The words of the yellow-red coach: “I found a somewhat closed team, I tried to restore their tranquility. We must not cry over ourselves, but we must react.”

Claudio Ranieri spoke to Sky microphones at the end of the match lost against Napoli. Here are his words:

“Ninety-three minutes chock-full of action, the first half showing immense strength and then Angelino’s error. What did you think of this Roma performance?” “If we retreat, we face problems, that’s why I was called in. We were playing against a team that had lost its first place in the rankings. Therefore, we clashed against a team that is battling to win the championship. Analyzing this, I’m pleased with the performance of my team. “We’ve made a mistake, along with a few others, and we will discuss them with the guys in the coming week. But the desire and determination to regain a good stride in this championship was definitely there.” “We must continue like this, there is so much work to do. I am positive,”

What was the objective of the formation change between the first and second half? “The goal was to maintain more ball possession, to the point that we had more ball time than them in the second half. They didn’t have those opportunities that they had in the first half due to their failure to perform effective diagonal plays. “We’ve seen that sometimes Lukaku was alone, wedged between two, and sometimes he was with two of our own while Kvara stood alone. Thank heavens El Shaarawy stepped in to secure the situation.” “I tried to square it back, I said, ‘Let’s try to move the ball around and press on’.”

“The destiny of Rome is tied to the quality of Dybala.” “What a situation is his!” The boy risked it all because with just 10 minutes left, I said ‘it’s now or never’. He has a trick up his sleeve for just about any play. “I was afraid to risk it, however, he hadn’t felt anything since yesterday. I believe he has already finished the game today and is doing well, let’s see what happens this week and in London with Tottenham,”

What work are you doing on Pellegrini and Cristante who will have to be fundamental from here to the end of the championship? “They certainly need the right personality, which must come out from their character. They need to help themselves first and then others. I found a team that was somewhat withdrawn, I tried to restore a sense of calm, to play, to make themselves noticed, and to interchange. Indeed, it seems to me that in the second half, we moved the ball around much more than in the first, even if we didn’t have many great opportunities. “We’ve experienced Dovbyk’s stunning header and Baldanzi’s breathtaking turn-around. Come on, I know I have to work, and so do they.” “We must not feel sorry for ourselves, but we must react.”

RANIERI TO DAZN

What can be the most suitable game system? Ranieri opined, “I believe there is no basic game system.” It’s crucial to understand when it’s necessary to close well. Today, we made two mistakes. In the inaugural Kvara, by good fortune we sidelined the opposition, but in the second, we conceded a goal. Napoli, for the moment, managed to leapfrog over us in the league table. We find ourselves in a delicate position. We did our part. In the first half, we left the game to them. In the second half, we had two significant opportunities with Dovbyk and Baldanzi. Neres could have made it 2-0, but by this time, we were in the final seconds. “This team has the versatility to play either in a 4-4-1 formation or a 3-5-2. The key, however, is to incorporate effective side play.”

Turning the spotlight to the burning question: Why wasn’t Dybala brought in earlier? “I took a calculated risk with Dybala. He’s recuperating, he wanted to be here with the team. I put him in, telling him to do what he could without overdoing it. I ventured to see if he would pull something out of the hat with one of his magical tricks. He didn’t succeed, but no matter. “I wasn’t displeased with the team. We made some mistakes and we need to work on them.” Pellegrini Out by Halftime? “I needed a different type of player. This is not about being a captain or not. “Lorenzo is going through a peculiar time and needs our support,”