How come Roma never win the big silverware? Why is it that even (perhaps especially) when they happen to have a competitive team, they always end up stumbling on the last step of that ladder to glory?

There are a number of explanations, the most important being limited resources and bad luck. But one more nebulous factor keeps coming up in the discussions of frustrated fans, and that is mentality. Roma, so the argument goes, lack a winner's mind-frame. They get shaky legs on big occasions, forget their strengths, and end up losing their confidence just when it matters most. It's a seductive proposition, not least because a ready antithesis is provided by Juventus – the very definition of a team with a winning mentality.

Luciano Spalletti's decision to strip Daniele De Rossi of his captaincy after a red card against Porto is part of a larger plan to solve Roma's most endemic problem. It's an attempt at forging a disciplined, rigorous winning mentality that will let the Lupi overcome their historical weaknesses. Is it working?

Before hazarding an answer to this most important of questions, it's important to get a sense of the phenomenon Spalletti is dealing with. Considering that Roma's crop of players underwent more than one near-total turnover since their last Scudetto victory in 2001, their chronic psychological difficulties most likely stem from the environment. Rome may be a lovely spot to visit, but it's not always an easy city to live in, and it makes things even harder for you when you're being asked to represent it.

The Capital fan-base is incredibly tribal. Their derby is among the most ferocious in Europe, the people readily identify themselves in terms of their neighbourhoods (think the American East Side / West Side divide, but times 10 or 15), while their colours, dialect and mannerisms are powerfully woven into the national culture. Perhaps only Napoli, among the Italian clubs, is backed by a comparable metropolitan sense of belonging.

This makes for some stunning choreographies in the curva, but it also means there is precious little room to breathe for a football team. Even a 14-year-old Keyboard Warrior on Instagram is more forgiving of human failings than your average Romanista.

Players get heckled, harassed, booed any time things go wrong, including Miralem Pjanic in the street (you can bet the midfielder remembered that when Juventus came knocking on his door). Players, Coaches, directors and Presidents fly from heroes to villains and back again at the bat of an eye.

One possible explanation behind Roma's failure to find a stable mental form may have to do with the incredible pressure placed on them by the mere fact of living and working in Rome. Juve have a wholly different breed of supporter – most Bianconeri fans don't come from Turin, enjoy a merely peripheral interest in the derby, and have a much less visceral relationship with their players.

Roma veteran Spalletti is no stranger to these issues, and the response he came up with for his second tenure has been to institute a disciplinarian, even draconian, regime. De Rossi fails? Off with the captain's arm-band. Francesco Totti complains? Cast him out of the squad. The team draws 3-3 against Atalanta? Cue a tremendous scolding, with the Coach yelling, fretting and swearing in the locker room. No exceptions are made, and no errors are let slip.

There's something appealing about turning Rome into Sparta, at least on paper. And it's certainly a novel approach. Last season's winning streak seems to validate Spalletti's philosophy as well.

In spite of that, it’s doubtful this approach is bearing fruit. Listen to the battle-cries in the middle of the training sessions: 'Who do we run for? Roma! Who do we fight for? Roma! Who do we die for? Roma!' And then look at Spalletti's own histrionics, the way he flung himself face-down to the floor after Alessandro Florenzi's header went wide against Cagliari.

Spalletti's commitment is laudable, but his project seemingly involves fighting hysteria with sharper hysteria. He is asking his players to be even crazier than the fans, and intuitively this doesn't seem like a good idea.

Time will be the final judge, of course, but for the moment it didn't exactly inspire the team to win against Porto when attempting to secure the Champions League. On the contrary, the argument could be made that Spalletti's excess of pressure and hype was ultimately detrimental to the team's psychological hold, just like the city's own excessive pressure is not doing them good.

One hopes some good will come of De Rossi’s revoked captaincy, but in truth it seems like yet another bombastic, melodramatic gesture of very little concrete effect, like throwing yourself face-down when a shot goes wide, or barking that players should kill themselves for the team.

It's spectacular and attention-grabbing, but it's not necessarily effective.

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