It has not been an easy year for Amadou Diawara.
The midfielder settled in quickly at Roma after joining from Napoli in 2019. In the first few months of his career at the club, he became a regular starter alongside Jordan Veretout, bringing rhythm to Roma’s play to complement his teammate’s energy.
However, Diawara was one of the players to be most affected by the break in play due to lockdown between March and June.
The Guinean was at fault for the first goal Roma conceded upon their eventual return to action against Sampdoria. It was not the last time such an error would occur.
Then, in the first game of the new season, he was the victim of an infamous administrative error. While it was no fault of his own, his name became synonymous with things not going to plan for Roma.
In the following weeks, having been added to the correct squad list, his situation on the pitch did not improve.
His own inconsistencies combined with the form of Veretout and the rise of Gonzalo Villar, as well as Lorenzo Pellegrini sometimes playing in a deeper role, severely restricted his opportunities. In between all that was an absence of a few weeks due to testing positive for Covid-19.
Embed from Getty ImagesSince recovering from the virus, Diawara has struggled to get back in the team. He is yet to start a Serie A game since that opening day.
Hence, there were rumours that he could have left the club in January. Ultimately, any interest from elsewhere failed to materialise.
Diawara may be on the market again in the summer, but until then, the only thing he can do is try to prove himself once more. And his club must see him as an asset.
Either side of Roma’s next league game against Benevento on Sunday are both legs of the Europa League Round of 32 tie with Braga. Any of those three games could be an opportunity for Diawara to return to the starting XI.
The Guinea international did start the last three games of the Europa League group stage, when Paulo Fonseca was using the competition to rotate his troops. Braga will be a step up in class, but with a busy schedule in February, it may be wise for him to shuffle his options again – and Diawara could be one to take advantage.
Embed from Getty ImagesYes, he has been struggling in recent appearances. But the best way to get over a poor spell is to play through it. That’s what happened to Lorenzo Pellegrini last season; when his form was stuttering, he still kept his place in the team, and he came out stronger for it.
Diawara has not been given a similar opportunity. Since the beginning of December, only one of his six substitute appearances in the league has lasted longer than 10 minutes. He cannot make an impact in such short spaces of time.
In total this season, an average Serie A appearance for Diawara lasts just 18 minutes. Last season, they lasted 69 minutes. He has had bigger opportunities for Roma before, so why not give him them again if the time is right?
Obviously, the team must come first, and while other players are doing better, it makes sense for them to play instead. But now that Roma know Diawara is here until the end of the season, they should try to make the most of him.
Has Amadou Diawara been in bad form? Yes. Is Amadou Diawara a bad player? Absolutely not.
Even if he is no longer first choice, he deserves more chances and Roma need to remember his value. The next couple of weeks could be the ideal window to build him up again and hope for the best.
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