With the 1-0 victory over Torino, Ivan Juric saved his bench at Roma: The Croatian coach has clearly indicated with whom he wants to play everything he has left: Mancini forgiven after the discount in Florence and with the captain’s armband, Pellegrini and Cristante out “due to technical choice”.
Beyond what will be, Ivan Juric it has proven to have a character forged in steel. It wasn’t for everyone to emerge from very hard days for him and her Romawith the five goals scored in Florence, the testimonies on the clash with Gianluca Mancini, a hot locker room that according to many is ‘blowing’ for De Rossi’s return, the protest from the fans. The Friedkins decided to move forward with the Croatian coach, amidst the rumors of the various Allegris and Ranieris, and Roma emerged from the storm – at least for now – by beating Torino 1-0 at home in the midweek round. A match in which Juric clearly indicated those with whom he wants to ‘go to war’ to try to save his place: Mancini is the forgiven prodigal son, Pellegrini and Cristante are the ones left out”by technical choice“or because they were not considered up to par.
Ivan Juric on the sidelines during Roma-Turin: the Croatian holds the bench with his nails
Juric’s heavy choices: Mancini forgiven, Pellegrini and Cristante out
Very difficult choices also in terms of internal balance, given that Pellegrini is the captain, whose armband was taken over by Mancini himself, while Juric himself expressed himself as follows about the other veteran Cristante no later than seven days ago: “Bryan is a great professional and has an uncommon intelligence. He sees things that others don’t notice and I can talk to him about profound aspects of football, he understands situations in an extraordinary way“. Cristante will have understood yesterday, together with Pellegrini, that they are no longer first choices for the Giallorossi coach: both only came on in the second half, in the 79th minute and 65th minute respectively.
Pellegrini and Cristante have been demoted to the bench
If I have to die, sportingly speaking, I’ll go with my team: this is what Juric will have thought, relying on the midfield pair of Koné and Le Fée, with the 20-year-old Pisilli and the 21-year-old Baldanzi starting in the attacking midfield behind Dybala. Two foreigners who have just arrived and are ‘immune’ from the Roman breezes, still unknown to them, together with two boys eager to eat grass to climb positions in the squad.
Juric explains what happened in the Roma locker room after the defeat in Florence: “Days of heavy arguments”
“Pellegrini and Cristante out? Technical choices, I have to choose two and I chose Le Fée and Pisilli. For me they are all the same, I thought the others could give me more“, explained the Croatian after the match. As for the rebuilt relationship with Mancini, who apologized for what happened in the Franchi locker room last Sunday, the hugs between the two after Dybala’s goal and at the end of the match win say a lot with Turin.
Juric and Mancini clarified: warm gestures between the two in Rome-Turin
The rest is in the numbers, which usually don’t lie: with De Rossi Roma had never won, obtaining three draws and one defeat in the first four championship matches, with Juric the balance is three victories, two draws and two defeats. The ranking is still crying, with tenth place 12 points behind leaders Napoli, but those who thought that Juric had given up and was just waiting for his dismissal were definitely the wrong person.
