That just ended was one of the most difficult weeks in the recent history of Rome. On Wednesday the sensational elimination by Spezia on penalties in the Italian Cup, on Thursday the chants (and eggs) at the team's Christmas dinner. All at the height of a very dark period, from the 6-1 suffered in the Champions League at the hands of Barcelona to the home defeat against Atalanta, before the away draw against Turin and the one in the Champions League against Bate, for a qualification to the round of XNUMX (where they will face Real Madrid) accompanied by boos from the Olimpico.
That really doesn't work. The fans know it, the club knows it well, which is thinking about a change on the bench that many want. But Garcia doesn't agree, and he reiterates it clearly: “I don't think about it, I have other battles to carry on, like winning on Sunday. I know the rules of the game but it's not a problem. I believe in these guys, I'm serene and combative”. Certainly the climate around him is bad, with yet another announced contest scheduled: “Right now it's not easy for the players to play at the Olimpico – said Garcia – and it's no coincidence that we do better away from home. We can do nothing about the fact that we lack the support of our audience. It's not an alibi, but we miss having a little push”. To try to make peace with the square, the only solution is to win, perhaps returning to play that fast and at times spectacular football that had made Roma one of the big favorites in the championship: "After 8 November (2-0 against Lazio, ed) we no longer won. Until the derby everything was fine. The real bad thing, the real failure is the elimination against a Serie B team. The problem is having missed an important opportunity in the Italian Cup, at a time when we couldn't afford it. Now we have to do everything to get into the first two places to qualify for the Champions League, that's our goal. We are here in the league, everything is open, we will have many direct matches at home (Naples, Inter and Fiorentina, ed), in the Champions League we are in the round of XNUMX. We are here”.
Garcia knows the rules and knows that, in case of defeat, he'll be the only one to pay: “I'm the leader of the pack, I take my share of responsibility, of course. This team then has trust issues, they go from matches like the one in Florence to those at home against Spezia or Atalanta, they certainly must and must all put something more on the field ".
Against Genoa (Gervinho and Iturbe are also called up) it's the last resort. Spalletti and Bielsa are the candidates to replace him on the bench (there are also rumors of a contact between a Roma emissary and Mourinho, who has just been sacked by Chelsea). Either he wins, or it will be goodbye. Not exactly the nicest gift to unwrap under the tree.
