Delvecchio backs Roma for big season after Champions League return

Former Roma striker Paolo Poggi, who played for the club in 2000-01 and for Udinese between 1994 and 2000, has said Gasperini's current side has the same dominant character as the Roma team that won the 2000-01 Scudetto. Speaking exclusively to Retesport, Poggi also gave his view on Donyell Malen, saying the Dutch forward gives the sense that his team starts every match 1-0 up. "This is the level," he said of Malen's play. He played alongside strikers of the calibre of Bierhoff. Poggi was asked whether the current team resembles the Scudetto side coached by Capello's predecessor Capelli. He said the comparison is difficult. The 2000-01 Roma had come off a disappointing season, but then began to impose itself from the start thanks to a strong structure built around a plan put in place by Capelli, alongside structural changes at board level. The team was preparing to win the title and was of the highest quality, he said. Poggi added that it was predictable Gasperini's side would have this impact on the league. Its continuity and the force with which it imposes itself can surprise, and it is this aspect that makes the two versions of Roma look alike. On the differences between Roma and Udinese, Poggi said the provincial club gives players time to grow because there are no major targets to reach. Pressure in the capital is different, he said, but it is not a negative factor. It is up to the player to adapt and understand what is required. He admitted that he himself had not managed to do so, and that his own spell had not been up to standard, but said he remained proud to have been part of one of the most beautiful clubs in the world, an experience he described as pleasant both footballing and personally. Of Udinese, he said the city and the club are the two key factors. Fans welcome players and do not judge them immediately, waiting for them and valuing the small things that can be done early on. Balance is not what defines Roma, he said with a laugh. Udinese help players organisationally, letting them think only about the pitch and removing all the surrounding noise through a top-level set-up. The real change came in the 1990s, when the club moved from Serie B to Serie A, and since then there has been no relegation. Asked about Udinese's current situation under Runjaić, Poggi, who captained the club, said it was hard to explain from the outside. He believes Udinese have one of the most competitive squads of recent seasons, but a negative start to the league has not helped them find consistency. He watched the last two matches live, against Lecce and Milan, and as an observer he was concerned to see the features that typically define the team missing: physical strength, running, and everything that made Udinese difficult to play against. Runjaić's side, with greater confidence, could have won the previous day, but seemed afraid of losing. On the Under-23 rule, which he had seen in his time working in Udinese's youth sector, Poggi said he believes it is one of the solutions available. A player at the age limit must play for the first team. Serie C is a good school for players leaving the Primavera who need one last step of experience. Some players develop late, while others are strong enough to leave early to test themselves against those who are ready. He hopes more clubs can run Under-23 sides, provided Italian players are given opportunities.

Roman radio pundits debated Roma's squad depth, Paulo Dybala's fitness and the Udinese and Manchester United fixtures in a round-up of the capital's football talk shows. David Rossi of Rete Sport said he was worried that Roma are short of players, pointing to Matías Soulé and Niccolò Pisilli, who he said have been playing three matches a week for some time. He said Roma play a demanding style and that the midfield is very thin: if Roma rest Roon, who is not in good shape, Cristante still has to play against Udinese, and then in Manchester he asked what would happen without him. Rossi called the decision to use four midfielders, attributed to Gasperini and D'Amico, an enormous error of judgement. He said Gasperini had wanted the contracts of Dybala and Pellegrini, adding that Roma would be in a better position had they signed two players who were alive, even if less talented. On Dybala, Rossi said: "Dybala was a beast here, a beast there, but now Gasperini has realised he has the pain threshold of a 5-year-old child. Mora has done more than Dybala, the same as Soulè, but you can't say it..." Fabio Petruzzi of Rete Sport said Roma have clearly improved on last year, showing they are a strong side. He said last year you struggled and created little, while now Roma look like a stronger Atalanta. He said they have reached the top but can improve in the transfer market with two wide players and a midfielder. He said Roma were less of a team than usual against Cagliari but still won, and that Cagliari had given them more problems than Como and Inter. He added that some tiredness is to be expected. Claudio Moroni, also of Rete Sport, argued that Dybala should be sacrificed on the left with Soulè on the right, saying Soulè's best form comes from the right and that Dybala's performance hardly changes between the two flanks. Mario Corsi of Tele Radio Stereo praised Mora for a fine headed goal, but warned against calling him a new Messi. Turning to Juventus, he said their crisis was 80% the team's fault and 20% Spalletti's, adding that Conte was not being considered and that Pioli is the available option. Lorenzo Pes of Tele Radio Stereo said Dybala only did physiotherapy yesterday but he remains convinced the player wants to play the Champions League match against Manchester United. He said the injury has healed, that Dybala can theoretically train and has overcome the physical problem. He said the medical staff and the player's own feelings will decide, and that Dybala would probably try to rejoin the group partially today. He said keeping the door open for Manchester is important, and that having him on the bench for Udine would also be valuable. Piero Torri of Manà Manà Sport said Roma were robbed in yesterday's match against Venezia. He said Udinese have shown signs of revival, having recovered most of their players including Zaniolo, and that the fixture worries him. If Balerdi has recovered, he expects him to start, with Ghilardi possibly replacing Mancini, and expects Lulli alongside Wesley and Pisilli with Cristante. On Como, he said they have always been title candidates and that anyone who thinks otherwise is wrong, given their strong players, great football and a fine coach. Roberto Pruzzo of Radio Radio said he had backed Castro but that a player who has not played for two months cannot simply step in and become a star. He said the transfer market has brought Roma reserves, good alternatives who are not able to play as starters, and that when Malen is missing you notice straight away. Nando Orsi of Radio Radio questioned whether Roma are too dependent on Malen, pointing out that he brought Roma into the Champions League. He said that when he has been absent, Roma have struggled to score, but that Roma are not bottom of the table despite heavy absences, noting Lazio are top despite missing four key players. Ilario Di Giovambattista of Radio Radio named the Roma players he would take for Lazio: Malen, Svilar, and Ghilardi, whom he said he adores. He would also take Koné for midfield, and said that for Soulè he would keep Isaksen and put Soulè on the bench.

A satirical cartoon by Romanews.eu reader Michele Dall'Oman has captured the mood after a late twist in Roma's game against Cagliari. The match had seemed to be heading for a draw, with the balance of play looking fair, before a decisive moment arrived in the closing minutes and turned the result in Roma's favour. The cartoon plays on the shock of that late swing. Its characters trade lines over the sense of regret at a stalemate that had long looked like the fairest outcome, before a witty wordplay explains the key to the victory. The image is the latest in the Romanews.eu series in which readers' cartoonists interpret the closing moments of Roma matches. The piece is published alongside the outlet's regular free Roma updates, which readers can receive on Telegram and WhatsApp.