Spalletti missing Totti
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Luciano Spalletti realises the suspended Francesco Totti will force a Roma reshuffle against Siena.
“Clearly we will miss Totti and it’s always better to have a player like that in your side. I think either Francesco Tavano or Mirko Vucinic will take his place, but I can still change my mind. There are others whose condition needs to be evaluated, like Daniele De Rossi and Philippe Mexes.”
The Giallorossi captain sits out a one-match ban following his petulant dismissal in the 1-1 draw at Livorno last week. Including the Coppa Italia, Roma have shared the spoils in their last three games on the trot.
“It’s just a coincidence that we haven’t been able to get better results. Our opponents don’t get many chances against us, but at the moment they seem to score at the first attempt.”
The midweek 2-2 at Milan showed some major defensive frailties, particularly in the opening half-hour, when it comes to a Trequartista who gets between the lines.
“It’s possibly true, as we do zonal marking, so someone for Siena like Tomas Locatelli or Ciccio Cozza could cause us problems. However, we think we’ve got the right counter-points to neutralise that threat,” continued Spalletti.
“Siena are a good side in great shape at the moment after overcoming a difficult period. Enrico Chiesa can always make the difference, while his teammates are very physical with excellent stamina. It won’t be easy and it would be a terrible mistake to underestimate them as being any less dangerous than Milan or Inter.”
With the Scudetto showdown at San Siro coming up next weekend, Spalletti’s men know the title race could be killed off completely if they fail to beat Siena.
“We believe that we can continue to improve and reduce the gap from the leaders,” insisted the Coach.
Tavano is not the only January arrival, as Christian Wilhelmsson has already impressed in an advanced midfield role.
“He is a player who can do everything. I already knew of him and expected great quality, but he also did very well to settle in quickly and was ready for action. He has shown that he can give this team a real helping hand.”
The relatively small crowd for the Coppa Italia tie on Thursday night brought up the issue of falling attendances in Italy and Spalletti suggested a new solution.
“I think there should be a longer winter break. How can families come to San Siro for a game that kicks off at 21.15 in the January snow? If we don’t consider these factors, how are we going to get people back into the stadiums?”
Roma squad: Bertagnoli, Cassetti, Chivu, Curci, De Rossi, Doni, Faty, Ferrari, Mancini, Mexes, Okaka, Panucci, Perrotta, Pizarro, Rosi, Taddei, Tavano, Tonetto, Virga, Vucinic, Wilhelmsson
