THE WOLF'S DEN - Tana dei Lupi II

[AS Collie]

''Forse - ha detto - non sono riuscito ad esprimere tutto ciò che avrei voluto e potuto fare. E' anche vero che a livello di squadra ci è mancato qualcosa. Spero - ha aggiunto - che quest'anno vada meglio."

[RomaShield27]

/ Posted by Julian De Martinis / Aug 28 / 7:26 PM BST

The long-rumored deals have finally gone through: off goes Erik Lamela to Tottenham, arriving for the Madrid-bound Gareth Bale, and in comes Adem Ljajic from Fiorentina.

The former cost Spurs 30 million euros with an additional five possible via performance bonuses; the latter, 11 plus four. By announcing the deals simultaneously as Roma did Wednesday, the continuity is made explicit. Off goes one promising wide attacker, in comes another. The deals brought Roma much windfall and ensured there wouldn't be a lack of a genuine young talent.

Every player has a price -- this is the motto around which this mercato has been conducted. Looking back over the last three summers, it's the motto that the Americans have operated on ever since taking over Roma. It’s not really a bad nor controversial model and most clubs outside of a rare few must live under it. After all, it’s this same thinking that saw Bale leave Spurs, pushing the first domino that resulted in Ljajic.

The only real issue is what money means to Roma. Missing out on the Champions League, never mind Europe, for two years in a row is a loss of a massive revenue stream. Combined with the lack of a new stadium, the Nike deal not kicking in yet, the Disney sponsorship just being new, wages not matching up to on-field potential . . . . it’s not necessarily difficult to understand why Roma may have to cash in on players.

No, the true problem lies deeper: is this summer a one-off, selling Marquinhos and Lamela to help balance the books when both could have given so much more to the team, when neither expressed any desire to leave, when both were on long contracts and would have been starters?
Will selling stars stop once Roma is a genuine title contender, Champions League contender, trophy winner, owner of a stadium? Or are the owners in this to turn a profit by buying low and selling high?

The latter, if true, is troubling; it’s difficult if not impossible to think of a big club that manages to sell its best young players each year and still genuinely compete. If Roma want trophies, they need great players, not just profit.

And that’s tempering the excitement there arguably should be. Selling Marquinhos to bring in Medhi Benatia and Kevin Strootman is almost inarguably an upgrade, emotions and attachment aside. Erik Lamela for Adem Ljajic and 15 million Euros is hardly a downgrade; it remains perfectly arguable that Roma may actually be a better team this year than last because of these very sales and the players they allowed to come in.

The danger is that Strootman and Ljajic are merely next year's Lamela and Marquinhos. Will they stay for the long haul and drive Roma to greatness or merely be sent off the second a good offer arrives?

[maro]

[maro]

DAVID ROSSI (Tele Radio Stereo): “De Rossi ha firmato un contratto forse il più oneroso per la storia della Roma e senza clausola rescissoria ma quelli che avevano detto il contrario non hanno chiesto scusa. Ora succede lo stesso con Ljajic. Ieri ne ho sentite di tutte i colori, che la Roma è d’accordo con il Milan, e altro. Tutte cazzate. Così come la clausola rescissoria, che non c’è. Il 20% alla Fiorentina non è vero. Esiste una verità delle chiacchiere e una verità dei fatti. A me risulta che Galliani non l’ha preso benissimo. All’ultimo momento la Juve si è inserita offrendo alla Fiorentina 5 milioni più Isla, ma la Roma aveva già fatto tutto”

[maro]

MAX LEGGERI (Radio Manà Manà Sport): “Se dovessi scegliere investirei il tesoretto da 32 milioni su un grandissimo attaccante. Sarebbe un colpo eccezionale che servirebbe non solo a rinforzare la squadra ma anche al marketing della società e a riavvicinare molti tifosi che ancora scuotono la testa e provano un distacco emotivo dopo il fatidico 26 maggio. Al posto di Lamela avrei riportato a Roma Alessio Cerci”.

ROBERTO PRUZZO (Radio Radio): “Secondo me Ljajic farà una buona stagione con la Roma. Sono pronto a scommetter che andrà in doppia cifra”

[AS Collie]

This is something that's bothered me since I moved here:

Who the hell comes up with the names for Italian radio stations?

[RomaShield27]

Crescenzi gone now too. Bleeding us dry. Pity, would have been great to see him get shot as a squad player.

Crescenzi joins Ajaccio on loan
Friday, 30 August 2013 // 11:10 Am | http://www.romanews.us/2013/08/30/cresc ... o-on-loan/

NEWS - Ajaccio set a second loan from AS Roma this week after Ivorian striker Junior Tallo as also young left-back Alessandro Crescenzi will sign a loan agreement for a season without an option to purchase.(ac-ajaccio.com)

[DCGweez]

Too bad. Still, to have 3 top players who are all youth players and true Romanisti is about all a "top" club could expect. On that note we should count ourselves lucky.

[AS Collie]

[maro]

DAVID ROSSI (Tele Radio Stereo): "Lamela? I tanti gol dello scorso anno sono un po' drogati dalla cura Zeman. Non so in carriera quante altre volte segnerà 15 gol in una stagione. Garcia? Mi hanno stupito alcune dichiarazioni dei giocatori che hanno parlato molto bene di lui: lo hanno definito come uno che è già riuscito a creare un grande feeling".

UGO TRANI (Rete Sport): “Usciamo dall'equivoco, Borriello resta se non arriva un centravanti. Sul discorso allenatore, il rischio della Roma è stato Pioli, l'età della pietra. Rudi Garcia ha un gioco moderno, è calcio. Lui il centravanti d'area lo vuole, per adesso quello che dovrà dare profondità è Ljajic. Strootman? Per me è un ottimo calciatore. Ljajic? Potrebbe essere più decisivo di Lamela. Gervinho? Secondo me Cerci è più forte, senza dubbio”.

MARIO CORSI (Centro Suono Sport): "Pallotta ha convocato Baldissoni e Sabatini a Boston, ve lo ricordate? Gli ha detto: fine, io per due anni non metto più una lira. Quindi via Totti, De Rossi, lamela, Pjanic... Autofinanziatevi da soli. E loro hanno eseguito quello che hanno fatto Pallotta. Perchè due anni? Perchè tra due anni ci sarà lo stadio come carta da giocare. De Rossi era stato dato in prestito al Chelsea che all'80% pagava il suo stipendio. Fenucci ha avuto un grande lite con Baldissoni e Sabatini ed ha fermato l'operazione. Mi dicono che Garcia è un aziendalista totale. Contratto di Totti sarà un problema perchè sono lontanissimi. Loro gli vogliono dare gli stessi soldi di Maicon. Poi, la Banca non vuole più Catia Augelli ma Baldissoni è riuscito a farla restare. Ieri è stato bloccato fino a novembre 2014 l'aumento del capitale"

[maro]

Verre and Caprari are both going to be loaned out, aren't they? That's consistently been the word in the papers.

[AS Collie]

[DCGweez]

[AS Collie]

Who? Edzo? I know.

Pallotta's not around because this can't be handled with an english sound bite. He'll be back telling us how long it took to build Rome (spoiler alert: it was more than one day) when Garcia's won a few games.

I'm not gonna say I dislike the guy. He's trying to do something interesting, he's very successful and I'm sure he's got lots of friends and family who think he's great. I just don't think he's right for Roma. I don't think any of them are. Too detached from the reality of the club and the city.

[RomaShield27]

Manchester United's €12m bid for Daniele De Rossi rejected
Published 41 minutes ago by Paul Bailey / http://www.givemesport.com/374343-manch ... utoplay=on

Manchester United have seen an official €12million bid for AS Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi rejected by the Serie 'A' club, according to Italian publication Corriere Della Serra.

The reigning Premiershit champions are understood to be long-term admirers of the Italy international, and have made a last-ditch attempt to lure him to England, just days before the close of the transfer window.

As David Moyes continues his search for one marquee signing at Old Trafford this summer, the Manchester United boss will more than likely have to turn his attention to alternative targets, with the 30-year-old keen to stay at Stadio Olimpico.

In a summer of transition, Roma boss Rudi Garcia has allowed a number of first-team regulars leave the club, most notably last season's top goalscorer Dani Osvaldo, Marquinhos and Maarten Stekelenburg.

Osvaldo and Stekelenburg have both swapped Serie 'A' for the Premiershit with respective moves to Southampton and Fulham, but De Rossi will not be following suit, as the Italian remains committed to his current club.

Manchester United won't give up easily on the midfielder, though, after former England manager Fabio Capello - who knows De Rossi well from his time in charge of Roma - gave a strong recommendation about his potential to excel in the Premiershit.

[RomaShield27]

/ Friday, 30 August 2013 12:40/ Anthony Wright

New Roma signing Adem Ljajic was presented to the media on Friday afternoon having completed his transfer from Fiorentina, and the winger was enthusiastic about the season ahead.

The Serb did admit that he had hoped to sign for AC Milan, but after the clubs were unable to agree on a fee he was more than happy to join the Giallorossi instead.

"I've only just arrived and have trained with the team twice, but Roma have a strong squad and we will try to qualify for Europe. In my opinion Juventus are stronger than anyone, but there are many teams that can finish second - Napoli, Fiorentina, Milan, Roma. We'll take it game by game and see what happens at the end", Ljajic began.

"I spoke with the Fiorentina management and they knew what I wanted. We didn't find an agreement [with Milan], then my agent told me about the interest from other teams and I decided to come here because Roma are an important team in Italy and Europe, they are very strong and have a great history. I'm happy to be here".

Ljajic spoke about the difficulties he had in adjusting to Serie A after signing for the Viola from Partizan Belgrade, before adding that even at Fiorentina he had great respect for Roma due to the way they played football against his former side.

"Before coming here [to Italy] I played in Serbia, which isn't a league of the same level as the Italian one. I found it difficult in Italy, it's a more difficult type of football here compared to the rest of Europe. When [Vincenzo] Montella arrived [at Fiorentina] I was happy, I had a good relationship with him and did well.

"I want to carry on like that, I know that I must still improve a lot and I want to do this every day. I'm here and I want to improve and to do great things.

"[Last season] we lost three times [against Roma], which I think was because they were the only team that played football against us - always with the ball on the ground. I've lost many times against Roma, they have had strong players and played the best football against Fiorentina".

Ljajic has previously been in the spotlight for an episode between him and former Fiorentina coach Delio Rossi, when he sarcastically applauded the former Lazio trainer for substituting him and the coach then threw a punch at Ljajic, but the winger did not want to look back on the incident and instead is focused on Roma.

"I don't think I've ever been nasty. I don't know what that means, it's normal for a player who isn't playing to be a little restless. I'm someone who always wants to play, which is why I've had difficulties in Italy. Recently I've always played, and I have a great relationship with everyone.

"The episode with Delio Rossi was an ugly incident which I don't want to think about any more, I don't want to talk about it - it's in the past. Now I'm at Roma and I must give my all.

"I don't want to make comparisons with [Erik Lamela] - Lamela is Lamela and I am me. He is an excellent player, I'm here and I want to think about doing well. I want to do well here, I want to improve myself and grow. I believe I'll do well here".

Asked whether he would be ready to make his debut against Hellas Verona on Sunday, Ljajic replied that he will accept whatever decision Rudi Garcia makes and says he is even prepared to play full back if that is what the coach wants.

"I'm ready to play, but the coach decides. If he doesn't pick me I will respect his decision. I saw the game against Livorno, I played in the same formation at Fiorentina. I like playing as a wide forward on the left, but it's up to the coach - I'll even play full back.

"I prefer to play on the left wing, I can also play up front or on the right. In my opinion I think the team is complete, we have excellent players here".

Ljajic has scored six times against Lazio in the past, and having played in fierce derbies before says he is looking forward to finding the net in his first Roman derby.

"I don't know what the derby is like here, though I've watched it many times. I've played in a derby in Serbia which they say is the most dangerous anywhere, though this one is as well. I scored my first goal against Lazio and scored twice last year, I hope to score against them again".

Having chosen Lamela's number 8 shirt, Ljajic insisted that he is not here just for the short term and hopes to wear the Giallorosso shirt for many years to come as long as they remain ambitious.

"My preferred number is 22 but [Mattia] Destro has that number - I wore 8 as a youth team player at Partizan. I don't want you to think that I've come here just to go somewhere else, I've come here to play for 10 years - I'm ready to stay here for a long time and win something. I know that Roma have ambition and so do I.

"[Do I have a release clause?] You'll have to ask someone else, I don't know if there's a clause. I've been impressed by Trigoria, it's a great sports centre first of all and there is a fantastic group here. I'm happy to be part of this group and I hope that we do great things together".

[maro]

Whatever else, his PR-coaches deserve a bit of credit - though I suppose it shouldn't have been too hard to polish up those geese (ansers).

[p_maldini_3]

why would you doubt what he says?

if he had a PR coach, he'd be saying that totti has a horse cock.

[maro]

Totti's horse cock pisses pure uric acid. I guess it's all the time he's spent in urea.

[maro]