Evan Ferguson Running Out Of Time At Roma Amid Brutal Gian Piero Gasperini Remarks

Evan Ferguson is on increasingly thin ice at Roma as Gian Piero Gasperini once again makes his feelings clear about the striker.

Evan Ferguson ‘not convincing’ Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini

Ferguson did well against Como on Monday 15 December and it looked as though he had turned a corner.

The Brighton loanee appeared to have built on his impressive brace against Celtic.

Gasperini had criticised Ferguson prior to the Celtic match, but was more complimentary thereafter.

However, things change quickly in football, and Ferguson appears to once again be in his manager’s bad books.

Ferguson started on the bench for Roma’s 2-1 defeat at Juventus, before being introduced to chase the game.

The Irishman played a part in the Giallorossi’s goal, his shot leading to a rebound which Tommaso Baldanzi put away.

However, in his post-match remarks, Gasperini said he was not convinced by Ferguson, citing rhythm and mindset issues.

“Ferguson isn’t convincing me,” he said. “Even in the second half, for a long time.

“He hasn’t quite got into the swing of things yet, along with others.

“But we have a very solid team. Dybala and Soule were served very well and have superior technical quality.

“I would make the same decisions again.”

However, Roma director of football Frederic Massara was more gentle, insisting the club “believes in him” and needs patience.

A warning amid transfer speculation

Gasperini linked the broader problem to Roma’s ceiling, saying defeats to top rivals show they are “missing a step”.

He added that the January window could help, calling it an “opportunity” as Roma look to strengthen in attack.

Indeed, there has been a lot of speculation linking the Giallorossi with new strikers, along with some departures.

Joshua Zirkzee interests Roma, while the likes of Beto and Jeff Ekhator are also of interest to the Giallorossi.

On the outgoings front, Artem Dovbyk is on the market, but Gasperini reportedly rates Ferguson even lower.

Ferguson has shown flashes since arriving from Brighton, including a substitute goal that ended a long club drought.

Gasperini previously praised his determination, but warned it was unwise to start him because of pain.

Now, his language has toughened, and the message for Ferguson is blunt: minutes must be earned, not protected by reputation.

If Roma sign another forward in January, Ferguson’s role could shrink from development project to emergency cover.

Indeed, Roma could even let Ferguson go back to Brighton, as has previously been reported.

The 21-year-old is certainly not being given an easy ride, but the ball is firmly in his court to win Gasperini over.