THE WOLF'S DEN - Tana dei Lupi II

[AS Collie]

I'd go along with that, but I still think the FBs are a major problem – mainly for the problem you mention, that they're always ahead of the ball.

Ironic that a team so focused on possession is so poor at ball retention at key moments.

[DCGweez]

http://www.vocegiallorossa.it/?action=r ... izia=33136

Pjanic out three weeks...


Also Saba said Kjaer has had bad plays not games. Blames the criticism on his hair color and height saying his mistakes are more noticeable.

[red]

[AS Collie]

Well I'm not so sure. I mean, it would have to help having a fullback who wasn't a 31 year old Brazilian winger. I don't wanna rag on Taddei; merely highlight that LE's selection policy seems a bit Pro Ev style for me sometimes. It looks like he just tries to cram as many attacking players onto the pitch as possible.

I think that with four decent defenders, DDR and Gago would be much better at breaking down attacks. But if Taddei and Angel leave the flanks completely bare, there's only so much a defensive midfielder can do.

Of course, letting in the odd dodgy goal wouldn't matter so much if the forward line wasn't so incredibly wasteful.

[DCGweez]

I think last game everyone was exhausted. Lucho has done a poor job with adjustments. Clearly we need better players at the back.

I also agree the fullbacks aren't the problem. Against most of the narrow teams we just need two stud CBs who are fast and smart. With DDR that should be enough to allow pacey offensively gifted WBs to bomb forward.

They can be the width allowing our forwards to work the channels and the box.

[AS Collie]

Against narrow teams, I concur. However, there's been a shift lately from he god-awful, clogged-up days of Mourinho's Inter and the 4-2-3-1, to formations like Udinese's and Napoli's. And against that width, this Roma is always in danger.

I'm all in favour of attacking WBs, it would actually be my first choice if I was in charge of a team, but to refer back to my original point, we don't have a reliable team of CBs. The comment I made about the FBs was an aside to that. With an over-worked duo of Juan and Heinze, who are both getting on in years, the idea of playing a converted winger in the defence – with an other full-back who might as well be a winger – seems mad to me.

I wonder if it's a communication thing, but at this stage they should be able to work well together. And if they can't, then someone has to take responsibility for that. The real worry for me is what comes next. Juan and Heinze are both 33. Burdisso is just shy of 31, and Kjaer's been a disaster. So are we going to have to watch another "building period" next season? Are they going to splash the cash on some young but experienced Serie A defenders, or import more Spaniards/South Americans with no history of success in the Italian game? Or will they just put the bandaid on the bullet wound and get some more oldies on a free, so they can spend the whole lot on another attacking midfielder?

At the risk of sounding like Edzo: I miss Mexes.

[DCGweez]

I knowit ain't gonna happen but love to pick up Ogbonna. Best thing is he can play two position at the back.

[AS Collie]

Ogbonna looks good all right, though I've not seen a lot of Torino. I read a while back that he'd negotiated a new contract in order to be allowed to leave this summer. I like the look of Udinese's Basta, too.

[RomaShield27]

I've been highly critical of our defence all season, but I'm not so sure there is a quick fix solution to making us better. LE's system and philosophy of posesso paella at all costs (note how Steakburger and our defenders are clearly instructed never to kick the ball long) is such an intricate and complex style of football that it'd take any team time to adjust. Our centre-backs have looked shite this season, but as defenders go I don't think they're really as poor as this season shows (Heinze aside, he can just fuck off), and I've stressed enough times that if we played a traditional four-man back line this season we'd be ok back there. I think Red is right, in that even if we had two "awesome" centre-backs we'd still look vulnerable because the rest of the team is still learning how to play like LE wants. This posesso paella Barca-style chicken-tikka or whatever the fuck its called style of football is hard stuff to play, especially for our midfielders who are the focal point for keeping the posesso. How many goals is Gago responsible for when trying to play the ball around in midfield? How many times have Simplicio and Greco lost the ball in midfield and made our centre-backs look like rapists running from angry mob trying to get back to recover the situation? (not meaning to target out those midfielders, they're just not as skilful as players like, oh, Pizarro, or Xavi/Ineista etc.).

[AS Collie]

Ah, I'm not sure about that. LE's not the only manager who wants to play a possession game. I mean, Spain, Barca and Germany all play possession-driven games with an emphasis on passing.

I hate to repeat myself here, but I am not laying all of this on the FBs. That said, we're deluding ourselves if we say they're anywhere near top-class. Lahm and Dennis Aogo, for example, are on another level.

As for Gago et al losing it in midfield, the ball shouldn't be in the midfield for as long as it often is. Again: the forwards need to be more direct.

[red]

Aogo is an idiot.

[AS Collie]

Haha. I'll agree to disagree there. If being an idiot is a deal-breaker, we might have a hard time finding any players. Remember Ogbonna drove his Smart car off a bridge? I'd give him the benefit of the doubt if it hadn't been on the way home from a nightclub or whatever it was.

Still not as bad, I suppose, as Titus Bramble, who managed to crash his car into someone's house once. A house! It's not for nothing he has football's greatest nickname.

[RomaShield27]

Some nice pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dannylast/ ... 164643158/

[Lupa]

Meant to post this last week, but life got in the way. After I posted the pinterest link, this article appeared:
http://digital-football.com/sports-soci ... pinterest/

What's Titus Bramble's nickname? He has a pretty great real name. I think his name is great for a character of a Jane Austin novel.

Yeah, we need better fullbacks and a change of plan so that our central defenders are not so exposed. Yikes to Heinze and Kjaer being the plan for the rest of the season.

[AS Collie]

[red]

[AS Collie]

I agree there, and he's not a shadow of Lahm, but my point was that they were both better than our current options. High lines are great, but you can't rely on a 33-year CB to mop everything up. It's a team effort, and it requires more than two players to defend.

And Lupa's right, too, Heinze and Kjaer is not cool. I think the Argentine's done a decent enough job this season (I was under no allusions that he was a world-beater, and as such had modest expectations for him), but paired with the Dane he'll be in trouble, I fear. If Kjaer is ever going to live up to his hype – see Delio Rossi's comments yesterday - then now is the time to do it.

Need to be more potent up front, no sloppy passing in midfield allowing opponents to break, and better defenders. LE's got a busy time ahead of him.

[Lupa]

Yeah, I think Heinze has been a great acquisition if you consider what was expected of him (which wasn't much, by me at least). However, he's going to be really exposed week after week, with the way we play. A steady diet of Heinze and Kjaer isn't a good thing. (the words 'diet' and 'Heinze' together seem to fit with a joke; we need Pato too).

[RomaShield27]

PRIMAVERA TIM CUP: JUVENTUS V ROMA TOMORROW
/ 03/07/2012

Juventus stand in the path of De Rossi's Primavera team once more: tomorrow's Coppa Italia final first leg in Turin is a rematch of this year's Viareggio Cup final played on 20 February.

The Giallorossi will take to the field at the Juventus Stadium at 20:45 determined to avenge last month's defeat by their Bianconeri counterparts. Viviani and Co. reached the final by beating Parma in the last 16 (two wins, 1-2 away and 3-0 in Trigoria), Genoa in the quarters (3-2 in Rome, 2-2 in Liguria) and AC Milan in the semi-final (another double victory, 6-1 in the capital and 1-2 in Milanello). The Juventus Under 19s, coached by Baroni, saw off Napoli, Lazio and Fiorentina en route to the final.

The return leg is scheduled to take place in Rome on Thursday 22 March. The Giallorossi have 180 minutes to try and bring home the Primavera Coppa Italia, a trophy the club last won in 1993/94 having previously raised it in 1973/74 and 1974/75.

Here is the list of players coach De Rossi is taking with him to Turin: Barba, Carboni, Ciciretti, Cittadino, De Marco, Ferrante, Frediani, Leonardi, Lopez, Nego, Orchi, Pigliacelli, Piscitella, Politano, Proiett Gaffi, Romagnoli, Rosato, Sabelli, Tallo, Tassi, Verre, Viviani.

[DonSimon]

Interesting to see the clobbering our European coefficient took this season... even compared to that "failed" season when we went out to Panathinaikos.


According to wikipedia () we dropped from 16th in Europe to 25th in Europe this season. If - as seems increasingly likely - we miss out on Europe next season we'll be down around the Panathinaikos level, which won't help us in future draws.