Ranieri’s reaction to 1-0 win over Cagliari

Here’s what the boss had to say.

Artem Dovbyk delivered today. Do you agree?

“Yes, I agree. He’s a player who needs love and understanding, and the team and I are giving him that. I’m pushing him because, of course, strikers live for goals, but I’ve told him that he can’t focus only on that.

“He needs to deliver strong performances, full of desire, determination and fighting spirit. Strikers miss chances and that’s normal, but the important thing is to be in the right place at the right time. I’m happy for him because it was crucial for him to break his scoring drought and put in a display like he did. He gave everything he had, playing for the team and working hard to find the back of the net.”

How difficult was it to prepare for this match psychologically? Did playing Cagliari immediately after the last game help?

“I’m not sure if it helped or not, but I asked the lads to pick themselves back up. The stadium was packed, the fans believe in us and we had to show that we were ready. We needed to produce a strong performance, full of grit, commitment and the ability to make sacrifices. I’m pleased with how we responded. You’ve seen the other results. This league is incredibly tough and the second half of the season is a whole different challenge. We have to take it game by game, as I’ve always said, and we’ll see where we stand at the end.”

A word on Mile Svilar. He made some crucial saves at key moments, especially when Cagliari had a couple of big chances in the second half and Roma were pinned back.

“Absolutely. He wasn’t called into action often, but when he was, he was ready. He’s a player we rely on so much.”

Does the upcoming break come at the right time or would you have preferred to keep playing?

“It’s hard to say. The break is here, but so many of the players will be away with their national teams, so they won’t really get much rest.

“By the time they return to Trigoria, we’ll have just two days before our next match, so we’ll have to adapt. We’ll assess those who have played less, see who is sharpest and determine who can recover quickly because we’ll be heading to Lecce and that won’t be an easy game.”

How is Paulo Dybala doing?

“He felt some discomfort in the back of his leg, but it doesn’t seem to be anything related to his knee. We’ll see. Tomorrow he’ll undergo the usual tests and we’re hoping it’s nothing serious.”

Roma are now just two points behind Lazio. Could you have ever imagined this sort of scenario when you took charge?

“When I arrived, I didn’t think about anything other than getting my head down and working hard. My focus was on getting the most out of the lads because they were going through a very difficult period, lacking confidence and the fans were understandably not happy. Now the fans are supporting us, even when we’re struggling, and that’s the most beautiful thing for a coach. To see the team in trouble and the fans lifting them up is wonderful.

“We have to keep going because the road ahead won’t be easy, but with our supporters behind us, we can overcome any obstacle.”

One last thing, a little fun fact. Today marked your 90th Serie A match as Roma coach. There are nine games left in the season, which means you could reach 99...

“(Ranieri laughs) Don’t try to be clever. I see where you’re going with this!”