Cappioli on Gasperini's Roma: winning is possible, but balance is needed

Roman radio pundits have given their verdicts on Roma's draw at Napoli, with several focusing on the performances of Wesley and Gollini and on Roma's attacking problems. Lorenzo Pes of Tele Radio Stereo (92.7) said: "At Napoli, Wesley didn't convince me fully. He was very much in the shadows, and it was perhaps one of the worst performances in giallorosso. Now we'll see if he plays tomorrow, because Gasp could change the team there. I've heard a lot about Gollini. In my opinion, he's putting in a performance worth a pass mark." Piero Torri of Manà Manà Sport (90.9) argued that the match narrative had been too kind to Napoli. He said: "I read an enthusiastic narrative about Napoli and a bit less about Roma. I didn't see Napoli dominate the first hour. The run of play was in Roma's hands, as they wanted to win it, and Napoli were countering. Perhaps it was Napoli's best performance of the season, but Roma didn't steal anything. I'm convinced that if Roma had gone ahead, it would have ended up being a tight game." Roberto Pruzzo of Radio Radio (104.5) was critical of the match as a whole. He said: "Beukema threw himself to the ground, he made a terrible impression, and if he had stayed on his feet perhaps he wouldn't have let his side concede. I agreed with almost nothing in the game; it was a festival of errors. Napoli threw away two points with a way of playing I struggle to understand. Roma struggled a lot but managed to get the better of it, and in the end it's an acceptable draw. There are clear attacking difficulties when Malen is shut out, and in January they are thinking about addressing it." Nando Orsi, also of Radio Radio (104.5), focused on the positions of Matías Soulé and Paulo Dybala. He said: "Soulé is left-footed, he likes coming inside onto the pitch and he plays better there. In my view, Dybala has nothing to do with it and isn't some kind of submission; for me it's purely a question of roles. He plays better there. Having two players like that and using them both could be a problem, because I think Dybala on the left doesn't perform at his best either."

Roman radio pundits were divided after Roma's 3-3 draw at Napoli, with debate centring on the match, Gollini, Wesley and Gian Piero Gasperini's tactics. Gianluca Piacentini (Rete Sport) said: “A glass half full given how the match had gone, but there is regret at how it developed, and that 3-2 goal. Without it, I think Roma would have won.” He added: “Roma have lost points to their rivals, but you have already played Atalanta, Inter, Napoli and Como and not lost. There is a step forward. In my view Roma's 18 points are worth more than Milan's, and more than Lazio's 22.” Piacentini also criticised Allegri, saying: “He is ageing badly.” Fabio Petruzzi (Rete Sport) praised the spectacle, saying Roma “deserved at least the draw” after the 2-2 score, and that “nobody thought the match was over at 2-0.” He said Roma had “made that Premier-style step” and was “hard to beat, never gives up”, though he disliked the Napoli counter-attacks Roma allowed. Petruzzi praised Gollini's “great saves” and said he made no error on McTominay's third goal. David Rossi (Rete Sport) said: “Overall it was not one of the best Romas of the year, there were moments when it did not look like the usual Roma. But Napoli have a strong side, they finished second last year. It was enough for a Roma not at 100% to leave with a point from a difficult ground.” Mario Corsi (Tele Radio Stereo) said Gasperini had given players a motivation that Roma's players had lacked for years. “Gasperini is Roma at this moment,” he said, adding that when the coach wanted Balerdi and De Roon because “they are two captains”, it meant he wanted to give the side an identity. Paolo Cosenza said the match had been “a wasted opportunity” and that he had been convinced Roma would win from 2-2, adding that Gasperini was “immense” with his substitutions but had not convinced him with the starting line-up. Lorenzo Pes said Wesley had been “very much in the shade” and that it was “perhaps one of the worst performances in giallorosso”, adding: “On Gollini I have heard many things, but I think he played a sufficient match. For me he is a normal goalkeeper, perhaps a little less.” Valentina Catoni (Tele Radio Stereo) argued: “We met a Napoli that had been battered for two months and then suddenly recovered form. I don't understand the disappointment of those who say we gifted them two points.” She noted Roma went to the Maradona without Svilar, Koné and Dybala, “three heavy starters”. Piero Torri (Manà Manà Sport) said Roma “did not steal anything”, and that the real error was Gollini's on Spinazzola's shot, where he “should have held it rather than parried it.” Daniele Lo Monaco (Radio Romanista) criticised Wesley's positioning on the cross and questioned the treatment of Malen's red card compared with Rafa Marín, while Roberto Pruzzo said Beukema had “thrown himself to the ground” and that Soulé had done what he does best. Nando Orsi argued that Soulé is left-footed and suits cutting inside, and that using both Soulé and Dybala could be a problem.

Daniele Adani has criticised Massimiliano Allegri, the Napoli coach, over a remark aimed at Roma, saying Allegri should apologise to the Giallorossi. Adani, who has historically not seen eye to eye with Allegri, is reportedly in unanimous agreement with others on this occasion, following what the article describes as a clumsy verbal slip by the Napoli boss against the Rome club. Adani said: "If this is confirmed, I hope Allegri apologises for this allusion, which would be pathetic and disrespectful towards Roma, towards Gasperini and towards football." His comments centre on the reference to Roma and head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, whom he defends directly. The remarks have drawn criticism beyond Adani, and the controversy places Roma's name at the centre of a debate between two Serie A coaches. Adani's call for an apology underlines how strongly he views the comment as an affront to the club and to its head coach.

Roma face Cagliari tomorrow, the first of a run of fixtures that should be relatively manageable, at least in Serie A. Gasperini is expected to rotate the side as he did against Genoa, though not too heavily. Ghilardi and Balerdi are likely to have at least one of them in defence, while Wesley could rest on the flank. Lulli is ready to return at right-back, with Molina or the Brazilian on the left. The real question mark is in the number ten role, where Rodrigo Mora could get another opportunity. If that happens, Cristante would drop back into midfield, probably alongside Pisilli, to give de Roon a breather. Up front, Soulé and Malen are confirmed in the starting line-up, while Dybala is likely to start from the bench. The match comes straight after the crazy 1-1 draw at Napoli, so the focus now turns quickly back to the pitch. Gasperini's approach, as shown against Genoa, is to rest key players without overdoing it. The fixtures that follow are seen as relatively accessible, at least in the league, which gives the coach room to balance fitness and form across the squad. The main selection debate centres on the attacking midfield, where Mora's form will be tested. Cristante's possible switch to midfield would also reshape the engine room, offering de Roon some rest while keeping a settled shape around Pisilli.

Gian Piero Gasperini is preparing further changes for Roma's home match against Cagliari, with Paulo Dybala close to a return and Mile Svilar possibly back sooner than expected. The fixture comes after Roma's costly 3-3 draw at the Maradona, and the kickoff at the Stadio Olimpico is at 20:45 tomorrow evening. The schedule leaves no time to rest, and Gasperini is set to rotate across the pitch. Emanuele Lulli is the favourite to start at right-back in place of Devyne Rensch, and the young full-back's contract renewal to 2031 is also drawing closer. In midfield, Gasperini is considering resting either Marten de Roon or Niccolò Pisilli, with Bryan Cristante moving back into the middle. Rodrigo Mora is a candidate to start alongside Matías Soulé behind Donyell Malen, adding quality and creativity in the final third. In defence, Leonardo Balerdi is heading for a starting place after his outstanding brace against Napoli. The Argentine could replace one of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka or Mario Hermoso, with Hermoso coming off a difficult display at the Maradona. Gasperini wants to exploit the form of the former Marseille defender while also giving some of his first-choice players a chance to recover energy. Pierluigi Gollini will be confirmed in goal. The most anticipated news concerns Paulo Dybala. The Joya trained with his teammates yesterday for part of the session after passing fitness tests on the pitch to check his recovery from a slight calf injury. Today's final training session will settle the last doubts, and the Argentine is close to a place in the squad for Roma-Cagliari. He is expected to start on the bench, with the aim of gradually regaining match rhythm and being ready to start on Saturday against Udinese. His recovery is also important ahead of the Champions League trip to Manchester United on 3 November. Encouraging signs also come from Mile Svilar. The goalkeeper is completing his rehabilitation in Belgium after a stress fracture to the fifth toe of his right foot. New checks are planned in the coming days to assess his healing and establish when he can return to working on the pitch. The latest reports leave open the possibility of an earlier return than initially forecast, which had him available only after the November break. The first target remains the match against Sassuolo on 7 November, but an availability for the trip to Manchester on 3 November is not ruled out entirely, a scenario still to be verified medically. UEFA regulations offer a route here: a goalkeeper temporarily replaced on the list for a long-term injury can be reinstated once recovered, subject to a minimum period of 30 days and the necessary formalities. For Svilar, a Champions League return is therefore not excluded in principle, but it will depend on his actual recovery and the regularity of his position on the list. Further back in their rehabilitation are Manu Koné and Lorenzo Pellegrini. The Frenchman will try to be available again before the November break, with the games against Manchester United and Sassuolo in his sights. Pellegrini's timeline is considerably longer, as he is dealing with a serious injury to his right thigh: the midfielder faces a layoff of at least two months, with a possible surgical procedure still to be evaluated. Gasperini will present Roma-Cagliari at a press conference today at 13:30 and is awaiting further updates from the medical staff. The immediate priority is managing energy levels and finding new solutions to beat the Sardinians, but the gradual return of injured players could give Roma fundamental alternatives for the games ahead. After weeks of crisis, some good news is finally emerging for the Giallorossi boss.

Roma's Argentine contingent is becoming increasingly decisive, with five South American players now providing the emotional force and decisive edge in the Giallorossi's play. While the Italian core of Cristante, Mancini, Pisilli and Pellegrini supplies structure, personality and tactical backbone, the Argentines are described as the team's emotional component and the factor that tips matches. Their performances are increasingly central to Gian Piero Gasperini's tactical plans. Leonardo Balerdi scored a brace in the 3-3 draw with Napoli at the Maradona, while Matías Soulé became more central to Roma's attacking play, scoring the goal that reopened the Napoli contest with a piece of high-class skill. Santiago Castro was decisive in unlocking the match against Genoa and provided the assist for Nahuel Molina's goal against Napoli, and Molina also scored in the European fixture against Slovan Bratislava. Paulo Dybala remains the technical reference point of the attack, capable of lighting up the team and guiding its ambitions. The five players differ in technical characteristics but share a common thread of temperament and determination. When Roma must dig in to find a reaction on the pitch, the contribution of the Argentine players turns suffering into opportunity, bringing quality, pride and tactical substance.