Thanks to the newly expanded FIFA World Cup and another protracted summer full of rumors, retractions, and hearsay, we’d almost forgotten that all this hoopla was building toward something—the start of a new Serie A campaign! By most accounts, the more robust and sprawling World Cup was a smashing success, and while silly season has been frustrating for Roma fans, it still gave us plenty to discuss during the dog days of summer.
While Roma finally got the Rodrigo Mora deal over the finish line, Sporting
Director Tony D’Amico will likely spend the final days of the summer pursuing the left-winger who has eluded them for the past several seasons, not to mention a left wing-back—and all that comes amidst the club’s long-awaited return to the Champions League.
With new faces, new challenges, and possibly even new tactical approaches, Gian Piero Gasperini has his work cut out for him this season. But is Roma prepared for the challenge, or will the lack of a left-winger drag the club down? Which players face the most pressure? Which are poised to break out? And just how high can Roma climb in 2026-2027?
We assembled the Chiesa di Totti crew to answer those questions and many more ahead of Roma’s season opener against Fiorentina on Monday.
Enjoy, and as always, please give us your take in the comments section!
Let’s start with an abstract question: What’s your take on the vibes heading into year two under Gasperini? Do you sense a clearer sense of purpose now that Gasp has his fingerprints on the team?
JonAS: The preseason results haven’t been that positive, but there were some moments vs Dortmund when we saw the typical high-press, high-intensity football that Gasp loves. I’m quite hopeful for the upcoming season because we haven’t sold any important players, so the squad’s pretty much the same as last season. We basically swapped Celik for Molina. Dybala looks fitter than ever, while Svilar is still performing miracles.
There should be no excuses for ‘learning the system’ or ‘growing pains’. This is year 2, and we should see improvements compared to last year. Reaching the CL by any means was the holy grail, but now let’s focus on quality and finally beat some big teams with conviction.
Bren: From a distance, it’s hard to tell, but outward appearances suggest greater cohesion as we head into Gasperini’s second season. He successfully ousted Claudio Ranieri and Ricky Massara from the club and brought in his handpicked Director of Sport, Tony D’Amico. In that light, he no longer has to compromise his vision for the squad.
So far, it seems to be paying dividends, assuming Roma lands both Diego Mora and Malick Fofana.
Add to that the not-so-simple fact that he brought Roma back to the Champions League and got A+ performances from Wesley and Donyell Malen, among others, and he already has the players’ buy-in. Last season was the transition year; now Gasperini has the runway and the tools he needs to really succeed.
Samuel: How last season ended should have preserved some positive vibes, but another sluggish transfer window and a frankly weird pre-season have diluted that a bit. Every now and then you just have to remind yourself that Roma are a Champions League team again, and then you feel better about it all.
There were some teething problems in getting to grips with Gasperini’s style of play last season, but that was always to be expected. The fact that Roma were still able to achieve a long-term target by the end of it is somewhat surreal.
Now, there’s a chance to achieve something this season thanks to the stability of sticking with the same coach, but only if his signature game plan becomes more evident.
There are times when it feels like he’s about to throw his toys out of the pram, because what would Roma be without a bit of drama under the surface? I don’t feel like that’s going away any time soon, but hopefully it just stays as background noise.
So, to answer the question, I think Gasp would have wanted some earlier signings to have that clear direction, but the turnover in the squad hasn’t been too high and it means Roma can only warm to his system more from here.
Jimmy: We’re definitely in the Gasperini Era now, for all the reasons Bren described. Tony D’Amico is growing on me, particularly after the Rodrigo Mora transfer, but there’s no doubt the true brains behind the operation at Trigoria is Gian Piero. Add in the fact that Roma has been able to keep its star players around, renew Dybala, and bring down the salaries of the senators… I hate to lean too hard into my overly optimistic reputation, but this Roma season feels like it could be something quite special..
Plus, we’re back in the Champions League! After eight years of ignominy! What could be better than that?
ssciavillo: I know the early frustrations in the transfer market may have dampened the vibes a bit, but I’m feeling good heading into the season. Roma ended the season on a great run, returning to the coveted Champions League places after nearly a decade.
We haven’t sold any of our key pieces that were rumored to be sacrificial lambs to satisfy UEFA’s FFP requirements. And the mercato looks like it’s ending with a bang, with both Mora and Fofana likely to happen. Gasperini is getting the pieces to truly play his football, and that’s exciting. I’m expecting a big season from the Giallorossi.
Gasperini brought Tony D’Amico along from Atalanta to help build Roma, but does Gasperini actually have the squad he wants—or is he being asked to make a fundamentally imperfect Roma roster work?
JonAS: Yeah, I think it’s far from the squad GPG wants. There are simply too many names linked to Roma who slipped through our fingers. Endrick, Reid, Summerville, Nusa, to name a few. I don’t think Gasperini wanted all those names per se, but he at least wanted them SOONER. It’s all been dragging on for so long. We were one week from the start of Serie A, and Roma was still searching for a proper starting LW.
Gasp had to fill his team in preseason with five or six Primavera players. That’s nice for the kids, but far from ideal for the coach. How many times do we need to point out that having your team 90% ready before August is a huge advantage? Then again, the FIFA World Cup disrupted most teams’ mercato, so at least we’re not alone in that regard.
Bren: Well, even though I came up with the question, I’d counter it with another question: Does any manager ever truly have everything they want? To borrow a phrase from the Philadelphia 76ers, Gasperini (and us fans) have to trust the process. Last year was the transition phase, which went better than many expected, but he was still working with a squad compiled for a different manager.
This year, I expect we’ll see more hallmarks of “Gasperini-ball.” Even though he didn’t get his top targets (Greenwood, Summerville, Endrick, et al), assuming the Mora and Fofana deals cross the finish line, he at least has the traits he desires for those positions. The only thing lacking is a bona fide left-wing back, but as we saw last year, Wesley is more than capable of succeeding at that position. But if they can cap off the summer with Alessio Cacciamani or Destiny Udogie, it’d be difficult to say he didn’t get the types of players he wanted.
And if we look at it objectively, he’s in a much stronger position than nearly any other Roma manager of the past 10-12 years. He’s not trying to awkwardly force Patrik Schick into a wing position or relying on Borja Mayoral to lead the line. Gasperini may not have everything he wants, but he’s got it good. If he is truly in this for the long haul, I’d expect whatever “imperfection” he perceives to dissipate by years three, four, and beyond.
Samuel: It was clear last season that Gasperini wasn’t overly enamoured with the squad at his disposal. But he’s been given the power and the departures of Ranieri and Massara show it’s almost his way or the highway now.
D’Amico is someone he’s worked with before who can help him pick up players to rejuvenate and build around. But this squad remains a work in progress, especially if playing at Champions League level is going to become a consistent thing again.
I believe imperfections remain in this Roma roster. However, I want to see more adaptability and flexibility from Gasp with any players that aren’t necessarily his first-choice targets. Take Neil El Aynaoui last season for example. Far from a perfect midfielder and not the one he wanted, but one who could have been more serviceable than he was given a genuine chance to show.
There needs to be a middle ground, where Roma pick out the top targets Gasp asks for but he also tries to develop the others that end up at his disposal – if they’re good enough to start with, of course.
Jimmy: All managers are great at noting they didn’t want their roster the moment things turn south, but I think that Roma’s management has been thoughtfully building a Gasperini side for a long time now. Is it 100% what he wants? Probably not, but it’s close enough that I think we’ll see far more Gasperini-ball this season than we saw last year.
The signings of Santiago Castro and Rodrigo Mora seem to me like the exact type of signings Gasperini probably wanted all the time in Atalanta but never received: intriguing, name-brand talent that doesn’t need as much buffing to become a superstar as some of the diamonds in the rough he found while plying his wares in Bergamo. All squads are imperfect in some way, shape, or form, but you only have to look at the development potential of Castro and Mora, alongside some of the other young studs in the squad like Wesley, Ghilardi, Pisilli, and Robinio Vaz to understand that no matter how Gasperini wants to play, he’s got intriguing talent to help make those tactics a reality. Now he just has to make sure he does that on a regular basis while playing in multiple competitions. Easy!
ssciavillo: I agree with Bren. I’m sure that, to some extent, even Pep Guardiola has missed out on players he wanted at times–obviously to a lesser extent than Roma. But the point stands. I think the work D’Amico has done, following Massara’s summer signing of Wesley and January signing of Malen, has the roster beginning to take shape as a Gasperini side. It may not be his ideal roster, but adding Fofana and Mora will give him players with traits he can work with. And it looks like, barring any major sales, this team will also have the depth to play in multiple competitions.
Which player will make the biggest leap under Gasperini this season?
JonAS: As for the new guys, my pick is Molina. He’s perfectly suited for the RWB role in Gasperini”s system, and he’ll make us forget Celik by matchday 2 (which isn’t that hard, sorry, Zeki). Having a runner and a mad dog like him and Wesley on each flank is a damn fine weapon. Plus, his CL and WC experience will help the others a lot. I reckon he’ll have no problem adapting to GPG’s tough regime as well.
Next to Molina, I’m gonna go out on a limb and say Robinio Vaz. There’s something about him, man. People write him off too soon. He’s not even 20, for Christ’s sake. He has a unique profile unlike anyone else on the team. I feel like once he finds his groove, he’s not leaving the XI anytime soon. Talent always finds a way.
Bren: Well, if that Dortmund friendly was any indication, you may be onto something there with Molina. The impression I got from Atlético fans was that, despite his flaws, Simeone’s system didn’t accentuate his attacking skills; a problem he won’t face with Gasperini. I also think Wesley will take another step forward this year, especially if he’s allowed to focus on one position.
But I’m going to cheat a little bit and say, Donyell Malen. What he did last spring was nothing short of miraculous, but with a full season working with Gasperini, the potential additions of Mora and Fofana, and healthier years from Dybala and Soulé, Malen has capocannoniere potential.
Samuel: He may have to be patient for starts at first, but this could be a match made in heaven for Santiago Castro to take the next step. His seasonal goal tallies in Serie A have been modest so far, but he’s a dangerous finisher, and we’ve seen with Malen how Gasperini can unlock a striker. (We’ve also seen with Ferguson how it’s no guarantee, but with Castro’s bedding-in spell with Bologna, there’s reason to be optimistic). I’m expecting Castro to hit double figures of goals this season for the first time in his career.
Jimmy: I think that we might see something truly special from Niccolo Pisilli this season. I agree that Molina, Castro, and Malen are all likely to impress, but if there’s a player who looks set to be given a lot more runway in a position where there is not too much competition for a starring role outside of Manu Koné, it’s Roma’s most intriguing academy prospect. I’ll be interested to see how Pisilli plays with Rodrigo Mora in particular this season; those two could be a truly deadly long-term combination, even if Koné eventually moves on to greener pastures.
ssciavillo: I love the Molina and Malen shouts, but they’re both veterans and proven commodities to some extent, especially Malen after his transfer. I think Castro can definitely make a jump as well. However, like Jimmy, my first thought was Pisilli. There should be plenty of minutes in the midfield for both Pisilli and El Aynoui to get more time than they did last season, and Pisilli just feels like the kind of player who could explode under Gasperini. And god knows, the Italian national team will be praying as hard as Romanisti that he’s the next star Roman.
Which player has the most to prove this season?
JonAS: Well, Malen has scored 14 Serie A goals in 18 games since joining us. How the hell is he gonna keep this up? The Don hasn’t looked his usual self in preseason, but I’m not panicking just yet. Let’s just hope it wasn’t just pure luck. Roma need the best version of Malen again this season if we want to stay in the top 4, so yeah, a lot of pressure on those Dutch shoulders.
Bren: Dang, we’re really on opposite sides of the track here, Jonas! Malen definitely has a heavy burden on his shoulders (as we’ll discuss momentarily), but I’m going to give a combined answer here and say, Daniele Ghilardi and Jan Ziolkowski: two talented young defenders with uncertain futures at the club.
Gianluca Mancini isn’t getting any younger, Evan Ndicka could be flipped for a healthy profit in the near future, and Mario Hermoso’s deal expires in June, so there is a future in which Ghilardi and Ziolkowski line up alongside Konstantinos Koulierakis. Still, if that trio has any chance in seasons ahead, Ghilardi and Ziolkowski must start earning Gasperini’s trust this season.
Samuel: There are quite a few: Paulo Dybala and Lorenzo Pellegrini after only getting one-year contracts, for starters. Obviously, without putting too much pressure on him, Rodrigo Mora will have a lot to prove after the lengths Roma have gone to in order to bring him in.
But patience will be paramount for him, so of the existing bunch, an obvious shout is Matias Soule – if he stays.
Roma have got two seasons with highs and lows out of him so far, and not one consistently good one. Gasperini doesn’t seem to back him to reach the next level, but if he doesn’t leave, Soule will have to be out to prove him wrong.
Of the players I’m more confident will definitely be staying, I actually think Evan Ndicka has something to prove this season. His contract is up in 2028, so Roma will be assessing his future this time next year, when it might be the last chance to cash in.
Ndicka has proven he can be reliable, but he does have the odd error. Is he reliable enough to lead Roma from the middle of that back three for the long term? If he can answer that with a resounding yes, he’ll have proven that he needs a new contract within the next 12 months or so to hush away any speculation on his future.
Jimmy: I’m voting for Lorenzo Pellegrini. He got a renewal, but at a much lower salary. Like him or not, he’s clearly the Roman who most defines the past decade of the Giallorossi. Yet Gasperini and D’Amico have brought in youngsters who are clearly looking to make Pellegrini a super-sub at best and a benchwarmer at worst this season.
I personally wouldn’t mind it if Mora is so exciting that he banishes Pellegrini to the bench, but I’m sure Pellegrini himself wants more than that. In terms of “proving the haters wrong,” it’s gotta be Lolo who has the most to prove. You just need to take a look at the comments section under any CdT article that mentions him to understand why.
ssciavillo: I’d say that if he stays, it’s 100% Soulé. Roma spent a lot of money to bring him in, and he’s been underwhelming overall. Injuries have brought him down a bit, but he was expected to be Roma’s next star attacker and hasn’t come close to the 11-goal season he had at Frosinone. Soulé is still just 23, so I’m not giving up on him yet. But if he isn’t sent packing this summer, he will have to prove that he belongs beyond this season. And now there will be plenty of competition for minutes, so he’ll have to earn them.
What should we reasonably expect from Dybala this season? How can Gasperini find the sweet spot between relying too heavily on Dybala and treating him with kid gloves?
JonAS: I think his new contract, including a thousand bonuses, will be a blessing in disguise for both Roma and Paulo. He looks like the old Dybala, scoring or assisting in each friendly. Getting back into the CL and playing against the biggest, baddest clubs must motivate him, too.
Then again, we can write as much as we want. If Gasp runs Dybala into the ground for three consecutive games and he breaks down, we’re back to square one. Albeit at lower wages, so it won’t hurt us financially. But there’s a clear difference with or without Dybala. Judging from preseason, I think 15 goals (all competitions) for Paulo is not unthinkable.
Bren: I think this is why, Fofana or no Fofana, it’s imperative the club keeps Soulé. The only way to maximize Dybala’s effectiveness is to manage his minutes, and having his mini-me on the squad will make that far easier. Similarly, the presence of Soulé, Santiago Castro, Robinio Vaz and Rodrigo Mora will allow Gasperini to mix and match his frontline, keeping Dybala’s legs fresh.
If everything goes right…if…I’d expect Dybala to clock in around 1,800 to 2,000 minutes this season with 15-20 goal contributions.
Samuel: On one hand, the wage cut Dybala has taken alleviates some of the pressure to use him all the time – and makes him less of a burden when he’s not playing – but I still think he needs to be starting the biggest matches when he’s available.
His run at the end of last season was a reminder of how he can lift this team’s level. I honestly don’t think Roma would have made it into the top four if he hadn’t made that comeback in April/May.
He’s been busy in pre-season, with only Cristante and Ndicka logging more minutes out of Roma’s outfield players. Hopefully he hasn’t peaked too soon fitness-wise, because this could be the most prepared Dybala has ever been for a Roma season. After the past couple of years, it’s reasonable to have doubts over his durability, but if Roma can get 15-20 starts out of him in the league, he’ll be a valuable asset.
Gasperini just needs to manage his minutes wisely. Save him for the big games, but don’t let him go into them cold. 20-30 minutes here and there against the lesser teams should keep him ticking over.
That connection he has with Donyell Malen excites me. Right from the first time they set foot on the pitch together for Roma, you could tell they had something instinctive. We need to capitalize on that as often as possible.
Jimmy: He looks like the old Dybala in the preseason, but I think I’m a bit more cautious about what to expect from him this year than the rest of you. In my mind, if he gets around 10 goal contributions, I’d be happy. You have to remember there are suddenly a lot more mouths to feed in the attack, and even if he looks great in the preseason, Father Time is undefeated, and Paulo’s injury history suggests he’ll be out for a good chunk of the season as well.
In my book, Dybala is now an excellent luxury for Roma to have, particularly as they juggle multiple competitions. Expecting him to be a week-in, week-out contributor with 15-20 goal contributions sets you up for disappointment, no matter how much I love watching him play.
ssciavillo: The early returns in pre-season have been great and encouraging, but he will have to be managed. Roma’s roster is deep and talented enough in attack to use him in the right matches–ideally once a week depending on who is on the calendar during the two match weeks. There shouldn’t be a need to play him for 90’ against Lecce on the weekend if there’s a big Champions League match the Wednesday before or after. Keep him sharp and fresh and Roma will reap the benefits long term because the class hasn’t left him.
What about Donyell Malen? For the first time in his career, he’s going to be “the guy”. How can Gasperini support him now that he’s the top option? And how many goals can he score this season?
JonAS: A healthy Dybala and finally a damn LW would help a lot. Also, some fresh competition from Castro will keep Malen focused and on his toes because Dovbyk and Ferguson sure as hell didn’t. Then, if my math is right, Malen should score about 29-30 Serie A goals this season. Do it. Do it (in my best Ben Stiller impression).
Bren: It’s certainly going to be a challenge for Malen. Not since his final season with PSV, where he made 32 appearances (26 starts), has he been tasked with being the bell cow. The best way for Gasperini to support him in that role, apart from crossing his fingers for a healthy season, is to spread the load.
Having players like Dybala, Soulé, Mora, and potentially Fofana should give Malen more room to operate in attack–especially Fofana, whose pace should take some of the build-up pressure off Malen’s shoulders. Similarly, tweaking the formation by adding Castro or Vaz to the mix would give Malen a partner to combine with, easing his burden.
Samuel: Malen should be a guarantee, but I can’t deny I am a tiny bit nervous of him suffering from second season syndrome and not be able to pick up the same momentum he had after his move. Even if he doesn’t, he might still be enough. He scored 14 league goals in his first half-season with Roma. If he can score 14 across the full season and Castro can do the same, that would be fine. Across all competitions, the target has to be 20 goals. If he still has that magic touch, it should be well within reach.
He’s proven his point of being a striker – to us, at least. Maintaining that hunger (with challenges like sending a strong sign to his country that he’s wasted on the wing, and delivering in the Champions League) could be vital to how he performs this season, but he starts it as one of the first names on the team sheet, for sure.
Jimmy: I agree that he’s going to have a challenging season now that he’s the bell cow. I hope that the rejuvenated attack will help take some of that burden off of Malen, and particularly if Fofana is also brought in alongside Castro and Mora, I think we can avoid the “great fall, the treads are off the tires in the spring” story that we’ve seen over and over again with some of Roma’s best players.
I’m hoping for 20-25 goals in all competitions for Malen, but I won’t be shocked if he goes over. I do think he has the ability to become a capocannoniere, particularly while playing for a Gasperini side.
ssciavillo: Malen was a revelation after he came over from Aston Villa in January. 14 goals in a half season is a historic pace for this league. So I don’t expect him to replicate that, but I do think 20 league goals and a run at capocannoniere is certainly within the realm of possibility, given the way strikers have produced under GPG through the years. The arrival of Castro also allows him some rest when it’s needed–a luxury he didn’t have down the stretch last season.
Which U-23 player is most likely to become a key figure for Roma this year?
JonAS: I already named Vaz as my surprise package for this season, for obvious reasons. The Greek Freak Koulierakis would be my second choice. Switching to the #3 jersey is ballsy, and I like it. He looks like the prototype Gasperini defender and immediately got good grades vs Newport and Brighton. We might see him benching Ndicka or Hermoso very soon.
Bren: We’re compiling this roundtable just as the Mora deal is finally coming to fruition, so he’s the obvious candidate. It will be interesting to see how large a role he assumes early in the season, but he’s obviously an incredible talent and, given his price tag and the lengths Roma went to to get him, it shouldn’t be long before he’s a regular on the pitch.
But for a more immediate and safer answer, it has to be Niccolo Pisilli. During his first season under Gasperini, his second season as a pro, the young Roman scored four goals and provided four assists in 34 appearances (19 starts) across all competitions; not too shabby for a 20-year-old midfielder. I don’t think he’ll be a week-in, week-out starter, but he should be in line for about 2,000 minutes this season. It won’t be long before he’s running the show, however.
In my eyes, he’s the new Capitano Futuro.
Samuel: Since we haven’t heard too much about any plans to invest in the midfield, Pisilli has a chance to continue his rise. For me, he was Roma’s most improved player last season by a distance. He sharpened up his composure, covered loads of ground and looked more dangerous in the final third.
But he still started only 13 league games last season. If he can gain Gasperini’s trust enough to up that to around half of the matches, it’ll be a sign he’s heading in the right direction.
I’ll offer an honourable mention to Koulierakis, who we don’t have much evidence of so far but could become a settled solution on the left of the back three, and Emanuele Lulli has caught the eye in pre-season, but it might be too soon for him to make a serious dent in the first team just yet.
Jimmy: I’ve already mentioned Pisilli as my player who will take the biggest leap, so to provide a bit of an alternative, I’ll say Santiago Castro. He’s Serie A-proven, he’s clearly hungry to impress, and someone needs to sop up the opportunities when Malen isn’t available or is tired out from a Champions League match. I said in my Youth Countdown piece about him that a future where Castro is a younger Lautaro Martinez isn’t out of reach; I think we’ll find out pretty quickly this season just how close he is to becoming that kind of player.
ssciavillo: Like Jimmy, I’ve already mentioned Pisilli as my breakout candidate, so he’d be my top choice here too. I also like Koulierakis having a chance to supplant Mario Hermoso as the regular left center back and turning into a bona fide Serie A defender.
What is Gasperini’s biggest tactical question? Is it the left wing-back, midfield balance, defensive depth, maximizing Dybala, or something else?
JonAS: The central midfield still troubles me. I have faith in all other departments. Svilar, Wesley, Ndicka, Molina, Dybala, Malen, plenty of quality. However, at CM we basically have Cristante, the king of mediocrity, and Koné, who’s a great player but perhaps not suited to Gasperini”s 3-4-2-1.
Pisilli and NEA could be those guys (tireless runners), but Nicolo has missed the entire preseason. We know NEA’s problem: Morocco and Roma are not the same environments. Take one of Koné or Pisilli away, and we’re in trouble, especially during those CL nights.
Bren: Can’t argue with that, Jonas, but I’m really curious to see how he’ll mix and match the forwards. We know Malen is locked in at center-forward, but in what formation? Could he play alongside Castro with Dybala or Soulé in the hole? Could he possibly deploy Malen out wide or as a second striker behind Castro? And what about Vaz and Mora, or even younger players like Romano or Lulli?
Mind you, this isn’t a problem, but it’s probably the tactical storyline that interests me most.
Samuel: Also looking at the midfield but through a slightly different lens… He’s still one of Roma’s most important players, but I feel there’s another level to Manu Kone’s game that Gasperini hasn’t quite unlocked yet.
I want to see Kone muscling through the midfield with the ball at his feet, gaining crucial yards and picking out a pass or drawing a foul by the end of it. We saw his potential to do that in his first season, but under Gasperini, he’s been holding back. Still playing well, of course, but is there a way he can play more vertically?
I thought Kone would be one of the most natural fits for Gasperini’s style when this current era began, but what he’s been asked to do on the pitch – at least, I can only assume it’s an instruction, since it’s so different to how he played at first – isn’t getting the best out of him.
Beyond that, can Castro and Malen play together? That might require a slight change in formation, which Gasp has been reluctant to do so far. But with how much Castro has cost and how well Malen has done so far, it’s something he’s going to have to toy with.
Jimmy: Can Roma’s attack, now that it’s deep with talent, mimic the goal-happy attacks that Gasperini built in Atalanta? While getting to the Champions League in his first season as manager was huge, Roma didn’t do it playing typical Gasperini-ball. I want to see a free-flowing attack this season, where all of our young stars get a real shot at hitting double digits in goals. I think that’s feasible, but it will require a lot of work by GPG. If he can make it happen, I truly think the sky is the limit for the club moving forward.
ssciavillo: I agree that the center midfield depth could be tested at times, but I’m more curious to see how GPG mixes and matches the attacking options across multiple competitions. He now has the depth to go with different looks and not burn out key players. Like some of the other guys, I’m particularly curious to see if and how he utilizes Castro and Malen together.
There’s nothing remotely controversial about Mile Svilar, so let’s test your squad knowledge. Without digital assistance, can you name Roma’s second and third goalkeepers? If not, who were some of your favorite #2 keepers in Roma history?
JonAS: I think I can name them (I’m a Wikipedia addict, after all), so I’m gonna leave the honors to the other writers. In Roma’s history, I’m gonna go with Carlo Zotti, simply because his name reminds me of Totti. Also, Roma once had the best 2nd keeper in the world in its ranks: Julio Sergio Bertagnoli.
Bren: I honestly can’t! Is it still Gollini? Wasn’t there someone named Vazques last year, too? Either way, being Svilar’s stand-in has to be among the cushiest jobs in all of sports.
Can’t go wrong with JSB; he reminds me of a simpler and more successful time in Roma history. But I was always intrigued by Daniel Fuzato; he shared some physical traits with Svilar but never managed to get off the bench. And then there was Mauro Goicoechea, whose best attribute was distribution, at least in Zdenek Zeman’s eyes; then again, Maarten Stekelenburg wasn’t much better as ZZ’s number one.
Samuel: I can. Pierluigi Gollini and Devis Vasquez. They’re both still here, right? I can even tell you, without the use of a search engine, that Vasquez used to play for Sheffield Wednesday, not too far from where I’m from here in England.
As for preferred #2s, well, Alisson and Svilar were #2s for a time, I suppose, but it was only really after they became #1s that I realised how good they were.
So I’ll opt for Antonio Mirante, who I’d actually thought of myself when he was at Bologna as someone who could come in for that senior backup role. (If the idea of Antonio Mirante being your dream-come-true signing doesn’t sum up what this club does to you, I don’t know what else can.)
He stepped in at the end of the season in place of an underwhelming #1 not once, but twice. He was underappreciated by the time he left, I thought.
Jimmy: Gollini and Vasquez! Keep up, guys. My favorite #2 goalkeepers in Roma’s recent history are Alisson Becker when he was behind Szczęsny and Daniel Fuzato, for all the reasons Sam gave.
ssciavillo: Gollini I knew, but have to give the others credit for Vasquez. Originally, I was going to say Julio Sergio, but I may have to go with Mirante after reading Samuel’s answer. He was big for us on several occasions.
Roma is finally back in the Champions League, so who are some of your dream matchups?
JonAS: I always like it when Roma faces Belgian opposition, so Club Brugge, obviously. Mourinho’s Real Madrid would be a nice test. The cup holders, PSG, with Luis Enrique and Marquinhos, of course. And I still want revenge on Manchester United for that 7-1 nearly 20 years ago. Oh, and Feyenoord because that’s an automatic 3 points in the bag..
Bren: There was always something exciting about seeing Roma at the Santiago Bernabéu, especially in their black kits, so I won’t be mad if we get drawn against Real Madrid. Facing Marquinhos and PSG at the Parc des Princes would be incredible, and so would any of the glamorous English stadiums. The Allianz in Munich, the Camp Nou, the Metropolitano–it’s going to be amazing!
At the risk of stating the obvious, it’s exciting enough just to be in the Champions League, and I think it will be a litmus test to see how the project is progressing. Roma is in an exciting, albeit frustrating, phase of their development, but the CL will be the true barometer of progress.
Samuel: Being based where I am, I’m definitely eyeing some of the Premier League sides for a potential away day. There are enough of them in there that the odds must be decent of Roma being drawn against one – and the geographical balance is better for me with this batch of teams than the Europa League has generally offered.
But just throw some beatable teams in there, please. I want to enjoy being back in the Champions League and not just make up the numbers.
On that note, what’s a third competition to beat Feyenoord in? Might as well…
Jimmy: I wish we had gotten back before Messi left for MLS, but that ship has sailed. With that in mind, I’m most excited to see Roma play some of the Premier League big boys; if they can beat some of them during league play, it’ll make it a whole lot easier for me to explain why I love this club to some of my friends and family. Of course, seeing Roma play in Camp Nou again would be spectacular as well.
ssciavillo: I have to say a trip to Madrid or Paris against one of our former managers would be exciting for a number of reasons. Nobody here said Barcelona. That would be fascinating just because we haven’t played them since that miraculous comeback at the Olimpico. I’d love a crack at revenge against Liverpool too. But measuring-stick matches against any EPL team will be great too. That being said, I might be even more amped up to see the Olimpico packed again for a UCL match against a big side.
Does Roma have enough depth to handle the Champions League and Serie A simultaneously? Can they make it out of the League Phase?
JonAS: Right now (Monday evening)? No. We’d still need at least one LW and LWB, and preferably another (experienced) midfielder. Too bad Freuler went to Greece. I would have taken him for one season as your ‘plug-and-play’ option from the bench who knows Gasperini. Hey, maybe De Roon or Pasalic?
I do believe Roma can make it past the League Phase, albeit via the knockout play-offs. Roma may not be PSG or Barcelona, but they can at least finish in the top 24. If you look at the coefficients, Roma would need to finish around 11th or 12th place, which is not that unlikely.
Bren: Well, as we’ve seen in the Europa League over the past several seasons, Roma has no problem surviving the onslaught of the Group Phase. The CL is a different ballgame, of course, but even without knowing their opponents, I have faith (health permitting) that Roma can eke out a spot in the Knockout Phase.
Samuel: It’s going to require a shift of mindset for Roma after several years of heading into European tournaments that they could conceivably win, to one where the target will just be getting over that first hurdle.
I believe Roma can make it out of the League Phase, but potentially not much further. The knockout play-offs might be where it ends, but that’s OK after all this time.
The squad is probably a few bodies short to properly rotate between the two competitions, so we might see a drop-off in weeks with a match in each, but Roma should give it their best shot in the Champions League.
Presuming they don’t go too deep, they can then focus firmly on the league over the second half of the season and not have to prioritize like they sometimes have in the Europa era.
Jimmy: I… think so? But who’s to say if and when the injury bug comes calling. I’m quite happy that Gasperini has seemingly brought Emanuele Lulli into the first team; making sure players like him are integrated from Roma’s world-class Primavera will make it a lot easier for Roma to survive multiple competitions, even when players are unavailable. I believe in Roma if they can do that; even if they don’t, I think they’ll get to the knockout rounds of the CL. But a true deep run in the Champions League will require buy-in from everyone from the 17-year-olds in the Primavera up to Paulo Dybala.
ssciavillo: I think we do have enough depth if the roster stays mostly healthy. Roma should definitely finish in the top 24 to move to the knockout phase. Then it really comes down to the luck of the draw. If the Giallorossi finish somewhere in that 11-12 range that coefficient suggests, then they’ll be a likely favorite to get to the round of 16. Knockout football is sometimes all about the luck of the draw, so as long as Roma gets out of the League Phase, then they could potentially make the round of 16 or quarterfinals if everything breaks right.
And lastly, the big question: Where does Roma finish the season on the Serie A table?
JonAS: To be honest, it’s almost impossible to do better than last season (which means second place or the Scudetto). For me, Inter and Juve are locked in the top 2, which leaves us, Milan, Napoli, Como, and Atalanta, all fighting for the leftovers. But I trust Gasperini. His teams usually end the season on a high note due to better fitness levels.
I think those midweek CL games will have some impact on the team, and it will probably cost us one place in the league, so my guess is fourth. And I can totally live with that because more monaaaaay.
Bren: Finishing 3rd last season was a bit unexpected and took a bit of luck on the final days, but I think that’s a good barometer of success this season. It will be the typical five- to six-team dogfight to finish behind Inter, but if the cards fall in their favor, 3rd place should be attainable.
Samuel: To answer this, you have to look elsewhere and determine which of Roma’s rivals have any kind of threatening aura. And honestly, there aren’t a great deal, which puts us in with a chance.
Inter will be strong again. I know it’s been a while since anyone retained the Scudetto, but they have a solid chance. Juventus, with a full season of Spalletti, should improve. Napoli will be there or thereabouts, but the Allegri transition might be rocky. Milan have spent money, but I think they’ve overspent compared to the quality they’ve brought in, and Amorim is a big question mark as a coach. Como are on the up, but they have the same question as us: can they balance Champions League involvement?
As for the outside candidates for the top four, Atalanta can’t be ruled out. There’s a lot of buzz around Fiorentina with the signings they’ve made too, but quantity over quality never guarantees anything in the transfer market and they’ve got a lot of ground to make up.
So my prediction is that Roma will come third again, this time behind Inter and Juventus. There’s an argument Roma can push for second, but a Scudetto push is a step too far.
But with all that being said, after the trials and tribulations of the Champions League wilderness years, I’d still be content with scraping into fourth place by a point, and then building from there.
Jimmy: I agree that third is the safe bet. My biggest hope for Roma this season, beyond securing Champions League again, is that they play football in the attacking-friendly way GPG is known for. If they do that and get fourth, I won’t mind. I’m a simple man.
ssciavillo: If Roma fills out its roster as the rumor suggests, then I’m banking on a top-four finish. However, outside of Inter, nobody scares me, and I think Roma can finish as high as second.
Now that you’ve heard our takes, it’s your turn: Can Roma survive without a true left-winger? Will they make it out of the CL League Phase? How many goals will Malen score?
Make your Roma predictions before Monday!
