THE WOLF'S DEN - Tana dei Lupi II

[Lupa]

MILAN (AP)—Roma goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg reportedly avoided major injuries after getting kicked in the head during a match Saturday with Inter Milan.

In the 15th minute of the game at the San Siro, Stekelenburg charged forward to punch away a ball that Inter defender Lucio was chasing. Lucio then failed to jump over the keeper and hit the right side of Stekelenburg’s head with his foot, earning a yellow card for the Brazil defender.

Stekelenburg sat up after the incident but then immediately appeared to lose consciousness, and his head dropped back to the ground. He was carried off the pitch on a stretcher and regained his senses in the changing room before being taken to the San Carlo hospital, according to the ANSA news agency.

Italy’s Sky TV reported that medical tests revealed no major injuries.

Bogdan Lobont replaced Stekelenburg in goal with the score 0-0.

Stekelenburg joined Roma in August in a ?6.3-million ($9 million) transfer from Ajax. He is the starting goalkeeper for the Netherlands, having helped his national team to last year’s World Cup final.

http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/news?slu ... ekelenburg

[RomaShield27]

DDR was great. How anyone can ever suggest that he should play anywhere other than that defensive midfield role when he plays like this is beyond me. Osvaldo still needs time, he's playing in an unfamiliar position so like a lot of our players he has to adapt. He'll need time. I was surprised to see Borini start, but he done very well and didn't look out of his depth at all. Perrotta and Taddei also had fine games playing in unaccustomed roles.

[red]

Not a bad performance by Roma.

However, there was a total lack of penetration. No-one was running off the ball with any great purpose, which made it all pretty comfortable for Inter. None of the forwards were looking to run in behind the Inter defence and none of the midfielders were looking to go beyond the strikers. The lack of meaningful runs from the fullbacks was understandable, though the choice of Perrotta and Taddei to play there was very odd.

Osvaldo was crap.

Borini, as at thought last season, moves very well off the ball, but doesn't seem to have much ability to take advantage of that good movement.

Totti versus Cambiasso was good.

Nice to see De Rossi being made a focal point again, after a while of being pushed out of the middle a bit. Won't take long for folk to remember how good he is when he's playing his current role.

[loazzi]

So LE preferred Perrotta to Rosi due to keeping more possession. While I give him credit for having balls and staying true to his philosophy, what I think/hope LE learned is that Perrotta does not have the pace to play in that position. There was absolutely no threats from the wings because Perrotta could not get behind his man or beat him off the dribble (nor could Taddei). Although they both run a lot, they don't run fast. lol. The forwards couldn't provide width, although credit to Borini for trying and today, neither could the wingbacks.

From what I've seen, when Cicinho, Angel and Lamela are all available, we will be a much different and more dangerous team. THAT is what I'm looking forward to seeing!

After seeing DDR today, I stand corrected on our discussion from a few days ago. Holy shit is he otherwordly in that position. That said, I maintain my premise that we need to create more width and then also attack the middle with some direct runs (like Pizarro did a few times).

[DavidP]

I don't completely agree with either of LE's substitutions (Bojan for Osvaldo and Rosi for Perrotta would have been my picks around the 60-70 mark), but it looks like he's starting to get his shit together.

[vtec]

ozzie was garbage, but who knows, with time he might become your crespo

[Bagg10]

I'd like to see if iglesias ever plays osvaldo and borriello together. I think osvaldo would do better playing off a real target man.

[maro]

http://www.forzaroma.info/news-calcio/5 ... fuser.html

manibus date lilia plenis

[maro]

[vtec]

[Marco_Italia]

[loazzi]

[maro]

[maro]

A back three quite conventionally wouldn't play in a flat line, Lavazza - but in a triangle; the classic libero is a sweeper who sweeps in front of the back two and moves forward to stitch things together. The point of that article, as I take it, is that most people are calling it a 4-3-3 and virtually no-one is making the point that it's as much a 3-4-1-2 (that is, it resembles nothing so much as the 3-5-2 of the last Scudetto, as I said a month or two ago). + like a gazillion, then, because it seemed to me precisely what needed to be said.

[DCGweez]

It's his attempt at total football. Just like Pep is putting DCM's at "CB" even when he has healthy CB's.

I agree though it's most definitely a 3 man backline. The way you can tell is how wide the "CBs" got when tracking back.

I also agree that it's a very fluid formation. Like I said, it's total football. No formations, no specialists. You saw us target hybrid players and shun some specialists. I think we'll see guys like Aogo be targeted. Rather than your standard CBs.

[p_maldini_3]

ddr as a libero then? that makes more sense.

[loazzi]

Whats novel, to me at least, how DDR pushes back up to midfield when we are on defense for any sustained stretch. That is, once the wingbacks have tracked back, the back 4 are composed of the 2 true CBs who pinch in centrally and the 2 wingbacks, while DDR pushes up to cover the space in front of the defense. I like it!!!

[Italiamia]

Not funny, Davis. Not funny at all. I took it down. Enough of this meatspin shit.

[loazzi]

Giovanni, I'm wondering what your thoughts are about Roma so far. I know you were worried about the lack of Italians but unless I'm mistaken, LE has started 4 3/4 Italians in each game so far (I'm counting Osvaldo as 1/2 Italian and Taddei as 1/4) and subbed in 3 Italians in both games combined. Not the most Italian team on the boot but not bad either. What are your initial impressions?

[DavidP]

Come on, gio. that was pure genius, you have to admit.


i say dictator!!!!