FONSECA: "WE ARE THROUGH BUT WE DIDN'T PERFORM"
The Giallorossi coach Paulo Fonseca spoke in his post-match press conference following Roma's 2-2 draw with Wolfsberg on Thursday evening.
The Giallorossi moved into the last-32 of the competition, with Diego Perotti and Edin Dzeko on the scoresheet, although the group was topped in the end by Istanbul Basaksehir.
"We have achieved our main target of qualifying, although we didn't put in a good performance. It was important to win today, but we didn't take to the pitch with the right attitude."
Maybe there were too many mistakes with bringing the ball out from the back? Has the team taken a collective step backwards?
"Maybe we thought the game was already won, but it wasn't because we were up against a good side. Our passing was very sloppy, particularly when we were under pressure. When you make so many mistakes, it's normal for your attacking play not to be as you might like. I'm not pleased with that performance."
How important is it to manage the game to avoid risks in the penalty area?
"It's true. We have to know how to manage the rhythm of the game. We did better when we brought Lorenzo Pellegrini and Nicolo Zaniolo on, but in the first half we lost the ball too much. When you make that many mistakes, it's normal for the opposition to create dangerous situations on the break."
Maybe the attack and defence were too disjointed this evening?
"That's worth considering. They waited for us to play the ball out wide and when our full-back had it, we didn't manage to break through their press. We were unable to spread the play to find space."
What are the team's chances of winning this competition?
"We won't if we have the same attitude that we had today. It'll be difficult if that's the case, but we must now turn our attention to our next game, which is a very tough one against SPAL. We'll think about the Europa League further down the line."
(Photo Getty Images)
