Ranieri: “The lads have given us a good Christmas”

Here’s what the coach had to say…

Was that the best Roma performance of the season?
 “I don’t know. What I do know is we still need to improve. We needed to erase the second-half performance against Como and the lads did it. They’ve given us a good Christmas and now we need to focus on the next match. We'll be playing away and we haven't won on the road in eight months. There’s one Roma at home and another away, which can't and mustn't happen. We need to wake up and perform well at home and away.”

You didn’t make any substitutions today. Is this the Roma you have in mind with these 11 players and this system?
 “Not necessarily. I didn’t make changes, not because these are the starters and the others are substitutes, but because I saw that they were playing well. There was no drop in focus, they were doing well and I decided to continue without disrupting things. There was no particular reason why. It’s just my decision to let those who started the game finish it.”

The key to these recent matches seems to be the experience of certain players: it’s as if Mats Hummels has always been there. Then there’s Leandro Paredes and Paulo Dybala, who seems irreplaceable when he's fit.
 “I’ve already said it: when Paulo is fit, he plays. Of course, if I see he’s tired or if the game calls for something different, I’ll take him off, just as I would with any other player. As Mourinho said, there’s a big difference between Roma with and without Dybala.”

And the others? What about Hummels?
 “What can I say about Hummels? He’s a world champion, he’s played in a Champions League final and he’s physically in good shape, even though he had the flu all week. But when he tells me he’s fine, he plays. It’s the same with Paredes. He’s an incredible playmaker, he plays one-touch, two-touch football and when he can, he plays balls in behind immediately. These are the kinds of players I like: they have experience and know how to control the tempo of a game.”

Now you’ll face Milan and then Lazio. Is it a good opportunity to face them after a win like this?
 “It may sound cliché, but it’s the truth: we need to play based on our position in the table. We must take it one match at a time and get out of the quicksand. I’m happy with the lads. Let’s see how we do at San Siro and then close the circle going back to what I said earlier: ‘Let’s see how we do when we grow up.’ We’ll see at the end of December.”

Are you pleased with Artem Dovbyk’s performance?
 “Yes, I’m happy with his movement and how he tried to connect with the lads. He needs to learn to shoot first-time sometimes, whether on his left or right foot. He shouldn’t be afraid to miss. Sometimes, even when a striker misses, they can still score. I’ve already told him that.”