THE WOLF'S DEN - Tana dei Lupi II

[Lupa]

Borriello: 'Montella took pens away from me'

Marco Borriello explains why he took a penalty against Vincenzo Montella’s orders. “This faith was taken away without consulting me.”

The striker was already involved in a row with David Pizarro over who would convert against Lecce on Friday evening, but against Shakhtar Donetsk Borriello stepped up and saw his spot-kick saved.

“I wanted to score a goal for the team and for me,” said the former Milan hitman, acknowledging in both games that Pizarro was the designated penalty taker.

“There are times when the ball goes in, like at the derby, and others when things go against you. At this moment I am paying for that, but I think I played a good game.”

Montella has changed quite a few things in the squad since replacing Claudio Ranieri and Borriello admitted to some tension behind the scenes.

“I took the responsibility in two derby games, then once the new Coach arrived this faith was taken away without consulting me.

“Obviously when Francesco Totti is playing, then he takes the penalties. I told Pizarro to leave it to me, as I haven’t scored in a while and wanted to break that drought.

“I found out during the pre-match meeting that I would be playing. It’s a pity about that penalty, as I wanted to repay the Coach’s faith in me. I think I did that with my overall performance, as I never lost a physical duel tonight.

“I take responsibility for the penalty and perhaps it could’ve changed the game, but up until the red card Roma were fiery and dominated Shakhtar on their own turf.”

Borriello also hinted that the repeated fouls on Darijo Srna were no coincidence.

“If he was subjected to these challenges, then there is a reason you cannot know about. It’s never right to hit a player on purpose, but he really went looking for trouble.”

Totti was left on the bench throughout the game and looked extremely ill-tempered as he left the locker room.

“There’s nothing left to comment on,” were his only words to the waiting journalists.

http://www.football-italia.net/mar08aa.html

[pocari_fenrir]

ah drats, Lupa beat me to that post. as funny as it was for them to admit to all the shots they took out on dickface Srna, why the hell did Borriello open his stupid mouth?? i would also bet any money that Totti was seething that he didnt get chance to put his own studs into Srna too

[romawi]

I said when we made it out of the group that we didn't stand a chance against any of the teams that we could possibly draw. I'm not all that disappointed in going out at this stage. I expected it, but I'm disappointed in the way we went out. We played well in the first half. We controlled the tempo of the game, and really did put some pressure upfront. What I didn't like, however, was our players' response after going down to ten men. It was embarrassing.

[vtec]

if i were a businessman running a football team, i would be incandescent (if that team were roma) with yesterday's game. for someone who wants to increase the market share, even if you lose, the instructions to the team should be to go out there and win as many new fans as possible; and never is there a better opportunity for a club to do that than in the champions league. these business goals are, fortunately, very much in line with footballing goals, as you win fans by winning games, playing with attacking intent, and by sportsmanship (by signing star players, too, obviously) - a business model embraced by barcelona to perfection. last night, however, roma were objectively villains. i am not saying this to make fun of you because losing to tottenham at home was the same for us, and i have no doubt that it will be exacerbated tonight, as like roma, this milan team does not have adequate leadership in its ranks. the point instead is that disappointment, embarrassment and anger are the correct reactions.

[Giacomo]

[stefano]

I don't think that such a thing as the "correct" emotional reaction exists to a team losing a soccer game.

[ASR1927]

[vtec]

there exists a culture of mismanagement in italy; roma are not an exception

[Giacomo]

That is a good way to understand it, mismanagement as being a culture, because it seems so integral.

[maro]

Having seen the replays today, in the clear light of a lovely, crisp, clear spring day, I find my initial responses from last night confirmed: De Rossi will be hammered, no doubt, and probably deservedly so since any raised arm is unnecessary but the incident was much more minor than it will be made into. It grew out of a move to push the player away and turned into a forearm push. Borriello also left a boot in which I hate because it's cowardly and can do some real damage, but was pretty minor and Pizza kicking the ball into Srna doesn't bother me at all. It's not like it was after the whistle had gone. Perhaps he was playing for a corner? lol. Disappointment, then, I certainly feel; anger and embarrassment, not so much. I know others will disagree, but that's fine - I'm not trying to change anyone's mind, only to explain my take now I'm a bit less tired.

I also don't really agree with Giacomo's take, though he has the rather compelling evidence of the scoreline. We got beaten by a good team but if one looks at the course of play while it was 11 on 11 and at the nature of the goals, it seems to me one I'd take on the chin as two bad nights at the office fairly confident that the 6-2 aggregate scoreline is not quite a fair reflection of the quality of the two sides.

I was disappointed Monty started Borriello, but I can understand his logic - he was a bull at times and that's the sort of work you'd rather he was doing than Totti was having to. I could also understand the Brighi for Vooch swap, though I know fredzo was perplexed by it. It seemed to me that at that stage our best chance of salvaging anything was with runners coming late from midfield. I didn't really see it as a particularly defensive move. I'd be very interested to talk to a good football coach about the second goal and about Rosi's performance as a whole. Of course the mistake for the third goal was terrible, but if we're going to play 4-2-3-1, he's got pace and work-rate and I liked his willingness and effort. I do wonder whose fault it was that that area was so unguarded on the second goal, though - and I'd be interested to know what a top coach would say about his positional play as a whole and in the build-up to the third goal in particular. It might just be that down to 10 men we had no right-sided midfielder, who would have been in that part of the box; I wonder if it was Rosi's fault though.

I would like Monty to base most of the rest of the season around this:

---------------------------------------Doni-------------------------------------------------

Rosi-------------------Mexes---------------Juan/Burdisso----------------Riise

--------------------DDR-----------------------------Pizza-----------------------------------

Menez------------------------------Perrotta/Brighi/Simplicio-----------Vooch

----------------------------------------------Totti--------------------------------------------------

Sure he's said he doesn't think the team can support a front three, but I don't believe Menez's work-rate and defensive contribution is as poor as that would imply. If Borriello's on the pitch instead of Totti, then Menez needs to be in the middle and you can play Taddei down the right. Win or lose, I think at least we'd see us play some attractive football that way (and certainly the quality of the football has at once improved under Monty anyway) and it'd also at least give us a chance of basing the team around some players whose best years might still be ahead of them (Rosi and Menez). I rate Cassetti and Taddei more highly than many of you guys, but while Rosi and Menez might prove, ultimately, to be much less effective players, they also might prove to be incomparably more exciting.

[ASR1927]

Agreed Tom. You certainly don't have to change anyone's mind. Nor they yours. Differing opinions enrich debate.

I only have one suggestion for your formation. How about playing Castellini and giving Riise a well deserved rest. He certainly can't be any worse defensively can he?

[maro]

Yeah, I'd have no problems with that, Goffredo. In fact, I don't really care who plays there just as I don't really care who partners Mexes - Juan is out of form and seems to have lost half a step. I almost put Castellini in in the first place. Riise also seems to have lost a step and a bit of confidence, but he looks better in the 4-2-3-1 when he gets a chance to use his engine more which compensates for some of his other failings. I'd be just as happy with Cassetti down the right and Rosi down the left (or the other way round), too. Of course Montella gets to see these guys in training every day, but I would really like for him to say to Rosi and Menez, look, you've got the starting spot for the rest of the season - go and relax into it and grow into it. Sure you'll make mistakes, but that doesn't matter as you're not one mistake away from being dropped.

This, for fredzo, from forzaroma:
"Rosi per Taddei dopo l’intervallo, anche pensando alla Lazio. Borriello ci prova di sinistro: Pyatoiv in angolo. Ma arriva presto il raddoppio di Willian, destro a giro sul palo più distante, al dodicesimo. Pizarro e Perrotta si accaniscono su qualche avversario. Montella risparmia Vucinic per il derby: dentro Brighi. Nel finale il debutto del diciottenne Caprari: fuori Perrotta. Rosi sbaglia l’appoggio verso Doni, per Eduardo, al quarantaduesimo, è facile calare il tris, come per la Roma il sipario sulla Champions, da riconquistare in campionato."

The commentator's assumptions (rightly or wrongly) were that Taddei and Vooch were brought off with an eye on the Lazio game, with the game having been already written off. That will keep Mr Vooch-Man-Crush happy.

[romawi]

[maro]

And if we had a young left back I'd be happy for him to be thrown in there too - a player like Crescenzi, for example, if he could be played down that side. I'd trade enthusiasm and promise for experience and canny know-how at this point. Lord knows the club needs the injection of a bit of optimism and energy.

[ASR1927]

[Italiamia]

di MASSIMO MAZZITELLI

Mentre Messi deliziava i 100mila del "Nou Camp" a Barcellona con uno splendido gol, cucchiaio al portiere e tocco in rete, De Rossi nello stesso istante, davanti ai 50mila dello stadio di Donetz, colpiva con una gomitata vigliacca al volto il capitano Snra dello Shakhtar. Già umiliato sul piano tecnico, del gioco e dei risultati, il calcio italiano sta anche rischiando di perdere la faccia in Europa. Forse i nostri giocatori stanno vivendo un momento di confusione: trattati da fenomeni per stipendi e attenzione dei media in Italia si scoprono bidoni come passano la frontiera. Sconfitti da ucraini, inglesi e tedeschi. E gli spagnoli meglio lasciarli perdere. Una realtà non facile da accettare. Ma peggio sarebbe perdere la dignità sportiva; sconfitti due volte, sul campo e nei comportamenti. In Europa più dei gol delle nostre squadre in Champions League, quest'anno ricordano la brutta sceneggiata in Milan-Totthenam di Gattuso con "l'anziano" ex Jordan con mani al collo, urla e minaccia di rissa. Brutta scena.

Ora un'altra pagina nera per il nostro calcio, quella gomitata di De Rossi che in televisione hanno visto in tutta Europa e che porterà ad una giusta lunga squalifica del giocatore. Il capitano della Roma ci era già cascato in passato: una gomitata ad un giocatore degli Stati Uniti gli aveva rovinato il mondiale del 2006. De Rossi aveva giurato che non ci sarebbe più cascato. Non ce l'ha fatta.

I nostri calciatori dovrebbero cominciare a capire che non è il conto in banca a fare i campioni.

(08 marzo 2011) ©Riproduzione riservata .

http://www.repubblica.it/sport/calcio/2 ... 59127/?rss

[Lupa]

I've seen this posted in a couple of places. The local TV sports channel showing the game put together a derby preview ad.

http://video.thescore.com/watch/romalazio-preview

[romawi]

I don't know. I'm not looking forward to this derby at all. In fact, I haven't been excited about a Roma game since we drew to Brescia a while back. Every week I say that I'm not going to bother watching Roma that week, but I always end up watching anyway. And that's what will probably happen this weekend. Being a fan of this team has become like a disease.

We need a win to bring us closer to 4th, but even if we beat Lazio, I think Udinese will overtake us for that spot.

[pocari_fenrir]

Daniele De Rossi has not progressed as a footballer in five years

It would be an understatement to declare that Roma played badly against Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday night. The Ukrainian side picked off a weak visiting team which had an air of resignation about their prospects in the tie. New coach Vincenzo Montella gleaned the positives from the match, stating that the Romans could leave the Donbass Arena with "their heads held high". But in reality, Roma were ragged, unimaginative and downright cynical.

The players seemed to make it their business to target Darijo Srna, who, admittedly, did not cover himself in glory when celebrating Willian's goal. But the Italians had no reason to allow personal vendetta to obfuscate their sporting objectives. In this respect the behaviour of 'Il Capitan Futuro' was particularly abhorrent.

The forearm/elbow strike of De Rossi which connected flush with Srna's jaw endangered the Shakhtar skipper's safety and should have seen the Italian sent off. Had he been, his side's task would have become even more difficult. The cowardly and vicious attack confirmed that De Rossi, in five years of football, has learned nothing.

As a hugely promising 22-year-old he committed a grave error in planting an elbow on USA's Brian McBride at the 2006 World Cup. He castigated himself as a 'dickhead' and he was offered clemency by Marcello Lippi, who fielded him in the final win against France.

De Rossi is no better a player now than he was then. He has stagnated, becoming neither a midfield leader nor the chief 'go to' passer for Roma. And his petulance proves he is not a good sport either. De Rossi should have gone on to become one of the world's foremost midfielders by now but the fact is, he has not.

Approaching his 28th birthday, he needs to improve his game and his behaviour. He is no longer a player of potential. He is squandering his gift. Maybe the threat of being no longer 'Capitan Futuro' might do the trick. Montella was not intimidated into using Francesco Totti; similar treatment of De Rossi is required.

taken from http://www.goal.com/en/news/1716/champi ... champions- but a pretty good point on De Rossi's play stagnating

[vtec]

i think that's probably true, but he was already a very fine player five years ago.

wow, has it really been that long?