It's Mou's Roma: it’s all about winning, not aesthetics

Here is Mou's Roma. Ugly, dirty, bad. And winning. Then, some would say, if you want a show you can always go to the circus. After more than a quarter of the tournament, it is legitimate and fair to draw up a first balance sheet. So: twenty-two points in ten league matches, 2.2 per game, an average that if projected (but especially confirmed) over the thirty-eight league games, means a figure between eighty-three and eighty-four points, or otherwise would be the Champions (minimum) guaranteed. There were six away games and four at home. Of these, there were four successes away from the sold-out Olimpico (Salernitana, Empoli, Inter, last night Sampdoria), and three at home (Cremonese, Monza, Lecce). And it’s true this is all without ever giving the feeling of a sparkling game. There have been few goals, many missed (some even at Marassi in the second half), few goals against (except the black hole of Udine), but then in the end what matters is not the result?

There’s more. Because this Roma side, which may be true that it does not satisfy the aesthetic sense of soccer (at least of the writer), put these numbers together without a good sense of the quality of the summer market that had legitimized dreams and even utopias. Since Wijnaldum, we had just enough time to get confirmation that it was true that he was ours with that handful of minutes played in Salerno in the inaugural match of the championship. However, then there was the broken tibia, and thus goodbye until the next (calendar) year. Because Dybala had just had time to show us what special effects he was able to guarantee, goodbye until to 2023 for him too. Because Celik was just getting acquainted with our environment before Mancini's friendly fire scuffed his knee, again see you on January 4th at the resumption of the championship against Bologna. And, if you wish, there was also Zaniolo’s shoulder to slow down Nicolò’s future return He was initially on the bench last night, and then put on the field to instill fear and deal with the usual bad luck (a goal canceled for an offside of millimeters). 

Troubles that could have brought down a bull. This is not the Rome that Mourinho is continuing to build more and more in his image and likeness. It is in fact, ugly, dirty and bad, for the show (hopefully) appointment next year when all the injured will be available again. And, we are sure, the music will change, with the aim of winning games anyway. This is what Mou wants. And then space for the second-row dancers who have to put their heart, soul and legs on the pitch until the last moment of play. Like, for example, Bryan Cristante. One who in the summer is never included in the starting line-up, but then plays them all, absolutely all, placed there in the middle of the field to make a dam, to settle on the passing lines of the opponents, to put in his physique, to never pull his leg back, to direct his teammates with tactical wisdom that, beyond the criticism he has been reserved for, is indispensable in this Roma, to the point that even a squire of Mou like Matic has to go and settle on the bench. To make room, as he did last night at Marassi, for the slouching Camara, that is, substance and running rather than aesthetics and classy shots. The boy who arrived from Athens had already shown it in the second half in Siviglia, against Sampdoria confirming his tactical usefulness, of interdiction and dynamism, that he can have in this Roma that first and foremost never wants to lower its gaze in front of anyone.

So, again, more space for the Gallo Belotti who when it comes to jousting is second to none, trust in the pairing with Abraham with the former grenade player more first forward and Tammy to range all along the offensive arc. At Marassi, then, Mou wanted to further amaze, sending El Shaarawy on the field from the start with the task of running all over the left side, and dear Faraone if you score better, but the important thing is that no dangers come from your side. The same tasks were given to Zalewski on the opposite flank, with the Polish able to adapt for the defensive phase and ready to support the attacking maneuver. The result was that the desperate Sampdoria entrusted to Stankovic, did not take a shot on goal, Rui Patricio was forced to be the protagonist only on the occasion of his teammates' back passes (if they could be diminished, the heart of the writer would be grateful). That is, Mou's Roma. The one that does not want to take risks, knowing that in front of him, sooner or later, the goal to win the game will come. Now, however, there will be the litmus test against Luciano Spalletti's highly anticipated Napoli. They will come to the Olimpico with a streak of 10 consecutive victories. They will find an ugly, dirty, mean Roma. The Olimpico, then, could do the rest.