Spalletti defiant despite Roma's plight

AS ROMA coach Luciano Spalletti is determined to lead the Italian side out of their biggest crisis in four years by masterminding…

AS ROMA coach Luciano Spalletti is determined to lead the Italian side out of their biggest crisis in four years by masterminding victory over Chelsea tonight.

The struggling Serie A side are in the midst of domestic and European turmoil that has already sparked questions over Spalletti's leadership.

Sunday's 4-0 hammering by Inter Milan at the Olimpico stadium - the venue for this season's Champions League final - was their fourth defeat in seven league games this term.

It left the Romans in 14th place in the league and having surprisingly lost to Romanian outfit CFR Cluj in Europe, their Champions League campaign is not going according to plan either.

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They are one point behind both Chelsea and CFR in Group A and defeat against the English side will severely hamper their chances of qualifying for the knockout stages.

However, Spalletti is convinced he can turn their fortunes around, starting against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

"The reaction that I have seen and the reaction which is really important to me is that the players remain calm in the dressingroom," said Spalletti yesterday.

"The players appreciate the qualities they have and the difficulties we are having to face at the moment.

"We do have a very important game ahead of us tomorrow but the main opponent to us at the moment are these difficulties and problems.

"Some of them we were aware of in the past and now the time has come to focus on them.

"Then we will move on and play Chelsea which will be a tough game against one of the best teams in the world, who have one of the best managers."

Spalletti has received a timely boost by the return to fitness of Roma legend Francesco Totti.

He completed almost 70 minutes in the home defeat by Inter Milan after recovering from a knee injury.

Totti added: "The problems are the results. Obviously when you don't achieve the results you hope to achieve, it is always going to be a problem. But we have to maintain the right attitude and we have to play well and compete against Chelsea.

"We are not getting the results in part because we have been unlucky and in part because we have not been playing particularly well.

"But the fact of the matter is that it is our fault. It is up to us to get over them and solve these problems.

"I played against Inter and there was no reaction from the knee and I am not in pain. So I am ready to be selected but that is down to the manager's decision."

FORMER CHELSEA coach Jose Mourinho has branded Chelsea striker Didier Drogba "a diver". Drogba has often been criticised for going to ground too easily but was vigorously defended by Mourinho during the Portuguese's time in charge at Stamford Bridge.

Now, just over a year after leaving Chelsea, The current Inter Milan has turned on the 30-year-old while also hitting out at Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo, Fernando Torres of Liverpool and Arsenal's Robin van Persie for the same thing.

Mourinho said: "I am no longer Chelsea coach, and I do not have to defend them any more, but I think it is correct if I say Drogba is a diver."