Paulo Fonseca suffered successive defeats for the first time as Roma manager on Sunday, as his side fell to a 2-0 loss at Parma.
As a difficult run of fixtures with a threadbare squad came to an end, goals from Mattia Sprocati and Andreas Cornelius gave the home side the victory – meaning Roma missed their chance to go into the international break in the top four.
Wing play takes Fonseca’s image
There was a contrast between the quality of the wing play in each of the two halves – with more success coming in the first. Justin Kluivert’s dribbling was impressive on the left-hand side, as he made several powering runs forward. Meanwhile, on the opposite flank, Nicolo Zaniolo had one of his quieter games, but looked to get involved in the link-up play.
Part of the reason the wing play was so successful early on was because of how narrow the pair played. When Roma fans began learning Fonseca’s tactics upon his appointment, one of the first things that came to light was his preference of using narrow, inverted wingers. In the first 45 minutes, Kluivert showed he understood perfectly what his coach wants to see by getting in between the opposing full-back and central defenders.
After the break, things didn’t work as smoothly, as Roma began to run out of ideas in attack. However, the combinations seen in the first period give Fonseca a positive to take from the match.
Fatigue affects front four
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One of the reasons the intensity dropped off in attack in the second half was the fatigue suffered by the forwards. With Kluivert, Zaniolo, Javier Pastore and Edin Dzeko starting together for the fourth game in a row, it became clear that their fluidity was affected in the later stages.
The withdrawal of Pastore made a big difference. Making a sixth consecutive start for the first time in his Roma career, the attacking midfielder continued to show how he is benefitting from consistent gametime. He was one of the strongest creative outlets, and the drop-off in the success of Roma’s attacks after he was taken off by Fonseca around the hour mark was evident.
Roma have done well to navigate their injury crisis in recent weeks, but perhaps for the first time, their resulting lack of depth in attack showed. Had Henrikh Mkhitaryan or Lorenzo Pellegrini been available, or Cengiz Under fully fit – he struggled to find his usual rhythm after coming on – then Roma could have continued to cause a threat. And while it is frustrating they weren’t able to do that, it is a credit to Fonseca that it has taken this long for such a thought to be raised.
A successful shot-stopper
As the most expensive goalkeeper in the club’s history, fans were still waiting to see the best of summer signing Pau Lopez. He had not really made a mistake, but was yet to prove his saving ability either.
Against Parma, he got that opportunity. For the first time in his short spell in Rome thus far, he was forced into multiple impressive saves in one match. He covered his ground well and got strong hands to some dangerous efforts.
His distribution still leaves a little to be desired, but he is definitely starting to grow into the gloves, in what has often been a problematic position for Roma.
Standout Smalling still waiting for perfect partner
📺 | @ChrisSmalling gives his thoughts after #ParmaRoma...
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Once again, Chris Smalling put in a solid performance at the back, winning some crucial headers to deny Parma chances before they arrived. The Englishman has barely put a foot wrong since joining on loan from Manchester United – but the same cannot be said of some of his teammates.
Federico Fazio – perhaps affected by the head injury he picked up during the first half – was not his usual strong self, while when Gianluca Mancini dropped back into the defence afterwards, he did not read the danger well for Parma’s second goal.
Both have had good days and bad days in a Roma shirt so far, but one of the pair needs to step up and produce consistently, in the same manner that Smalling is doing. If they can, Roma’s strong spine will be taken to the next level.
Time to look forward
The arrival of an international break is usually the frustration of a football fan, but for Roma, this one-week interlude will be a welcome relief, allowing players to regain full fitness. Not only have some of the most important players not been called up by their countries – Smalling, Pastore and Jordan Veretout, for example – but the break will also allow the likes of Mkhitaryan, Under and Amadou Diawara to get back up to speed.
The period between the last international break and this one has been incredibly tough for Fonseca, given the various absences. However, he has got on with the job without once complaining, and in turn, Roma have put together some of their best form of the past couple of years. The block of seven games has given Roma three wins, two draws and two defeats. Keeping in mind that one of those draws – against Borussia Monchengladbach – would have been a win if it had not been for a scandalous refereeing decision, since admitted by the official himself, and that two of the wins came against AC Milan and Napoli, then fans should be impressed with the way the squad has navigated a tricky time.
Of course there will be frustrations from a disappointing display on Sunday, but overall, with the resources that have been available, the last month has been extremely positive for Roma. Once some bodies come back in to reinforce the squad, the run of games after the break – with the likes of Brescia, Verona and SPAL to come before Christmas – could see Roma establish a strong position in the table.
Player Ratings: Lopez 7; Spinazzola 6; Smalling 8; Fazio 5; Kolarov 5; Mancini 5; Veretout 8; Zaniolo 5; Pastore 7; Kluivert 7; Dzeko 5
Subs: Santon 6; Under 5; Diawara 5
Coach: Fonseca 4
Man of the Match: Smalling
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