Gian Piero is renowned for his high-flying, attack-at-all-costs approach to football. Sure, he doesn’t line up eight to 10 men at the midfield stripe for the opening kickoff like a certain Zdeněk Zeman, but Gasperini made his name on overwhelming opponents in the final third. While we did see plenty of that brand of football once Donyell Malen arrived in January, for much of the season, Roma’s success stemmed from a suffocating defense, one that was among the league leaders in fewest goals conceded
all season long.
Thanks to the combined talents of players like Mile Svilar, Evan Ndicka, Gianluca Mancini, and Wesley, among others, Roma was able to wrangle a string of one-goal victories early in the season, setting them up for a surprising run to third place later in the spring.
In honor of that defensive record, we’re starting our Season Review Roundtable series with the men at the back.
Under Gian Piero Gasperini, Roma became a tough defensive team, conceding only 31 league goals with a strong back three. Was their success due to tactical organization or individual brilliance from Mile Svilar, Evan Ndicka, and Gianluca Mancini?
Bren: The answer is likely a bit of both; that’s the nature of the sport, after all. However, I’m going to skew closer towards the individual brilliance of the players, Svilar and Ndicka in particular. Anytime a new manager arrives, there is always a transition period as new ideas, tactics, and priorities are installed. The fact that Roma weathered that storm and boasted one of the league’s stingiest defenses in the first 10 weeks of the season (and all-year, really) is a testament to incumbents like Ndicka, Svilar, and Mancini
ssciavillo: I agree that it’s a bit of both. To be a strong defensive side, the whole XI needs to work together and limit the opponent’s chances. That starts with the manager’s tactics and the players playing in front of the defense. Roma had one of the best expected goals allowed in the league at 39.69 xGA. However, that was only fifth best, whereas Roma had the second-best defense behind Como in terms of actual goals allowed, with those 31. However, the 7.69 xGA-GA was fourth best in the league, and only Milan was better among teams fighting for a top finish. That speaks to the individual play of players like Mile Svilar and his center backs, who snuffed out strong goal-scoring opportunities with timely saves and interventions.
JonAS: I’d also include chemistry. Mancini has seven seasons, Ndicka three, and Svilar four. If you include Celik, he’s been here four seasons as well. These guys know each other very well after all those years. The new kids, Ghilardi and Ziolkowski, had to fight hard for their place, and it’s no coincidence. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Under Ranieri, Roma already had one of the best defenses after 38 rounds last season. It seems Gasperini really got inside their heads and made them even stronger and more united. Just look at those celebrations after Hellas. These guys are genuinely happy for each other.
Mario Hermoso wasn’t quite as steady as Ndicka or Mancini this season, looking perfectly suited to Gasperini’s style of play one minute and vulnerable the next. Overall, was Hermoso a net positive for Roma’s defense, and should he remain a long-term starter?
Bren: Ultimately, he was a net positive, though it took several months for him to end up in the black, so to speak. He’s not a star player by any means, but he’s a good third banana behind Ndicka and Mancini; a player you can reliably drop into any match and expect competence with occasional moments of brilliance.
Whether he’s a long-term starter depends on a few things: 1) Is Ndicka being sold? 2) Does Gasperini trust Ghilardi as a full-time starter, and 3) What happens with Jan Ziolkowski?
ssciavillo: In the end, he was definitely a net positive for Roma. He played really well at times, especially in the latter parts of the season when it mattered most. He showed us why Roma brought him in on a free prior to last season. Whether he’s a long-term starter depends on a number of factors, such as whether Ndicka is sold or other big-name defenders are brought in. However, with Roma now playing Champions League football, I think Gasperini will rely on his experience in the back three on Europe’s biggest stage in the near term, until Ghilardi and Ziolkowski gain more experience.
JonAS: Agreed, I don’t expect Gasperini to tinker much with his defense. If Ndicka stays, we’ll see a lot more of this trio, including Hermoso. Especially vs the bigger CL teams, we’ll need Mario’s experience. People tend to forget he arrived on a free, and he already gave us some good moments in return. He looked better than last season. Hermoso soon turns 31, so I reckon he’ll stay for at least two more seasons. Remember, we once had worse options as ‘veteran CB’ like Vermaelen, Marcano, or Spolli.
Wesley’s arrival added a different defensive and physical dimension to Roma’s flank, especially within Gasperini’s wing-back system. How important were Wesley’s energy and defensive recovery to Roma’s overall defensive structure, and did his role help Roma become more balanced compared to previous seasons?
Bren: Roma has struggled so long to find long-term fixtures at both wing-back spots that when they stumble into one, it’s almost kind of jarring. We caught a short-term glimpse with Alexis Saelemaekers last season, but Wesley blew the doors off this year. We saw it on Sunday against Verona: when Wesley is missing, Roma lacks that certain je ne sais quoi. His pace, agility, and aggression were noticeable from the start, but if you harken back to August and September, he was almost a bit too unbridled; overrunning balls, slipping passes a beat too soon, jumping passing lanes awkwardly. But once that settled down, he started to look like a game-changer.
In short, he took all of Saelemaekers’ best assets and folded them neatly into a more explosive package. And to think he did all of that while spending large portions of the season playing on the left!
JonAS: Exactly, I had high expectations, but boy, Wesley really delivered the goods and then some. Easily the league’s most exciting wingback, and 1) he’s only 22 and 2) this was his maiden season in Europe. A physical freak with an eye for goal, stamina for ages, and finally some pace on our team, which we sorely missed. Wesley learns quickly, so he will only get better. Let’s hope he still wears our colors by then.
ssciavillo: I think Wesley will remain vital moving forward. He was explosive throughout the season, and we certainly missed him when he was out this past weekend. His ability to push the ball down the wing was important to the way Roma wanted to play, and he chipped in five goals as well–including a couple of crucial ones. Defensively, he ranks very highly among fullbacks across all defensive categories. It looks like Roma finally solved one flank–now will that be the right or the left next season?
Despite Roma’s strong defensive record, they appeared vulnerable during quick transitions and counterattacks, especially when wing-backs pushed further up the pitch. Was this the cost of Gasperini’s aggressive system, or did Roma lack the pace and depth to protect space behind?
Bren: Similar to the first question, it’s a bit of both. In many ways, that’s just the cost of doing business under Gasperini. Playing an up-tempo, high-line system necessarily leaves you vulnerable to quick counterattacks, and while that can certainly be mitigated with faster midfielders (you know who I’m alluding to), it’s a taxing system, so there’s no way to completely eliminate susceptibility to transition play.
JonAS: Yeah, that’s why I am surprised Roma had the second-best defense in Serie A this season. Back in August, I figured that under Gasperini we would score more but also concede a lot more. However, Svilar kept a bunch of clean sheets, and we (mostly) looked solid at the back, aside from a Svilar miracle here and there.
I do think this season was pretty mediocre, generally speaking. Lautaro is the top scorer with just 17 goals. 17! Look at the list: Malen, Douvikas, Simeone, Hojlund, Paz, Davis, Krstovic, … These are good players, but c’mon, outside Lautaro, there are no star strikers like Toni, Ibrahimovic, Eto’o, Icardi, Higuain, Sheva, Cavani, or Ronaldo. So we need to put this in perspective. Let’s see what Mancini and co do vs Barcelona, Bayern, or PSG next season.
ssciavillo: I agree that it’s a combination of the two. I actually expected a lot more high-scoring games once Gasperini took over. So I give the team a lot of credit for holding up defensively as well as it did. Of course, it helps when Svilar can pull a rabbit out of his hat when needed. But given the style Gasperini plays and some of the players at his disposal who aren’t the most fleet of foot, I think it could’ve been a lot worse when defending in transition. Jonas also makes a good point, though, about the quality of strikers Roma was defending this season..
Roma’s defensive unit was heavily reliant on a small core of players to maintain stability throughout the season. Did the squad ultimately lack sufficient depth and trustworthy rotation options in defense, and should improving depth and competition at center-back and wing-back become a major priority this summer?
Bren: Between Hermoso and Ghilardi, there was enough depth in central defense, but the club was incredibly light on the wings, with only Wesley, Devyne Rench, and Zeki Celik, though he played a fair bit of CB this season. Losing Angeliño for as long as they did was definitely an issue–one that was never really made public–so I would suspect a new LWB is a high priority for the club this summer. And if Ndicka is sold, you’re left with Mancini, Ghilardi, and maybe Ziolkowski, so they may have to stop in the CB aisle during their summer shopping spree.
JonAS: I think there was enough depth this season. Gasperini just didn’t rotate much. He would always prefer Celik, Wesley, Mancini, Ndicka, and Hermoso. Thank God these players were fit most of the time. Rensch, Ghilardi, or Ziolkowski played one match and were benched the very next one. It’s difficult to build momentum that way, but I really hope those three get a lot more chances next season. They deserve it. If it weren’t for Rensch and his Parma sub, we wouldn’t even make the top 4.
As Bren already pointed out, there’s something fishy about the Angelino situation. Angelino was supposedly fit for weeks, yet he rarely saw the pitch, while every other manager couldn’t wait to unleash Angelino, one of the best leftbacks in the league last season. It’s time to part ways, look for a new LWB, and try to extend Celik (backup for RWB and RCB) for a reasonable fee. That would already solve many rotation problems.
ssciavillo: I think early on–given the youth and inexperience of Ghilardi and Ziolkowski–there was a lack of depth because Gasperini seemed hesitant to rely too much on them. That’s understandable as they learned a new system, and in Ziolkowski’s case, a new culture and language. However, as the season went on, the center-back position felt well covered. Wingback was more of an issue given Angelino’s mysterious absence. Luckily, Wesley and Celik stayed healthy and performed well, and Rensch stepped up late in the year. Tsimikas turned out to be a bust, so left wingback will definitely be a priority this summer, even if Angelino is again fit.
Now that you’ve heard our takes, give us your thoughts on Roma’s defense. How important were players like Ndicka and Wesley? Can Roma repeat this performance next season?
