On December 22nd, Beijing time, the city of Rome is lit up with the lights of the 17th round of Serie A. At 19:30, Roma will meet the challenge of Parma at their home stadium. Before the match, Ranieri, the head coach of Roma, attended the press conference with a touch of calmness, and faced the reporters with a barrage of questions about the team's status, analysis of the opponents and transfer rumors.
Ranieri revealed that the rest of the squad, with the exception of Bryan Cristante, have recovered from their injuries. Special mention was made of Mats Hummels, the German international has just completed his first training session and will have to wait for the results of the assessment after the training session to see if he will be able to suit up. As for the transfer rumors about Everton, Ranieri said that he has not yet had any relevant discussions with the club, but now, his opinion about Everton has changed.
Talking about the opponent Parma, Ranieri said that it is a difficult team to deal with, they are energetic and play in a direct way, and each striker is quite powerful. Roma will have to go all out to avoid a repeat of the second half against Como. He emphasized that Parma don't spend much time in the midfield and always pass the ball directly forward, even sometimes adopting a 4-2-4 formation with a lot of running in front of the field, so Roma need to be very alert to both the first and the second drop points.
Regarding player usage, Ranieri elaborated on the reasons why he believes Evan Ndika performs better in the left center back position than the trailing center back. He believes that Ndika is better suited to this role as he can create a numerical advantage in this position, push forward with the ball, and also make crosses. At the same time, he also emphasized the importance of Hummels and Paredes for Roma, calling them indispensable pieces of the team.
Speaking about the team's character and fighting spirit, Ranieri said that he is trying to bring out the maximum potential of each player in pursuit of the strongest fighting spirit and the greatest determination. He admitted that some of the players may lack these qualities, but he said there was nothing he could do about it. In the January transfer market, he will look for players who can help Roma and are expected to be the club's hope for the future. He admitted that the transfer market is not easy, especially in January, but they will do their best to get the best for Roma.
Talking about defender reinforcements, Ranieri said that he has not yet calculated exactly how many defenders need to be signed. He believes that Čeljic can play as a wingback in a three-centerback system, so it remains to be seen. He emphasized that if there is a need for improvement, they will do so, but did not want to give anyone false expectations.
Speaking about his personal future, Ranieri said that he has not yet considered whether he will stay in the coaching chair for another year. He is trying to find an outstanding coach for Roma, which has been his goal since his return to the club. He said that he will do his best to fulfill every task given by the bosses.
Finally, regarding the use of Paulo Dybala and transfer rumors, Ranieri said that 90% of his mind is on what is happening on the pitch and what he has to deal with. He emphasized that he will position players and tactics according to the needs of the game and the team. At the same time, he denied the decisive influence of the formation on the result of the game, believing that the players are the key to win the game.
