Mourinho: “My players showed character”

How does this point feel to you?

“It feels like a point. When you play to win, a point is positive – it’s better than losing. When you’re up against an opponent who’s gunning for the same objectives and is in a similar league position and you manage to avoid defeat it means a direct rival of yours hasn’t picked up three points. It’s a point, at the end of the day.”

You’ve talked a lot about fitness matters. You made your substitutions very late on in the game - was this because your team were in great shape or did derby day adrenaline kick in?

“The players in the best condition were chosen for today’s match. I had three properly fit central midfielders to pick from. Renato [Sanches] didn’t start, while [Lorenzo] Pellegrini and [Houssem] Aoaur remained on the bench. We fielded three central midfielders who could bring energy, heart, soul and poise into a game of this standard.

“Owing to the tactics we knew that it would be hard for our two wing-backs to play the whole match, although that’s basically what ended up happening. We had solutions to compensate for this way of playing, because it was really demanding for [Rick] Karsdorp and [Leonardo] Spinazzola today.

“Behind them there were the only three options we had. As for the referee, he made the exceptional call to book two of our centre-backs within the first quarter of the match. This caused us problems and also led to tactical difficulties. I had to tell Karsdorp to avoid committing himself to [Adam] Marusic, because had he done so he would’ve left [Gianluca] Mancini in the lurch when faced with a Lazio counter. I think Pedro is a top player but he could also be a professional swimmer with the way he throws himself on the deck. These were the risks we had to face.

“I reckon the lads performed well and showed character. We also saw a lot of the ball. I’m yet to see the stats but I think it would’ve been about 50-50 possession. We didn’t score but we had some chances. Had [Edoardo] Bove been less jaded he could’ve done more with the openings he had in the box.

“Rui [Patricio] was basically a spectator for much of the match, but when called upon to make a top-drawer save he was there to do so.”

Roma’s attacking midfield was perhaps lacking something. Paulo Dybala was arguably a bit behind his team-mates in terms of fitness.

“Here we saw his true quality. He did well for us today. When it came to holding onto the ball and transitions he brought stability to the team. I could’ve taken him off earlier but the team needed a player of his assuredness and class, especially against Lazio, who had many fresh options on the bench waiting in the wings. If we let them see the ball and sit back towards the end of the game then we create problems for ourselves. We’ve got a point, albeit just one.”

What did you say to Sarri at the end? We saw you both smiling.

“He’s always been so lovely with me. We were hanging out before the match and we were joking about what we’d said midweek. We also told each other something that’s true – that we love one another. We were laughing after the game, in anticipation of the following two weeks in which there will be nothing to laugh or cry about. That sums up this draw.

What do you make of Roma’s start to 2023/24?

“It’s plain and simple. We’re three points off fourth place. For me, our league season only really began in Matchday 4. We weren’t really there for the first three games. Had the season started in late September we’d be in the Champions League places right now.

“Since then, aside from our horror show in Genoa, we’ve been playing to our potential. What we can aspire to has been impacted by the absences of [Chris] Smalling, Pellegrini and Renato, the latter less so. Right now our performances correlate with how we’re working.

“We’re in a position in which we can improve, hoping lady luck shines on those players who are on the treatment table. Everyone is working hard to help them get better. With Renato, for example, we’ve only seen three fleeting glimpses of him. We’ll see if in the next two games we can help him kick on because he’s an example of a player with so much to give.”

So, despite the criticism you’re happy with Roma’s first few months of the season.

“No. I’m indifferent to the criticism. I’m very demanding of myself. When I said in the lead-up to this match that we could win 5-0, I’m not forgetting about last Thursday's result. This speaks volumes of who I am. I'm never satisfied."