THE WOLF'S DEN - Tana dei Lupi II

[Lupa]

Ouch. Not good at all, especially with the always fragile Juan.

So Kjaer and Heinze will probably be our defense against Lecce.

[red]

Yeah, he's fucked.

Knee ain't meant to bend in that direction.

[Bagg10]

http://www.soccer.com/IWCatProductPage. ... Id=1515408

[RomaShield27]

Is that a hint for your Christmas present, Bagg? I wouldn't be caught dead in something like that myself.



So Burdisso possibly out for with a cruciate ligament. Terrible news for him, its something he possibly may never fully recover from. Needless to say this puts us in big trouble at centre-back and we'll surely be looking at whats available come the winter mercato.

Apparently De Rossi wasn't too happy when the subject of his contract renewal came up . This doesn't sound good at all:

"The contract renewal? Things have stopped at the moment. I'm astonished when I hear talk of an imminent agreement or decisive meetings. Will I leave? Last year I considered the possibility. If I do leave, my first choice would be to go abroad. But, if an agreement to leave Italy cannot be found, I can't stop playing football. I want to underline that everyone involved in this situation remains calm."

[DCGweez]

Yikes that's not a promising quote at all about DDR.

Crushed for Burdi. The Idea that Cassetti may be holding up our central backline for the next month with our schedule through Napoli is both scary and infuriating. Scary because when he gets sent off in the 15' who will come to replace him? DDR with Juan out? Infuriating because at that same time we'll have Marco, Bojan and Borini on the bench in attack. Lucho came in talking about defending through possession. Well, no time like the present. Feel free to start doing that at any time.

Prandelli: "Totti era fuori dallo spogliatoio in punta di piedi, gli ho detto di entrare: è stato il suo spogliatoio” That's respect.

[Lupa]

That's terrible news, and we definitely need to be shopping to shore up the defense in the winter market.

The quote from DDR also doesn't sound good.

[RomaShield27]

From – apparently UniCredit is in some financial difficulty (I won't pretend to know all the financial lingo – I don't) and has let go over 5,000 staff. are saying it shouldn't have any direct effect on Roma – they still own 40% remember – but they may step up their efforts to find a buyer for that 40% to help ease their financial issues. Could be something to keep an eye on.

Official comunicato from AS Roma on Burdisso's injury

Video about our latest signing Nicolas Lopez. Its a Uruguayan news report documentary type thing of his rise to fame. I wonder if he can play centre-back?



Also, from a tabloid mercato madness kind of view, is saying we've beaten Spurs to the signing of Casemiro.

From IBWM's 'Top 100 young players – One Year On' piece, Bojan:

http://inbedwithmaradona.com/the/2011/11/10/bojan.html

[DCGweez]

My cousin in Rome said this was on the local news. Martin Montoya RB (Barca B) is signed and sealed by Lucho himself over the international break and on his way first day of the transfer window. Give it all the credence a local news report deserves.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mart%C3%ADn_Montoya

Edit:

Just googling him and saw this:

Rumor: headed to Roma.
Likelihood: high.

We've touched on this rumor before here at the Rumor Redux. The latest word from Rome suggests that Roma manager Luis Enrique and Montoya's representatives closed an agreement during the international break. The move makes complete sense, as Enrique was one of the one's that helped Montoya shine in Barcelona's B team last season. The 20-year-old wants playing time and the move to the Serie A club would mean a fresh start for the Spanish defender's professional career. An official announcement of the deal is expected in the next couple of weeks.

[RomaShield27]

Fantastic. Another foreign player to come in and replace not just an Italian, but a Roman. Is this the beginning of the end?

[maro]

The beginning of the end? Hardly. It means we won't waste money extending Cicinho's contract and given that Cassetti's not really considered a right back by LE there's a hole there in the squad. Now two youngsters can compete for the spot and keep each other honest. The better Montoya is the better Rosi will have to be.

[stefano]

[Italiamia]

[ASR1927]

Viviano was our target for keeper. We had a deal in place to sign him from Bologna but they fucked up their bid in the envelopes. (Italian)

Montolivo was a target for mid-field but he turned us down so as to not offend Fiorentina fans. (Italian)

We signed Fabio Borini on loan and he has played quite a bit until he was injured. (Italian)

We signed Pablo Osvaldo and he is playing very well for us and he has been playing for Italy since the U21 team. (Just as Italian as G. Rossi)

[maro]

Well, if it's the trend, then it's also hardly the beginning of the end, no?

[DCGweez]

I'm more concerned about youth products not being given a chance provided there is quality there.

The whole replaced with the spanish is just ridiculous. The fact of the matter is Spain is where the quality talent lies at the moment. Let's not forget that every other coach shipped Rosi's ass out including the Roman/Italian ones. Frankly the kid has gotten more minutes under Lucho than anyone else combined.

Furthermore and trust me on this, if Rosi starts playing like De Rossi he'll have a starting place in the lineup. If not, then I don't want him in there simply because he's Italian/Roman.

Having said all that, I can think of 3-4 positions on the pitch where we have bigger question marks than RB and Rosi (The other three positions in the backline for instance) Rosi for me has done a pretty good job this year in limited time. But let's not make saints of sinners. (Or former Lazio youth.)

[ASR1927]

[RomaShield27]

I was being slightly dramatic saying the beginning of the end, of course, but at least it got some of you posting. To be blunt, after Bojan and Angel, I don't want to see anymore Spanish players arrive. Every day we see rumours of new players being linked with us, and they are all foreign. Spanish or Brazilian or Argentinean. Do we really think it isn't going to go this way, that we won't see more foreign players arrive, and Italian's leaving?

Jeff mentions the summer mercato gone, and how we signed Borini and Osvaldo. Thats all well and good, but we also signed nine foreign players (Angel, Heinze, Bojan, Pjanic, Lamela, Gago, Stek, Kjear, Nego). Viviano was never a realistic target as Inter had their grips in him, and we never showed any realistic interest in signing Montolivo, only a half-hearted enquiry from Sabatini to see if we could get him on the cheap. LE had no interest in him.

I agree with Italiamia, this is becoming a Spanish Roma, and those in positions of power at the club have no interest in keeping an Italian influence in the team and little regard for the culture of the club. We let the contract of our future captain expire more and more and do nothing about it while at the same time secure deals for promising South American players. There is money available and so we have a policy of signing the best young players out there that we can, and if that means that they are all foreigners, and we end up with no Italians, then so be it. I don't agree with that whatsoever and we are becoming the very thing which makes me dislike modern football and the era of foreign-owned football clubs.

[DCGweez]

I hear what you're saying Shield. I know you're hardly alone in that sentiment.

People have made a big to-do of it this year but who did Cote replace? Riise. Who did Gago replace? Pizza. Who did Heinze et al replace? Mexes. Who did Bojan/Ozzy replace? Vucinic.

Roma have always been almost as South American as Italian. At least these Spanish don't take up an EU spot.

At any rate i'm much more concerned about Crescenzi having a spot than Rosi long term.

[ASR1927]

We would have bought Viviano if Bologna had not fucked up the envelopes. Montolivo turned us down. The player has to want to come before any serious offer is made.
Now we are being linked with Bonera,Ferrari and Gastaldello who last time I checked were all Italian.


We are also being linked with Leonardo Bonucci.


As far as DDR goes Roma are offering €5.5 million + bonuses net which is more than Totti makes. He is asking for €7 million after taxes per season. DDR is playing hardball on the contract. If the club didn't care about being Italian wouldn't they have sold him in the summer €50 million + rather than risk him leaving on a free? They could buy a lot of foreign players with that money.

[RomaShield27]

Good to have you back, Jeffo. Nothing like a bit of an oul argument to get back to talking again. How have things been?

Matteo Ferrari, do you mean? Is he still playing? To be honest a lot of those moves sound like you're usual mercato madness rumours. Bonucci is reportedly unhappy and was close to a move to Russia – we're looking for a centre-back – so it must be on. Gastaldello is a good player – but he's in Serie B – so he could move. And so on. We'll see how much interest LE has in them. DDR's case is different, Rosella couldn't possibly have sold him regardless of the money involved, as she would have been lynched as soon as she stepped out in public.

DC, I realise a lot of players who came in replaced out-going foreign players, but I'm more concerned with the future and how things appear to be shaping up to me. Like Giovanni said, it's a trend and we can see where it is going. There appears to be little emphasis on keeping some Italian identity. I've asked before where Bruno Conti stand on this and if he has anything to say, or if, indeed, he even sees it as an issue to comment on yet.