THE WOLF'S DEN - Tana dei Lupi II

[DavidP]

[aldair6]

According to reports in Spain and Italy, Roma have agreed personal terms with Nilmar from Villarreal

[ASR1927]

From football-italia:

Perrotta purring again for Roma.

Visiting Rome for the first time since being confirmed as Coach, Luis Enrique outlined in June where work would be focused to transform Roma to a high-pressing, inter-positional team his arrival promised.

Harder, more detailed training sessions and the possibility of extending the players’ pre-season ritiro to three weeks sat alongside the declaration of building the team around Francesco Totti, Daniele De Rossi and, interestingly, Simone Perrotta. A continuation of such responsibility for Totti and De Rossi, Perrotta’s inclusion was something of a surprise to those who had watched the player struggle for an effective, consistent role at the Stadio Olimpico during the past two seasons.

However, with pre-season seeing the former Barcelona B Coach’s intentions becoming clearer, so too is the role Perrotta has to play, one that is potentially crucial to Enrique’s success in pushing his former side’s tactics on to his new one.

Against Hungarian side Vasas FC, Perrotta took one of the central midfield places in the expected 4-3-3, with Totti sharing the right-wing and central striker roles with Marco Borriello. Where Totti and Borriello ably stuck to the front-line and wherever they found themselves when out of possession, with the ball, Perrotta’s directed movement became crucial.

Totti’s tendency to drop deep and central to find possession meant that whichever position he was moving from – right wing or centre-forward – Perrotta’s responsibility looks to be to immediately fill that vacated space, to maintain both shape and the high line of attack intended to push opponents back. Perrotta’s movement was also dependent on when Totti lost the ball, with the No 20 instantly falling back to central midfield to press for regaining it.

Whilst not necessarily seeing the No 20 find lots of possession in this instance, an important element remains that his keen understanding can allow for Enrique to maintain a 4-3-3 shape, and introduce a ‘mock’ traditional No 8 role. This is a position with duel responsibilities of attack and defensive pressing, typified by Andres Iniesta’s work at Barcelona, which as individuals neither Perrotta nor Totti offer. Together though, Perrotta takes the work-rate and defensive running, and in his movement for Totti, allows the fantasista to take the creative duties of the role.

Perrotta has spoken during the summer of the similarities between Enrique and Luciano Spalletti, whilst Wednesday evening’s game drew immediate comparisons with Spalletti’s development of a similar partnership between Totti and Perrotta.

Indeed, Perrotta played some of his best football from a comparable advanced-midfield position under Spalletti. Not the most creative of players to take the No 10 position, Spalletti has spoken of Perrotta as tailor-made for it in his 4-2-3-1, recalling his ability to occupy any space that his teammates left open, and the surprising goal-threat he represented. Perrotta’s knack for timing runs and an understated composure in front of goal saw him average a goal or assist every 3.7 games under Spalletti.

The decline in both the player’s form and that goal-rate under Claudio Ranieri – as the player was moved back into midfield – and the subsequent improvement of both during Vincenzo Montella’s brief spell that Perrotta returned to the trequarti, is significant. It highlights that for a player whose key attribute is often cited as ‘versatility’, that his most effective position was and still remains behind the striker. Crucially, along with Enrique’s faith, it suggests a player believed to be past his best at 33 may still have a lot more to offer.

There is little that is remarkable to Perrotta’s styling as a footballer, but his ability to make the best of an otherwise unconventional use of the attacking-midfield position he finds himself in makes him a useful asset once more for a Roma Coach looking to instill a tactical revolution.


http://www.football-italia.net/blogs/rp108.html

[Italiamia]

[DavidP]

- Curci
- Pigliacelli
- Rosi
- Cassetti
- Antei
- De Rossi
- Brighi
- Bertolacci
- Viviani
- Greco
- Perrotta
- Verre
- Totti
- Taddei (he does hold Italian nationality)
- Caprari
- Borriello
- Okaka (he did feature in the last match)

That's 17 Italian and 12 home-grown, Roman players who are in our first squad right now...



also, there really aren't many good Italian players we could and should buy right now. Perhaps Poli, or even Nocerino/Aquilani, but apart from that, I don't see anyone. and signing Italian players just for the sake of signing Italian players is just dumb, I think.

[Italiamia]

That is because having a predominantly Italian side does not mean a thing to you, Sammy. Your list is very misleading as many of those players will not be in la rosa when the season starts.In addition, you exclude the foreign players Roma has signed to date who will be in la rosa and will feature in the starting 11. The starting team will not have many Italians and you know that. I do not consider Taddei or Okaka to be Italian, and I really like Stefano and hope he remains with the team. Although, Taddei has Italian ancestry where Stefano does not.

[red]

What Italians are there that you think Roma would do well to sign, Gio?

Obviously, in an ideal world Roma would be producing more players of their own, but they seem to have fucked that up in recent years and that'll take time to fix.

At a time where the Italy team is about as weak as I've ever seen it, I don't think clubs can be blamed for looking to foreigners just now, though the current situation is clearly far from ideal.

[DavidP]

you're right, it surely means more to you than it does to me. and yes, i excluded foreign players because it was a list of italian players (on paper, anyway). again, you're right, 3-4 from that list may be loaned out/sold, but we still won't be anywhere near the likes of inter, who didn't have a single fucking italian starting in the 09/10 cl final.

sure, the starting lineup may only have 3 or 4 Italians, but again, this current generation of Italian footballers definitely isn't the best. and some of those young guys like caprari, crescenzi, bertolacci, viviani and verre may well become the future of the azzuri. we will see though, i have a feeling sabatini is working on either poli or aqua.


edit: exactly, red.

[Italiamia]

[red]

[ASR1927]

[p_maldini_3]

if i may, roma wasn't rebuilt in a day.

[red]

You may not.

[maro]

And, anyway, I think it was, wasn't it? After the Gauls had come in and done their damage? I thought that was the Romans' explanation for the narrowness and crookedness of their streets.

[pocari_fenrir]

OMG what is with these performance related bonuses. Lamela's contract is ridiculous if he scores them all
http://www.football-italia.net/aug6y.html

[red]

I think that article is a little misleading.

Pretty sure it's referring to the contract between River and Roma, rather than the contract between Roma and Lamela.

[red]

http://www.tuttomercatoweb.com/roma/?ac ... tmw=286619

Lamela's contract is starting at 1.8m per season and rising to 2.86m at the end of his contract.

No specific reference to personal bonuses.

[maro]

I've just been watching a little of PSG where Menez has been playing down either wing in a 4-4-2 and been very, very unspectacular. For the record.

[maro]

He's just been subbed - PSG 1-0 down at home.

[aldair6]