Juric: ‘Roma got it all wrong, but can’t throw hard work in the toilet’ | OneFootball

Ivan Juric admits Roma ‘got everything wrong’ in their 5-1 defeat to Fiorentina with a bad attitude, but also insists they ‘cannot throw 40 days of hard work in the toilet.’

The coach was already under a great deal of pressure going into this game, even with a hard-fought 1-0 Europa League win over Dynamo Kyiv on Thursday.

Roma were humiliated 5-1 by Fiorentina, already 5-1 down when Mario Hermoso was sent off to a Moise Kean brace, controversial Lucas Beltran penalty and Edoardo Bove slalom against his old club.

Mats Hummels finally came on for his debut and within four minutes had deflected a Christian Kouame header into his own net.

“What happened tonight is that we got everything wrong,” Juric told DAZN.

“Our seven games so far showed good concentration, but tonight we had the wrong attitude, wrong mentality, wrong approach, which I really did not expect. It felt like we’d forgotten everything we had learned after showing good solidity.”

Juric sent a signal to troubled Roma

FLORENCE, ITALY – OCTOBER 27: Head coach Ivan Juric of AS Roma looks on during the Serie A match between Fiorentina and AS Roma at Stadio Artemio Franchi on October 27, 2024 in Florence, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)

He arguably made it worse for himself by making a double tactical substitution 32 minutes in, hauling off Bryan Cristante and Angelino for Manu Koné and Nicola Zalewski.

Gianluca Mancini was also taken off at half-time and notably DAZN said that all three of these players were not sitting on the bench for the second half at the Stadio Franchi.

“I was very upset, we played really well three days ago against Dynamo Kyiv, but I saw very little concentration or focus, especially in defence. It was ugly to see. I decided to change both to send a signal and shake things up, but also because I saw things I didn’t like. It wasn’t just them two, the whole team,” continued Juric.

“We had conceded only five goals in the last seven games, we were looking solid, but the team got everything wrong tonight. There are few excuses or things to say right now.”

Roma actually dominated possession at the Stadio Franchi with 68 per cent, but looked weak every single time the Viola went on the counter-attack.

Juric was brought in to replace Daniele De Rossi with players he had not chosen, so was asked if this squad is really capable of playing his style of football.

“I think a team that concedes five goals in seven games, often with really obvious individual errors, has a certain solidity. They have the characteristics, but they were not concentrated today.

“It happens sometimes, it did with Atalanta a few times, it did with us tonight. Now we need to improve.”

Inevitably, Juric was asked whether he feels that he is in the balance now on the Roma bench.

“It’s football, I think I’ve done great work in these 40 days and there is no point throwing it all in the toilet now. I saw solidity, good performances, youngsters growing, the older players getting back to their previous selves and tonight we threw it all in the toilet.

“You know what football is like, the others decide and we carry on our work. I really did not expect it.”

Considering Cristante is one of the old school Roma stalwarts, was substituting him after 32 minutes a signal to the rest of the team?

“I think this is not a deep squad, so everyone has to be involved, whether new or old. I do not have to send signals in that sense, I choose based on what I see in training. Bryan had good performances, he gives us stability and balance, but he had a bad game tonight.

“Roma are not in a position to lose players right now, old or young,” concluded Juric.