THE WOLF'S DEN - Tana dei Lupi II

[Italiamia]

Hey, Collucci: you should come to America where accommodations are made for non english speakers. Especially for spanish speakers. The left in this country think it matters little to speak the language of the nation.

[AS Collie]

[Italiamia]

[AS Collie]

Were you one of the ones hoarding all the Punts!?! That's bad for the economy, you know, Gio.

You know they use the Euro in Ireland, right? But I'm sure the bank will still take the punts. Give them to me and we'll leave it at that.

As for Stek, I'm only making an issue of the language because he – and lots of other people – started to make issues about him not playing. That Montella never complained is a mark of his fine character. A lot of players seem to think that a starting spot is their birthright. I'm sure he will start against Samp because I'm sure Mauro Goicoechea is a basket case after the last game.

BUT, if Stek is to be first choice again, I hope he can communicate better and concede far fewer goals than he has been doing. Last year, above Palermo in 16th, no one apart from Inter conceded more (they let in 55 to our 54).

[Italiamia]

I know Ireland uses the euro, Collucci. I'm not an idiot.

[AS Collie]

Haha. Didn't mean to insinuate as such. You're no Edzo, Gio.

[Italiamia]

[red]

[DCGweez]

He was told on multiple occasion that his distribution wasn't getting it done.

As for Gooch being more error prone, i'm not sure. He had one awful game but he's managed to not get red carded multiple times including in the first 5 minutes of a derby. So i'd say he's ahead of Steck on that account

In addition, it's easy to blame Zeman for Stek but lets be honest, he was a marquee name and we paid a decent price for him. Baldini and the smoking man saw fit to bring in a replacement.

No one will convince me that the manager has time to unearth no name GKers plying their trade in S. America. Someone had to give Zeman the tape of him.

[red]

What was wrong with Stekelenburg's distribution?

Blaming the keeper for the team fucking up and allowing a striker to go clean through on goal is foolish. With Roma's defence the way it was last season, any keeper would have ended up getting sent off a couple of times. I thought Stekelenburg made remarkably few significant errors given how terrible the defences were that he played behind last season and this.

Bringing in an extra option is rather different from forcing a coach to pick him. Going by the comments that came out after the Baldini-Sabbatini-Zeman meeting the other week, regardless of who signed Goicoechea, Roma's management didn't seem convinced he deseved to be starting ahead of Stekelenburg.

Of course, that may have been an invented story or it may have been a self-preservation move by Baldini/Sabbatini.

[DCGweez]

There was plenty of talk about his distribution earlier in the year.

Secondly, we've been over this:

Keeper 1 v 1 possible outcomes ranked best to worst:

1. Make the save.
2. Get scored on.
3. Get sent off, have your team play a man down for 86 minutes in a derby and have them score the PK anyway.

He did it twice (Perhaps 3 times i can't remember)

[red]

I remember it happening against Lazio and Juve.

I don't accept the idea that the keeper could/should choose just to let the player score as he might get sent off for trying to stop it.

In both cases I would blame the defence.

I can't remember the last time Buffon even had to face a situation of a player running clean through at him.

[Lupa]

[Lupa]

About Steke, I'd like him to be better than he apparently is. By that I mean I expected more from him, and, like Collie, I'd be happy to like him again. I *was* disappointed to hear that he hasn't learned Italian, though. Aside from isolating him from his teammates socially, he really does need to communicate with his defense.

Oh, and no comments about the fact that we contacted Panucci, and Blanc is on the shortlist? If Panucci hadn't been in their sights, I'd assume Baldini was continuing his anti-Italian coach stance.

[p_maldini_3]

fuck the steak.

if a coach can't manage to fit in serie A's best midfielder (top 3 at the least) into the starting XI, there is something wrong with him.

[maro]

[AS Collie]

[AS Collie]

[RomaShield27]

I've said from the start I was never totally convinced by Stek. He is a solid keeper, but when we signed him the reaction from a lot of people that we signed our very own Buffon only for a bargain basement price. I remember Colly even said he's a great signing because even the likes of Man United or other big clubs were trying to get him for years but it just never happened, and then we got him. He's good, but so is Sorrentino or Viviano.

I like Goicoechea, I think he has the makings of a top-class goalkeeper. Roma is probably the worst club he could have joined to try and make his name. If he had of signed for Catania or someone it would have been better for him, as weird as that sounds. However Zeman or one his aids found out about Goicoechea (likely a vid like DCG said), he is still very raw, only coming from playing with his hometown club in Uruguay and never playing outside of his country or for his country at senior level. The point is, he came from obscurity as a complete unknown to go right into the melting pot, taking his chance when it came and ousted the big name Stek as the number one (regardless on if he was Zeman's 'favourite', his performances when Stek was injured warranted him keeping the starting spot), then stuttered a bit before making a complete howler against Cagliari, and now he's practically been nailed to the cross and cursed out of Roma. This is Roma, and sums up the pressure and expectation of the club and the fans and the city perfectly. No patience.

I do also think Stek is also more error-prone than Goicoechea. Stek is a better all rounder and while he looks the part, at times he can make rudimentary mistakes and basic errors that a highly experienced keeper like him just shouldn't be making. Goicoechea has made some complete howlers, but like I said he is still very raw. He looks like a much better shot stopper and commands his area and defence very well. Stek falls down there (sometimes literally), and not being able to communicate with your defence is a serious disadvantage.

However, Red does raise an important point in that playing under the systems of both LE and ZZ is not exactly your average style of football team, where the emphasis is generally on defence, and so your goalkeeper is not left so badly exposed. Its much in the same way I always liked Kjaer when he was with us and thought he was a solid defender, despite his howlers and times when he left very exposed. Have with Kjaer or Stek playing in a more orthodox 4-4-2 side – say under Ranieri – and I think both would do very well.

Lupa, on Blanc, I believe Baldini did come out and deny that there has been any contact with him or that he's on any shortlist. If you can believe such things, of course, but who knows.

[AS Collie]