Opinion: Four things Spalletti has brought back to Roma

1. First and foremost, the points

Spalletti became Roma’s coach on January 13th. Since then, the team’s form reads D-L-W-W-W-W-L-W-W in all competitions.

That’s nine games, 47 days, a single draw, two losses (against Juventus and Real Madrid), and six consecutive wins in Serie A. That’s 19 goals scored, nine goals against, and just five (five!) points dropped in the league from the last 24 available.

That’s a spell that has seen the side score three goals thrice and five goals once. That is, in short, wildly better than the side were doing before his appointment.

Compare that spell with the nine nine games prior; between the league and Europe, Roma had a single win, three losses, scored three goals or more just once, and failed to get past the likes of Chievo, Hellas, Bate, Torino and Atalanta.

Now, the side have properly thumped Palermo, Empoli, Carpi, and Frosinone – the offence is back and clicking and the goals are being scored against the sides that a team that wants to finish in the top three positions simply has to beat.

2. The fluid and the spark and the joy up front

That, more than anything, is perhaps what Spalletti has brought back, in a very short spell: the joy. Fluid and dynamic football is back, which is begetting goals, which engenders wins, which makes it easier to play joga bonito, and thus the cycle continues.

Look at how effective Stefan El Shaarawy has become (once again, in fairness to him), under the Italian coach; scorer of sensational shots and unafraid to try the audacious.

Or how Mohamed Salah has re-found his good form and has four league goals since last month began.

Edin Dzeko is back at it, with a double against Palermo aiding his form and adding to his tally, and the midfield duo of Radja Nainggolan and Miralem Pjanic have chipped in with two goals each.

3. The solidarity at the back

Given the continued absence of Leandro Castan, worries about the backline are certainly not unfounded, but the team’s defence has been incredibly solid ever since Spalletti arrived.

In the league, discounting penalties and own goals, only three opposition players have managed to breach the defence in the past 720 minutes or so of action: Kevin Lasagna, Daniel Ciofani, and Paulo Dybala. Ervin Zukanovic and Pjanic turned in unfortunate own goals within the past four matches, and Giampaolo Pazzini notched a penalty in Spalletti’s debut, but otherwise the backline could not be in better shape heading into a crucial run of games.

4. And, perhaps most importantly, the league standing

On January 10th, Roma were in fifth place, five points away from third and seven points away from first. As of March 1st, the side have catapulted themselves into third place and though they’re actually one point further away from first, they’re just five behind Napoli in second and with eleven games left in the league, nothing is certain yet.

Well, almost nothing. The fact that Roma are playing their best football of the season and currently in their best run of form, however, seems far less up for debate.