Ranieri looks ahead to Bologna trip

This is what the boss had to say...

How do imagine your work as a director next summer? Do you feel more curious or worried?

“I'm not worried – you deal with problems one at a time. If I think of June, I can't concentrate on our match against Bologna. We have a lot of work to do and we're getting on with it. We know there are difficulties and we know that, besides the difficulties we have, we need to find players in the January transfer window who are suitable for Roma and who can improve us – and that's by no means a given. I wouldn't sign anyone just for the sake of making a signing. Anyone who joins has to give us something extra. Then of course sometimes you make mistakes. You can make mistakes in any job. You might find a player you see is good and you think is right for Roma, but then they come here and they don't settle in, they get worked up and have any number of problems. When we sign a player, we want to know everything about them. That's the beauty of football, the beauty of sport. We have our eyes wide open and we're focused on this transfer window. We can't be thinking about the future. We're thinking of Bologna – I am, at least. It's Friday and I'm 100% focused on Bologna.”

We all know how great it feels to win the derby. How important is it to move on and remain focused? Is that something you've had to do with the team or was it not necessary?

“I don't think it was necessary but I did it anyway. As the coach, it's my job to make sure the players are aware. I think we'll produce a great performance against Bologna, then it will be the small details that determine if we win or lose. I can take that as long as we give our all against a team who press more than anyone, who won't give us a moment's respite, who will get down our throats. We know everything about Bologna because we know how Fiorentina played under [Vincenzo] Italiano, and how his Spezia team played. We know lots of things – now we need to put them into practice.”

Enzo Le Fee is on his way out and he's a midfielder. Which area of the pitch needs reinforcements most? Is Davide Frattesi a real target and have you spoken to Florent Ghisolfi about him?

“If I had spoken to him, I wouldn't tell you about it… We have a view of everything but not everything is a priority. We have to try and find players good enough for Roma – that's it. There's no point throwing dust in our fans' eyes, by saying we've bought this or that player. I don't like that. Whoever joins must be good enough. If we make a mistake, it's me and Ghisolfi who take responsibility. Le Fee will probably go. He said goodbye to me yesterday and I was sad to see him leave, if I'm honest. I said to him, 'You've been unlucky to change several coaches and I didn't get the chance to try you out as I had other priorities.' But I liked him a lot.

“As I've said here before, anyone who's not happy here can leave and I understand them. I left Roma myself as a youngster. Back in the day there weren't many subs. There was a goalkeeper and two subs. I was the fifth or sixth-choice full-back and I said to myself, 'What am I doing here?' So I left.

“He's left because he wants to play more. He's moving down a level as I did by joining Catanzaro in Serie B. He's gone to England to link up with a coach he's played under before so he already knows everything. There are two possible outcomes. If they don't buy him, we'll have a player with six months' experience in the Championship, a tough, fast league, so he'll come back a more mature player. Alternatively, if Sunderland do buy him, the club will have made a profit. That was our reasoning.”

Can we expect to see Lorenzo Pellegrini starting again against Bologna? And regarding his contract, what do you think will happen in the future?

“For now let's just enjoy the form Lorenzo is in. He's always top of the class in training. Always. He looked especially lively and focused today. As always, I'll make my decisions the night before based on how we want to play against Bologna.”

Matias Soule is another player who hasn't had much playing time so far. Has he expressed a desire to play more? Have you noticed any improvement in him?

“His work rate is great and I like that a lot. He hasn't asked for anything and I'm sure he has a bright future ahead at this club. He's a good player but I like players who are pragmatic – and that's what I've asked of him. If he touches the ball ten times, I want those ten times to be useful for the team. I can't envisage him receiving the ball, touching it three, four, five times and then nothing coming of it. I want a player of mine with the ball at his feet to do something important, especially if he has a lot of quality. He'll get there slowly. It's not easy but he'll get there. He has everything he needs to succeed.”

Did you expect to win your fifth derby? Do you fear your players might ease up a bit now?

“If we did, we'd be very silly. The derby was an important result because we beat a great team, as I've said before. We won it but they're a really good team. They press and do everything at 100 miles per hour, so I'm very happy to have won it.”

Do you have an update on Bryan Cristante? With Le Fee set to leave, might you look at alternative midfield options?

“Bryan should start upping the pace again. He doesn't feel pain anymore. His ankle isn't swollen. Tomorrow he should start running on the pitch again and he'll soon be back with the first team. That's a big bonus for us. When we need a player or two from the academy, we can bring them in. And they come straight away. Today we asked for two and they came over from a pitch nearby.”

Is it possible to sign three or four players in the three weeks or so available in January?

“We know anything can happen in football. There could be eight months available and everything still gets done in the last three days. I've never understood why we have such a long window. If we had one intense, busy week, you'd enjoy yourselves less and then I could work with any new players. It would be better. But with a long window, you start talking, you stop to consider your options, you wait, then everything happens in the last two days. Unfortunately that's how football is.”

What's the situation with Mats Hummels and Nicola Zalewski, who both have expiring contracts? Did you expect Hummels' celebration after the derby?

“We know about Hummels and it depends on him. If he wants to stay, if he wants to keep playing. We can't force him. If he's happy here, and I think he is. But there's also the family to consider, as well as many other things he needs to weight up.

“As for Zalewski, I hope he stays. He's a player I'm counting on, a good player and a good lad who alway trains well. We'll wait and see.”

What do you think of the ban on Roma fans travelling to the game? Could that have an impact on a team that's not won away since 25 April?

“I'm very sorry that our fans can't come. We'll wait and see what we can do to help, ourselves too, as our fans are so important. I hope we can do something but can't promise anything.”

Do you feel a sense of responsibility as the paternal figure in the eyes of the fans? Do you think the team see you that way too?

“I just feel like a person, a coach who hopes to be respected, as I respect others. Not a father or a grandfather. Everything I do, I do it wearing my heart on my sleeve. I make mistakes, like anyone, but our fans can believe me when I say that if I make a mistake it's because of a broader vision, because I think a player can be useful to the Roma cause. Not for other reasons. If I make a mistake, I do it to try to improve Roma. And I think people sense that. People at the club, the players, the fans, even you [journalists]. I think you respect me because you see a person who is open and honest. I'm an open book.”

Have you figured out why this team finds it difficult to win on the road? What do you think of the team's mentality?

“I don't think it's a problem of mentality. I don't think there's a home mentality and an away mentality. There's perhaps a motivation factor that helps you find an extra gear. We're close – you've seen some bold performances, against Tottenham and Milan, for example. Matches we could have lost. Against Tottenham we equalised at the death. Against Milan we could have scored in the 90th minute. That's when teams are made. We're making a team and we're getting close. We're not far off winning away. Every time we play away and don't win, it's one less. I believe things work out over time and sooner or later we'll get this win.

“I'm expecting a great game in Bologna with two teams really going for it. We'll be up against a well-organised side with their coach's aggressive mentality and we'll need to find a way to get through them.”