Should Roma Rebuild or Simply Reload?

I sometimes wonder what Roma fans of yore did when times were tough. I mean, without social media, countless websites, dozens of radio stations/podcasts and a litany of message boards, how did they let the club know how it should be run!? Do you think there were AOL chat groups? Maybe snarky AIM away messages directed towards Daniele Prade? A Geocities site called Chiesa di....well, I guess that still could have been Totti, his career predated the internet as we know it anyway, right?

So, what’s the point? Where am I going with this? Simple, I’m turning it over to you for this morning, what would you do if you were running Roma: blow it up and rebuild, or do some subtle retooling?

Before you respond, consider both sides of the argument.

Blow it Up and Rebuild

This one is pretty self-explanatory, but if you subscribe to this theory, you’re ready, willing and able to tear Roma down to the studs and start over. Start by casting off any senior player who makes more than, oh, say, €3 million, and focus on the kids. Keep EDF or not, but you’re talking about building from a core of Lorenzo Pellegrini, Cengiz Ünder, Patrik Schick, Alisson (if you can resist selling) and Gerson, with Alessandro Florenzi, Daniele De Rossi and Stephan El Shaarawy sprinkled in as the token vets and/or bridges to the future.

It won’t be easy, but by paring costs and focusing on the youth, you’re effectively shifting Roma’s reason for being for several seasons. Results won’t come easy, nor will the expectations be high, but on the brightside, Champions League cash is no longer a life or death affair; it’s a slow burn rather a raging inferno so you can manage without it for a year or two.

With the confluence of young talent, an adept manager, and time to gel, Roma could be back in the world’s good graces by 2020 or so, but you’re going to have to buy a full-back; there’s no breaking that hex.

Subtle Retooling

Look, things are bleak at the moment, but Roma has some considerable talent in her hands; some upcoming, some at their peak and some hanging on for dear life, but the cupboards aren’t bare. After all, you’re only a year removed from a club record point setting campaign, not to mention being one of the top 20 to 25 most valuable clubs in the world, with a stadium (hopefully) on the horizon.

While the changes won’t be as sweeping or dramatic, the subtle tweaks required to lift Roma out of this funk are no less impactful. First you have to figure out if Di Francesco is your guy, then you have to ward off suitors for Alisson, buy one and possibly two fullbacks, find a taker for Edin Dzeko, figure out how to make the most of Schick. And to top it all off, every summer you’re going to need one or two costly purchases to keep up with the Joneses.

So while you’re not sweeping away as much dust, the few remaining particles can ruin the entire finish and you’ll receive no quarter whatsoever from the fans.

So....what which path would you choose?