While Daniele De Rossi was initially tasked with taking Roma through to the end of the season, his impact with the Serie A giants suggests he could well be the right manager to take the Giallorossi into next season.
De Rossi took over a side that had somewhat lost its way under former boss José Mourinho but, after steadying the ship at the Stadio Olimpico, there is excitement about what this side could achieve under the former Roma skipper.
A Challenging Time To Take The Reins
The sacking of Mourinho in January was certainly received with mixed feelings amongst the Roma supporters in January. One of the world’s great managers who enjoyed great success in England, where Manchester City are the 11/10 favourites this season in the Premier League winner odds, Mourinho took Roma to two European finals during his time in the Italian capital.
However, much like his time in England with Chelsea, who are outsiders in the Premier League tips to finish in the top six this season, success was swiftly followed by a dramatic exit. Having led Roma to the trophy in the inaugural Europa Conference League final in 2022, it was not all that long before Mourinho was out the door at the Stadio Olimpico.
While some quarters of the fans disagreed with the departure of the Portuguese tactician, it was De Rossi who took the wheel with Roma down in ninth place in the Serie A standings. After a failed spell in Serie B with SPAL there were concerns over how the side would fair under his leadership. However, those concerns were soon allayed, with De Rossi hitting the ground running with a 2-1 win over Hellas Verona in their first game of his tenure. Serie A wins over Salernitana and Cagliari followed, before Roma hit a wall against champions-elect Inter Milan. However, with impressive form picking up immediately after, De Rossi has earned a growing number of admirers.
Roma Can Ride De Rossi Wave
It’s easy to get caught up in the romanticism of a former player, especially a captain, coming back to their beloved club to manage the side. Looking to examples across Europe, spells for Frank Lampard at Chelsea, Alan Shearer at Newcastle United and Thierry Henry at Monaco all ended badly. However, there seems to be more substance to De Rossi’s impact at Roma since his return.
From their results in Serie A and the Europa League, this Roma squad have clearly bought into what the Italian World Cup-winning midfielder has tried to implement at the Stadio Olimpico. With a 4-3-3 formation, Roma have looked strong in both defence and attack as they have narrowed the gap on the top four in Serie A. In the final third, Paulo Dybala and Romelu Lukaku have impressed, while defenders Gianluca Mancini and Diego Llorente have looked solid at the back. Wins will always help build confidence and Roma are a side that have been playing with that growing belief since De Rossi took charge.
The phrase “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” comes to mind when looking at how this Roma side have progressed since De Rossi returned to the club. Initially signed until the end of the season, the clamour for the former skipper to pen fresh terms will grow should the wins keep coming until the end of the campaign.
