Roma manager Paulo Fonseca held a pre-match press conference today ahead of his side’s home clash tomorrow against Parma. Here’s what he had to say ahead of the tie:
Many things haven’t worked in 2020, but among those is the lack of growth from certain players. Is it fair to say that more should be expected from Ünder and Kluivert?
Right now, it’s not fair to just talk about two players, we all have to do better, not just these two youngsters. The whole team, all of us have the ability to do better.
How do you explain the decline of the team in 2020?
We have to separate each time period, we didn’t start well the year, then we recovered with 3 consecutive victories and we advanced in the Europa League. After Sampdoria, we lost to Milan. There is a problem that we are working on to change. When you lose here, it’s felt more than in other places and the team has had difficulty recovering after a loss. We lost to Napoli, but the team gave signs that it is recovering and tomorrow I think the team will do better.
Will the absence of Smalling be decisive?
No, the system doesn’t just depend on one player. Tomorrow we’ll see what system we’ll play with.
In a 3-5-2, can Carles Perez be Dzeko’s shoulder? Does anything change with Kluivert in attack?
Yes, he can play there, but not much changes. These two players have different characteristics than Dzeko, they are faster and more dynamic.
Does it bother you to read names of coaches who could replace you?
No, it doesn’t bother me.
Is this crisis due to the fact Roma has reached a good athletic condition well after everyone else?
No, I’ve always said that in my opinion, it’s not a physical problem.
Is Zaniolo ready to play from the start?
In my opinion, no. We must not forget how long he was injured for. We need to pay close attention to him and not rush him.
What do you expect from Parma?
It is an aggressive team, they’re among the best when it’s comes to playing on the counterattack. It is very dangerous team with very strong attacking players.
