When the teams came out before Roma faced Atalanta on Wednesday, every media outlet was carrying the Giallorossi’s line-up in the same way: the usual 4-2-3-1 formation but with Alessandro Florenzi pushed up to a winger role.
It was therefore a surprise to see Aleksandar Kolarov start on the left side of a back three, with Florenzi and Leonardo Spinazzola operating as wing-backs, as Paulo Fonseca set out his team in a 3-4-2-1 that effectively mirrored Atalanta’s shape.
From a defensive standpoint it worked, as the hosts restricted Gian Piero Gasperini’s men to very few openings in the first half. It was a great disappointment for those who had turned up hoping to see a repeat of last season’s pair of 3-3 draws.
The problem was that while it appeared to shore things up at the back, the new system also blunted the Roma attack, which has been their biggest weapon so far this season.
Under Fonseca, the Giallorossi had scored 14 goals in five matches going into this game and it was therefore a sign of great respect to the visitors that the coach was willing to sacrifice his swashbuckling approach for a more controlled and disciplined game plan.
It ultimately proved to be the wrong call by the Portuguese, as the introduction of Duvan Zapata off the bench was more than his side could handle and they struggled to thread together moves with the same ease they do in the usual formation as they tried to respond to the Colombian’s opener.
Whether he was showing too much respect to a visiting team, testing out a tactical innovation for the future or simply trying to be too clever, Fonseca would do well to remember an age-old proverb: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Smalling makes a good impression
Roma fans got their first sight of Chris Smalling on Wednesday as he made his highly anticipated debut under the Olimpico lights.
The England international was brought in on loan from Manchester United for his pace and strength, attributes suited to Fonseca’s high defensive line.
Something the fans hadn’t anticipated was that Smalling’s introduction would coincide with a new 3-4-2-1 formation, with the United man sitting in the middle of a back three.
Overall it was an impressive, confidence-boosting debut for the Englishman, who came out on top in his one-on-one battle with Josip Ilicic in the first half and could’ve even scored with a header from a corner.
When Atalanta tried to go long and get in behind, Smalling was always there to snuff out the danger.
Zapata was a new and testing challenge for the 29-year-old when he came on for the final half an hour, but the centre-back appeared up to the task as the crowd roared their approval at a couple of well-timed challenges and blocks.
He was caught out a bit for the goal as he considered his options and let the Colombian get away into space, but overall it was a composed and promising start to life in Italy for Smalling.
Gasperini’s bench packs a punch
Zapata caused Roma all sorts of problems last season, bullying their defence in the capital to help his side take a 3-1 half time lead before scoring the goal that completed a remarkable comeback from 3-0 down to 3-3 in Bergamo later in the campaign.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s decision to drop the Colombian was something of a surprise given his track record against the Giallorossi, but it did highlight the depth of options the coach has at his disposal this season in the forward department.
With Zapata dropped and Luis Muriel out injured, the coach was still able to select a front three of Ilicic, Papu Gomez and Ruslan Malinovsky that many teams in the league would love to have as their first-choice front line.
Wednesday’s win showed that Gasp has got a handle on how to rotate his options effectively as the Colombia international stepped off the bench to change the game with the opening goal.
With a Champions League campaign to get back on track and Serie A matches coming in thick and fast, the coach’s ability to manage, combine and select his array of talented goalscorers will be crucial to their success.
