THE WOLF'S DEN - Tana dei Lupi II

[maro]

Fernando no, Osvaldo e Nilmar nì, Kjaer sì. Con una sorpresa chiamata Doumbia sullo sfondo. Questo, secondo quanto raccolto da calciomercato.com in via esclusiva presso ambienti societari, il mercato della Roma a Ferragosto.
Il mediano del Porto era la prima alternativa in caso fosse partito De Rossi per il centrocampo. Ma Capitan Futuro ha garantito la sua permanenza a Luis Enrique e dunque i giallorossi non hanno intenzione di entrare nell'asta per il brasiliano. Pazienza se il Porto lo ha messo praticamente sul mercato escludendolo, dopo che dalla Supercoppa, anche dal primo impegno in campionato. Fernando andrà con ogni probabilità all'estero. Su di lui è piombato il Chelsea dell'ex di turno Villas Boas, intenzionato a sostituire l'infortunato Essien.
Per l'attacco restano vivissime le piste Osvaldo e Nilmar. Più facile arrivare alla punta dell'Espanyol piuttosto che al bomber del Villarreal. Ma se dovessero saltare le trattative in Spagna, Sabatini avrebbe comunque già sondato il terreno per una terza via. Stiamo parlando di Seydou Doumbia, 24enne del Cska Mosca, considerato in Costa d'Avorio il nuovo Drogba. E' extracomunitario, ma le ultime mosse del club giallorosso (acquisizione di Koffi con immediato smistamento in Belgio) potrebbero liberare un posto in rosa agli extra Ue senza aspettare che il Barusso di turno accetti il trasferimento all'estero.
Chiudiamo con la difesa. Aldilà delle smentite dell'agente Beck, Simon Kjaer è davvero vicino all'arrivo nella Capitale. L'ex centrale del Palermo, ora al Wolfsburg, sbarcherebbe in prestito con diritto di riscatto. Dieci milioni in tutto il costo dell'operazione (2 subito, 8 eventualmente l'anno prossimo).

This is certainly my sense of the Fernando possibilities.

[DavidP]

[maro]

We've been over this before, no? DDR can certainly play as a mezz'ala, but it's quite clearly not his most comfortable position and everything that has come out about LE's plans has had the midfield being built around DDR as the regista, in the middle of the three.

[DavidP]

yes, i think we have, but i think you said something about DDR possibly benefiting by having a destroyer next to him (I think after I mentioned a Sandro rumour and you said you didn't see Roma splashing that kind of money (15m or so) for a position like that). if that is true, though (that LE's midfield plans are built around having DDR as the regista, in the middle of the 3) then I seriously doubt we would get Fernando, and it looks as though you were right from the start when you made that comment about sandro.

[RomaShield27]

So, lads, any sign of a new centre-half yet? Our season does officially start in three days, does it not? Right, no need to panic at all...

[forzaitalia]

We're still being linked with Kjaer, although his agent denies any contact with us.

No signs of anything happening soon though, really.

[RomaShield27]

I think its shocking. I just can't get over it. Our new management (Sabatini, essentially) have done a lot of good work and signed some very good players like Lamela and Stekelenberg (Bojan is also a very good player, but like Pocari I'm skeptical of the method of his transfer) and more importantly they seem to be going down the route of focussing on youth and squad rebuilding and that sort of thing and thats all very good, but I just can't get over how we have not signed a replacement for Philippe yet. Juan remains a top-class defender but is hugely injury-prone, Burdisso is a liability, Heinze is not a centre-half and his legs are gone and is an even bigger liability than Burdisso, and Antei is simply not ready. This is the area of the pitch which was our biggest problem last season, and its been weakened. And yet all the (mercato BS) talk is off how we're chasing replacements for Vucinic and Menez and how LE wants at least two new midfielders and that appears to be taking priority over any sign a of a new defender (Kjaers' agent still denies any contact). Our season starts in three days time, and the league in 13 days. Still a lot of work to do? That is an understatement of gigantic proportions.

[romawi]

Well, we can always bring back Loria.

[Italiamia]

[Italiamia]

[SPqR]

[pocari_fenrir]

OUCH, Italiamia is back with 2 zingers, so intense... they needed 2 seperate posts

Shield, if anything, you should know that you should take all our rumours with a grain of salt until it happens. Rumours are merely to excite us and launch opinions at. As Romanista we can only truly evaluate our transfers when the season is over, way past hind sight. I think when we finish, we'll sign one of Nilmar/Osvaldo and possibly a loan on Kjaer or prepared to be surprised on deadline day.

On the Nilmar/Osvaldo match-up, im sure Sabatini and LE have previously prioritized which one meets their needs and they're just having a reverse auction or sorts. Just a matter of time and seeing how low Villareal/Espanyol can go before they meet their final priority, which is pricing. If we dont get either, we could go for your mercato BS and opt for a midfielder. Possibly push Lamela as a wing forward, DDR as a mezz'ala (could Davit/Maro/anyone else elaborate on this term?? i am only familiar with registas and trequartistas, i think) or sign someone else to play mezz'ala (Montolivo anyone??)

On Kjaer, it seems we've made no official contact yet since it might be hard to negotiate with Wolfsburg to let him go on a cut price. The media is actually playing a role in propagating that Sabatini + Roma want him. His agent may try to be a pro at refuting the rumours but if they're coming forward, maybe it's on their minds and they dont want to stir legal troubles with Wolfsburg. If you stir the pot long enough, it will boil; Kjaer will have that 'magical' change of heart and start pushing when we come knocking

[maro]

A mezz'ala is a half-winger, Pocari - that is, a player who plays, as it were, from in-to-out in a 4-3-3, as one of the outside players in the midfield 3. So the midfield will comprise a regista and two mezz'ale. He ends up being half the old box-to-box central midfielder of a 4-4-2 and half the tucked in right-footed central midfielder playing down the left in a 4-4-2, only that player plays from out-to-in and a box-to-box central midfielder does no outing at all.

[pocari_fenrir]

Hmm, i dont like the sound of that for DDR then. He always struck me as a playmaking anchor (regista right??) or some central figure that can transition box to box like Lampard/Perrotta/Brighi/Simplicio. Is there an Italian term for that type of midfielder though??

[maro]

That's a very good translation/explanation for 'regista' - a playmaking anchor. And, no, there's not really an Italian term, so far as I know, for a box-to-box midfielder, precisely because that kind of player has been, historically, an English phenomenon - a feature of English sides and the English game. That in itself tells you quite a lot about the differences between Italian and English football. DDR would thrive in the English game, I think; I hope we shall instead get to see him flourish in the Italian.

[pocari_fenrir]

Yah i noticed that when i tried to list the box to box sensations in our squad (Simplicio is an odd mix of trequartista/regista i think, not 100% sure on his defensive capabilities). I easily had alot of EPL talents topping my list like Gerrard, Charlie Adam, Roy Keane, Scholes, Anderson, Jenas, Arteta, Fabregas just to throw a handful out there. I echo your thoughts, Maro, on DDR staying in Italy, preferrably Roma

[ASR1927]

[maro]

Charlie Adam, no, Arteta, no, Anderson, not really - they all play as the regista; Perrotta, yes, Brighi, yes, I think. Boateng at Bilan's another good candidate.

[red]

[red]

I think Marchisio's best role is probably as a box-to-box player in a midfield three.

There really are very few players of that type in Serie A.