On Monday, AS Roma take on Serie A strugglers AC Milan in a league encounter which the capital club would be looking to use as a further proof of their Scudetto credentials, something that the club’s fans have not witnessed in a long time.
After four draws on a trot which followed an incredible start to the season which saw Roma win all of their opening ten matches in the league, the Lupi once again returned to winning ways thanks to a 2-1 win over Fiorentina last week. The win was very important for Rudi Garcia’s side as they got their title chase back on track.
A lot of things have gone right for the club from the Eternal City this season. Indeed there have been quite a lot of positives and Rudi Garcia’s managerial skills definitely deserve a lot of credit for that. The team is still unbeaten in the league and much of it is down to the combination of recruitment of experienced players and some excellent substitutions. For years, the true Roman mental strength was absent. Today, that strength is prevalent in every squad member.
And Garcia admits that the atmosphere around the club was not really great when he first arrived.
"When I came to Roma I found a truly negative atmosphere. I understand that the fans can become disappointed when things are not going well. But when you begin a new season, with a new coach, a new method of play, you must give a little backing to those who have arrived," said the Frenchman.
Under the former Lille manager, the team’s style of play has improved rapidly which does not bode well for a Milan side that is simply struggling to find its real self since the current Serie campaign started.
Losing out to star players in the recent transfer markets has definitely made the proud Lombardy club a shadow of its former self and one has to feel sorry for Massimiliano Allegri’s plight who can only choose from players he has at his disposal and in all fairness, not many players would be giving him a real boost of confidence at the moment.
Following a 2-2 draw at Livorno last week, the Roma game has come way too soon for the San Siro giants who have already lost at home to the likes of Napoli and Fiorentina and were very lucky to salvage a draw against Lazio back in October.
Furthermore the game against Roma will be followed by a test against Internazionale which means that things could get tougher for the team before the Rossoneri faithful see clear skies.
For Roma, the task might not be that straightforward with Miralem Pjanic set to serve a one-game ban for his double booking against Fiorentina. However, the Bosnian’s absence will not be a huge setback to a side that has so much strength in the dressing room, including Francesco Totti and young Mattia Destro who did ever so well against La Viola last week.
In short, Milan might have to face a tough task against a side whose manager has restored all those good things the club had lost along the way in the last few seasons.
