Perhaps no one thought that after the 4 rounds of Serie A, the top two were Atlanta and Rome. After the extremely successful summer window, Mourinho took aim at bigger and more important targets. After the victory over Monza, the Fans of the Red Wolves even chanted, "Serie A is ours!" ”
The Mourinho effect
Mourinho's coaching is undoubtedly a turning point for Roma. Last season, Roma won the UEFA title, the first time they have won a European title in 60 years. Unfortunately, the Red Wolves performed mediocrely in Serie A and ended up in sixth place.
In the summer window, Roma are among the most efficient clubs in the five leagues, signing Dybala, Belotti, Wijnaldum, Celik, Nemanja Matic and Kamala. However, thanks to the sale of Mkhitaryan, Calles-Perez and Villetou, Roma have invested only £10 million in the transfer market.
Like mourinho's previous coaches, Roma's foundation is defensive, conceding just one goal in four games of the new season. Mourinho has a lot of trust in the three centre-backs of Ibanes, Smalling and Mancini, who still occupy the main position.
Unlike last season, Roma's attacks have worked well this season, and set-piece tactics have become their offensive weapons. Roma have scored six goals this season, three of them from corners.
As the main reinforcement in the summer window, Dybala has gradually integrated into the team, scoring 2 goals and finding a tacit understanding with Tammy Abraham. In the third round against Juve, Tammy Abraham twice created opportunities for Dybala, and Dybala also returned the favor, creating good opportunities for Abraham twice.
In the last 9 home games, Rome's tickets are sold out. Before the pandemic, Roma had around 39,000 home games, and now, even against Monza or Cremonese, there are 60,000 fans in attendance.
The Guardian likens it to the "Mourinho effect", with the Portuguese having a balanced attacking and defensive team. With Mourinho's encouragement, the Roma players showed a determination to win and a strong team spirit.
At the same time, Mourinho is also a beneficiary. After failing to coach Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, the Portuguese were eliminated by English football. However, he built a formidable army of Red Wolves and was even voted the best manager of August. Industry insiders believe mourinho is expected to help Roma break the dominance of Milan duo and Juve in Serie A.
Three major obstacles lie
There is no doubt that Mourinho's goal is to win the Pro League title. However, they will also face numerous obstacles.
This season, Roma first beat Salernitana and Cremonese 1-0. In the third round, Roma met Juve, and although they ended up drawing 1-1, the Red Wolf Legion's performance was less convincing.
In the first half, Roma played extremely passively, conceding only one goal was already considered lucky. Juve have 60% possession and almost twice as many passes as Roma. Later, against Monza, Roma won 3-0, but only 39% of the ball, and Monza continued to create good opportunities to break the goal.
Mourinho continued his usual tactics, voluntarily abandoning possession, shrinking the defense while adopting defensive counter-attack tactics, passing the ball directly behind the opponent's defense at the back.
Such tactics have worked, but the problem is that defensive counter-attack tactics have become significantly outdated, and the last time Mourinho won the league was seven years ago.
In addition, Roma have signed many new signings, and it is still unknown whether they can integrate into the team and form a strong fighting force. In the summer window 2021, Roma spent £120 million on reinforcements, but also ended up in sixth place.
Another obstacle Roma face is injuries, with new signing Wijnaldum suffering a serious injury in his first training session and Zaniolo, who played well last season, also suffering a serious shoulder injury. It has to be mentioned that Dybala, who has been absent from injury many times in recent years, will be able to remain healthy throughout the season is still unknown.
After the victory over Monza, Dybala said, "The atmosphere in the whole team is very good. Roma won the Europa League last season, but it's too early to talk about this season's Serie A title. We weren't good enough in the last round and there's a lot to improve. ”
Dybala is realistic, Roma still have a long season to face, and there will be many difficulties. But Roma have a fantastic start, and Roma fans can continue to dream of winning their first Serie A title in 22 years.