:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45955628/GettyImages-458053050.0.jpg)
We move on from our discussion of who may or may not be fired to more practical and pressing matters, Roma's Sunday evening match against the Seahorses of Cesena. Yes, a match against Serie A's 19th place team, one currently sporting a -23 goal differential, is now considered a pressing matter. Considering their current form, Roma might as well challenge a choir of angels to a singing contest; they'd stand as good a chance there as they will in Cesena tomorrow, especially now that Francesco Totti, divine in his own right, is set to miss this match.
Given the proximity of this match, and considering that I'm currently in the throes of a Nyquil hangover, we'll keep this preview extremely brief.
Eternally Restless
It's been a while since life in Rome got this chaotic, hasn't it? It's kind of nice to have to old, dysfunctional Roma back in our lives. Where else but Rome would two club legends get verbally accosted as they leave the pitch following loss in Europe's secondary competition, with fans demanding they remove their kits, as if they are somehow suddenly unworthy of wearing them? So, to those among us who delight in dismay, I say rejoice, for the real Roma has returned!
The Giallorossi handled the Seahorses rather easily back in October, however, cruising to a 2-0 victory thanks to goals from Mattia Destro and Daniele De Rossi. This time around, though, they'll have to make do without Totti, who, though he has been included on the match list, isn't likely to see action, as Garcia has claimed he'd rather not risk losing him for a longer period of time.
The problems don't end there, however, as each of Maicon, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, Miralem Pjanic, and Seyou Keita have been left off the squad list due to injuries. While MB is no big loss, the absences of Last Second Seydou and Pjanic should require some actual tinkering from Garcia. Barring a complete change of formation, odds are we'll see an Alessandro Florenzi, De Rossi and Radja Nainggolan trio in the middle of the park; not quite sure who'll take the lead among those three, but they won't suffer from lack of hustle.
In Totti's absence, we may actually see Seydou Doumbia start alongside Adem Ljajic and Juan Iturbe; three men who have presumably never played alongside one another, a reassuring fact for a struggling offense if there ever was one.
The only positive we can glean from Roma's recent woes is this; there's a simple answer. Just win.
Now more than ever, Roma needs a convincing victory: to restore morale, to assuage the fans and, quite possibly, to save their jobs.