THE WOLF'S DEN - Tana dei Lupi II

[maro]

[RomaShield27]

Announcement at Parma about girl with rare illness. Totti overheard message, immediately involved in fundraising (@matthew_barker)

[DCGweez]

[maro]

I was more interested in the point about "la squadra [...] gioca molto bassa" because "La velocita' nel recupero difensivo e fondamentale" and "Benatia e Castan sono molto bravi in marcatura, ma non nella velocita' o nel recupero." Playing with a high defensive line has tremendous advantages and contributes greatly to a team's attacking play - something that Marquinhos brings even when he might not be called on to do much individually. I just thought it was an interesting and cogent observation. I also think playing with a deeper defensive line helps De Rossi who is very fine tactically and powerful but is not quite as quick as some of the midfielders he comes up against and so doesn't want to let get wrong side of him.

[maro]

[maro]

[AS Collie]

GON - ZA - LO. I will be making a trip to the San Paolo this year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Otv6VDvSdsQ

[DCGweez]

http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/asroma/id/768?cc=5901

[RomaShield27]

http://romajournal.com/2013/09/19/la-ro ... #more-1726

[RomaShield27]

Gemignani pronto all’addio dopo il caso-Destro: Del Vescovo il sostituto L’ex giallorosso rientra a Trigoria come dirigente di

/ 19/09/2013 06:06

Un altro pezzo della Roma baldiniana se ne va, un campione del mondo è pronto a rientrare senza scarpini ai piedi ma in giacca e cravatta. La Roma sta per salutare Michele Gemignani, coordinatore dello staff medico portato da Baldini, e si prepara a riaccogliere Simone Perrotta nella nuova veste di dirigente.

Due storie diverse che si sono incrociate ieri negli uffici di Trigoria. Gemignani, assente alle ultime due partite con Verona e Parma, ha assistito all’allenamento e poi si è intrattenuto con i dirigenti.Da tempo sta ragionando sull’addio alla Roma, in seguito alla complicata gestione dell’infortunio di Destro che ha portato a vari scontri. Tra medici e non solo.

L’attaccante operato a gennaio dal professor Cerulli, indicato proprio da Gemignani, non ha ancora ripreso a correre e non sarà pronto prima di novembre. Su input dei suoi procuratori e della famiglia si è fatto visitare a Barcellona dal luminare Cugat e si è curato da solo in un centro fisioterapico di Brescia, dopo aver perso la fiducia nei medici della Roma. Altri specialisti gli hanno consigliato di rioperarsi, Cugat lo ha avvisato che se non si fosse fermato avrebbe rischiato la carriera. Una situazione che Gemignani ha ovviamente mal sopportato.

Le dimissioni sono nell’aria, ma potrebbero essere rinviate alla fine della stagione e coinvolgere anche i due collaboratori scelti dal dottore di Viareggio che in realtà sin dall’inizio coordina il lavoro da lontano e si affida a loro per la quotidianità: Francesco Colautti e Alessandro Fioretti, ai quali in estate è stato rinnovato il contratto per un anno. Il potenziale successore la Roma ce lo ha già in casa: a Riccardo Del Vescovo, medico del Campus Biomedico dove vengono visitati i giocatori, è stato appena affidato il settore giovanile con l’idea di promuoverlo in prima squadra il prossimo anno. Nel futuro di Gemignani potrebbe esserci invece Londra: Baldini vuole portarselo al Tottenham.

L’ex dg non dimentica i suoi uomini. A Perrotta aveva promesso il rinnovo di contratto da giocatore, la trattativa è poi sfumata ma ora l’eroe di Berlino 2006 sta per rientrare comunque alla Roma. Ieri è stato ricevuto a Trigoria da Sabatini e nei prossimi giorni incontrerà Pallotta per firmare il contratto da dirigente, con un ruolo non «di campo»: sarà un tramite tra squadra e società (l’incarico che Sabatini voleva affidare a Peruzzi) e avrà compiti di rappresentanza all’esterno, grazie all’esperienza accumulata negli ultimi mesi in Figc.

Da gennaio è entrato nel consiglio federale in quota atleti e ad agosto è diventato vice presidente del settore giovanile e scolastico. Sta studiando da vice-Tommasi nell’Assocalciatori ma intanto vuole dedicarsi alla Roma, come confermato da lui stesso una settimana fa. «Potrebbe succedere, ne stiamo parlando. È normale che bisogna individuare il ruolo giusto. Il mio desiderio è quello di restare a far parte di questa famiglia ma devono coincidere tante situazioni. Troveremo la soluzione giusta sia per me che per la società». A quanto pare ci sono riusciti.

Alessandro Austini

[DavidP]

[maro]

[maro]

Nice to see Ozzie's boys beat Liverfluke today.

[RomaShield27]

/ September 21, 2013 at 2:16 pm / Posted in AS Roma, Calcio by Stuart

The king of Rome it seems, is most definitely alive.

In the same week that 41-year old American cyclist Chris Horner belied his years to win the arduous Vuelta a Espana, (one of cycling’s three grand tours, a mere 2000-mile traverse across mountainous Spain, normally the preserve of men decades younger than Horner), Francesco Totti, just shy of his 37th birthday, scored against Parma and promptly signed a two-year contract extension.

Roma’s much maligned American owner, James Pallotta, was at hand to help Totti dot his I’s and cross his T’s in a carefully staged and strategically timed announcement - Mindful that Totti’s commitment would set the right tone ahead of the derby della capitale, Pallotta’s sense of occasion was shrewd, if not just a little self-serving.

But hoopla aside, it remains to be seen if Totti can continue to defy the odds and thwart not just younger opposition, but time itself. Will this be a fitting denouement or a fizzling-out in full view?

In sport, there a few more sorry sights than witnessing a once great ‘owned’ by young and far less gifted opposition. Players such as Manchester United’s Gary Neville had to feel the cold pang of floodlit embarrassment before hanging up their boots, while conversely, profound talents as Zinedine The Bald Algerian – in his mid-thirties and pomp intact, appear to retire prematurely.

Gary Neville’s epiphany came against Everton at Goodison Park, a game in which an abject lack of pace became an all too apparent, career-ending weakness. Everton’s Leighton Baines and Steven Pienaar effectively tagged-teamed the United legend into submission and unlike midfielder Paul Scholes, there was no reprise for Neville whose torrid afternoon on Merseyside served as a catalyst towards retirement.

Totti however, has never been about pace, and speed has never been a prerequisite for his ‘less is more’ modus operandi. As the archetypal trequartista, Totti is content to operate within a relatively small circumference, acting as a conduit through which the game flows and matters are orchestrated – After all, and as evidenced by Neville, the flanks are no country for old men.

Like a boxer, conserving energy by hogging the middle of the canvas, Totti often sits and allows the game to orbit around him. And on occasion when movement into space is required, instinct carries capitano into effective areas (his most recent goal against Parma a prime example), while anticipation intuitively buys him yards.

Curiously, a deficit of speed plagued Zinedine The Bald Algerian’s early career leading some coaches to unfathomably dismiss the Frenchman’s potential. But history shows any lack of pace soon ceased to impinge upon the mercurial midfielder whose wizardry, like that of Francesco Totti, embellished the fabled ‘number ten’ shirt.

Instead, it was a succession unshakeable injuries that eventually blighted ‘Zizu’, curtailing one of football’s most magical yet controversial careers – The dichotomy of good and bad a familiar refrain to Totti followers.

A phase of injuries that for some time plagued Roma’s talisman has ebbed away, (a nasty leg-break in 2006 almost jeopardised Totti’s involvement with Italy’s World Cup winning squad) and here in 2013, Totti is both svelte and strong – One positive legacy of Zdenek Zeman’s ill-fated Roma tenure made notable for particularly penal training regimes – A time in which Totti’s fitness visibly improved.

Critically, for any sporting veteran, it is imperative that physical capabilities are matched by a marriage of technical ability and desire. In this regard, Totti amassed 32 league appearances last season, contributing 12-goals and as many assists. Respectable figures admittedly, but more importantly, this represented an improvement upon the single-digit goal and assist return of his 2011-2012 campaign – A clear indication that the years have yet to blunt Totti’s skills or hunger.

With Silvio Piola’s Serie A goalscoring record within sight, albeit on the distant horizon, and talk of a possible return to Azzurri duty, the extrinsic motivation exists to propel Totti through two more seasons. And with a newly found sense of harmony enveloping the Giallorosso camp, it appears that just maybe, Totti can free himself of peripheral matters to solely focus on football.

The red mist that occasionally consumed Totti now seems a stranger and if Rudi Garcia can steady Roma’s lilting ship, the next two years may prove an Indian summer for Rome’s prodigal son. Of course Garcia will have to be provision for Totti’s deficiencies but with a midfield consisting of Michael Bradley, Daniele De Rossi and Kevin Strootman, there is ample industry to indulge il capitano for some time yet.

If there are any negative aspects to the prolongation of Totti’s career they would likely surface should Totti’s form dip. Both Claudio Ranieri and Luis Enrqiue dallied with Totti’s inclusion and both experienced the resultant backlash. Should Rudi Garcia find himself with an out-of-sorts captain one can only hope that tifosi, and Totti alike, display their magnanimous side. However, with the countdown to retirement underway and Piola’s record a target, the clamour for Totti to eek out every minute may be too much – Pressure Rudi Garcia could live without.

Totti’s form withstanding, maybe Daniele De Rossi will quietly lament the continued absence of the armband, and while capitano futuro is arguably a better leader, not even De Rossi would deny the king of Rome an extended reign.

De Rossi. like us, can just sit back and appreciate what remains of what continues to be quite a spectacular career.

----------


I'm missing the Derby tomorrow – All-Ireland final day here, Dubs v Mayo, hopefully it will be a glorious day all round. Forza Roma.

[romawi]

[Lupa]

[DCGweez]

@OfficialASRoma: Roma-Lazio. ROMA (4-3-3) De Sanctis; Maicon, Benatia, Castan, Balzaretti; Pjanic, De Rossi, Strootman; Florenzi, Totti, Gervinho #RomaLazio

[Lupa]

Was just going to look for that!

[Lupa]

[red]

Roma continuing to see the value of having a properly functioning midfield for the first time in ages. It's been in midfield that Roma have been losing Derbies, but today they were able to contain Lazio's midfield intially and gradually take control as the game went on.

That then meant that Roma were able to get the ball to their talented players enough to give them a real chance to influence the game. I don't think Roma had been able to do that in recent games against Lazio, which has meant Lazio's defence has had to do very little by way of serious defending in recent Derbies. I thought Cana and Ciani both had very good games today, and Roma still created a reasonable number of chances.

Be interesting to know if it was a decision by Garcia or if it just sort of happened, but I liked how Roma really focused on attacking down their right at the start of the second half. Meant that were actually getting their front three close enough together to give them a chance to link up, where the spaces between them had been far too big in the first half to really given them much chance to do anything.