Roma goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis has said that he is unsure why the club have failed to hit top form in recent weeks.

The Giallorossi have seen their Serie A title challenge falter and a goalless draw against Chievo this afternoon means that they have won just one of their last nine league games.

"We can't seem to play exciting and sparkling football any more," Football Italia quotes De Sanctis as saying. "We ask ourselves why during the week and try everything, but the performance we prepared just doesn't come out. Apart from a few exceptions, the results come from the performance.

"It's not an issue of seeking scapegoats, it's a collection of issues that means we can't play at the right pace. Our opponents are balanced, work defensively and we can't break them down. It's up to us to find a way through.

"Clearly if in 10 games you draw eight of them, you can't kid yourself and kid Roma fans by saying we're targeting the Scudetto. We need to look over our shoulders, but the objective remains to win every match regardless."

Roma will return to action on Thursday evening with a clash against Fiorentina in the last 16 of the Europa League.