Journalist Andrea Pugliese took stock of Roma’s poor start to the 2023-24 season, looking to explain why they’ve only picked up one point in their first three outings.
Jose Mourinho’s side impressed last term by reaching the Europa League final, which they only lost on penalties, but their sixth-place finish in Serie A left a little to be desired. The finishes in both competitions meant no Champions League football for another year for the Giallorossi.
Financial restrictions heavily limited what Roma could do in the summer transfer window, limiting them to just loan deals and free transfers, as well as a low-cost deal for Leandro Paredes. The most exciting arrival is Romelu Lukaku, a player with a point to prove after a tumultuous summer.
Unfortunately for Mourinho and his squad, the new term has not started particularly well. The team have only picked up one point in three outings, drawing Salernitana and losing to Hellas Verona and Milan.
Writing for La Gazzetta dello Sport, Pugliese analysed the situation at Roma, taking a look at all three departments on the pitch.
“One point in three games, but above all the impression of a team on its legs, physically unresponsive and mentally tired. Which would be serious and even worrying, considering we are only on the third day.
“The impression, however, is that Jose Mourinho’s third Roma team are physically down and mentally ‘cooked’.
“In the sense that many of the key players of the first two seasons (Cristante, Pellegrini, Smalling, Rui Patricio and Spinazzola) in these two seasons have been squeezed out (Roma have played 108 games, always at the top of their game) and have arrived in this third year exhausted and partly empty from a motivational point of view.
“In short, what has ‘betrayed’ Mourinho in this first part of the season are, above all, his faithful, those on whom he has relied on since he landed in the capital. And who, however, have led him to play two European finals in two seasons, which should never be forgotten.
“Last season, defensive compactness was one of Roma’s hallmarks. In these first three matches, however, the Giallorossi have conceded two goals per game, giving the impression of being much less effective precisely in the defensive phase.
“Even the players, starting with Mancini and Pellegrini, admitted it in Verona. And the problem stems from the goal, where Rui Patricio in these first three days has made one mistake per match.
“The Portuguese goalkeeper is one of Mou’s faithful, in his first two seasons with Roma – net of a few clamorous mistakes – he gave more than he took away, but now he seems to be in a very dangerous involutional phase.
“Exactly like Chris Smalling, the pillar of the Giallorossi rearguard, who against Salernitana and Verona was fooled first by Candreva and then by Ngonge, in both cases getting his posture wrong in the one-on-one.
“Mistakes that do not belong to him, but which for some are also a dangerous wake-up call. If Smalling collapses, the whole thing collapses. The rest, at the back, is made up of Diego Llorente’s compassionate pace (another of José’s men, it was he who gave his Real Madrid debut in 2012-13), Mancini’s excesses and the mystery of Ndicka, never used in these first three games.
“’He has to learn to play with us,’ was the comment – disturbing in some ways – from the Giallorossi coach. And to those who say that Roma lack Ibanez’s speed and aggression, just look at the string of mistakes (or horrors) made so far by the Brazilian in Arabia…
“But if the defence is worrying, the midfield certainly does not make one smile. Because here, in the last two games, Mou has played Paredes (the impression is that Roma have lost out in the swap with Matic) and Cristante together, receiving little in return from either.
“The two have the same pace, they do not seem compatible, but in order to play the Argentine (who has never been a great regista, but now seems to have forgotten about the defensive phase) Mou has ended up distorting Cristante as well.
“Who, after years of playing as a pivot in front of the defence, as a midfielder he is no longer used to it, he no longer has the right playing time in high pressure. A shirt, on balance, seems to be obligatorily destined for one of Renato Sanches (provided he is well, though) or Bove, to give the midfield energy, strength and aggressiveness, something that has been missing in this start.
“Where in the middle we have seen glaring holes (especially Paredes’ deficiencies) and little competitive intensity. Also from captain Pellegrini, who also started this year at a handicap, having to deal with a non-optimal physical form.
“And then there is the attack, on paper Roma’s best department, if only because there the Portuguese can field two gems, Paulo Dybala and Romelu Lukaku. The problem, however, is that of the first 270 minutes, the Argentine only played 68, in Verona.
“Absent through disqualification in the opener against Salernitana, he then had to give in to a muscle strain. A stop that caused some anxiety, considering the Joya’s history and the fact that the Argentine had already stopped in pre-season, during the friendly played in France, at home to Toulouse.
“So, if there is something to smile about, it is best to do so by enjoying Lukaku’s approach in the Giallorossi shirt, in the defeat against Milan.
“In these two weeks of stop (“I’m going back to work in Trigoria, but with seven players…” Mou joked yesterday) it is hoped that Romelu (who is with the national team) will also grow in condition and could already be decisive against Empoli.
“To avoid another false step that would really be the antechamber of a dangerous collapse….”