Gasperini warning to Roma: ‘Very few dreams come true’

Gian Piero Gasperini warns Roma that ‘people must dream, but the dreams that actually come true are very rare’ as they go into the trip to Cremonese as Serie A leaders.

It kicks off at the Stadio Giovanni Zini in Cremona on Sunday at 14.00 GMT.

The Giallorossi went into the break for international duty as joint Serie A leaders along with Inter, and with some big fixtures for the other title contenders throughout the weekend, it’s potentially a big opportunity for them.

However, Gasperini is cynical about the narrative emerging around their ambitions.

“This is a team that is giving its all and on the right track, but you cannot talk about a huge achievement just 11 rounds into the season,” he said in his press conference.

“The players have improved on a technical level and we are already reaching some of the high points of our potential, otherwise we wouldn’t be in this position in the table.

“Everything can be improved further, but we certainly play better as a team unit than a few weeks ago. We keep working to get stronger.”

Paulo Dybala, Angelino, Leon Bailey and Artem Dovbyk are still out of action, while Mario Hermoso picked up a muscular issue in training yesterday.

Evan Ferguson is back after skipping international duty with the Republic of Ireland. Can the centre-forward get his first competitive goal in the Roma jersey?

“He is very young and comes from a different country, so you’ve got to give him a little time to adapt,” assured Gasperini.

“When I said he finally had a really good training session, I threw him on the field and he got hurt, so we need patience with these lads.

“Angelino has started working on the training pitch, albeit individually, so we’re waiting to see what the medical staff say. Dybala and Bailey are working together, I think they are close to a comeback.

“We’ll try to pick up where we left off, even if the first game after international duty is always a bit of an unknown quantity.”

While Roma’s defensive record has been excellent so far this season, the main issue has been a lack of goals, especially considering the number of scoring opportunities created.

“I do think we’ve improved over the last month in both creating those situations and converting them into goals,” added Gasperini.

“When I talk about the attacking moves, I mean for example Gianluca Mancini providing an assist for Zeki Celik. You need everyone involved and to make the most of the characteristics in the team.”

There is also a definite trend in their campaign that the coach will not shy away from.

“The statistics don’t lie, we lost almost every game where we fell behind, the only exception was Fiorentina. As you grow in every area, you also gain more confidence and manage to push past obstacles or unlucky moments. That too is a process,” assured Gasperini.

So does he believe in the miracle of a Roma Scudetto?

“People must dream, but the dreams that actually come true are very rare. We’re not looking for miracles, we’re looking to work.”