When they started their season, Roma were expected to be Inter's main contenders for the Scudetto. After all, only a few months before, they had been very close to obtaining the main success, thanks to an outstanding ride. The squad had actually been strengthened over the summer with the arrival of some top strikers like Borriello or Adriano. The Italian Super Cup defeat and the the stuttering beginning of the season, both in Serie A and the Champions League, made it clear that something was not working properly. Captain Totti was sitting on the bench and continuously arguing with coach Ranieri, just like most of his team-mates. The team had completely lost the grit displayed so often in the previous season. However, thanks to some positive performances, in January they managed getting back close to the top standings. A disastrous February eventually led to Ranieri's dismissals and the arrival of Montella. The new coach opted for a tactical change, adopting an aggressive 4-2-3-1, with Totti as the lone striker and this seemed to pay. Roma suddenly became the favourite in a race for the fourth standing but they started losing again, thus missing the chance of qualifying to the main European competition. Roma certainly failed their season because of the clashes inside the squad and because of the tiredness of the players, mostly in their thirties, who had had little chances to rest over the summer. Moreover, both Ranieri and Montella could not count on an adequate group of alternatives to the top players. The lack of play did not help either. A team that needs being refounded.
