THE WOLF'S DEN - Tana dei Lupi II

[Carlo Romano]

The ratings and comments by Alessandro Carducci:


Julio Sergio - 6.5: Made an excellent block on Iaquinta in a one on one, secure as usual.

Cassetti - 6: Good in the first phase then substituted by Rosi.

Mexes - 7: A poor beginning against Iaquinta but in the second half made two excellent interventions.

Burdisso - 6.5: Optimum defending by il Bandito.

Riise - 5: Suffered badly against Pepe's attacks and crosses.

De Rossi - 6.5: Gave his customary midfield performance.

Greco - 6: Dribbled past easily by Aquilani when assisting the Iaquinta goal. Good when setting up but needs to improve in "containment." (defending)

Simplicio - 5.5: After the last two encouraging performances, the Brazilian did not have a good game. Played out of his usual position, he was late in covering and could not give his usual contribution in going forward.

Menez - 6.5: Nearly scored a goal after a great build up, but for a good block by Storari. Good in defence too but on this occasion could not make the "winning play!"

Totti - 7: Played a very good game. Made several industrious attacking moves. Scored a great penalty.

Vucinic - 5: A "stunted" performance from the Montenegrin who did not this evening start from the left side.

Rosi - 5.5: Showed less drive than Cassetti but in the second half the Roma performance was less "bright!"

Borriello and Brighi: s/v

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To conclude...A Totti-Vuci front two is no longer our best option. Simply, il mister has to realise he should use his best attack which means using Mirko, Marco and Francè, at very least when playing the more important games! On the Juve goal. For all I applaud in football terms the build up and finish, I think the fact we had three players around Iaquinta who should have done something more to put him off says all there is to say really...

[Deini]

Mexes was a beast yesterday. Maybe Claudio should've taken off Vucinic instead of Totti.

Carlo, that Angelucci/Rosella rumor comes from numerous people on the Zampa forums. But he really is the odd man out. He can't compete with the oil dollars of Aabar. Speaking of them, they want to hire Ancelotti as coach and Baldini as new td. Plus 80 million to reinforce the squad. And around 300 million to build a new stadium. Tisch is not interestes in Roma but another American fund.

One more thing, call me Johnny instead of Deini. It's my real name.

[Lupa]

Mexes was awesome. Vooch was invisible.

I see that Rube are complaining about the ref, which is normal I guess, since he wasn't totally in their pocket. The Pepe incicident could have gone either way, but Mexes being tripped was a sure penalty that didn't get called. If Borriello tripped Chiellini I didn't see it, but Chiellini surely could have been sent off for one infraction due a yellow card and then his outright disobeying the ref who was trying to send him to the sidelines for treatment.

Wankers.

[maro]

Mexes was lucky he wasn't punished for going to sleep on that chance Iaquinta butchered in the opening stages and I'm not sure whose fault it was, really, but he was certainly involved in the terrible defensive organisation that allowed Iaquinta the opportunity to score his goal. Of course he also did lots of really good stuff and personally I'd rather see him and Juan as our first-choice pairing. It's just that had Iaquinta taken that first chance, the general assessment of Mexes's game would probably have been rather different, despite his having done nothing different himself.

red will tell us that we missed a trick by playing Vooch too narrow; had he started more down the left it's hard to believe he wouldn't have had plenty of joy against the make-shift right back. Also, for Lupa, from Claudio's comments after the match:

Non è facile scegliere in un parco attaccanti così ampio.
"Hanno tutti caratteristiche diverse. L'unico che ci da profondità e riempie l'area di rigore è Borriello. Quando manca lui, chiedo a Vucinic o Menez di attaccare gli spazi, ma non sempre lo fanno. La palla che Menez ha messo in mezzo nel primo tempo è stata più o meno la palla che ci ha permesso di segnare con la Fiorentina. Ci fosse stato Borriello sono convinto che l'avrebbe sfruttata."

Profondita', profondita', profondita'.

Carlo, it's harder to create lots of chances when the opposition defend with 12 men behind the ball.

[maro]

"Quando manca lui, chiedo a Vucinic o Menez di attaccare gli spazi" - I wonder if someone can find Spags saying exactly the same thing, almost verbatim, at some stage in the past?

[red]

Fair result?

Match reports seem to suggest Roma were the better team, but highlights suggest Juve had more clear chances.

Looked a legitimate penalty. Haven't seen the Chiellini-Mexes incident yet.

Was a it a sufficiently interesting match that I should bother to find and watch the whole thing?

[RomaShield27]

Forza Roma. We is deadly. We should of won. Rube were lucky. We woz unlucky. Chiellini is a bitch. Mexes is a monster. My head hurts.

Red, full game in the , great quality cap.

[maro]

We were much, much the better side for the first half, red, completely dominating possession and territory, but with Rube still posing a threat with rare balls over the top and early crosses. The Chiellini-Mexes incident was a stone-wall penalty - considerably more so, even, than the one that was given. Rube were better in the second half but still played some really dire stuff. We lost our shape when Totti came off for Borriello and so the last 30 Rube came into it more. I'm not sure it was sufficiently interesting for you to track it down - it was fuller of incident than of quality for me and Rube do play a horrible brand of football at the moment.

[red]

Juve have very little when Krasic isn't playing.

Cheers, Ed.

[RomaShield27]

Also a high quality torrent of the game added in the .

[maro]

Generoso e veloce: Cresce il giovane Cerci
16:20 del 14 novembre

Una prestazione tra tante luci e qualche ombra quella di Alessio Cerci contro il Cesena. La miglior partita per il calciatore romano dal suo arrivo a Firenze, determinante per la seconda volta consecutiva: suo l’assist dell’1 a 0 a Gilardino, per un gol che vale tre punti d’oro. Nel primo tempo Cerci corre, taglia il campo e si fa sempre vedere, ma non riesce a essere incisivo; trova una grande intesa con Mutu che sfortunatamente intorno al 30esimo si fa male ed è costretto a uscire per lasciare spazio a Ljajic. Complice la poca frequenza di palloni girati dal talento serbo nella sua zona di campo, Cerci si eclissa per una ventina di minuti nei quali praticamente non tocca nemmeno un pallone. Riemerge poi al sesto minuto della ripresa saltando un difensore avversario e tentando di passare in mezzo a due, ma viene fermato. Poco lucido sotto porta non riesce a tramutare in gol una bellissima palla servitagli da Santana. Torna alla carica dell’area di rigore al 14esimo della ripresa, salta due avversari scambiandosi la palla con Ljajijc e sigla l’assist dell’uno a zero. Pochi minuti dopo, Cerci si rende ancora pericoloso grazie a un contropiede: Gilardino riceve un pallone a sinistra e con un passaggio non proprio perfetto cerca di rendere all’ex Pisa e Roma il favore, ma senza successo. Il giovane viola chiude la sua partita riportando la squadra in attacco al 42esimo, rendendosi pericoloso sulla destra e conquistandosi un calcio d’angolo. Insomma Cerci cresce, eccome.

[Lupa]

Former Roma manager doing well. I'd hate to see him go to Inter.
http://www.football-italia.net/nov14k.html

[Carlo Romano]

I'm sure we've all read the usual post match comments but one from Jon Riise caught my eye most, and how often I wish players would watch what they say in public! The elite top eight of Europe as he mentions...if Juventus are not at this point in time in that group and we couldn't overcome them, how can Riise say that we as we are have the potential to either win il campionato or reach the last eight of the CL? Not I suppose that he could have said anything else and at least it shows, along with comments by Vuci, Mexes, and Borriello, that the enthusiasm is returning to our squad which can only be good. Had he said that as long as the lads keep up their work rate, then we can maintain a position in the top four, that's accurate, but I guess he'd have then been criticised by others for not being positive enough!

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From Forza Roma, in view of the recent rumours, a quote from quello cretinone Daniele Pradè: Ménez e Vučinić non si muovono! (Ménez and Vučinić are not moving! (leaving)

I don't want to tempt providence but I'd think that applies to this season and next when both will have had a chance to re-assess both their own and Roma's situation under new ownership. It all hangs on that...

...as opposed to Philou Mexes' future as a giallorosso. He is only definite on one point in the following. If he leaves us, he leaves Italy.

Il Romanista: "In Italia I don't want to know anyone other than Roma!" Philippe Mexes, in an interview with Radio Monte Carlo continued, "Where I have spoken of my professional future and of the indecision over my staying on in the Capitale...after seven seasons it is difficult to think of leaving. With Roma I have lived splendid times, have done much, and well. There is a lot to appraise, but I do not want to go to another Italian club."

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Two items from Forza Roma:

1) The position of Philippe Mexes is the more urgent and it hangs in the balance. Up to now the Frenchman's contract which expires in June has not been extended with the club. It is not an economic issue, but one of technical expectations. He is not sure of a place in Ranieri's squad and now that he has been recalled to the French national team, he wants to play with more continuity. Within Roma's present "social evolution," the club has not facilitated any contract discussion. The Frenchman, in spite of problems, seems to be again finding his better form. Against Parma and in the derby he has been one of the better players on the pitch. Mexes has an optimal relationship with the (Roma) management who will be sure to maintain that, so he does not leave as a "zero parameter!"

For a long time Mexes has been in Arsenal's view-finder. It looks sure that the defender will not leave in January but in June if he goes. If Roma was to lose Mexes, the management would target the young Stefan Savic of Partisan Belgrade, a Montenegrin national recommended to Roma by Mirko Vučinić. Valued by Partisan at €8mil, CSKA Moscow wants him but he will not go there as he would prefer an "Italian experience!" The eight million figure can be negotiated lower.


2) This was spoken of to our (Forza Roma) feature writer Matteo Vitale some time ago and now other confirmations are arriving: Stefan Savic is nearing Roma. The young Montenegrin defender seems to have definitively conquered the giallorosso leadership which is ready to launch a decisive bid in order to carry the talented 19 year old central defender to Roma. It could happen in January or be left to June. We await developments.

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Tommaso, you quoted il mister to Lupa: It's not easy to choose which forward to have on the pitch. They all have different characteristics. The only one who can come from deep and fill the penalty area is Borriello. When he isn't there, I ask Vucinic or Menez to attack the spaces which they don't always do. Menez put (crossed) the ball into the middle in the first half which was more or less the ball (pass) which allowed us to score against Fiorentina. Had Borriello been there I am convinced that he would exploit it. (that situation)"

I'm presuming Signor Claudio means, as a target man, when he says Borriello "fills" the penalty area. You are a great believer in profondità or depth...I think you'd have loved watching the Roma of Ancelotti, Di Bartolomei, Conti, Pruzzo etc. Quite aside from "gradual" build ups, coming from deep as Pruzzo did, Ago, Carlo, and Bruno had the the specialist ability to arrive "late and from deep" to telling effect. The follow up! Il Principe Giannini after them did the same. He would do...he learned from them!



Johnny, from now on, that's what it is! I had a cousin named Johnny, and we used that more often than the Italian version, Giovanni, because in those days it was considered to be more cool, even among the Italian crowd we were friends with. He was the same kind of rogue I am except that poor devil died when he was 43. He believed in living life and he did just that, right to the end. The point came where the doctors told him he could prolong his life by cutting out rich food, alcohol, smoking, and by not exerting himself with women. His response? "Fuck off, you might as well kill me now as advise me to live like that!" Quite right too!

This Aabar consortium certainly has the financial cred to take us forward. If they are willing to go for Ancelotti as coach and Baldini as his technical director, presumably next summer or more likely the following, then they are obviously willing to retain the Romano influence. The new stadium complex is a sign of changing times. The old ways served us well once, but not nearly so well now. I have the feeling though, we can't yet discount Angelini even if James will argue otherwise...




Lupa, I too wouldn't care to see Spalletti coach Inter. As we know, he is not as cautious in approach as the "Spanish Waiter" and will be more positive with that squad. I think this rumour has been around for a little while now and it doesn't surprise me. What does surprise me is that I wouldn't have expected to see Benitez' Inter struggle as they are doing, though in his defence, common sense tells me it can't be easy for a new coach to have to cope with those injury problems in addition to learning about his new club.

[Giacomo]

[maro]

I'm not sure that nonsensical isn't a synonym for probable when it comes to Roma, Giacomo. Profondita' and arriving late from deep aren't quite the same thing, Carlo, though I do also like players who do that well. Vooch's performance against Lecce was all about profondita, his efforts against Rube, not so much.

[RomaShield27]

[Italiamia]

[Italiamia]

[red]

[Carlo Romano]