THE WOLF'S DEN - Tana dei Lupi II

[Lupa]

You did better than I did at identifying some of the new guys. I saw Cassetti, though, or so I thought. Okaka doesn't have his own wheels or maybe he planned on drinking too much to drive?

Anyway, when Panucci took out the team for some kind of team building dinner wasn't that around the start of our long win streak? Perhaps Totti's hoping for a similar thing to happen.

[AS Collie]

Ouch.

Dunno what's up with it.

Back in the office with you tomorrow, Ed, so I'm sure we can waste some time making it less shit then.

[Italiamia]

[DavidP]

[DavidP]

so we've agreed on terms with a new RB from brazil? the guy turned 25 this summer and 7m is the rumored price.

[RomaShield27]

[Italiamia]

[RomaShield27]

I Carnivori, on Via Tuscolana.

http://www.icarnivori.com/

[AS Collie]

[Italiamia]

[RomaShield27]

lol, certainly not. But we all know Tommaso doesn't really go to Roma much, anyway. Certainly not the Olimpico. The restaurant looks good, even if their website is fairly bonkers. Colly, check it out and report back here on what its like.

EDIT: Actually, report on what its like in thread, if you go.

[AS Collie]

[RomaShield27]

He is a Veggie Kiwi Sheep Shagger.

How come your blog is still down?

[stefano]

The website is insane, but the place could be quite good. Colly, as Edzo said, let us know how it is.

[AS Collie]

Dunno what's up with the blog. I'll sort it tomorrow.

I will go soon. But probably when I get back from Dublin. I'm going for a meal now, but I'm too hungry to risk going anywhere other than my current favourite.

[Italiamia]

[AS Collie]

[RomaShield27]

Training report from today. Good news is that Juan has returned to full training and should be ok for Inter, despite worries over some muscle strains yesterday. Still slight injury worries for Pizza and Mascot-Cinho. Also, a trio of Osvaldo-Totti-Borini were tried together upfront so Bojan could be dropped for Saturday:

ALLENAMENTO ROMA. Pericolo scampato per Juan. Per l’attacco provato Osvaldo con Totti e Borini
www.romanews.eu – giovedì, 15 settembre 2011 - ore: 10:02

A due giorni dal big match di San Siro contro l'Inter, la Roma prosegue il lavoro a Trigoria. Recupera Juan, provato il tridente Osvaldo-Totti-Borini




-------------------------------

CONFERENZA STAMPA BORINI:
http://www.romanews.eu/2011/09/15/confe ... non-si-sa/

[loazzi]

Alright, I want to talk tactics a little bit. Much has been made about LE's 4-3-3 but from my observation, its not REALLY a 4-3-3. Its a very dynamic, constantly changing formation. In fact, the only time that it is actually a 4-3-3 is when the opponent is having any sustained possession. When we have possession in our 1/2 of the field, its more a 2-5-3. When we have possession in the attacking 1/2 of the field, its a 2-1-4-3. When the opponent gains possession and launches a counter-attack, its a 3-4-3 (with the central defensive midfielder taking on the role of CB and the two CBs pushing out a little wider to cover for the wingbacks who are chasing.

I kinda like it. It takes some adapting and some getting used to by the players but I think once the players learn it and the wrinkles get ironed out, its quite a good system. It gets a lot of players into the attack and gives us the opportunity to keep a lot of possession (a cornerstone of LE's game). It guarantees that we will always have 3 players behind the ball so that we never get caught too outnumbered on a counter. (The defensive midfielder in this system is pretty key as he should ALWAYS make sure he is behind the ball.) The disadvantages to this system is 1) the offensive half can get pretty crowded, making it difficult to fins spaces to attack. This will take a better understanding from the players in terms of where to find the spaces and how to attack them effectively (we still have work to do in this regard). 2) If a team is really good at getting numbers quickly involved in counter-attacks, that could hurt us as the wingbacks and 2/3 of the midfield will inevitably be chasing back. All in all, I think it has more +'s than -'s once the players can learn the nuances.

This leads to a couple of other points. The forwards that we currently have do not fit the system well. In fact, I would like to see more of Caprari. I'm not suggesting that he is better or deserves more playing time that guys like Borriello, Osvaldo or especially Totti, just that his game is much better suited to cutting in from a wide position. Alternatively, I think LE needs to adapt the front 3 to a 1-2. That 1 needs to be Lamela, IMO. Totti can't make the dangerous runs in anymore to throw defenses off balance. I would like to see LE try a 1-2 front line with Lamela behind Totti and Osvaldo/Bojan.

I also would like if Gago can make that central DM position his, freeing DDR to take Perrotta's position and make some runs.

People cringe at the thought of Taddei playing LB (as a vice Angel) but in LE's system, its almost a LW. I think he is a much better fit in that position than anyone else on the roster. Likewise, Rosi is not as bad a choice for RB in this system as we would be in a more conventional 4-back system.

In addition to Caprari, I would like to see Viviani. he REALLY impressed me in the pre-season and the EL. I'm not sure where I would play him though.

Pizarro is a man without a position in this system. He doesn't make the necessary runs to play as one of the attacking MF and he is WAY too big of a defensive liability to play the CDM position. I like him a lot as a player but he just isn't right for the system.

Discuss.

[red]