The Giallorossi coach after winning 2 in a row: ‘We need to understand the moments of the game better. Pellegrini? He’s the perfect captain.
Daniele De Rossi has secured two victories in as many matches as the new Roma coach. The latest success came with a 2-1 win in Salerno. De Rossi remarked, ‘We were slow with the ball in the first half, and we couldn’t create any goal-scoring opportunities. To become a strong team, we must use possession to control the game and then make strategic moves inside their half. We need to better understand the flow of the game.’
‘In football, winning individual battles and handling tough situations is crucial. Football is all about that, the rest is just philosophy. If the players don’t win these battles, it’s my responsibility. They need to be coached to know when to make plays because that’s when they showcase their strength.’
On Lukaku’s slow night De Rossi explained, ‘In the first half, he was the only one providing depth, but we didn’t serve him enough balls. Slow ball possession makes it challenging for him. Romelu still helped a lot, even more than in the previous match against Verona. Coaching a champion like him, who fights hard, is always a pleasure; his attitude is right, he is devastating.’
On the match against Salernitana De Rossi noted, ‘I didn’t have much time to work on specific details. The team is used to defending with three players in the back, organizing the space in a particular way. Now, we need to adapt to cover different spaces. Attention to detail can also improve; after the goal, we didn’t let anything else slip through.’
The Champions League qualification is just one point away, and De Rossi trusts in Pellegrini’s growth in the midfield. ‘I prefer not to focus on individual players. Pellegrini is the best captain I could have – professional, serious, and inspiring to his teammates. The group is skilled and dedicated, with young players committed to the team, and Pellegrini is a fitting captain.'”
