Luciano Spalletti discussed his tactics to surprise Napoli at the San Paolo and told Edin Dzeko he can “do better” for Roma.
Dzeko bagged a brace in the 3-1 victory, while Mohamed Salah was also on target after a Kalidou Koulibaly consolation goal.
“It was a good performance and a good victory. Roma deserve a great deal of credit for scoring three goals and creating many more chances at the Stadio San Paolo,” he told Mediaset Premium.
Luciano Spalletti discussed his tactics to surprise Napoli at the San Paolo and told Edin Dzeko he can “do better” for Roma.
Dzeko bagged a brace in the 3-1 victory, while Mohamed Salah was also on target after a Kalidou Koulibaly consolation goal.
“It was a good performance and a good victory. Roma deserve a great deal of credit for scoring three goals and creating many more chances at the Stadio San Paolo,” he told Mediaset Premium.
“We were not using a three-man defence. We moved it around between three, so the full-backs took turns pushing up, but we always defended with four. It was a tactical shape which the lads did perfectly and I must thank them for that, as it allowed us to have Alessandro Florenzi and Diego Perotti in this sort of half-way status.
“The media had doubts, but we didn’t. We knew that there was work to be done and we’re doing it. The team soaked up pressure well, but in the second half we shouldn’t have been so deep and Napoli were pinning us back. That was avoidable.
“We had some difficulties, as fatigue and cramp set in, but the same was true of Napoli. It was a very humid heat that made it difficult to breathe out there.
“Napoli play the ball first time better and keep more possession than maybe any other team in Europe. Dzeko, in my view, has to be more ferocious and determined in front of goal, as he had four or five other chances to score. Considering the great physicality he has, I feel he can do better.
“I always say you have to fill the game. A goal is fine, but what do you do for the other 85 minutes? You have to contribute with tackles, contrasts, blocks and runs. Strikers have to contribute all over the field.
“Federico Fazio is a great player and has found his form. If we won today, it was also thanks to the defence, not forgetting we are missing the likes of Antonio Rudiger and Thomas Vermaelen.”