FONSECA: "THE LADS SHOWED THE RIGHT ATTITUDE"
Roma's coach Paulo Fonseca spoke in his post-match press conference following Thursday's Europa League draw against Gent.
The 1-1 draw at the Ghelamco Arena - Justin Kluivert with the goal for the Giallorossi - saw Roma progress 2-1 on aggregate.
“We've achieved our first target, which was to advance to the next round. It was a difficult game, though, on a heavy pitch against a team playing a long-ball game that forced us to drop back. It wasn't easy but the lads showed the right attitude – they stuck together and defended well.”
“The players knew it was a delicate phase of the game. It wasn't easy to stay compact even when we had the ball but we're certainly capable of keeping it better. The lads did well defensively in the second half, though; in the first half we left too many gaps. It's really hard to play against a team that always hits it long to the wings, and the pitch was very heavy so we couldn't play at the pace we wanted to today.”
On Henrikh Mkhitaryan: “Players like him are always important because they have so much experience, but I could mention others. No one doubts that [Javier] Pastore is a fantastic player but he hasn't been able to show it here. He could be a key player in any team and we could be a better side with him. [Diego] Perotti has spent a long spell on the sidelines and he's important for this team. Getting back to Miki: yes, he is important because right now we need experience in this team.”
On Mkhitaryan's best position: “His best position is playing in the hole, but the way we play our wingers come inside a lot so even when he starts wide he still operates in a similar area of the pitch.”
(Photo Getty Images)
