THE WOLF'S DEN - Tana dei Lupi II

[DavidP]

[p_maldini_3]

from my understanding, i would use 'box-to-box' to describe an individual players' innate football characteristics (usually a damn good motor), while a mezzala is just a term to describe the way a particular position is interpreted.

so, a box-to-box player can play as a mezzala (ie, fabregas*, perotta, marchisio, brighi), but a mezzala (ie, seedorf, lampard, neo-aquilani, iniesta) cannot be a box-to-box midfielder.

*freak of nature, very rare to find a box-to-box midfielder with such excellent technical skills.

[maro]

What a curious way of wording the question, Davit. They're two positions or two roles, if you prefer, which happen to suit or demand some (many, even) characteristics in common. A box-to-box midfielder is a term from the 4-4-2, I suppose, and so characterises a particular kind of out-and-out central midfielder. Many such players would presumably also be/have been able to play as mezz'ala. A mezz'ala doesn't have quite the same defensive responsibilities and will find himself in wide positions more often. Taddei I could imagine as a mezz'ala but not as a box-to-box central player. I think Roy Keane and Paul Scholes would have hated being asked to play as mezz'ala; I think Benitez felt strongly that Gerrard didn't have the tactical discipline to play as one of a midfield two in a 4-4-2. Those are the sorts of nuances that you're talking about, though. Lampard, pace mk, is your classic box-to-box midfielder and considerably under-rated in direct proportion to the degree to which Gerrard is over-rated.

[AS Collie]

[vtec]

good stuff. how about giving-headmund? inbredmund? sexual-predmund?

[AS Collie]

The first two are keepers. The third is a paradox. Dickh-Edmund is the prey, not the predator. The local paedo used to dress him up in Ian Rush jerseys.

[AS Collie]

preview of the game at the weekend. I'm sure everyone will completely disagree with me, but what can you do? Can someone tell me if the comment function is working?

http://bit.ly/r34lC7

I'm also on twitter, trying my best to tweet any interesting calcio shite that I read in the papers here. @TheCurvaSud

If everyone follows me, I'll post a pic of Edzo in one of the jumpers his missus knits him. On rollerblades, if possible.

[DavidP]

[RomaShield27]

[DavidP]

[p_maldini_3]

[DavidP]

[AS Collie]

Thanks Dave. And to Maldini, for elaborating on the box-to-box thing. I'd agree with his definition completely and it was in that sense that I meant it. It's not a position as much as a characteristic. For the characteristic to flourish, the player must be given a little freedom. Compare De Rossi under Ranieri, when I feel he was somewhat shackled, to his role under Spalletti, where he switched from being the holder to a more free role. Both he and Pizarro played deep enough, but it was seen as Pizarro's job to hold and pass from deep. DDR could get around the pitch, which he is well capable of doing. Alls I was saying was that I'd like to see this side of DDR more this season. I think he's un-rivaled when he gets going. He might not be the absolute best at anything, but his all-round ability is amazing.

maro, completely agree that Lampard was under-rated. Think he's past his best now, but on his day he's a stunning player and I always felt that the "fatty" jokes and the "poor man's Gerrard" labels he got were unfair. Chelsea are a bunch of despicable cnuts though.

Edmund, why so much aggression? You're always so wound up. Do you wanna talk about it? I'll be back there next week if you do. And by the way, your boyfriend letting you look at posters of Mexes and Vucinic while you get fucked doesn't make you a proper fan.

[p_maldini_3]

[RomaShield27]

lol. Fuck you dickface. Its been a tough few weeks, as you know. Almost there. Don't tell me you're coming back again. Fuck me I'm gonna have to think of another excuse not to be here.

Anyway... of Pjanic with full transcript and also lots of photos of him (RomaNews) and (Corriere dello Sport).

is interesting. There are new ticket packages out for home games in the Olimpico, starting with one covering 16 home games. The big difference with these compared to season tickets is that you don't need to have a tessera del tifoso ID which you do when buying a season ticket, and there are plans to introduce various different packages to go see different games at reduced rates throughout the season. Sounds like a good iniative.

Probabili formazioni from , , , .

from today with some videos from Trigoria. Predicting who will play on Sunday is still anyones guess at this stage. The forward line of Osvaldo-Totti-Bojan looks to be most settled, but apparently Borriello is going so well in training he may not be overlooked. Juan is recovered enough and may start alongside Burdisso, which I think will be a big help as Kjaer may not be quite ready. Poor Taddei was also lining up at left-full again for a while. In midfield De Rossi and Gago weren't playing alongside each other, so Perrotta and/or Pjanic could start ahead of the latter. Cicinho and Greco didn't train. It looks like it will be a line-up of Stekelenburg, Cassetti, Juan, Burdisso, Angel, De Rossi, Pjanic, Perrotta; Osvaldo, Totti, Bojan, but again, its anyones guess. I doubt even LE knows what he'd like.

Looks like Vucinic is already in Turin. Ha.

New Ermes79 video, 'AS Roma - The new era', as always very well put together:

[DavidP]

[AS Collie]

[p_maldini_3]

ha, i just realized that milan has more romans in the first team squad than roma.

[RomaShield27]

[AS Collie]

Roma: Totti, DDR, Caprari, Curci, Rosi, Viviani.


Milan: Nesta, Aquilani, Roma. Am I missin someone?