GIALLOROSSI YORKSHIRE BLOG
Giallorossi Yorkshire's end of season review gets underway with a look at five areas that could have changed how things went for Roma in the past campaign.
2018-19 was one of the most disappointing seasons in recent memory for the Lupi, as they missed out on Champions League qualification for the first time in six years. But could things have turned out differently? What if Antonio Mirante had been first choice all year? One of the worst decisions made by Monchi in the summer was to sell Alisson and replace him with the unproven Robin Olsen. The gamble didn't pay off, as the Swede showed he was not up to the standard required to be Roma's number one. Claudio Ranieri recognised this when he came in as interim manager, and after Olsen had conceded four goals against Napoli, the coach made back-up keeper Mirante his first choice. Immediately, it was the right decision. Mirante gave much more confidence to his backline - perhaps a factor in Federico Fazio's improvement during Ranieri's tenure as well - and pulled off some impressive saves to ensure Roma got better results. There's no doubting that Olsen cost Roma some points, whereas Mirante helped his side to gain them. What if Eusebio Di Francesco had noticed the problem before, and Mirante had been between the sticks all season? What if Di Francesco had been sacked earlier? The decision to make Mirante the first choice keeper was not the only one where Ranieri showed himself to be more prudent than his predecessor. Di Francesco deserved a chance to carry on with Roma after the previous season's miraculous Champions League run, but - not helped by the fact that Monchi signed players that didn't fit into his preferred system - the former Sassuolo boss showed naivety throughout the season. The best time to dismiss Di Francesco would have been straight after the 7-1 loss to Fiorentina in the Coppa Italia. Such a result was unacceptable, and it made his position untenable. Yes, Ranieri was still in employment at Fulham at the time, so maybe it would have been another, less successful interim manager, but nonetheless, it was clear to everyone that a change was needed - at least, everyone other than Monchi, the man with the power. What if Nicolo Zaniolo hadn't been played out of position? One of the brighter notes of Roma's season was the emergence of teenager Nicolo Zaniolo, who was shown faith from the start, with Di Francesco giving him his debut against then-Champions League titlists Real Madrid before he had even made a Serie A appearance. The summer signing held his own in the midfield three, thriving in a central area. However, partly enforced due to injuries, Zaniolo was moved out to the right wing midway through the season. His attacking output and ability to cut in onto his left foot suggested he would be a competent option for the role, but if anything, it worked to his detriment. Often, the former Inter academy player found himself isolated from games, or crowded out with a lack of space. By the end of the season, his confidence was gone, and he looked a shadow of the player that had announced himself to the world earlier in the season. Maybe if he had been kept in a central role, he would have maintained his high standards right to the end. What if Monchi had made a January signing? As mentioned above, the only person who didn't seem to realise that everything was going wrong was the club's chief decision maker, Monchi. Going into the January transfer window, it was obvious that he needed to sign reinforcements. Roma were in sixth place, and had conceded more goals than even 15th-placed Udinese. However, Monchi stated that the solutions to Roma's problems were to be found within the present squad. In some ways, he may have been right. Fazio and Steven Nzonzi particularly improved when Ranieri came in, but it was obviously not enough. More depth was needed, especially in the full-back areas and attack. That could have helped avoid the problem listed in the point above regarding Zaniolo. If a winger had been signed to cover for the injured Cengiz Under, then maybe Roma could have made a more sustained challenge to break into the top four. What if Daniele De Rossi had been fit all year? Another of Roma's better players throughout the season, despite all the factors against him, was Daniele De Rossi. Matches changed when the captain was involved, as he encouraged those around him to raise their games via his own quality and leadership. He may have only scored one league goal all season, but his presence on the pitch was enough to influence results. Sadly, he spent much of the campaign on the sidelines with injury. If he had been available more, then Roma would surely have done better. Of course, he would not have played in every game, but he would have been there enough to make more of a difference. Perhaps he would have even earned himself the one last contract extension that he was eventually denied. Alas, we shall never know.
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samuel bannister
Founder and editor of Giallorossi Yorkshire, who is also a columnist for Roma's official website about the women's team. Categories
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October 2019
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