'Only a Roman can help Roma' - why Ranieri returned from retirement

"Presidents and directors, leave Roma, you are incompetent and unworthy," read the banner outside the training ground gates.

Roma fans are clearly fed up with the turbulent journey their club and its ownership have taken them on and wanted to make their feelings known.

Angry at the lack of direction, angry at muddled decision-making, angry at the on-pitch struggles, it seems few in Rome want owners the Friedkins to stay - no matter the money spent.

After the American group's takeover in 2020, Dan Friedkin, now Roma's president, said: "Our vision for the club and the team is to favour a sustainable and long-term investment approach rather than quick fixes."

On Thursday, Roma hired their fourth coach of the calendar year - 73-year-old Claudio Ranieri, who had retired in May - while they are currently 12th in Serie A, just four points above the relegation zone.

Not since 2004-05 had the Giallorossi collected as few as their current 13 points from their opening 12 league fixtures.

Ivan Juric, the latest manager to be sacked, leaves with the lowest points-per-game average of a Roma boss for 20 years.

The Croatian's final match in charge was a 3-2 home defeat by Bologna - when a lifeless on-pitch performance was juxtaposed with the anger of seething fans in the stands.

It was hard to escape the feeling of moroseness. Booing without reprieve, exasperated Roma supporters eventually gave up and began to leave the stadium.

Giving up is also what defender Gianluca Mancini appeared to do on the field. The Italy centre-half, who was wearing the captain's armband on Sunday, stepped up out of the defensive line as a pass was played in behind.

He stood still and watched on - rather than attempting to recover his position - as Bologna scored their third goal of the game.

Roma's disconsolate technical director Florent Ghisolfi talked to the press after the defeat. Apologising to fans for their suffering, he acknowledged the need for the club to "take our share of the responsibility".

Half an hour after the full-time whistle, the club announced Juric had been sacked - less than two months after taking charge.

Gazzetta dello Sport called it the fastest dismissal in history.

The decision to hire Juric in the first place only served to highlight the lack of a clear sporting strategy.

When the Friedkins arrived, their decision to bring in Jose Mourinho as manager won them plaudits. A proven winner and a man capable of capturing global interest, Mourinho would satisfy both commercial and sporting needs.

The Stadio Olimpico was sold out for 43 consecutive games and the fanbase fell in love with the Portuguese who led them to back-to-back European finals.

However, Roma failed to prepare for what was to come after Mourinho. When he was sacked, the fans were furious and the decision to hand the reins to Daniele de Rossi seemed a way to placate supporters rather than to serve a long-term vision.

The former captain of the side understands the club and the culture but had a different playing style and little experience. The decision to then extend his contract before the summer raised a few eyebrows.

Investing more than 100m euros (£83m) in summer transfers, the Friedkins sought to support De Rossi's tactical vision and squad requirements.

Dismissing him only four weeks into the season remains a hasty and bewildering decision - but to then entrust the squad of players to Juric, a man with an entirely different playing philosophy, emphasised the lack of forward planning.

Juric predictably failed. He not only failed to transmit his ideas but the players were visibly sad, unhappy or overlooked.

Spare a thought in particular for Germany centre-half Mats Hummels, who joined Roma on a free transfer in the summer.

He had spoken of growing up watching Francesco Totti and De Rossi and his excitement to be training under the latter - only to watch on from the sidelines as Juric consistently overlooked him, choosing to play a midfielder at the back rather than the Champions League finalist.

"We are big believers in stability and culture," said Dan Friedkin in his first official interview four years ago.

"This is important in our existing businesses, and it's critically important in football. We try to identify, and more importantly support, strong management."

The problem at Roma is no-one quite understands who is calling the shots.

The club are still without a CEO after Lina Souloukou resigned from her role, while Frenchman Ghisolfi - the man who stepped up to absorb fans' ire and acknowledge mistakes - seems to have no power to make decisions, leaving the Italian media to debate how long he will last in his role.

It does not help that he only speaks in French at a club obsessed with its history and traditions.

There is no harder club to manage in Italy than Roma, mostly due to the endless noise surrounding it.

Fabio Capello accomplished many great things in his managerial career - notably thrashing Johan Cruyff's Barcelona in the 1994 European Cup final with AC Milan - but some believe his finest achievement remains winning Serie A with Roma - amid the endless debates, critiques and scrutiny of an obsessive fanbase and city.

Understanding Roma's history - and honouring it - would have meant not sacking an iconic former captain like De Rossi so hastily, or indeed hiring directors who do not speak the language and struggle to appreciate the club's culture and its fervent support.

Perhaps hiring Ranieri is a humble nod, an acknowledgement that this unique club must be handed over to people who understand it and can handle the challenges.

A winner and an experienced tactician, Ranieri came out of retirement to take charge of the club he loves above all others - and called his arrival akin to calling in the cavalry.

Tasked with steadying the ship, Ranieri is a safe pair of hands to guide Roma until the end of the season before he takes his place in a management position.

"At the conclusion of the season, Claudio will transition into a senior executive role, where he will be an adviser to the ownership on all sporting matters at the club," a Roma statement read.

"The search for a future coach will proceed over the next months. Claudio will have input in that decision as well."

Perhaps only a Roman can help Roma plan for the future.

For now, Ranieri must start winning for the fans who rushed to the airport to greet their former player and manager, and are thrilled to have him back at the helm.

Forza Ranieri.