THE WOLF'S DEN - Tana dei Lupi II

[AS Collie]

[Italiamia]

Federico Viviani and Gianluca Caprari are in the Roma squad for the Juve game, inclusions which Michele Martinelli feels are long overdue.

Agostino Di Bartolomei, Giuseppe Giannini, Francesco Totti and Daniele De Rossi. Roma like their home-grown heroes. Well, that seemingly used to be the case as Federico Viviani and Gianluca Caprari – just two of the club’s Primavera championship winning side – are finding out this season.

Viviani, 19, is the current captain of Roma’s youth team, a player who Luis Enrique promised to keep an eye on, but a youngster who has yet to feel the benefit of the Spaniard’s rotation policy.

“We’ll just have to wait until January and they’ll tell me what I have to do,” said the frustrated Italy Under-20 international. “My dream is to play in Serie A in Rome or elsewhere – it certainly doesn’t just depend on me.”

Viviani, who has been described as a mix between David Pizarro and De Rossi, featured in Roma’s Europa League fixtures against Slovan Bratislava, but, despite playing well, has since been ignored by Enrique.

Caprari [pictured], 18, another key member of last year’s championship winning side, is also reportedly unhappy that he has not been given a chance in the senior squad. His agent feels the club has sent mixed messages by first obtaining Fabio Borini, on loan from Parma, and more recently signing young Argentine attacker Nicolas Lopez.

“Given that Lopez and Caprari both play in the same role, we have to think about what is best for Caprari in the short term and whether that’s sending him out on loan or staying put,” said representative Davide Lippi recently. Caprari had featured prominently in pre-season fixtures and must be feeling let down by the club’s apparent lack of faith in him.

The capital outfit has one of Italy’s best youth production lines and has consistently churned out talented footballers including Gaetano D'Agostino, Alessio Cerci and Alberto Aquilani. However, there is a danger that they may now, like other clubs in the Division, be overlooking local talent in favour of foreign names. It’s the wrong way to go, especially during a time when Serie A is attracting fewer and fewer big name players.

Despite many praising Roma for bringing much needed youth, new ideas and foreign investment into Italy’s top flight, the club cannot afford to alienate its home-grown talent. Young imports such as Erik Lamela and Miralem Pjanic can contribute a substantial amount to Roma, but this shouldn’t come at the expense of players such as Viviani and Caprari – especially at a club who pride themselves in having Roman Romanisti in their ranks.

[Italiamia]

[AS Collie]

Hey Italiamia! I was agreeing with you. I meant it in the sense of it's evil to think bad, but it's almost always right. My friend here says it a lot. Maybe I'm off a little on how it's actually said (my less-than-stellar italian is a matter of record).

I'm off to make sure that the dose of reality later doesn't hit me too hard, and for this man, that means pre-game pints. The on-pitch events might be sobering, but the slurred abuse from my seat - and the later, angry play-by-play report that my long-suffering girlfriend receives on every game - sure won't be.

Enjoy the game everyone.

[Italiamia]

[AS Collie]

Hmmm, blind faith I might muster. But genuine, honest confidence? Depends on how many pints I have.

[red]

Roma look miles better when they play a proper game of football instead of dicking about and trying to have 90% possession.

[Italiamia]

[red]

I know and Roma still looked more convincing than they have in most of their games I've seen this season, not that that is a huge achievement.

Keeping things compact, sitting quite deep and accepting the other team will have the ball for periods of the game, like they did tonight, is so much more sensible that what Roma usually do.

[Italiamia]

[AS Collie]

Seeing as everyone attached to Roma seems to think the club needs a new "philosophy', I've got one. let's bring back the sweeper. De Rossi in defence forevermore. It's less daft than a lot of the ideas I've seen on the pitch this season.

Given the wat that DDR played tonight, I think everyone who's been accusing him (no one on this site, per se) of being uncommitted can go fuck off. He played his heart out from where I sat. If he feels that he may be more appreciated within another "project", then I don't blame him. He won the world cup at 22, and at 28 he is still the "future" of Roma. I say that the future is now. Gil Scott-Heron was wrong; the revolution will be televised. It'll be on Sky Sports Italia in 3D. And Daniele De Rossi will be leading the charge. Or not. Whatever the bosses decide.

One thing I will say: if DDR were to go on a free, the cost of replacing him would be enormous. At the modest estimate of €30m for a world-class midfielder, that would work out at €144,000 and change over a four-year contract, BEFORE his wages. Or put another way, letting DDR go and replacing him with a €30m midfielder could end up costing €46m, based on replacement receiving the reported €4m a year they're offering DDR. Put another way, for fans of the english game, the €77,000 a week that's reportedly being offered to DDR – though FUCKING OUTRAGEOUS - is £65,000: much less than half what the likes of Wayne Rooney or Fernando Torres are on. Heck, it's less than half what Joe Cole was on at Liverfekkin'wankscum, and I guess, therefore less than half what's he's on at Lille.

I am notforafuckingminute suggesting that the Premiershit is something that all footballers should aspire to, I am merely referencing it as a likely destination and thus, as a realistic barometer for what DDR might get paid elsewhere.

Should he be allowed to ask for a blank cheque from the club*? No. Should they be honest about the cost of his replacement? Yes.

*Not what I think he's doing.

[red]

[red]

[AS Collie]

[DavidP]

bit disappointed by capitano in the second half, but what a first fucking 45

[maro]

Heinze played well, as did Steak, and Greco showed a lot of personalita' - more than I think I've ever seen from Aquilani, say, even if Aquilani is a more gifted player. Greco's willingness to show for the ball in tight situations was pretty impressive. Taddei was also excellent getting up and down the right.

[maro]

Taddei è stato straordinario, come De Rossi da stopper e Heinze accanto a lui. Totti ha fatto la punta, il terzino e il centrocampista. Greco ha giocato per due. Simplicio, Perrotta e Borriello ci sono parsi quelli di una volta. Viviani, all’esordio e dopo tre mesi di vacanza primaverile, ha fatto cose buone e cose meno buone. Il ragazzo c’è e lo vedremo protagonista, se non lo nasconderanno un’altra volta. Accanto ai cosiddetti senatori hanno fatto discreta figura anche i nuovi, in particolare, direi, Pjanic, in marcatura su Pirlo: altra cosa poco spagnoleggiante.

[Italiamia]

http://www.gazzetta.it/Calcio/Squadre/R ... 3952.shtml

[DCGweez]

Zonal Marking covers "How effectively Luis Enrique is implementing the Barca methods at Roma"


http://www.zonalmarking.net/2011/12/14/ ... barcelona/

[red]

Quite a lot of tosh in that article.