International Break Boredom Roundtable, Part I: De Rossi's Success, Svilar's Future, Europa League and More!

The international break may afford us a break from Roma's perpetual top-four/top-five anxiety, but without any matches to fill the spaces, these two weeks tend to drag. So, rather than gnashing our teeth over half-baked transfer rumors, kit leaks, or stadium updates, we assembled the CdT crew for a virtual sit-down to recap an eventful winter in the Romaverse.

In a two-part roundtable discussion, we hit on everything from Daniele De Rossi's meteoric managerial rise, Mile Svilar's future, the spring fixtures, and much more! Check back tomorrow for part two, and please, by all means, give us your thoughts on these topics in the comment section.

Enjoy!

We’re two months into Roma’s Daniele De Rossi experiment. What impressed you most about DDR as the manager?

Bren: Can I say everything? I came up with the question: of course I can! All kidding aside, I’ve been bowled over by how well he’s taken to coaching. While I used to preach caution about tabbing DDR as Roma manager, I secretly always wanted him to get the post.

But back to the matter at hand. Aside from the change in tactics, I’d have to point to his relationships with the players. They all seem to genuinely love playing for him, and that goes a long way toward building something sustainable. He’s also proving to be adaptable and willing to correct his own mistakes, as we saw recently when he switched formations at halftime.

Jonas: The difference between press conferences and match interviews with Mourinho is heaven and hell. He’s intelligent, passionate, protective, says all the right things, takes the blame if something goes wrong, his relationship with the refs… It looks like he has been coaching at the top for 20 years.

I’m also impressed by his subs, he doesn’t wait until the 80th minute before simply throwing all attackers on the pitch like Mourinho usually did. And, of course, everything that Bren already pointed out, so yeah, smiles and laughs all around here, people.

Photo by Silvia Lore/Getty Images

ssciavillo: I have to say that I’m impressed with how quickly he’s hit the ground running. As a huge fan of him as a player, I was a bit worried that this hiring was for management to save face after firing Mourinho, and De Rossi would be in over his head with his limited managerial experience. But it’s been quite the opposite. As Bren and Jonas said, he looks like he’s been doing this for some time in the way he man-manages, the way players have improved on the pitch, handles the media, and almost every other aspect. It’s been very impressive.

Jimmy: I certainly didn’t expect DDR to hit the ground running like he has; my concerns about him becoming Roma’s manager post-Mourinho now look even sillier than my worries about Mile Svilar being a true alternative to Rui Patricio between the sticks. The man management has been superb, but more than that, I’ve been impressed with his attitude in interviews. It’s very refreshing to hear him seem entirely genuine about his plans, what goes right, and what goes wrong while not blaming the players. He almost speaks like a player-coach, which, to a certain extent, he is.

Have your initial expectations of De Rossi or the club’s ambitions for the balance of the season changed since he took over?

Bren: I initially thought he’d do slightly better than Mourinho, perhaps keeping the club around 6th place or so while putting up some promising performances. But he’s completely surpassed that, getting Roma closer to the Champions League places than they’ve been in ages. That was always the goal, even before he got here, but it feels more attainable now than at any point over the past year or so.

JonAS: Well said. I predicted a small boost after Mourinho’s dismissal and some better football, but actually edging closer to Bologna while leaving all of Lazio, Atalanta, Napoli, and Fiorentina behind us? Plus, advancing in the EL in an albeit comfortable way vs. Brighton? Impressive. Of course, the easier schedule at the start was a blessing for Daniele. Then again Mourinho lost points vs the likes of Salernitana, Hellas and Genoa too so it goes to show 3 easy points are never guaranteed in Serie A. So yeah, I’m starting to believe Daniele can really pull it off and seal CL qualification.

ssciavillo: Obviously the stated goal was top four, but I wasn’t sure if that was still attainable when De Rossi took over. I figured there’d be a new manager bounce and a change in style of play, but I thought there’d be more growing pains than we’ve seen so far. Now that we’ve seen De Rossi in charge for two months and with Roma in the position it's in on the table, I’m expecting the Giallorossi to battle it out for a Champions League place the rest of the way.

Jimmy: My goal for this season was top four at the start of the season, and it remains top four today. It’s certainly helpful that Italy looks all but assured (knock on wood) of receiving a fifth Champions League spot for next season; that could be a true difference-maker for Roma given how strong Inter, Juventus, and Milan have been all season-long, and I like the Bologna story enough that I want to see them succeed as well. I think that we’re past the New Manager Bounce phase of the DDR experience, which leaves me quite confident that a top-four or five finish is achievable.

Photo by Fabio Rossi/AS Roma via Getty Images

Has he done enough to warrant the position full-time, or are there any lingering concerns you’d like to see addressed before that happens?

Bren: Give him the deal already, Mr. Friedkin! I don’t know what else we need to see. He’s getting the best out of several players who struggled under Mourinho; he’s given Svilar a chance (one that could save the club millions), the fans love him, the Olimpico remains packed, and, most importantly, he’s improved the product on the pitch, both in terms of results and entertainment value.

I have no major concerns going forward. Give him the job. Besides, he’s still new to this, so he’s only going to get better. I genuinely think he’s going to be an elite manager in several years’ time.

JonAS: Same here, although I’m perhaps slightly less enthusiastic (for now). I still think we’re in a so-called honeymoon period. What if Roma chokes in 2-3 consecutive games? How’s Daniele’s crisis management? Everything’s all sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows if you win, but if things go south (and sadly, one day, they will), you’ll need a strong character and people manager to survive.

That said, De Rossi seems like the right man at the right time. The fans will never boo him, he’s practically untouchable. And he won’t leave Roma if a big offer arrives from England or Spain. He understands what it means to play/represent these colors.

ssciavillo: I’ve seen enough. De Rossi has proven to possess all the qualities to lead Roma forward. He’s a guy that this club can grow and improve under for the long term while he also grows and improves as a manager. I see what young managers like Xabi Alonso, Tiago Motta, and others have been able to do for their clubs, and I feel like De Rossi is in that mold of young up-and-coming managers with great ideas that can lead this club to success.

Jimmy: My guess is that the only thing holding back a long-term deal for De Rossi is Roma’s lack of a General Manager. Capitano Futuro has looked like the real deal as a manager in each of his games, and while I agree with Jonas that things haven’t ever been “bad” yet under his reign, I also think that this is the side actually playing to expectations. We have Romelu Lukaku, Paulo Dybala, and Lorenzo Pellegrini, for Totti’s sake; we should be this good. In short, I have no concerns about a long-term deal for DDR. He might not be Xabi Alonso or Tiago Motta just yet, but he’s on that pathway. Lock him up now before a titan comes calling.

Which player’s performance has impressed you most since De Rossi took over?

Bren: I’ll leave Lorenzo Pellegrini for one of you guys to opine on and go with Leonardo Spinazzola. This guy has had one of the strangest Roma careers in recent memory, but he has looked completely reinvigorated over the past two months. The swift and incisive Spinazzola we fell in love with a few years ago is suddenly back, giving Roma the balance and dynamism they were lacking earlier this season.

JonAS: Thanks, Bren, but although Pellegrini recently turned into the lovechild of Andrea Pirlo and Gianni Rivera, I just have to pick Svilar. I mean, c’mon, I knew he was good but THAT good? I can’t think of any games he was meh. Catlike reflexes focused, and the boy knows how to celebrate in front of the Curva Sud (see Feyenoord after the penalty shootout). Everyone is now thinking, what if? What if Mourinho just played Svilar and not his protege Rui this season?

Photo by Giuseppe Maffia/NurPhoto via Getty Images

ssciavillo: Great shouts on those two, but I’ll gladly take Pellegrini. His season has done a complete 180 since De Rossi took over. Since De Rossi has taken over Pellegrini has six goals and three assists in 13 appearances in all competitions. Prior to that, he had just three goals and an assist. After his match-winning goal against Sassuolo, he said that he felt like he had the freedom in the midfield that he needed, and he looks like a player who has the shackles taken off. It’s great to see, and with Pellegrini in this form, Roma is a dangerous side because teams have a third player to worry about scoring aside from Dybala and Lukaku.

Jimmy: Pellegrini, Svilar, and Spinny are all good picks; of the three, I’m going to go with Lolo, simply because he was the one with the biggest expectations this season and because his return to form is so heart-warming and refreshing. Given Lukaku’s likely departure this summer and Dybala’s injury issues, Roma truly needs Pellegrini to be a world-class player for the club to achieve its goals. If he can keep some semblance of his current form (which I believe he can), that makes Roma a much greater threat for repeated trips to the Champions League and maybe more.

Photo by Giuseppe Maffia/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Talk to us a bit about Mile Svilar. He’s in a similar boat as DDR, but has he done enough to earn the job next season and beyond?

Bren: I’d certainly say so. There will undoubtedly be growing pains, but he has the makings of an above-average keeper. I don’t think he’ll ever be on the level of Alisson, but he’s not lacking much, if anything. What impresses me most is his aggression, command of the area, and shot-stopping ability.

JonAS: Absolutely. I mean, who else are you gonna buy who’s as good or better than Svilar for, let’s say €10-15M? Because, let’s face it, that’s probably our budget for a GK. Roma has bigger question marks than its goalkeepers right now: Lukaku, left-back, Smalling, Kumbulla, a new winger. Just roll with Svilar, at least that makes the job of our new DS a bit easier.

ssciavillo: I don’t see how you don’t make Svilar the number one next season and bring in someone to be his vice on a cheap deal next summer to replace Rui. He’s been great in all facets of the game. I agree with Bren that he could be above average, and that is a huge upgrade from what Roma has had since Alisson left.

Jimmy: Honestly, yeah, I’m happy to hand him the #1 kit this summer. At the very least he looks like an above-average Serie A starting keeper, and he has had moments in several matches where he’s looked like the kind of keeper you can start in a Champions League side. Given his relative youthfulness and lack of long-term experience in the top flight, I still reserve the right to have some concerns about his ability to become one of the best goalkeepers in Serie A, which is what Roma truly needs and hasn’t had since one Alisson Becker. Still, his performances as a starter have made it clear that he at least deserves to be Roma’s starter heading into next season.

Photo by Emmanuele Ciancaglini/Ciancaphoto Studio/Getty Images

Roma was drawn against AC Milan in the Europa League quarters. Will that familiarity help or harm their chances of advancing? What are the keys to that matchup?

Bren: It’s difficult to say, but one thing is for sure: it’s boring. From a pure entertainment angle, I would have preferred a non-Italian opponent, but I think the familiarity will help Roma. They know what they’re up against, but Milan, on the other hand, hasn’t faced this Roma, so we may actually have a slight advantage.

The key to victory will simply be execution. They can’t let up against a team this good. That means no unmarked back posts on setpieces, no hasty clearances, etc. They’ll have to be on point for 90 minutes in both matches. It won’t be easy, but I think they got this. But the whole Champions League teams dropping down to the Europa League has to stop; it’s bullshit.

Jonas: I believe the return leg is at the Olimpico, right? That’s a huge advantage. Aim for at least a draw in Milan; then everything can happen in a do-or-die duel in Rome. Actually, I’m digging our chances vs. Milan more than Leverkusen or Liverpool, anyway. But Milan will probably think the same about us, so this one’s 50/50. And yeah, like Bren said, it’s boring to play the same team 4 times in a season.

ssciavillo: I agree with Bren that it’s a bit more interesting and exciting to play a team from another league. It feels more like a European fixture that way. That being said, I agree with Jonas that I like our chances against them more than I do against Liverpool or Leverkusen. I do think Roma may have a slight advantage from the familiarity standpoint, especially given how much Roma has changed since Milan put the final nail in Mourinho’s proverbial coffin. It’s also hard it is for a team to beat another so many times in one season. Roma is due against the Rossoneri.

Jimmy: I’m always excited for these kinds of matchups; the familiarity between squads typically makes them more interesting ties, and while Milan and Roma aren’t traditional rivals per se, they’re two giants of the Italian game, and I’m sure both sets of tifosi will be amped for both legs of this one. I like our chances against them more than Liverpool or Leverkusen, for sure, but I like our chances against everyone other than Liverpool or Leverkusen who’s left in the EL bracket. I agree with Steve on the whole; Roma’s due against Milan. Add in a Kalulu injury here, and an in-form Pellegrini there, and I think Roma can make it to the semis.

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Thanks for reading, and be sure to check back tomorrow for part two of the conversation!