Roma boss Luciano Spalletti hailed Kevin Strootman, Francesco Totti, Alessandro Florenzi and Edin Dzeko.
Strootman played 90 minutes in the 3-2 victory at Genoa, so is he an added weapon for Roma?
“Kevin is a machine, he’s always the same. He always trains the same way and if you try to give him a less intense session, he’ll push anyway. He needs that to be that leader and champion,” the Coach said in a Press conference.
Roma boss Luciano Spalletti hailed Kevin Strootman, Francesco Totti, Alessandro Florenzi and Edin Dzeko.
Strootman played 90 minutes in the 3-2 victory at Genoa, so is he an added weapon for Roma?
“Kevin is a machine, he’s always the same. He always trains the same way and if you try to give him a less intense session, he’ll push anyway. He needs that to be that leader and champion,” the Coach said in a Press conference.
“When he returned to the starting XI that was confirmation of all he had done. You’d think he would be upset at learning he wasn’t in the Champions League squad in February, but he didn’t blink. That is when you realise the kind of person you are dealing with.
“He played an important game, as a champion and at the level you expect. Considering there are other talented midfielders in the team, it’s difficult to say now whether or not he’ll start tomorrow or in the next games.”
Naturally, the question begs if Totti will be in the starting XI against Chievo tomorrow, especially as the contract extension is not official yet.
“In my view Totti is perfectly embodying the figure I hoped he would become,” continued Spalletti.
“He’s doing everything I wanted in training and I am satisfied with his contribution.”
Buoyed by the push for second place and the possibility this is Totti’s last home game in Serie A, the attendance tomorrow is expected to be close to 60,000.
“It’s worth a lot to us. We felt nostalgia for our fans every time we walked into the stadium. This is like meeting that great friend who for a while helped you in your work and life, then for a while couldn’t help. It’s very pleasing to see them again.
“When you have a great team and great fans cheering you on from the Curva, it all becomes easier.”
Florenzi has been the captain in absence of Totti and Daniele De Rossi, but is his versatility a help or a hindrance?
“I don’t know what his best position is. If it was attacking wide right, he’d be in competition with Stephan El Shaarawy or Mohamed Salah. He’s proved he can play there, while as a right-back he’s not a proper defender, but forces the opposition to do different things.
“I think it’s to his credit that Florenzi can play in different roles. You are stronger as a team of XI than just adding 11 individuals.”
Dzeko has started just one of the last seven games, so is that because the team works better without him or is the centre-forward simply not delivering?
“What is the purpose of this question,” Spalletti asked the reporter. “The objective will always be goals and the team has scored about 40 in 17 games, so what are we talking about?
“Dzeko hasn’t played much under me and it’s my fault. I evaluate how to win games and score goals. He has characteristics the others do not have and if we can make it work then it’s something extra, but the first imperative must be to win and focus on what’s working right now.
“With Dzeko we can add something in terms of physicality in attack. He has given his contribution this season, but I choose based on what I see in training and the attitude.
“I have no favourites in the team, so I work for what will get Roma results. You’ll see that if you look back at my first interviews, I have been consistent.”
Spalletti was also irritated by a question claiming director of sport Walter Sabatini was “worried” about the prospect of losing Miralem Pjanic and Radja Nainggolan.
“It seems to me he said Pjanic and Nainggolan are staying, but that is a discussion I don’t want to get into until the season is over.
“We have a transfer expert in Sabatini and I want to see what he can do. That’s not my area of expertise. The players decide the result, but you have to get them to work together.
“Players must have quality and technique on the ball, but character completes a player. In terms of character, we do need to take a step forward.”