THE WOLF'S DEN - Tana dei Lupi II

[Lupa]

Too bad about the ads, as I enjoyed them.

What's up with Osvaldo punching Lamela?????

[RomaShield27]

[maro]

I did in the shitebox on Friday evening. I don't need anyone to "pay attention" to me, threadmund. I just thought it would be interesting to see if anyone else agreed, despite the consensus of press opinion to the contrary. Next time I shall say nothing at all since that seems to be what you would prefer.

[RomaShield27]

The Shitebox is really just for quick comments, not for giving thoughts on a game. How is someone meant to read other people's views on the game if its gone from the SB an hour later? I was curious about your brief comment – "one of our best performances of the season" – and would like to know more, but how can I if you don't post them? Don't be getting stroppy.

[forzaitalia]

Kjaer out until the New Year? Our defenders are dropping like flies. Burdisso out for the rest of the season, Kjaer out for over a month at least, Juan struggling for fitness consistency in general......we're relying on you, Gabriel Heinze..

[RomaShield27]

Relying on Heinze? Ah jasus, we're fucked.

[Italiamia]

[AS Collie]

Who you callin fatboy, Tubby? The last time I saw you, you were wearing an Adriano-size Roma jersey.

You still coming in December?

[DCGweez]

I come here for posts precisely like Maro's. This is more a thinking mans board than any other i've found on the web. So let's not do anything to stifle that atmosphere. If anyone wants posts like, "Fire LE it's all his fault." "Play more italians all these dam spanish." or "F Lazio we're Roma we're number one" i can put up 10 links for you to enjoy.

I personally felt like it was our best performance of the season without the ball. Well at least until LE made the confounding decision to unbalance the team by taking off Gago and putting on an attacker. That is a move you make when you're down 1 or up 2. But not when the score is level. I understand that he said he'll always "play to win" and all that nonsense. I took that to mean, he'll never play for a point from the start. If so, i agree.

If what he showed the other day is what he meant then someone needs to tell him to be much more pragmatic. There are teams out there who can play that way. We are not one of them YET. I'm assuming that is what Baldini told him and what led to their spat.


Going forward the other day, i felt like we were disjointed and part of that is having a 19 year old kid pulling the strings. He'll have good and bad days.

[DCGweez]

What i find more troubling is the arguments between Argentines. For our immediate future someone must step in and fill the void left by Burdisso. I would think that DDR would have some say in all this. But with some long time players moving to the periphery of the team, half the team born in the 90's and the other half of the team on loan with an option to buy there are few candidates.

[AS Collie]

Plutarch said that to find a fault is easy; to do better, more difficult.

He also said that if you live with a cripple, you learn to limp.

Both apply to the dressing room.

[Italiamia]

Amantino headed for a secure accommodation:



http://www.repubblica.it/sport/calcio/2 ... 31533/?rss

[red]

[maro]

Thanks DCG. I thought we largely controlled the game, didn't concede much at the back against a side with a very good home record and some genuine attacking quality, and were a good pass or a right option away from a goal on three or four occasions. The final 10 minutes changed the result but not my sense of how the game had been up to that point. I also thought the boys seemed to be understanding the balance of 'lateral' passes and 'vertical' ones much better than they had earlier in the season. They didn't create opportunities in behind, but I thought the pattern of play looked much better and the possession was probing rather than simply sterile as it has been in other games. I actually would have started Bojan rather than Greco since I think that gives the side a better shape, though I take your point about unbalancing it. I'm also always happy to see Greco being given a chance even if he then doesn't take it and struggles.

[DCGweez]

I agree, the team as a Unit seems to be moving forward. I still wonder who if anyone will step up and be that decisive player. We know based on the last 3 years Totti simply can't stay healthy long enough to be that. Lamela? Pjanic?

I'd like Caprari given a real change. I felt he was the only player in the beginning of the year to make the runs required to break through and get in behind the defense. I think he can have the interplay with Bojan inside the 18. If we don't find that player or players soon, then LE must make concessions and start playing much wider with a true 4-3-3.

Most teams especially those at or above our level have found no trouble containing our paella in the final 3rd. At least a 4-3-3 would play into Cote and Borini's strengths and cause some danger.

[Italiamia]

I frankly do not know how you can say we controlled the game and I cannot disagree more. We had some nice possession at times but we did nothing with it and continually were exposed to Udine's counter attacks. Certainly, if Gago curls that shot into the net at the end of the first half, we are talking about a different match completely. Of course, we dodged a few bullets in the first half as well. In addition, to me, it seems as though Pjanic is the only player who is looking to attack. Lamela needs to show some more desire in attack.( perhaps that is why Osvaldo punched him) We also had no constructive answer for Amero who always seemed to be in a positon to threaten us on the counter.

[DCGweez]

Maro,

I disagree on Greco. I'm one of the biggest proponents of Roma youth being given a chance but he's failed everywhere he's gone. Even in Serie B he wasn't a regular starter. We tried to sell him and no one wanted him.

To add to that, he is 25. We're not talking about a guy who is just beginning his career here. I think he's been weighed, measured and found wanting.

[Italiamia]

[DavidP]

I pretty much agree with maro here. the start was really shaky, but we starting finding our touch (especially Osvaldo, damn, i didn't know he was capable of doing more than 1 good touch per game) and we were definitely dominating for a good portion of the second half. we definitely didn't deserve to lose, but i don't agree with enrique that we deserved 1 point, either. we played good, ballsy, but also intelligent football and the only thing we should have come away from the friulli was 3 points.

also, i'd really like to see gago at that regista position more often.. it honestly felt like he wasn't on the field at all for a good part of the first half when he played as mezz'ala.. yes, ddr is class there, but i think the combo of ddr as mezz'ala + gago as cdm benefits the team more than ddr as cdm + gago as mezz'ala

as for that punch, i recall lamela coming in from the left wing into a very good position and shooting quite carelessly when he had teammates in the box. i agree with osvaldo, a good pass could have decided the game, but what he did sounds like absolute fucking bullshit. shit like that wouldn't happen if papa nico was still here.


forza roma, and happy birthday once again, ed!

[DCGweez]

Spot on about Ozzy, David.

Also agree on the Gago + DDR pairing. I'm not sure what the right answer is. But i know the right question. At what positions do the pairing most help the team? Not whether or not DDR is superior to Gago at regista, etc.