Roma plight no laughing matter

A renowned practical joker, AS Roma captain Francesco Totti phoned a radio show on Tuesday pretending to be a Giallorossi fan, but out on the pitch there has been little to smile about for Claudio Ranieri's side as they prepare to host Fulham FC this evening.

Late equaliser
Marco Andreolli's added-time strike earned Roma a vital point at Craven Cottage a fortnight ago, but according to Ranieri that goal just papered over the cracks. "We are trying to become more consistent and improve defensively," said Ranieri, whose side's disappointing Group E campaign is echoed in domestic competition. "We have the [second] worst defensive record in Serie A and have to change that statistic as soon as possible."

'Strong opponents'
Roma have conceded 19 goals in eleven Serie A games and the former Chelsea FC and Juventus coach knows keeping a clean sheet will be far from easy on Matchday 4. "Fulham played well against Arsenal and Manchester City and heavily defeated Liverpool, confirming they are very strong opponents," said the 58-year-old. "However, we want to go far in Europe and we will give everything to beat them. We should also score more. We create a lot of chances and play well, but we must convert our chances. We probably miss a real striker in attack."

Pizarro determined
Roy Hodgson's side beat Liverpool FC 3-1 on Saturday and Ranieri admits he was impressed. "I knew they were strong even before they beat Liverpool. Arsenal defeated them 1-0 but I think Fulham deserved to win. Fulham defend well and are quick to counterattack. I expect them to play like that in Rome." After a series of recent disappointing results, midfielder David Pizarro hopes to give the 'tifosi' something to cheer. "We lost a few games, talked with the coach and found some reasons for our defeats, but what the supporters need are victories and this is what we want to give them," he said.

'Massive game'
FC Basel 1893 lead the group on six points with Fulham on five and Roma a point further back. The situation would be very different if not for Andreolli's late strike and Fulham midfielder Zoltán Gera is determined to make amends. "They scored a great goal at the end," he said. "It was a shame, and we were very hurt at the final whistle. I'm sure we can make up for it. It's a massive game for us, and one we really need to win. If we don't get the three points there could be a lot of pressure on our shoulders."