Gianluca Mancini faced the media following Roma’s defeat to Atalanta on Sunday evening.
The ex-Nerazzurri player was helpless to stop his old side overturning an early deficit on the way to an eventual 4-1 win – with all four Atalanta goals coming in the second half.
Edin Dzeko had given the Giallorossi a third-minute lead but, after an equaliser from Duvan Zapata on the hour-mark, the hosts then took full control of the game.
“In the first half we played well, fighting hard for every loose ball. Then in the second half there was the usual blackout that we can’t allow to happen,” Mancini said.
“We need to look forward, as always, trying not to repeat a second half like the one we had today.
“Physically it is a tough period, but not to the point we should be gifting goals like that. We could have fought back into the game but by making mistakes like that we gave ourselves no chance. It hurts to have conceded four times.”
With the game following on from a similar away defeat to Napoli, Mancini was asked if Roma are struggling to cope with the workrate and quality of the other big sides in Serie A.
“We know that intensity is one of Atalanta’s strong points, but they know how to play with the ball too,” he said.
“In the first half we matched them for intensity but we dropped off in the second half, we left them too much space and they hurt us with it.”
He added: “We need to put the work in but we are not worse than these teams. In the first half we showed that we can play at their level, but we need to accelerate our development and growth.
“Conceding four goals is no good, you need to keep yourselves in the game and give yourself the chance to get back into it. We need to put in the work to avoid collapses like that.”
