Gasperini, oldest coach in Serie A but with a modern mindset: his style sets the trend

Rodrigo Mora continues to split opinion among Roma critics and fans, with some seeing a talent of unquestionable potential and others an overpriced signing. The Portuguese winger's total investment, including fixed fee and bonuses, could reach €52 million, making the 2007-born player the most expensive transfer in the club's history. On the pitch, Mora came on in the second half of the recent match against Cagliari and initially struggled to find his position on the right flank. The turning point came from a tactical switch by Gian Piero Gasperini, who swapped Mora and Matías Soulé and moved the Portuguese to the left. From that moment, Mora changed the momentum of the match, heading home the new Roma lead and setting up the final goal of the 4-2 win. According to Tuttosport, Mora's place in the squad is also shaped by this summer's market dynamics. Sporting director Tony D'Amico explained that the club were looking for a winger with different characteristics and greater physical presence, while Mora is a player of great technical quality who still needs to be moulded tactically and in terms of consistency. At 19, and in his first experience of Italian football, the former Porto player needs time and daily work. Gasperini has the material needed to correct his lapses during the ninety minutes, avoiding hasty judgements: a single mistake does not define a player's value, just as one decisive performance does not complete his development.

Every Roma player has started at least one match from the first minute this season, with Gian Piero Gasperini refusing to separate starters from reserves. The rotation has been key to managing a nine-match cycle in 27 days, which ends with Udinese, Manchester United and Sassuolo, and has been needed in part because of injuries. Gasperini has widened his rotations, giving some regulars rest. Mario Hermoso sat on the bench against Cagliari. In the first twelve matches across Serie A and the Champions League, Hermoso has been the most-used player with 812 minutes, ahead of Wesley, who is with the Brazil squad, on 806 and Gianluca Mancini on 798. Mancini, a former Atalanta defender, has shown some signs of fatigue in his recent outings. In defence, Gasperini can count on the freshness of Daniele Ghilardi (248 minutes) and Konstantinos Koulierakis (206), as well as Leonardo Balerdi (464). Evan N'Dicka has not appeared to feel the strain, logging 727 minutes. On the flanks, Nahuel Molina (571), Emanuele Lulli (477) and Devyne Rensch (305) are the players rotated most often. Matías Soulé is the most-used forward. The figures show how Gasperini is spreading the workload across the squad as the fixture congestion builds. Roma's run of nine matches in 27 days puts a premium on depth, and the minutes for the back line and wide players show the boss relying on a wide group rather than a fixed XI.

Roma travel to Udinese on Saturday at 18:00 at the Bluenergy Stadium in Serie A's tenth round, four days after beating Cagliari at home. Gasperini will again be without first-choice trio Svilar, Koné and Dybala, but can count on Malen, who already has 10 goals this season, and Matías Soulé, who is in outstanding form. On the other side, the spotlight falls on former Roma player Nicolò Zaniolo, the hero of the club's Conference League triumph, who left the capital amid controversy. Zaniolo remains one of the most unpredictable players in the Udinese side. He can operate behind the striker or start wider before cutting inside on his left foot, relying on his power in carries and his ability to hold off defenders physically. In this early Serie A campaign he has made 4 appearances, 3 of them starts, totalling 245 minutes, without yet scoring or assisting. His attacking numbers have stalled, partly because of an injury that affected him in recent weeks, but he is still one of the players Udinese rely on to create superiority and spark their attacks in the final thirty metres. Against Roma he will look to exploit the transitions and the spaces left by Gasperini's high defensive line. Soulé, by contrast, has enjoyed greater consistency and impact and has become one of the pillars of the Roma side, even more so with Dybala absent. The Argentine usually starts on the right before cutting inside onto his left foot, but within Gasperini's system he has the freedom to move between the lines, drop into midfield and link up with the other forwards. His start to the campaign has been very positive: 9 appearances, 6 starts, 594 minutes played, 3 goals and 1 assist, making him one of the team's most productive players with 4 direct goal involvements in Serie A. He combines dribbling quality, creative passing and a threat in front of goal, as shown by the goal he scored in the recent 3-3 draw at Napoli. The article also highlights his strong mental development this season, with his confidence and leadership increasingly evident.