Corriere dello Sport (Guerrieri): Patrik Schick has already been widely criticized but now it’s time to turn the page because you don’t forget, however, you forgive. Schick is not only the attacker who has gotten it wrong in front of the goalkeeper, but he showed a lot with the shirt of Sampdoria a year ago as he scored 11 goals and has 5 assists in his first season in Italy. Schick knows that Roma invested €40 million and Di Francesco has never stopped believing in the attacker.
BELIEF
No, not even after the mistake against Juventus has Di Francesco stopped believing in him. Now, the Giallorossi are ready to relaunch Schick on Saturday against Sassuolo in the final match of 2017. Di Francesco will likely hand Schick a starting spot to show him confidence and make him understand that not all is lost after that evening in Turin.
THE FORMATION
Now the question everyone has been asking since he arrived in Rome. Where will Schick play? Will Di Francesco keep Dzeko out? Heresy. It will never happen. The only time the Mister left the Bosnian on the bench in the league was against Chievo. The result? 0-0. OK, he is not going through a good moment, but Edin is not just a goalscorer: he helps the team stay high up the pitch and opens space for runs from the midfielders and does a lot of dirty work. He’s a key player for Eusebio. And so? Perhaps a 4-2-3-1 with Schick and Dzeko playing together. Maybe. The other solution is his classic 4-3-3: in that case, Roma would play with the Czech wide right and the former Manchester City man in the middle with Perotti on the left. The only common denominator: Patrik and Edin together in attack. Eusebio is increasingly convinced that the two can play close.
CHRISTMAS AT THE CLINIC
Objective: to score goals. Especially after having scored only three goals in the last five matches between the league and Champions League. Goals will also come from the feet of Schick, who celebrated on 25 December at Villa Stuart: nothing serious, just check-ups on his heart. Everything is fine, he has the green light. The critics came out after he got it wrong against Szczesny. He did not say anything. Schick has continued to work with his head down. The answers will come on the pitch.