THE WOLF'S DEN - Tana dei Lupi II

[RomaShield27]

[maro]

You'll fugga it out.

[p_maldini_3]

lol.

maro -13452, thredzo - nil.

[forzaitalia]

What streams will be the best for the match on Sunday? I used to be a member of bet365, and their streams were usually good, but haven't used it for ages for some reason...

[AS Collie]

I'll be tweeting excited/depressed updates from the Curva ...

Sorry. Had to rub it in. I'm giddy with excitement.

[RomaShield27]

[romawi]

So it'll most likely be:
Stek
Cassetti, Burdisso, Kjaer, Jose Angel
Gago, De Rossi, Greco
Bojan, Totti, Osvaldo

I hope Gago doesn't start. In fact, I hope he doesn't play a single game for us, but that just because I hate him. I'd also rather see Perrotta start instead so that we have a midfield three of DDR, Greco, and Perrotta. And what are the chances that Rosi starts ahead of Cassetti?

[AS Collie]

What's with the Gago hatred? I like Perrotta, but I wanna see De Rossi out of that holding midfield role and back to making runs, like he did in the first half of the italy game.

Think Rosi is shite. He couldn't cross the street, don't mind a football.

[romawi]

Don't know. Just hate him for some reason. I think DDR needs to play in that deep holding midfield role. If we're going to play with such a high back line and continually ask the fullbacks to get forward, then DDR will be vital to keeping the defensive balance of the team. Plus, this is probably his best position and is most likely where LE will have him play.

[romawi]

Also, I'm very interested to see how LE asks the CMs to play on Sunday. Are they going to be asked to always stay behind the ball or are they going to be instructed to continuously get beyond it when they see space open up ahead of Totti, who will most likely drop back to pick up the ball.

[Jocksboy]

[vtec]

www.meatspin.com is even better, but you may want to mute the music -- it's really gay

[AS Collie]

This is what I'm wondering. I agree that DDR's defensive ability will be important this season, but I think his contribution going forward could be just as vital. Honestly, I think he's much more than a holding MF player. When I think of purely defensive MFs, I think of Mascherano or, god help me, Emerson. Even the thought of that horrible Brazilian gives me the creeps. DDR is far more elegant and I prefer to see him in a box to box role. Up to 2005, Steven Gerrard had never scored more than 10 goals in a season and was thought of as a defensive midfielder for club and country. He didn't become a really great player until he was given the freedom to go on runs up the pitch. DDR looked like this type of player under Spalletti, and while he is different, more stealy, there are some similarities. Think he went backwards a little bit under Ranieri. As the future captain, I also think there's no better way to lead than by example.

[maro]

One of these days you're going to meatspin someone who recognises his dad, 'tec.

[juventino_italiano]

[arthurfonzarelli]

[maro]

lol. Very good, RI. You're wasted as a Rubentino.

[RomaShield27]

[maro]

I take it you didn't see Emerdason at Leverkusen, Collie? He was bought in the first place to play behind the front two and only evolved into a true holding midfielder.

[Messinterista]