Beat Lazio to win the Roman derby! Gasperini: Pellegrini deserves Rome s starter

In the Roma derby, Roma defeated Lazio 1-0 with Pellegrini's goal. After the game, head coach Gasperini attended the press conference.

You decided to make Pellegrini starter unexpectedly.

Luckily, unlike you, I can see training every day. I saw how Pellegrini ran and trained. I have no doubts about letting him start today. He is a very capable player, and it is well known. I think he can also become an important athletic player. I am delighted for him, for the team, for the club and for our incredible fans. I was very satisfied with the game until the last ten minutes, and we almost ruined the game.

Do you think Pellegrini can become the core of the team?

I can't talk about the past. What I found was a mature boy, a capable player, and very thoughtful. But just like Mancini, Cone, Christant and all the defenders and forwards. I can't list them all, but he didn't give more because he was a Roman, and everyone did. He has to serve the team and has to be an athlete to significantly improve his personal level as a player.

Are you satisfied with the team's forward performance?

Pellegrini's shot was very good and had absolutely top-notch plug-in timing and skills. But this doesn't have to be his signature. He should play in the midfield and then have a chance to score like he does today. For the strikers, we have to be able to do better, and we can make them all grow because they are all very committed. We need to make Dovbik improve at all levels, and we must cultivate everyone. On this basis, we will improve the team's offensive ability.

The team struggled at the last moment. What do you think about this?

I was very happy, but in the final stage of the game, my voice could no longer be conveyed to the players. At that time, the game on the court was very favorable to us, but we screwed it up ourselves and easily threw the ball away. We risk being scored, and maybe that's fair, because those opportunities can't be wasted in the last few minutes. As for other aspects, it was a good match.

Do you think there is a problem with the team's mentality?

We must adjust our minds. We made some bad choices, when Lazio played one less and his formation was very high, and every counterattack could end with more and less, but instead we risked being scored unfairly. Those 15 minutes were really bad.

But compared to physical strength, like like when you cut off the power of the "Central Processor", everything will turn off. This is a bad attitude, and I hope it can be corrected. That was the easiest moment of the entire game, but we didn't try it. But we will solve this problem. How are the

teams in good health? It seems to be improved compared to when playing against Torino. Is the

team's attitude better? Yes, but I must say that the team has always shown that attitude. Then there may be a situation like the one against Torino, where you pay the price for the state, the heat, the first game you play at this temperature. We didn't do a good job in preparing for that game, and there was also the impact of the national team game. But in this regard, this team has never disappointed me. We need to grow in technology and quality, and we need to expand our lineup.

What does winning the derby mean for you and the team? The derby is extraordinary because the people are involved very much and people care very much, which is a bit like a city festival. All of this will get you involved. Our credit is to play better, which is what I worry about: if I lose, the controversy will begin, but I can't be swayed by fear, I have to think about how to play well.

How do you evaluate Lazio's performance? What other places need to be improved in Rome?

Lazio is a good team, and even if one less player fights today, they reacted well and hit the post. We have something to be corrected, and Lazio gives me the feeling of a more overall team. They played together last year and although there were no signings, all the players were left behind. We need to improve our level. We welcomed Pellegrini back, and we also need to promote Dovbik, Ferguson, the young man, Picily and Baldanzi. We need solid players. We still have the Europa League to play, and we need to get through.

What impact does this victory have on the league ranking?

If you mean rankings for winning a league title, entering the Champions League or other goals, I would say no. Even if we lose, I will evaluate the game, but everything around me will change. I try to observe what’s going on on the field and try to improve. Victory tells me that we still have a lot of work to do. As for the others, I won’t talk about them, and I haven’t talked about them in the past few years. We can only do this after the halfway ends, when we meet all our opponents. The strength of each team is balanced, which is difficult for everyone.