Rudi Garcia fast transforming AS Roma

ROME. It has taken new coach Rudi Garcia only five games and less than three months to turn AS Roma from a bickering outfit prone to defensive calamities into the most efficient unit in Serie A.

Friday, September 27, 2013

SaturdayGenoa    vs    Napoli        6pm Milan    vs    Sampdoria    8:45pm    SundayTorino    vs    Juventus    12:30pmCatania    vs    Chievo        3pmCagliari    vs    InterSassuolo    vs    LazioH Verona    vs    LivornoAtalanta    vs    UdineseAS Roma    vs    Bologna    8:45pm MondayFiorentina    vs    Parma        8:45pmROME. It has taken new coach Rudi Garcia only five games and less than three months to turn AS Roma from a bickering outfit prone to defensive calamities into the most efficient unit in Serie A.Roma go into Sunday’s match at home against Bologna with a 100 percent record from five games, 12 goals scored and only one conceded. Yet, when Garcia took over in mid-July, the team was in disarray.Despite a highly-talented squad led by the talismanic Francesco Totti, Roma finished sixth last season, missing out on European football after conceding 56 goals in their 38 games, one of the worst defensive records in the league.The maverick leadership of Czech-born coach Zdenek Zeman, fired just over halfway through the season after one defensive fiasco too many, produced great entertainment but had their fans living on their nerves.Roma, however, left the worst for the end when they lost the Coppa Italia final to arch-rivals Lazio in a performance overshadowed by a public spat between controversial striker Pablo Osvaldo, who has since joined Premier League Southampton, and interim coach Aurelio Andreazzoli.Garcia quickly brought order to the dressing-room, patched up the defence and gave the players back their confidence.The arrival of central defender Mehdi Benatia from Udinese, described by Garcia as the symbol of the team, and Brazilian right back Maicon from Manchester City have bolstered the backline, as has the signing of goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis from Napoli.Daniele De Rossi, overlooked by Zeman for part of last season, is back to his swashbuckling best in midfield and Miralem Pjanjic has found a new lease of life.Totti, now in his 22nd season and 37 on Friday, continues to defy the years while the arrival of Gervinho and Adem Ljajic have give the attack a new dimension.