so long in Italy.
Feroli – it’s more than stadiums. The refusal to actually deal with racism makes it a liability for TV rights. In North America I can watch EPL or Bundesliga, La Liga all have deals here on cable. Serie A does not. I have to pay an extra streaming service just to watch. DAZN here dropped the rights. To make fans jump through those hoops is crazy. Any casual fans would just switch to EPL or another league. Then Italian teams always take the washed garbage players of EPL and La Liga which hurts the brand even further, if there even was a “brand” outside Italy which there is not. The real problem is the league is run by Italians….have you been to Rome?