After winning just one game from the end of November to the end of January, which saw Rudi Garcia get the sack, it was Luciano Spalletti who returned home to save the day.
Two back-to-back second place finishes pointed to the fact that perhaps it was Roma’s time to take the next step & win the Scudetto. With the likes of Lucas Digne, Mohamed Salah & Edin Dzeko arriving, combined with Roma keeping hold of the likes of Manolas, Nainggolan & Pjanic, the fans in the capital had all the right to believe. Unfortunately for Roma it did not go as planned, which led to a mid-season dip in form and the end of Rudi Garcia in the nation’s capital. As a result, Luciano Spalletti returned and came back to Rome to finish what he started.
Season Summary:
Serie A: 3rd place, 80 points, Champions League spot (playoff round)
Champions League: Round of 16
Coppa Italia: Round of 16 loss to La Spezia
Roma had a stunning start to the season beating Juventus 2-1 at the Olimpico. A couple weeks later they drew last year’s Champions League winners Barcelona 1-1 and the optimism surrounding the side grew. Considering Juve’s horrible start, many Roma fans believed this was the year. After the first 10 rounds Roma sat at the top of table following an impressive win against Fiorentina away from home. Up until November, Roma were steady & well in the title race with just a couple slip-ups (losses vs Sampdoria & Inter). Roma would then beat Lazio 2-0 in the derby in early November which took them into the international break with their heads held high. After the break, however, Roma completely fell off the map and struggled immensely. It started with a 2-2 draw to then relegation-battlers Bologna. After that draw, they took a 6-1 thrashing in the Champions League at the hands of Barcelona followed by a 2-0 loss to Atalanta. A 0-0 draw to BATE in the Champions League and their Coppa Italia elimination at the hands of Serie B side La Spezia would seal the giallorossi’s downfall. From November 21st to January 24th, Roma had only won ONE game.
And with that awful form went Rudi Garcia. Enter Luciano Spalletti. The man who had so much success with Roma during his first run with the club returned to make things right. Roma helped him by bringing in Stephan El Shaarawy & Diego Perotti in an attempt to rejuvenate an attack that needed help. Spalletti’s return to Rome seemed to be the best decision Roma made all season as the team steadily crept up the table as the season wore on.
Spalletti brought back the champagne football to Rome and they ended the season on a 17-game undefeated streak which also saw them win 9 games in a row including big wins vs Fiorentina, Lazio, Napoli & Milan. Since returning, Spalletti picked up an incredible 46 points in 19 games and also had the best attack with Roma scoring 46 goals under his watch. Their winter signings also played a major part in the massive turnaround. El Shaarawy scored 8 goals and Perotti pipped Dzeko to the starting role up top as Spalletti experimented with the false nine picking up 7 assists in the process. The duo combined had been apart of 20 of Roma’s goals since their arrivals. Also, the return of Francesco Totti was another important aspect as many times towards the end of the season he came off the bench to save the game for his side. Despite finishing 3rd, Roma fans can once again believe as the team have been playing well and are putting up Scudetto worthy numbers. To put things into perspective: Last year Roma finished 2nd with just 70 points, 17 points back of Juve, whereas this year they finished in 3rd with 80 points. Spalletti’s quick and impressive work can only make fans excited for the future.
Player of the season: Miralem Pjanic
If there was one player who was succeeding even in Roma’s darkest moments this season it was Miralem Pjanic. Pjanic, for many parts of the season, virtually put Roma on his back, especially in the beginning of the season. His free kicks, as usual, were as clutch as ever. The Bosnian finished the season with 12 goals and 13 assists and was the only Roma player to finish with double digits in both goals & assists this season. But it wasn’t only those numbers that made Pjanic Roma’s top dog this year as it was also his ability to play like a great player all around. For many years fans waited for Pjanic to take that next step in his game and become a top player. This year he did just that and his overall game has never been better. His ability to control a game improved drastically over the course of the year. He took many games by the scruff of the neck and also stepped up defensively. Moreover, his ability to win back balls and create turnovers was an improved component of his game, as well. Pjanic was effective for Roma even when he didn’t provide a goal or assist and that’s why he’s their player of the season. Simply put, he was the heartbeat of this Roma side. A truly magical year from the Bosnian.
Final word –
Despite the horrendous mid-season form by Roma, there is still a lot to be proud of and look forward to for next season. With Luciano Spalletti at the helm, it looks like this Roma team are a completely different side and are ready to compete with anyone. The mentality that Spalletti brought to the club seems to be working. Roma fans have much to look forward to going into next season and may just challenge for the title in 2016-2017.
The post Roma 2015/16 Season Review: Luciano Spalletti Returns To Play Hero appeared first on IFD.
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