After a disappointing start to the season, AS Roma are currently 6th in the league, three points behind fourth-placed Inter. Their draw against Red Bull Salzburg will determine their fate in the Europa League. What should the Giallorossi’s 2023 resolutions as a squad be, and what issues does Jose Mourinho need to iron out before the end of the season?
Here Are Four Issues Jose Mourinho’s as Roma Squad Must Correct
Fitness
Just like most people wish on January 1st, Roma’s number one priority for the new year should be to remain healthy for the end of the season. Most of their main cast are known to be injury prone, with the likes of Lorenzo Pellegrini, Nicolo Zaniolo and Paulo Dybala already missing games this season through injuries. Those pieces are crucial to a deep run in the Europa League and the race for a Champions League spot, which are Roma’s goals for this season. A return to action for newly signed Georginio Wijnaldum would also be welcomed, as Roma find themselves quite thin in midfield.
Positive Signings
Roma have a history of being hit or miss in the transfer market. Romanisti will remember the catastrophic 2017/18 windows when a huge amount of players were brought in with few panning out. The club can’t afford to waste more money on transfers, considering the UEFA sanctions the team has recently been hit with. So far, forward Ola Solbakken is the only winter arrival, with a new centre-back expected to join shortly. Mourinho has also reportedly been eyeing up Sassuolo midfielder Davide Frattesi.
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Return to Form for Tammy Abraham
Once the centrepiece of the team, Tammy Abraham has hit a rough patch this season, only netting three goals in 16 league appearances so far this season. The Englishman seems to struggle in his new attacking partnership with Dybala. Roma desperately need him to return to form sooner than later, as scoring is an issue in the first part of the season for the club. Roma are the lowest-scoring team in the top eight of Serie A. Their decent defensive record has allowed them to still be in the race for the top four, but this won’t be good enough to stay there until the end of the season. Roma fans will hope that Abraham’s dramatic last-minute goal in a comeback draw against AC Milan will be a sign of things to come for their number nine.
Breakthrough Season for Youngster
In the last couple of seasons, Roma have been able to produce great additions to their side from their crop of younger players, the latest being attacking fullback Nicola Zalewski, essential to the team’s winning campaign in the Conference League in the 2021/22 season. This season, academy players like Edoardo Bove, Cristian Volpato and Benjamin Tahirovic have all had a chance to prove themselves in the first team, but none of them have been able to achieve consistent minutes. It’s part of Roma’s DNA to be led by a former academy player, and Mourinho will hope for a youngster to burst onto the scene this coming year.
At the midway point of the 2022/23 season, Roma are not in the position they would have hoped for at the start of the year, but they are not out of it yet. With Atalanta and Lazio’s recent poor league form, and Inter and Juventus looking beatable, everything is still yet to play for in Serie A’s European spots. Ticking off these four big issues could be Roma’s key to success in 2023.
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