Il Messaggero (Trani): Di Francesco and the players are cooking under the sun on a low heat. Roma already don’t know where to look because there’s no objective in front of them given the league is already out of the question after five matches. Those looking for answers, including the manager and president, don’t know where to find them. The 2-0 loss at the Dall’Ara against Bologna, their first win in 10 matches, fits perfectly into the crisis status from a technical and corporate points of view. The table is now extremely distressing for Roma: 14th place, which comes a season after they went to the Champions League semifinals and the club have their best UEFA ranking in Europe. But the difference between these two versions is enormous because their current performance in Serie A is a collapse.
Project Reset – Di Francesco feels responsible for the flop. Just think of central defender Marcano being deployed on the left despite having three players in the role: Kolarov, Santon, and Luca Pellegrini. The manager of the Giallorossi has committed other gaffes, too. At the San Siro against Milan, he started with a three back defence despite only using it twice in training and then changing the system again at the Olimpico against Chievo, and we do not know why. Even those close to Di Francesco cannot feel safe. Monchi downsized the team in the summer: his acquisitions this summer have yet to make an impact. The sudden admission of Di Francesco following yesterday’s loss at the Dall’Ara, there seemed to even be a shot at the sporting director: perhaps we overvalued our roster. The champions, though, are lacking in this team. Kluivert wasted two chances, Marcano was played out of position, and Cristante has looked slow. Pastore entered the match and was drowned out of the match. Other new purchases, meanwhile, remain on the bench and are either unripe or withered. Then there were those who remained at home: Karsdorp for technical reasons and Coric while Bianda has struggled with De Rossi’s Primavera.
Unrecognisable Group – But the players, who were challenged by the 2500 supporters who accompanied them in Emilia, are the ones that are producing this horror show and are without heart and unenthusiastic. Dzeko pouts and no longer scores, Fazio and Kolarov seem at the end of their careers, Perotti plays as if it’s a friendly, Pellegrini always fails to make an impact. The fragility, especially after conceding their first, is still evident. It’s the 12th goal conceded in 6 matches in all competitions as Roma have five points in five matches and have one point in their previous two league matches.
